Disciples Seminary Foundation

09/05/2026

From September 29-October 6, Los Angeles clergy members from different faith backgrounds will embark on a week-long, 85-mile pilgrimage to draw attention to and call for an end to cruel immigration policy and a close to all detention centers. These religious leaders and accompanying community members will walk to bring compassion and care for the immigrant community, and to serve as a protective presence for those for whom it is not safe to speak out. This event is being organized by the Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice (C.L.U.E.)

How You Can Support

Sign up to walk (partial or full length)

Volunteer Supporters (Individual and Congregational)

Donate to the Bond Fund

Learn more here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev6WydYo4qpairtK8WRh4v4UHWyEvmfrp3a8ajC0a52x7mYw/viewform

09/04/2026

Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) is hiring an Interim New Church Strategist! This position will evaluate and evolve congregational development models during an up-to-18-month term. Reporting to the President & CEO, it will spearhead program assessment and analysis to audit initiatives and measure performance, while building relationships across the denomination to align regional needs with organizational goals for successful church planting. This role will leverage these insights to help DCEF develop a revised New Church Ministry framework that delivers structured, measurable impact across the wider Church.

https://disciplescef.org/assets/docs/DCEF-Interim-NCM-Strategist-Job-Description.pdf

09/03/2026

Save the date for Disciples Mission Fund Week: September 12–18. Join us as we celebrate the theme “Beyond,” inspired by Acts 1:8, through inspiring stories and daily reflections that highlight how the Disciples Mission Fund extends Christ's love beyond barriers across the United States, Canada, and around the world.

Learn more at https://bit.ly/dmfweek

09/02/2026

This week’s DSF newsletter invites us to reflect on calling, what it means to discover it, live into it, and support others as they discern their own.

In this issue, DSF Board Vice Chair Lindsey Jacobs shares a personal reflection on the difference between a job, a career, and a calling. After years of meaningful work in fundraising and a lifelong connection to the arts, Lindsey found a new sense of calling in her role at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where she gets to help expand access to arts education. She also celebrates the calling of DSF students and the courage it takes to pursue a life of purpose and service.

As Lindsey writes, there is something powerful about discovering work that doesn’t just fit your skills, but fits your sense of purpose.

Also in this week’s newsletter:
✨ Celebrate Disciples Mission Week and the ways congregations are living out God’s mission in their communities
✨ Save the date for Disciples Mission Fund Week, September 12–18
✨ Learn about a job opportunity with Disciples Church Extension Fund
✨ Join a 85-mile clergy pilgrimage calling for compassionate immigration policies and an end to detention centers
✨ Registration is open for the DSF Collective course The Pastoral Leader: Spirituality, Ethics, and Justice with Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre
✨ Discover how the DSF Certificate Program can support your theological and pastoral formation

Read this week’s newsletter and join us in celebrating the many ways calling takes shape and the people who courageously say yes to it. 💙

https://mailchi.mp/dsf.edu/september-2-2026

09/01/2026

What if there were a day for all Disciples congregations everywhere to celebrate mission during Sunday morning worship? So much of our heritage as Disciples is about how we share the love of God and participate in God’s mission to care for the least of these. The day to celebrate mission in worship is here! Disciples congregations are invited to celebrate the good work they have been doing and continue to do in their churches and their communities. As part of Disciples Mission Week, this will be done in worship services on Sunday, September 13. Worship resources are available for free online.

https://disciplesmissionhub.org/disciples-mission-week-2026/worship-celebration/

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

This week in the DSF newsletter, meet Aaron Whitesell, an M.Div. student at Claremont School of Theology whose journey of faith has taught him that it’s okay not to have everything figured out.

Also in this week's newsletter:
✨ Celebrate 60 years of ministry at East Whittier Christian Church/Iglesia Cristiana del Este de Whittier
✨ Join the celebration honoring the ministry and legacy of Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Bynum
✨ Free training opportunities for seminarians through Disciples Home Missions
✨ Mission & Ministry Grants from the National Benevolent Association
✨ Registration for the DSF Collective course The Church at Work: Worship, Preaching, and Pastoral Care

Read this week's newsletter and get to know Aaron as he continues learning, growing, and discerning how to faithfully walk alongside others. 💙

https://mailchi.mp/dsf.edu/august-26-2026

08/21/2026

Registration is now open for the DSF Collective course The Church at Work: Worship, Preaching, and Pastoral Care! This enriching course explores how the church proclaims the good news through worship, preaching, teaching, and compassionate pastoral care. Participants will deepen their understanding of sermon preparation, worship planning, storytelling, and pastoral leadership while learning to lead meaningful moments in the life of the church — including baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other significant occasions — with cultural awareness and theological depth. Whether you are preparing for ministry or seeking to strengthen your leadership, this course offers practical skills that can be immediately applied in congregational life.

This course is part of the DSF Certificate Program: Pastoral Leadership in a Divided World — a one-year, 10-course online program designed to equip lay leaders, emerging ministers, pastors, and lifelong learners with practical ministry skills, theological grounding, and culturally aware leadership formation.

Register now!

dsf.edu/dsf-collective

Why pursue the DSF Certificate Program?

This course is part of the DSF Certificate Program: Pastoral Leadership in a Divided World — a one-year, 10-course online program built for lay leaders, emerging ministers, and pastors who want theological depth and practical tools for ministry in today's world. Here's what makes it a transformative investment:

Flexible, accessible learning — Study from anywhere with a three-week guided format plus a monthly Zoom conversation.

Comprehensive formation — 10 courses covering scripture, theology, church history, preaching, pastoral care, stewardship, ethics, and more.

Earn a certificate or CEUs — Complete all 10 courses for a Certificate in Pastoral Leadership, or take individual courses for Continuing Education Units.

Affordable — Individual courses are $300; the full Certificate Program is $3,000. Scholarships are available.

Whether you're discerning a call, deepening your ministry, or seeking renewal, the DSF Certificate Program meets you where you are. You can enter at any point in the year — and August is the perfect time to start.

Learn more about the Certificate Program | Questions? Email [email protected]

08/20/2026

We’re proud to share the latest episode of DEBA at the Table, featuring our Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Christy Newton!

In this episode, Christy explores how we can better support ministry leaders throughout their entire calling, from seminary and beyond. She reflects on the importance of belonging, financial wellness, and community in helping ministry leaders thrive and reminds us that supporting those called to ministry means walking alongside them for the long journey.

We’re grateful to the Pension Fund for creating space for this important conversation and for highlighting the work of supporting ministry leaders at every stage of their vocation.

Give it a listen and hear from Christy about what it means to create a stronger culture of care and support for ministry leaders!

https://pensionfund.org/resources/videos-and-webinars/deba-at-the-table-episode-5-rev-dr-christy-newton

08/19/2026

This week in the DSF newsletter, meet Cassidy Anderson, an M.Div. student at Claremont School of Theology whose journey through seminary has been one of deconstruction, healing, rediscovery, and renewed calling.

After a difficult season of transition from the church where she grew up and served, Cassidy entered seminary to discern what might come next. Along the way, she has been rediscovering what she is passionate about, including finding new ways to understand Scripture, church, and faith that honor and uplift marginalized communities and create space for spiritual wondering and exploration.

Also in this week's newsletter:
✨ A celebration honoring the ministry and legacy of Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Bynum
✨ A new episode of DEBA at the Table featuring DSF Executive Director Rev. Dr. Christy Newton
✨ Registration for the DSF Collective course The Church at Work: Worship, Preaching, and Pastoral Care
✨ Opportunities to support emerging theological leaders through DSF

Read this week's newsletter and get to know Cassidy as she continues to ask faithful questions, explore new possibilities, and discern where God is leading her next. 💙

https://mailchi.mp/dsf.edu/august-19-2026