Emmaus Overview
The Emmaus two-year certificate in formational leadership is for the leader who desires to follow Jesus intimately and who recognizes a need for deeper, personal formation in the Holy Spirit. It is for those who are called to influence others in their discipleship and spiritual growth in the Lord and who want to be equipped to do so.
In the sacred space of this retreat-based community, we attend to the heart, mind and soul of the participants. We listen prayerfully and carefully to the life of God in each of us, seeking to discern what God is saying and doing. Participants are equipped by example, practice, instruction and mentoring.
The teaching is biblically based, exploring themes relevant to Christian life and spiritual maturity. Our faculty have received training and have ministry experience in diverse settings and countries.
Thank you for considering Emmaus. We look forward to the opportunity of serving you!
Who is Emmaus For?
Emmaus is for all those…
- Who want to learn more about Biblical spiritual formation and how it is relevant for the Church today
- Who long to discern the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in their own heart and life
- Who desire to experience how the children of God mature into the likeness of Jesus
- Who are tasked with pastoral responsibilities or the soul care of others
- Who have a calling and a desire to be entrusted with the spiritual development of believers
- Who are accompanying someone on their spiritual formation journey
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Certificate Program include?
- Six thematic retreats over a 2 year period
- Spiritually formative leadership curricula
- Community-based learning and interaction
- One-on-one mentoring and spiritual companioning
- Reading and reflection assignments
- Doing spiritual formation ministry in your setting
What will I gain in the Emmaus experience?
- Confidence to lead as a spiritual leader, following the example of Jesus
- Courage to lead as a change agent, practicing ways to humbly and graciously lead others into transformation
- Conviction to lead as a discernment-based decision-maker
What equipping and training is offered?
- Contemplative practices to shape the depth of your soul
- Community listening to enrich awareness of who you are in Christ
- Collegial learning that will enhance the impact of your leadership
What does the faculty provide?
- Hospitality and facilitation of six thematic retreats over a two-year period
- Training, teaching, worship, practical resources, and a contemplative community
- Support and oversight as you apply what you’re learning in your ministry setting
What does each retreat include?
Each of the six retreats involve:
- A listening community of sacred companions
- State of soul sharing that serves as our re-introduction to one another each retreat
- Scripture, prayer and reflective disciplines
- Worship times as a community
- Spacious times of silence and solitude for prayer, Scripture reading, personal reflection, or rest
- Spiritual direction opportunities
- Teaching on spiritual formation and leadership topics relevant to the retreat theme
How does Emmaus and Leadership Transformations (LTI) support local churches?
In Emmaus, we long to see the Body of Christ growing up into maturity in the Holy Spirit, rooted in Jesus and established in an experiential knowledge of the love of God in Christ. LTI desires to bless local churches and ministries with leaders who love reading and meditating on God’s Word, who are deeply rooted in Christ and are equipped to serve faithfully in Jesus’ name.
What is ‘Formational Leadership’?
Formational Leadership involves accompanying people in the process of being spiritually formed in and by the Holy Spirit. It requires a way of being present and attentively attuned to the actual work of God in the soul, and learning to cooperate in that work as it is taking place in real time.
Listening (rather than telling) is the primary leadership posture; discernment (rather than taking charge) is the dynamic in the leader’s role. The fruit of this disciplined and mature leadership presence is the formation of persons and communities of grace, humility, compassion who increasingly yearn after God and hunger and thirst for righteousness. These are people who are open-handed and open-hearted, who are in possession of a capacity for unity amidst diversity, for mercy in judgment, for tenderness with the weary. They are learning to abide in Christ, to walk by the Spirit, to love God with all their heart, mind and soul, and to love their neighbors as themselves.
Watch the below webinar recording, “Servant, Steward, Shepherd: Learning to Lead Like Jesus“, for a panel discussion from Emmaus faculty on what Formational Leadership looks like:
Is Emmaus right for me? What if I have additional questions?
We would be delighted to help you explore if Emmaus is right for you. Please contact Jeremy Stefano at jeremy@leadershiptransformations.org if you have any questions.
Emmaus Retreat Dates
2025 - 2027 ONLINE RETREAT - via Zoom
All retreats are held at 10AM - 4PM ET
Spiritual Formation: Sep 17-18, 2025
Spiritual Practices: Dec 10-11, 2025
Spiritual Rest: Apr 8-9, 2026
Spiritual Leadership: Aug 26-27, 2026
Spiritual Discernment: Oct 28-29, 2026
Spiritual Community: Apr 7-8, 2027
2026 - 2028 EMMAUS RETREAT
Application season for the 2026-2028 Emmaus cohort begins January 2026. Click the button below to be added to our notification list for when applications are being received in January.
2024 - 2026 ONLINE RETREAT - via Zoom
All retreats are held at 10AM - 4PM ET
Spiritual Formation: Aug 27-28, 2024
Spiritual Practices: Oct 29-30, 2024
Spiritual Rest: Apr 8-9, 2025
Spiritual Leadership: Aug 26-27, 2025
Spiritual Discernment: Oct 28-29, 2025
Spiritual Community: Mar 24-25, 2026
Emmaus Application Process & Tuition
The Emmaus 2023 – 2025 cohort is full. Application season for the 2024-2026 cohort will open in January 2024. Click here to be notified when applications are being received for the 2024-2026 cohort.
Applications for the 2025-2027 cohort are now being received.
Email Jeremy at any time with questions.
Tuition and Fees:
- $3,250 for the ONLINE two-year certificate program*.
- An additional $250 non-refundable deposit is required upon acceptance to the program.
- $50 non-refundable application fee.
* Tuition is payable in 1, 5, or 20 installments. Limited scholarship aid is available, upon request.
What’s included in Tuition:
Six retreats, teaching materials and resources and personal mentoring throughout the program
Note:
Each participant is responsible to acquire approximately six books per year.
Contact Jeremy Stefano at jeremy@leadershiptransformations.org for any questions.
Testimonials
“Every part of the Emmaus experience proved not just valuable to me in my spiritual leadership journey, but transformative.”
“I had developed a long term habit of doing ministry in my own strength. I knew Holy Spirit empowered ministry was possible, but I was having great difficulty getting there until my time in Emmaus."
"The most important task of spiritual leadership is hearing Jesus. Without his voice, our congregations are only hearing our voices. And that's not saying much. In Emmaus, I received the gift of being surrounded with trusted voices that enabled me to hear the most trusted Voice when I needed it the most."
"In Emmaus, I've learned to embrace silence and solitude because God meets me in those places."
“In my life, the main benefit of being part of Emmaus, is learning how to listen."
"The Emmaus experience reminded me after almost 30 years of ministry that maintaining spiritual disciplines is not enough...you need a band of brothers and sisters who are engaged in the same journey. This journey has provided me with wise counsel, spiritual healing, and inspiration for continued ministry. I would strongly advise any spiritual leader who wants to finish well in his or her calling to be a servant of Jesus to consider being a part of the Emmaus journey."
