Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership
Support for the spiritual heart of clergy of all denominations
Return to the spiritual heart.
Program: June 2027 – October 2028
Early Bird Application Deadline: February 15, 2027
Regular Application Deadline: March 15, 2027
Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life & Leadership Program
Ministry asks much of those who serve. Over time, the demands of caring for others, leading communities, navigating conflict, and sustaining institutions can leave clergy feeling fragmented, isolated, and distant from the very spiritual life that first drew them to ministry.
Going Deeper offers a contemplative space in which clergy can step away from the pressure to accomplish and resolve. Together, we will create a space to attend to the presence of God in the midst of their actual lives and rediscover the grace of being held by a community of fellow pilgrims.
Through silence, prayer, spiritual companionship, rest, and shared discernment, participants are invited to listen beneath the noise of ministry and become more deeply rooted in the life of the Spirit.
This is not a program for fixing exhausted clergy or producing more effective religious professionals. It is an invitation to receive again the gift of a life with God—and to discover what forms of ministry may emerge from that deeper ground.
Free Info Session
Join us on Zoom to discern about the rightness of this program for you. Talk with the Director and recent grads. Future dates to be determined.
Going Deeper Timeline
Much of the work of Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership happens at home within the context of one’s ministry. The program is anchored by two in-person residencies, which include presentations on contemplative prayer and leadership, fellowship with peers, worship, and spacious time for rest, reflection, and renewal.
Program Duration: June 2027 – October 2028
1st Residency: July 19 – 23, 2027
At-Home Work: July 2027-August 2028
2nd Residency: August 8 – 12, 2028
Final Project Due: October 1, 2028
A Certificate of Completion is awarded upon completion of all program requirements.
Chaplains may obtain Continuing Education Units for completing this program. Past graduates have been granted CEU’s for Shalem’s programs by the Association of Professional Chaplains.
RETREAT LOCATION
The residential retreats will be held at Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, MD. You will have a private room with bathroom. The center and grounds have walking paths through woods and fields.
“In my first residency, I knew I was in the right place… We were hungry for true spiritual community, where we could share our hunger with others and our deep desire to be spiritually-grounded leaders.”
-Al Keeney, NY
PROGRAM CO-DIRECTORS
JEFF ROSS
The Rev. Jeffrey A. Ross has served as Rector of Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes, Delaware, since August 2005. A lifelong Episcopalian, he was ordained in 1998 and is an M.Div. graduate of General Theological Seminary, with an M.S. in Pastoral Counseling & Spiritual Direction from Neumann University.
Before ordination, Jeff worked as a family therapist and on a bishop’s staff in Christian Formation. He is passionate about building community, nurturing faith across generations, and serving neighbors in need. He is a Spiritual Director and frequently leads pilgrimages and retreats. Jeff and his wife have two grown children. Outside of ministry, he enjoys swimming, skiing, and traveling, as well as exploring photography and indulging his love of movies, books, and theater.
COST
- Early Bird Price (by 2/15/27): $7140
- Regular Price (by 3/15/27): $7510
Need-based financial assistance is available so don’t let money be an obstacle if you are called to this program. For more information about financial assistance, contact Erica at erica@shalem.org.
APPLY NOW
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Erica Van Lunen is the Registrar for Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life & Leadership Program and can be contacted at erica@shalem.org.