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Following Jesus to Purpose and Meaning

Uncover the Depth of Jesus' Teachings to Lead with Purpose, Live with Meaning.

About this Course

Following Jesus to Purpose and Meaning was designed to tackle head-on the clash between conventional standards of success and the timeless wisdom of Jesus and offer practical tools to navigate this tension with grace and wisdom.

What you’ll learn:

Engage with Life’s Big Questions: Redefine what a meaningful life looks like in the context of Jesus' teachings through deep theological reflection and thought-provoking inquiries.
Develop Emotional Resilience and Spiritual Strength: Learn from Jesus' approach to managing emotions, failure, and suffering.
Explore practical strategies: Engage in building emotional resilience and spiritual strength, essential for effective ministry and personal well-being.
Apply Faith in Modern Contexts: Learn practical tips and real-life examples to help you deal with today's ministry and faith challenges.

In a world obsessed with material success, have you ever felt a disconnection between societal expectations and the teachings of Jesus? You're not alone, and we understand the questions weighing heavy on your heart. With faith as its foundation, examine what it means to truly live like Jesus in a world often at odds with his message.

The struggle between traditional definitions of "a good life" and Jesus' teachings can be overwhelming. Following Jesus to Purpose and Meaning tackles head-on the clash between conventional standards of success and the timeless wisdom of Jesus and offers practical tools to navigate this tension with grace and wisdom.

More than mere theory, this course presents a practical approach to living out the teachings of Jesus in your daily life and urges you to uncover the meaning behind your efforts in ministry and personal faith journey and align them with the teachings that truly matter.

Modules

Welcome

Get oriented to the course, meet your instructor, download the interactive handbook, and more.

The Purposeful Life

In this module, you will:

  • Consider definitions of a "good life."
  • Reflect on your assumptions about these definitions.
  • Draft your own definition of a "good life."

Jesus Addresses Purpose and Meaning

In this module, you will:

  • Consider Jesus' teaching about a good life.
  • Develop an openness to Jesus' words.
  • Reflect on how Jesus' teaching and your definition relate to each other.

Markers of Purpose and Meaning

In this module, you will:

  • Identify markers of a meaningful life including radical love and Sabbath.
  • Consider the "roots" and "branches" of that life.
  • Begin to apply these markers to your own life.

Failure, Purpose, and Meaning

In this module, you will:

  • Learn about the effects of failure.
  • Understand the forgiveness of God.
  • Develop habits of forgiveness as an antidote to failure.

Suffering, Purpose, and Meaning

In this module, you will:

  • Consider the place of suffering in following Jesus.
  • Learn fruitful ways of responding to suffering.
  • Experience God's constant presence.

Experiencing Jesus in a Purposeful Life

In this module, you will:

  • Learn about the emotions of Jesus.
  • Consider the value of happiness vs. joy.
  • Reflect on your own expectations about emotions.
  • Plan an action step for moving to a more purposeful life in Jesus.

Completing the Course

Find out your next steps as you complete the course. You'll also be encouraged to submit feedback about your course.

One-time purchase

With Faith+Lead Membership

One-time purchase

Get a free public display license to use for group study.

*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month

8 Modules

Self-Paced, On-Demand

Lifetime Access

Get to Know Your Instructors

Gorrell headshot

Angela Williams Gorrell

Author and Speaker

Rev. Dr. Angela Williams Gorrell is the author of Always On: Practicing Faith in a New Media Landscape and The Gravity of Joy: A Story of Being Lost and Found. She speaks and writes about joy, meaning, finding the life worth living, and the intersection of spiritual and mental health. Media sources such as the New York Times, NPR, and Christianity Today have highlighted her research. She has taught at several schools including Yale University, Baylor University, and Fuller and McCormick Seminary. Angela is a consultant and thought leader for numerous organizations. She utilizes her expertise to help create collaborative communities of prevention specifically working to lower suicide and addiction rates. You can find her on Instagram @angelagorrell. Angela and her sister, Stef, co-host The Grief Sisters podcast and The Grief Sisters book club & support group on Facebook.

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What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course

You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.

Know

Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.

Deepen your spiritual identity through transformative practices. Move from doing church to being church in ways that nurture authentic discipleship.

Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.

Every Academy course is designed to

Help your growth in one of these core areas:

connect with god

Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.

Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.

community

Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.

Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.

ministry models

Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).

Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.

Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.

The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.

Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.

The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.

Don’t see your question addressed?

Email us at faithlead@luthersem.edu for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!

One-time purchase

With Faith+Lead Membership

One-time purchase

Get a free public display license to use for group study.

*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month

8 Modules

Self-Paced, On-Demand

Lifetime Access