Daniel Schrock, DMin
DMin Program Curriculum Specialist; Core Adjunct Faculty
About Dan
For over forty years, Dan has had a variety of roles in Anabaptist-Mennonite contexts 鈥� a pastor in three excellent congregations, a non-profit leader, a spiritual director for other leaders, a teacher and supervisor of spiritual directors and a wellness coach for pastors and spouses.
Why I am at bg真人
I鈥檝e been drawn to bg真人 since I was a senior in high school when I asked for a copy of the seminary鈥檚 catalog (then available only in print form) and drooled over all the courses I could take and the intriguing people I could learn from. Oddly, I never graduated from bg真人, although I have taken courses at bg真人 over the years. I鈥檓 at bg真人 because theological education is essential for the long-term well-being of the churches we serve. It gives me joy to participate in that education.
What I do at bg真人
I am the Curriculum Specialist of the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership (DMin) degree. I also teach a core course for that DMin.
I continue to teach spiritual direction courses offered through the registrar and the Church Leadership Center.
What are your goals for students?
I want us to become more aware of God in ordinary living. God is everywhere all the time, up to something, even if we don鈥檛 immediately notice it. For people who are in Christ, God is perceptible within us, in our relationships with each other, in our systems and structures and in creation. In each of these four arenas, God wants us to cooperate willingly with the mission that God already has underway.
What can students expect in your classroom?
In the initial DMin course, you will craft a personal plan to build your competencies as a leader. This plan will guide you through the rest of the degree.
In spiritual direction courses, you can expect many of the same learning methods you鈥檙e already familiar with, such as presentations, discussions and small group activities. But a unique part of every course is receiving supervision in a confidential setting for your work as a spiritual director, so you can become more compassionate, competent and contextual.
How does the Bible shape your vocation?
The Bible is one of my great loves because it opens a pathway into the heart, desires and mind of God. Scripture continues to be a primary locus of my own encounter with God.
How does studying in your discipline prepare students to participate in positive personal, spiritual and social transformation?
A primary source of human transformation is our growing perception of God. Conversion may begin this process, yet the growth continues for a lifetime by engaging a multitude of spiritual practices. As we more fully perceive God鈥檚 presence and activity in us, through us, around us and sometimes in spite of us 鈥� and as we consent to it 鈥� our capacity grows for cooperating with God in the ways God wants. Perception, consent and cooperation all help to transform us.
Publications
- 鈥淲orking with Highly Sensitive Persons in Spiritual Direction,鈥� Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction, September 2021.
- 鈥淯sing Technologies in Spiritual Direction,鈥� Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology, Fall 2015.
- An Open Place: The Ministry of Group Spiritual Direction, co-edited with Marlene Kropf (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2012).
- 鈥淒iscovering the Blessings of God鈥檚 鈥楢bsence鈥�: Youth in the Dark Night,鈥� in Andy Brubacher Kaethler and Bob Yoder, eds., Youth Ministry at a Crossroads: Tending to the Faith Formation of Mennonite Youth (Herald Press, 2011).
- The Dark Night: A Gift of God (Herald Press, 2009).
- 鈥淭he Obscure Night of Prayer,鈥� Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology, Fall 2006.