Emmaus Certificate in Formational Leadership

A Contemplative Community Equipping Spiritual Leaders...
The Emmaus Certificate in Formational Leadership is a two-year program for leaders who desire ever-deepening attentiveness to the presence and movement of God within their hearts and in all life’s circumstances and relationships. Each retreat is designed to provide a spiritually enriching environment for ongoing encouragement and growth in the spiritual life, in discernment and renewal. It is our hope that by engaging with one another in unhurried, reflective and contemplative ways, we will develop a lifestyle of spiritual formation that will impact both our personal walk of intimacy with Christ and ultimately inform our influence as leaders in our ministry contexts.
The new Emmaus program has been redesigned with a heavy emphasis on equipping spiritual leaders to be agents of transformation in their own leadership contexts. The contemplative community qualities that have been the hallmark of Emmaus will remain, but the new program will also feature the following enhancements:
- Six thematic retreats over a two-year period
- Expanded faculty and enhanced formational leadership curriculum
- Every participant will complete a 2-year Certificate in Formational Leadership (view requirements)
- Community-based learning with an emphasis on each leader’s impact and the ripple effects of nurturing their own contemplative life
- One-on-one mentoring, spiritual companionship, reading and written work between retreats
- Undertake a personal silent retreat in year one of the program; design and facilitate a retreat experience for others in year two
And Fostering a Lifestyle of Formation, Discernment and Renewal
- 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 that keep us focused on biblical, contemplative and Trinitarian means of grace
- Crafting a Rule of Life as the foundation for personal growth and small group sharing
- Worship times as a community scheduled throughout the retreat
- Spacious blocks for silence and solitude in the afternoons for prayer, Scripture reading, personal reflection, a walk in the woods or perhaps a nap
- Optional spiritual direction appointments
- Teaching sessions on spiritual formation and leadership topics based on the retreat theme
- Contemplative practices to shape the depth of your soul
- Community listening to enrich the awareness of your true self in Christ
- Collegial learning that will enhance the impact of your leadership
- 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
- Hospitality and facilitation at six thematic retreats over a two-year period
- Training, teaching, worship, practical resources, and a contemplative community in which you will be equipped to grow in formational leadership
- Coaching and spiritual companionship in between each retreat as you apply what you’re learning in your ministry setting
"Genuine transformation comes not through what we know, but through what we do with what we know."
Application Process & Tuition
Fill out and submit the online application along with a $50 application fee.
Tuition: $4,900 for the RETREAT BASED two-year certification program, and $2,700 for the ONLINE two-year certification program. $250 non-refundable deposit required upon acceptance to either program. A monthly payment plan is available as well as limited scholarship aid. Contact Jeremy Stefano at Jeremy@ltinc.org.
Cost includes materials and instruction, plus personal mentoring, as well as overnight lodging and meals if in the retreat setting. Each participant is responsible to acquire approximately six books per year.
Retreat Locations & Dates
2021-2023 Cohort
- Retreat 1: Spiritual Formation
Sep 30-Oct 1, 2021 - Retreat 2: Spiritual Practices
Dec 2-3, 2021 or Dec 16-17, 2021 - Retreat 3: Spiritual Rest
May 5-6, 2022 - Retreat 4: Spiritual Leadership
Sep 15-16, 2022 - Retreat 5: Spiritual Discernment
Dec 8-9, 2022 - Retreat 6: Spiritual Community
Apr 20-21, 2023
2020-2022 Cohort
- Retreat 1: Spiritual Formation
Sep 17-18, 2020 - Retreat 2: Spiritual Practices
Dec 10-11, 2020 - Retreat 3: Spiritual Rest
Apr 15-16, 2021 - Retreat 4: Spiritual Leadership
Sep 16-17, 2021 - Retreat 5: Spiritual Discernment
Dec 9-10, 2021 - Retreat 6: Spiritual Community
Apr 21-22, 2022
Due to COVID-19 we are unable to offer a retreat based Emmaus in MA this year. Please check back for details about an in-person, retreat based Emmaus for the fall of 2021, at a later time.
Emmaus Cohorts
What Others Are Saying


