Program Components
Christian Spiritual Formation and Living in Intentional Community
The Center experience affords an opportunity rarely had in contemporary US culture: for people to evaluate individually and collectively the choices they make in their daily lives in light of their relationship with God. Together with the Director, Nancy Wiens, the group will read, pray, reflect, and share about central Christian themes of being the Beloved of God, living one’s life in free response to God’s love, discerning one’s vocation, etc. We will explore traditional prayer practices for how they might influence contemporary life and faith. Opportunities will arise to consider one’s relationship with play, rest, Sabbath, sleep, work, relationships, technology, food, one’s body, money, etc., in light of one’s relationship with God. The role of communication patterns, contemporary science, and death will all be part of our conversations with each other and God. Because participants live in common housing, sharing meals together, the opportunity to form an intentional community with shared commitments is part of the Center experience.
Some of the possibilities for shared reading and discussion include the following books:
- Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer
- Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, Marshall Rosenberg
- An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor
- Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
- Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen
- The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen
- Memories of God, Roberta Bondi
- Sabbath, Wayne Muller
- The Final Crossing, Scott Eberle
- When Science Meets Religion, Ian Barbour
Permaculture
Permaculture is a design process that mimics systems found in nature. Seeking to create sustainable human-nature relationships, it brings together diverse strategies, techniques, people, land, and energy resources. Based on an ethic of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, it focuses on natural systems thinking, thoughtful observation, and ecological design principles. While it may involve every aspect of life, permaculture often impacts gardening, farming, buildings, and creative resource management.
Westminster Woods seeks to incorporate permaculture design in its entire operation, from food production, new building plans, and human resource management to program content, water catchment, and energy conservation. With this kind of vision, the Woods is at the beginning of this exciting, ongoing journey. Building sustainable food systems at the Woods will be the primary permaculture focus in 2010-11.
Apprentices receive a formal certification in permaculture design.
Concentration in Christian Spirituality at SFTS
The Concentration offers a class that meets once a week every semester and is composed of five distinct rotating topics. It serves four purposes: (1) becoming acquainted with a spectrum of classical spiritual disciplines; (2) integrating the students’ spiritual life and seminary studies; (3) experiencing in a continuous spiritual guidance group the dynamics and leadership of a group (as opposed to one-to-one) model of spiritual guidance; (4) discussing selected spirituality texts and appropriating them into a contemporary ministry context.
The five course emphases and their primary spiritual practices are:
- Biblical Prayer (Lectio Divina)
- Silent Prayer in the Company of the Community (Centering Prayer)
- Introduction to Group Spiritual Companionship (Contemplative Listening)
- Communal Discernment (Clearness Committee)
- Integrating Spirituality and Social Structures (Social Discernment Cycle)
Apprentices receive eight graduate-level credits for their coursework at SFTS. See links to graduate course descriptions in side bar.
Holistic Financial Planning
Holistic Financial Planning offers a comprehensive approach to making financial decisions. Conventionally, our values about our spiritual approaches and practices and our relationships have not played a central role in making financial decisions. Social justice and ecological sustainability have also often been neglected. Holistic financial planning takes all of these into consideration and helps us make financial decisions to better the whole of our lives and the world around us.
Sacred Quest
The Sacred Quest is a wilderness rite of passage that helps people mark transitions in their lives—both the publicly recognized ones, such as graduating from college, marriage, a new job, or becoming a parent, as well as the internal ones, such as embracing the courage to face what is real, learning how to grieve, or claiming the safety of experiencing ones feelings. The experience offers a particular lens on discerning God’s movements through the Nature of oneself and the rest of God’s beloved creation.
Apprentices receive formal Wilderness First Aid certification.
Summer Staff at the Woods
Our six-week camp gives young adults an opportunity to minister to children and youth, ages 7-18, while living in the beautiful California Coastal Redwoods. With a focus on relational and outdoor ministry, Westminster Woods Summer Camp offers its summer staff experience working in small and large group settings, all the while supporting the staff’s spiritual development. Our summer staff consists of 70 college students living and working together for the purpose of Westminster Woods’ summer program.
The purpose of the summer program is to help children and youth grow deeper in their understanding of and relationship with Jesus Christ. We seek to do that by helping campers build relationships with peers, responsible adults, youth groups, and their churches. The strength of our program lies in the staff we hire and their willingness to show God’s love through their words and actions in a natural and simple setting.
Camping Ministry calls for a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and interests. Each summer staff is hired to serve in both counselor and department positions for the summer. As a camp counselor, you will have the chance to interact directly with a group of campers, helping them to develop their relationship with God. Also, as a department member, the summer staff work on a team in one of these areas:
- Archery
- Crafts
- Child Care
- First Aid
- Kitchen
- Lifeguard
- Challenge Course
We also have leadership positions and specialist positions in the areas of worship, art, and as naturalists.
Apprentices receive a formal certification in challenge course leadership.
Environmental Education
Westminster Woods provides a nurturing, hands-on, learning environment designed to support classroom curriculum. Our professional team of teacher/naturalists creates a safe, supportive atmosphere for learning. Over 5,000 students per year, 4-8th grade, and their chaperons come for our 3-5 day programs from all over Northern California.
Our Philosophy and Primary Goal: The primary goal of our program is for students to appreciate, understand, and care for the Earth.
- Appreciating the Earth • Our hope is that by exploring, observing, and spending time close to the Earth students will develop a deeper relationship with the natural world.
- Understanding the Earth • We teach about the Earth as a whole system. We use the scientific process to study and observe the Earth. We practice active listening, with each other and the Earth.
- Caring for the Earth • When we come to deeply appreciate and understand something it helps us to want to care for it.
We focus on five key principles of ecology:
- Energy Flow
- Cycles
- Interconnections
- Diversity
- Change