Annual Theme Invites the Community into a Year of Spiritual Care, Reflection, and Faithful Presence 

 

Trying to find the sweet spot between consistency and variety can be a challenge — particularly when you are framing something as broad as Christian Theological Seminary’s approach to presentations, chapels, communications, and materials. To address this, Dr. David Mellott has implemented a “thematic approach” to each academic year to help provide a framework for all the moving pieces.  

At CTS, the 2026-2027 academic year will be shaped by a simple but expansive theme: Care of the Soul. The theme offers a shared framework for chapel, public programs, presentations, communications, and community conversations while leaving room for the full breadth of CTS’ work. 

It follows last year’s theme, The Stories We Tell, and will provide a shared framework for the Seminary’s work throughout the year. Mellott said the idea emerged after his first four years at the Seminary, when he saw that CTS communications reflected the breadth of the institution’s work but did not always make the common threads easy to recognize. 

“A theme needs to be expansive and broad,” Mellott said. “But also, a window into all the work we do — something that uses theological and pastoral care language and is spiritually integrated.” Mellott said the theme is not meant to fit every CTS offering tightly. Instead, it gives faculty, staff, speakers, and program leaders a framework they can engage in as they create their work. 

Mellott has worked to release the annual theme earlier each year, so faculty and staff have more time to use it in their planning. He seeks feedback from senior leadership to see how draft ideas may intersect with their work. For 2026-2027, he believes Care of the Soul offers a window into what CTS offers both internally and to the wider community. 

Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, Indiana Christian Church Associate Professor of New Testament and Director of the Master of Divinity Program, often participates in CTS Chapel services. She said the annual theme shapes her preparation in much the same way the lectionary shapes worship traditions. “As a Lutheran/Episcopalian, I’m used to the lectionary deciding the texts of the day for me,” she said. “Some would call it good order; others point to the lectionary as a vessel of the Holy Spirit that pushes preachers to wrestle with hard texts. I lean toward the latter and think of the CTS theme of the year in a similar way — the Holy Spirit making space for us to wrestle with what God is speaking into our present moment about a particular theme.” 

Lindeman Allen said that when she received this year’s theme, she prayed about it and searched for biblical texts that speak to the soul in troubled times — not only texts that use the word soul. 

Many of the seminary’s speakers and series are organized through the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty. In that role, Dr. Francisco Lozada Jr. appreciates the tone that the framework allows him to set.  

“The annual theme invites us to engage some of the most urgent questions facing the church and society today,” Lozada said. “This year’s concept of ‘Care of the Soul,’ is an opportunity to create spaces where clergy, chaplains, counselors, and community leaders can think critically and faithfully about what it means to care for persons with wisdom, compassion, and theological depth in an increasingly complex world.” 

According to Lozada, the theme is intricately woven into CTS’s Lifelong Learning free online webinar series, Care of the Soul: What Makes a Good Chaplain Today? The series explores what effective chaplaincy and spiritual care look like in the twenty-first century, particularly amid social change, trauma, moral complexity, religious diversity, and emerging technologies. 

“I believe this series extends that conversation by examining spiritual care in contexts shaped by religious diversity, migration, poverty, mental health, LGBTQ+ experiences, and artificial intelligence,” Lozada said. “Together, these conversations ask what faithful presence looks like today and how we prepare leaders whose ministry is grounded in humility, ethical discernment, and the unwavering dignity of every person.” 

The webinar series will take place on Wednesdays from noon to 1:00pm Eastern and will be hosted by the Dean. Each webinar is free, open to the public, and designed for clergy, chaplains, counselors, religious leaders, and interested community members. 

Throughout the year, Care of the Soul will serve as a guiding thread connecting worship, scholarship, public programming, and community engagement across CTS. While each event and conversation will explore the theme from a unique perspective, together they reflect the Seminary’s enduring commitment to preparing leaders who care deeply for individuals, communities, and the world. As the year unfolds, CTS invites students, alumni, clergy, counselors, and friends of the Seminary to join in the conversation and discover new ways to nurture the soul in a time when thoughtful, compassionate leadership is needed more than ever. 

Explore the full calendar of events and opportunities taking place at CTS throughout the year here.

Just Preachers, Just Preaching: CTS Conference Explores the Craft, Character, and Calling of Preaching

MMPC 2026: Just Preachers, Just Preaching 

 

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference invites preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and curious learners to step away from the rush of daily responsibilities and enter a thoughtful, energizing space devoted to the craft, character, and calling of preaching. 

Presented by Christian Theological Seminary and directed by Rev. Courtney V. Buggs, PhD, this 3.5-day gathering will bring participants together October 19–22, 2026 for preaching labs, plenary sessions, worship, conversation, and connection. 

For Dr. Buggs, this year’s theme Just Preachers, Just Preaching reaches beyond technique. “By the term just, I don’t mean ‘only,’” Buggs said. “I mean decent, ethical, honest, and the like.” The theme invites participants to consider preaching that is humane, rooted in the preacher’s lived witness, and attentive to both the inner and outer life of the preacher. 

“I wanted to explore how preachers attend to the inner and outer self, ethically, equitably, and with an orientation towards what is right, decent, and humane,” Buggs said. 

“Compelling preaching comes from more than the mechanics of the sermon, though the mechanics cannot be ignored,” Buggs said. 

That conviction shapes the heart of the conference. Participants will be invited to consider how a preacher’s inner life, convictions, worldview, faith, and public witness all shape the preaching moment. 

Throughout the gathering, participants will choose from preaching labs focused on timely and practical topics such as artificial intelligence, improvisation, disability, womanist preaching, and prophetic authenticity. These labs are designed to offer fresh perspective, practical learning, and room for honest conversation about preaching in today’s world. 

Featured conference labs include: 

• Artificial Intelligence and the Anointing: Tools, Theology, and Guardrails for Preachers 

• Preaching on the Fly: The Art of Homiletical Improvisation 

• Marginalized Bodies: A New Approach to Preaching about Disability 

• Womanist Preaching for Desperate Times 

• Preaching from an Authentic Center: Leaning into the Prophetic 

Rather than overwhelming participants with a single way to approach preaching, the conference will invite them into multiple methods, experiences, and traditions. Main preachers and lab leaders were selected by Dr. Buggs in conversation with clergy colleagues, with attention to leaders whose preaching is visibly connected to the way they live, teach, lead, and serve. 

“My hope is two-fold,” Buggs said. “First, I hope preachers pause to reflect upon their own preaching lives and how our lives preach as much as the words of the sermon. Second, I hope listeners of preaching reflect upon their expectations of preaching and how they, too, impact the preaching moment.” 

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference began in 2019 under the leadership of Dr. Frank A. Thomas as an extension of CTS’s PhD Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric. Building on that legacy, this fourth convening creates space for pastors, clearly, students, and all who care about preaching to renew their imagination and deepen their practice. Without leaving Indianapolis, participants will find opportunities to learn, reflect, and grow alongside others committed to the transformative work of preaching.  

 Registration includes daily meals, refreshments, and opportunities to engage in conversation, reflection, and fellowship with a diverse community of pastors, students, scholars, and ministry leaders who are committed to the art and vocation of preaching.  

For the full schedule, presenter updates, registration details, and additional information, visit https://www.cts.edu/events/cts-mixed-methods-preaching-conference-2026/. 

Investing in Hope: Faith & Action Project Awards $125,000 to Seven Community-Led Solutions

 

Christian Theological Seminary believes that poverty is one of the greatest challenges facing our community—but it is also one we can address together. 

Now celebrating ten years, the Faith & Action Project Grant Program invests in evidence-based, collaborative, and scalable initiatives already making a measurable impact in the Indianapolis community. It prioritizes faith and community partners addressing the complex realities of poverty through holistic solutions that promote long-term stability and well-being for individuals and families. 

Launched in 2015, the Faith & Action Project was created with the recognition that extraordinary work is already underway across our community—and that its impact grows when it is connected, amplified, and accelerated. 

Rather than funding isolated programs, the Faith & Action Project invests in a portfolio of collaborative solutions that strengthen the systems, relationships, and opportunities people need to thrive. Together, these organizations are expanding opportunity, strengthening stability, and building skills that help individuals and families flourish. 

This year, the Faith & Action Grants Program is proud to invest $125,000 in seven organizations whose work reflects both compassion and proven impact. Marking the tenth year of the grants program, this milestone reflects CTS’s ongoing commitment to strengthening community-driven solutions to poverty. 

“These organizations are demonstrating effective, relational approaches that lead to long-term transformation,” said Faith & Action Program Director Lindsey Nell Rabinowitch. “We are excited to highlight their best practices because they can be learned from, replicated, and scaled to increase positive outcomes for more youth, individuals, and families across our community and beyond.” 

Together, these investments support initiatives that expand opportunity, strengthen stability, and build the relationships and skills that help individuals and families thrive. 

The 2026 Faith & Action Grant recipients demonstrate the many ways faith-inspired organizations and community partners are working to reduce poverty and strengthen communities across Central Indiana. Although each organization serves a distinct population and need, their work aligns around four broad areas of impact: building opportunity for youth, strengthening housing stability and support, promoting healing and mental well-being, and strengthening families and communities. Together, these grants reflect the Faith & Action Project’s commitment to investing in collaborative solutions that foster belonging, resilience, and long-term community flourishing. The following profiles highlight each of this year’s grantees and the projects supported through the 2026 Faith & Action Grants Program. 

Building Opportunity for Youth 

DREAM Alive — $20,000
DREAM Alive empowers students attending Indianapolis Public Schools to discover their purpose, prepare for meaningful careers, and build lasting relationships with caring mentors. Beginning in sixth grade and continuing through high school graduation, students receive academic support, career exploration, and consistent mentorship that helps them envision a brighter future. 

This investment expands DREAM Alive’s reach across every IPS middle school, strengthens access to career exploration experiences through transportation support, and ensures students facing food insecurity receive consistent after-school meals and snacks. Through deep partnerships with schools, churches, universities, and community organizations, young people are surrounded by caring adults who open doors to opportunity and long-term economic mobility. 

Elevate Indianapolis — $20,000
Guided by the belief that “No one gets there alone,” Elevate Indianapolis pairs students with long-term Teacher-Mentors who walk alongside them through middle and high school. These relationships provide steady support through academic, social, and emotional development during formative years. 

This investment supports the creation of a welcoming “third space” where students can gather, build relationships, and experience belonging beyond home and school. A youth-designed mural will further shape the space as one defined by student voice, identity, and shared ownership—transforming environment into connection. 

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church — $20,000
Through its expansion of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program, St. Luke’s is increasing access to six weeks of literacy-rich, relationship-centered learning for elementary students. The program blends academic enrichment with social-emotional development and family engagement, creating a holistic approach to early learning. 

This investment helps ensure more children experience a safe, supportive environment where literacy growth is paired with confidence-building relationships and a deeper sense of belonging—foundations that support long-term educational success. 

Strengthening Stability Through Housing and Support 

Outreach, Inc. — $20,000
Outreach, Inc. serves young people experiencing homelessness by meeting immediate needs while supporting long-term stability. Its Near Eastside drop-in center provides meals, showers, laundry, computers, case management, and a consistent community of care grounded in dignity and trust. 

This investment strengthens housing navigation, diversion, and triage services so more young people can secure stable housing before homelessness becomes chronic. By pairing practical support with individualized care, Outreach helps youth move from crisis toward stability. 

Healing, Belonging, and Mental Well-Being 

We Bloom — $20,000
We Bloom creates safe recovery spaces for individuals to heal, grow, and build community, recognizing that recovery and stability are deeply rooted in belonging and connection. 

This investment supports a trauma-informed recovery community at Recovery Café Indy, including a queer-affirming group, where participants can reduce isolation, process trauma, and rebuild social connection. At its core, this work strengthens the members mental health and well-being and builds relationships that make long-term healing possible. 

Indiana Youth Group (IYG) — $15,000
Indiana Youth Group provides affirming spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can find safety, support, and community amid significant barriers such as family rejection, housing instability, and limited access to resources. 

This investment expands mental health counseling and case management services, helping young people navigate complex systems while strengthening emotional well-being and social connectedness. Through consistent, individualized support, youth are better able to build resilience and avoid pathways that too often lead to long-term instability. 

Strengthening Families and Communities 

Tu Refugio Seguro — $10,000
Tu Refugio Seguro supports Spanish-speaking women and families impacted by domestic violence through culturally responsive care and pathways toward healing and economic stability. The organization addresses critical gaps for individuals navigating language, cultural, and systemic barriers. 

This investment expands trauma-informed leadership training across six congregations, equipping faith leaders and volunteers to recognize and respond to domestic violence and connect individuals to support. By strengthening trusted community networks, this work extends care far beyond a single organization and helps interrupt cycles of violence and instability. 

This year’s grant recipients reflect not only what works theoretically, but what is working in practice across our community. In lifting up these models, the Project seeks to strengthen a broader ecosystem of practice—one in which effective approaches are shared, adapted, and sustained across organizations and communities working toward the same goals. 

Together, these investments reflect a shared commitment to communities where hope is strengthened, opportunity is expanded, and individuals and families are supported on pathways toward lasting stability. The Faith & Action Project is honored to partner with these organizations in that work. 

 Mark your calendars! The Faith & Action Project will continue highlighting innovative responses to poverty at its Faith & Action Fall Event on October 27, featuring a moderated conversation with New York Times bestselling author and youth advocate Jason Reynolds. The event will explore expanding opportunity, resilience, and the role of relationships in helping young people thrive. Watch cts.edu/events for more information! 

Behind the Scenes of Chapel Planning at CTS 

Chapel Planning Invites Students into Worship Leadership and the Life of the Seminary Community

 

At Christian Theological Seminary, chapel is more than a weekly gathering. It is a carefully planned expression of the community’s academic life, spiritual formation, and shared commitments. For alumni and friends who wonder how worship comes together at CTS, the answer begins with collaboration. 

CTS President Dr. David Mellott serves as Chapel Director and sets the chapel schedule for the year, including readings, presiders, and preachers. The process considers the lectionary, the president’s annual theme, the academic calendar, and moments in the life of the seminary community. If a retirement, community luncheon, special observance, or other shared milestones need to be held in prayer and celebration, chapel planning makes room for it. 

Mellott consults with faculty colleagues including Dr. Amy Lindeman Allen, Indiana Christian Church Associate Professor of New Testament and Director of the Master of Divinity Program, and Dr. Timothy McNinch, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible and Director of the Master of Theological Studies Program, to help bring continuity and connection to the year’s readings and themes. In this way, chapel worship remains closely connected to the classroom while also creating space for prayer, proclamation, music, testimony, and embodied community life. 

Meghan McConnell, Chapel Assistant and MDiv student, describes chapel as “the endeavor of a really great team of people.” She notes that Dr. Mellott is “very sincere, thoughtful, and considerate not only of how individual services are designed, but how community worship balances our academic experiences with the necessary spiritual formation.” His leadership, she said, keeps the chapel team “focused and grounded in the love of our liberating God.” 

Rev. Ayanna L. Garrett, Associate Dean for Student Life, helps coordinate hospitality, student testimony, and other elements that make chapel worship distinctive. McConnell said Garrett brings “great energy and perspective” to the planning process, helping with behind-the-scenes connections and contributing creativity that supports the whole community’s worship life. 

Music is another essential part of that shared work. Rev. John Ray, Chapel Music Director, is responsible for chapel music and musicians. According to McConnell Ray brings “a real consideration of how to set the mood for our services,” often crafting musical experiences that connect worshipers immediately to the tone and meaning of a service. Even in a chapel space that can be acoustically challenging, she said, Ray and the musicians “show up and work miracles in their ministry of song.” 

For the Chapel Assistant, much of the work is logistical: coordinating with ministers, preparing the chapel space, assembling the order of worship, setting up, and tearing down. But the role also offers opportunities to contribute prayers, coordinate student ministers, and participate in the rhythms of worship. “I spent about six months learning how to sound the chapel bells before service,” she said, “but now it’s one of my favorite parts of my role.” 

One of the clearest priorities in chapel planning is student involvement. Because CTS is a seminary, the chapel team seeks to invite students into the worship process as readers, artists, witnesses, liturgical leaders, and student ministers. Students are recruited in a variety of ways, including online signups, flyers in classrooms and student spaces, invitations connected to faculty participants, and outreach tied to monthly themes or observances. 

That intentionality matters. McConnell said she tries to invite students who may not have considered serving before, especially when a theme such as LGBTQ+ observance, Black History Month, or Disability Awareness Month offers an opportunity for students to bring meaningful connections into worship leadership. “It is important to honor the ways in which we are a beautifully diverse community and to see that embodied in how we come together in Chapel,” she said. 

The year’s themes can take shape in many ways. McConnell pointed to last year’s focus on stories of salvation and the recurring image of water. That theme appeared in the chapel space through a basin of water placed at the back of the room as a reminder of baptism. It also flowed through music selections such as “Wade in the Water” and “Peace Like a River,” and through the preaching and interpretation offered across different services. 

The result is a planning process that is both structured and dynamic. Readings, music, testimony, preaching, calendar needs, and community gifts are all woven together in a way that reflects the life of CTS. As Mellott noted in the planning materials, the chapel team tries to use the gifts and specialties of staff and faculty, while also making space for students to lead and serve. 

For alumni, chapel may be remembered as a place of music, preaching, prayer, and community. For current students, it is also a place to practice ministry, discover gifts, and join others in shaping worship. Behind each service is a team committed to making chapel a space where academic formation and spiritual formation meet. 

“There is something at CTS for everyone,” Mellott said. In chapel, that spirit becomes visible: in the readings chosen, the songs sung, the students invited forward, and the community gathered in worship. 

Healing Begins with Showing Up

 

For CTS alumna Denise Deen, MAMFT ’26, healing isn’t only about rebuilding after disaster—it’s about helping people know they have not been forgotten. 

The roof still needed repairs. 

Months after Hurricane Melissa devastated parts of Jamaica, students at a private school in St. Elizabeth were learning beneath reminders of the storm. When Denise Deen, MAMFT ’26, and her husband, Abdul, arrived with school supplies, food, hygiene products, and other essential items, they expected to help meet practical needs. 

What they didn’t expect was a conversation that would stay with Denise long after she returned home. 

“The administrator shared that they felt forgotten,” Denise recalled. “Just knowing someone cared enough to come meant so much.” 

It was a powerful reminder that recovery isn’t measured only by repaired buildings or restored utilities. Sometimes, healing begins with the simple act of being present. 

For Denise, a recent graduate of Christian Theological Seminary’s School of Counseling, that understanding has become central to both her profession and her calling. 

Rooted in Home, Growing Through Service 

The Jamaica trip, which took place in June 2026, was part of the ongoing work of Miya’s Foundation, the nonprofit Denise and Abdul founded in 2015. 

Named after their youngest daughter, the organization grew from a simple desire to continue serving after returning from a mission trip to Sierra Leone. They began collecting gently used clothing, shoes, school supplies, and household items in their garage. Before long, the donations overflowed into rented storage units, and what started as a grassroots effort became a registered nonprofit with an international reach. 

Although Denise and Abdul have built their life together in the United States, their work remains deeply personal. Denise was born in Jamaica, while Abdul was born in Sierra Leone, and both continue to have family in their countries of origin. Each trip is an opportunity not only to reconnect with loved ones, but also to serve communities that helped shape their lives. 

Today, Miya’s Foundation supports humanitarian efforts in Jamaica, Sierra Leone, and Indianapolis. In addition to international relief work, the organization participates in HVAF of Indiana’s annual Stand Down event by providing hygiene care bags for veterans experiencing homelessness. Donations are sorted, packed, and prepared by hand before being transported (if marked for international shipment) and personally distributed through trusted relationships within each community. 

A Second Chance 

Denise’s own journey to CTS was not a straight path. 

Years earlier, an experience had left her uncertain whether CTS was the right place for her to receive family counseling. When she later felt called to pursue a degree in marriage and family therapy, encouragement from a CTS grad at work led her to take another look. 

That decision changed everything. 

“The program helped me work through things I didn’t realize I was still carrying,” Denise reflected. Through her coursework, faculty relationships, and personal reflection, she found herself doing more than preparing for a career—she was experiencing her own healing. 

The experience deepened her belief that effective counselors don’t simply master clinical techniques; they must also be willing to examine their own stories with honesty and compassion. 

Today, Denise works with Family & Community Partners, where two of the organization’s three leading partners are CTS alumni: Rev. Nick Orange (MDiv/MAPF ’10) and Rev. Dwight Holland (MAPF ’06). Working alongside fellow graduates is a daily reminder of the ways CTS alumni continue to support individuals, families, and communities together. 

Healing Beyond the Therapy Room 

The June trip to Jamaica came just one month after Denise graduated with her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy. Even as she celebrated commencement, she was completing her capstone project, integrating cognitive behavioral therapy with a family case study through the lens of womanist theology. 

She didn’t expect to begin applying those lessons so quickly. 

As Denise and Abdul traveled throughout communities recovering from Hurricane Melissa, people naturally began sharing their stories—the fear they experienced during the storm, the uncertainty of rebuilding, and the emotional toll of moving forward. 

“My clinical skills really helped me hold space for people,” Denise said. “Sometimes they just needed someone to listen.” 

Those conversations reinforced something Denise had been learning throughout her counseling education: healing is about caring for the whole person. 

Meeting practical needs matters. So does creating space for grief, honoring people’s experiences, affirming their dignity, and reminding them they are not alone. 

During one visit to the school in St. Elizabeth, Denise and Abdul were able to provide school supplies purchased with support from CTS. Yet some of the most meaningful moments came not through the gifts they delivered, but through the relationships they built with teachers, administrators, and families who simply wanted someone to hear their stories. 

As Denise reflected on the trip, she recognized a connection between her own experience as a student and the work she now does through Miya’s Foundation. Before she could create space for others to heal, she first experienced what it meant to continue her own journey of healing. 

A Calling That Continues 

Long before earning her graduate degree, Denise dedicated her career to serving others. She spent more than eight years as a family case manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services before joining Family & Community Partners, where she continues supporting children and families while pursuing professional licensure. Looking ahead, she hopes to expand her work with older adults while continuing to grow Miya’s Foundation’s outreach both locally and internationally. 

For Denise, these roles are inseparable. 

Whether supporting children and families in Indiana, donating care packages for veterans experiencing homelessness, or walking alongside communities rebuilding after disaster, she approaches each opportunity with the same conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity. 

Her experience at CTS strengthened that conviction while equipping her with practical tools to live it out. The School of Counseling affirmed that healing is rarely limited to one dimension of a person’s life. It involves meeting immediate needs while also offering compassion, presence, and hope. 

The supplies Denise and Abdul delivered to Jamaica will eventually be used. Students will fill notebooks, families will share meals, and damaged buildings will continue to be repaired. 

But the lesson Denise carried home reaches beyond any single shipment of donations. 

Healing often begins long before everything is fixed. 

It begins when someone chooses to show up, listen with compassion, and remind another person that they have not been forgotten. 

That is the kind of care Denise now carries wherever she serves—from counseling sessions in Indiana to communities across the ocean. It’s a calling shaped by faith, strengthened through education, and lived out one relationship at a time. 

Testify! Project Moves from Planning to Public Witness 

 

Since launching earlier this year, the Testify! Project has continued to grow into a distinctive and inspiring program rooted in faith, storytelling, and artistic expression. Funded through the Lilly Endowment National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life, Testify! invites participants to “show and tell the living scripture” through creative forms of Christian testimony. 

Testify! celebrates the creative energy emerging in Black Christianity, where artists are not only making beauty but also proclaiming witness. Through music, writing, visual art, spoken word, and other creative practices, the project helps people explore how faith stories can be shared in fresh and meaningful ways. 

The project moved from planning to implementation in June with its inaugural retreat on June 12–13 at the Prindle Institute for Ethics. More than 20 artists attended, including the first seven artists who will be featured in the fall Testify! Live event. Retreat sessions centered on Luke 8, highlighting themes of creation, healing, comfort, transformation, rest, belonging, and commissioning. 

That work will move into public witness this fall with Testify! Live, the project’s flagship gathering, on October 2 at Eastern Star Church in Indianapolis. The event will bring testimony to life through music, visual art, spoken word, dance, and other creative expressions, including original works developed through collaboration between artists and people sharing stories of faith. Indianapolis will host the first of five Testify! Live gatherings planned across the country through 2030, creating opportunities for individual stories of faith to become a shared experience of testimony, art, and community. 

“Show and tell the living scripture.” 

The Testify! team is led by Grant Director Dr. Nick Peterson, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Assistant Director of the PhD in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric Program at CTS. The team also includes co-developer and Artistic Director Julian Davis Reid and National Program Director Katrina Owens. 

2026 Mixed Methods Preaching Conference Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES, May 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will present the 2026 Mixed Methods Preaching Conference, “Just Preachers, Just Preaching, from Monday, October 19 through Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis. The conference is supported through a” grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Compelling Preaching Initiative and will gather preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and listeners of preaching for an immersive exploration of the craft, calling, and character of preaching.

Bringing together preachers, ministry leaders, scholars, students, and engaged listeners, the conference will offer three and a half days of immersive learning, reflection, worship, and practical engagement centered on the art and calling of preaching. This year’s conference theme, “Just Preachers, Just Preaching”, explores the reality that preaching is shaped not only by method and technique, but also by the life, values, and theological commitments of the preacher.

“We want to explore the personhood of preachers – and how that translates to the preaching moment,” said Dr. Courtney Buggs, Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Director of the PhD Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at CTS said about the fall Mixed Methods Preaching Conference (MMPC). She is in her first year as Convener of the Conference.

Participants will engage in a dynamic schedule featuring morning plenary lectures and presentations, afternoon preaching laboratory experiences, and evening worship services open to the broader community.

A distinctive feature of the conference is its Preaching Lab experience, where participants are placed in small, immersive cohorts designed to foster deep learning and interaction. Available lab topics include:
• Artificial Intelligence and the Anointing: Tools, Theology, and Guardrails for Preachers
• Preaching on the Fly: The Art of Homiletical Improvisation
• Marginalized Bodies: A New Approach to Preaching about Disability
• Womanist Preaching for Desperate Times

Each lab is limited in size to encourage substantive discussion and engagement. The conference also continues the work of CTS’ Compelling Preaching Initiative by actively incorporating the perspectives of those who hear sermons. Throughout the event, participants will have opportunities to contribute to a listener research initiative through surveys, conversations, and dedicated engagement spaces designed to better understand what makes preaching compelling.

The Mixed Methods Preaching Conference welcomes:
• Clergy and preachers seeking renewal and continuing education
• Ministry leaders and theological educators
• Seminary and doctoral students
• Individuals interested in exploring the impact and practice of preaching

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will also be available through CTS. Institutions, congregations, and denominational bodies are encouraged to support clergy and ministry staff participation as part of continuing education and professional formation efforts. Additional information can be found here.

About Christian Theological Seminary
Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is an ecumenical seminary rooted in the Christian tradition and committed to developing leaders for the church and society. Through theological education, counseling, community engagement, and innovative initiatives, CTS equips individuals and communities to address the pressing challenges of the world with faith, wisdom, and courage.

About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. The principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. In addition, the Endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.

Stephanie Seeger
Christian Theological Seminary
ss*****@*ts.edu

Commencement celebration events have come to pass, but we’re still celebrating our incredible graduates and buzzing from the joy radiating from the Class of 2026 and their families and friends. The festivities began with a private graduate dinner on Thursday, May 14 and Baccalaureate Chapel on Friday, May 15. The special chapel service featured moving music from the CTS Chapel team and special musicians, stirring interpretive dance, the announcement of 2026 Award recipients, and a powerful sermon. It concluded with a prayer of blessing and gratitude for our graduates.

Celebrations continued with the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16 in Shelton Auditorium. The gathering was both a celebration of the new graduates and a testament to the enduring legacy of CTS alumni who have made significant impacts in their communities and professions.

As we look back on this memorable weekend, we invite you to relive the moments and emotions by checking out our Commencement 2026 photo reel. This collection captures the joy, excitement, and anticipation of our graduates as they embark on their next chapter. Enjoy these highlights and join us in celebrating the bright futures of the Class of 2026!

Summer Reflection: What Legacy Do You Hope to Leave?  

 

Summer often invites us into moments of pause — graduations, family gatherings, travel, and time to reflect on where we have been and where we hope the future will lead. The pace of life shifts, if only briefly, and creates space to consider the people, experiences, and values that have shaped us. 

As we think about those who have influenced our own journeys, we may also begin asking deeper questions: What has mattered most in my life? What values do I hope endure? How do I hope others will remember my impact? 

Legacy is often misunderstood as something measured only in financial terms. Yet the most meaningful legacies are rarely defined by possessions or accomplishments alone. They are found in acts of generosity, lives of service, faith shared across generations, communities strengthened, and opportunities created for others. They live in the relationships we nurture and the causes we choose to support. 

For many members of the Christian Theological Seminary community, legacy takes shape in the belief that theological education, spiritual formation, counseling, and faithful leadership can continue to transform lives and communities for generations to come. The impact of those commitments extends far beyond a single moment or season. 

For some, reflecting on legacy also becomes an opportunity to consider how personal values might continue through future plans. A planned gift — whether through a will, retirement account, charitable trust, or another giving vehicle — can be one way to ensure that the people and institutions that have mattered most continue to flourish. 

Planned giving is not reserved for a particular stage of life or for those with extraordinary resources. Often, it begins with a simple question: 

What do I hope continues because I was here? 

As summer offers time for rest and reflection, perhaps it also offers an invitation to consider the legacy you hope to leave — not only in the future, but in the lives you are shaping today. 

To learn more about how legacy giving can support the mission of Christian Theological Seminary and help sustain faithful leadership for generations to come, we would welcome a conversation. Please contact, Dr. Kristin Champa, Vice President for Advancement at kc*****@*ts.edu. 

 

CTS Students and Alumni Invited to Upcoming Disciples Gatherings 

 

CTS students and alumni have several opportunities in the coming months to connect with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) through regional and national gatherings focused on worship, learning, fellowship, and community engagement. 

As a historic and ongoing partner of the denomination, Christian Theological Seminary encourages students, alumni, and friends to participate in these opportunities for connection and collaboration. 

Biennial Session – National Convocation 

From June 11-14, the National Convocation will be hosting its Biennial Session in Dallas, Texas. This is a gathering for worship, learning, fellowship, and fun among the ministry of the DOC that supports African American congregations. The focus of the National Convocation is to promote reconciliation and address social issues. 

Several CTS staff members will be in attendance to connect with students, alumni, and denominational partners, including Stephanie Seeger (Alumni Relations) and Dr. DeNeen Collins (Director of Recruiting and Admissions). CTS hosts an alumni reception following Friday evening’s worship service on July 12. Interested alumni can email Stephanie with any questions. 

Dr. Collins is attending the gathering to engage prospective students for CTS degree programs and events. She said it is an important event to attend because it allows African American congregations and its members a time to gather and celebrate together.  

“The camaraderie and energy of attendees (including many CTS alumni) is a highlight,” Collins said. “Also, being able to socialize with other recruiters is time well spent.” She added that attendance at the National Convocation offers CTS an opportunity to lean into its vision as a supportive DOC community member. 

This year’s theme is “Revive. Reset. Resist.” The sessions will focus on training clergy and laity leaders as well as equip and empower congregations to do missions and ministry for our time. More information is available on the National Convocation website.  

Virtual General Assembly 

On July 10-11, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will be hosting a virtual General Assembly. Inspired by Ephesians 3:14–21, the theme “BEYOND: Love Surpassing” invites participants to explore new ways of being church rooted in love, connection, and shared ministry 

Individuals, Congregations, General Ministries, Regional Ministers, Ministry partners, and friends will gather online to actively take part in these conversations which will explore a new way of being church.  

This is the first virtual General Assembly since the decision was made to move the gatherings to every three years with on-line options in the interim years. The hope is that these annual, virtual opportunities will allow more Disciples to connect and work together. The format will include sessions focused on education, discussion, worship, business, fellowship, and action.  

Registration is only $30 and the virtual platform will offer closed captioning in five languages. There are churches around the globe that will be hosting sites where individuals are encouraged to gather and take part communally. Details of the event, including registration, are now available here. 

Indiana Region – Regional Gathering 

Closer to home, the Indiana Region will host its “Building Together in Love” Assembly October 2–3 in Fishers, Indiana. Hoosier Disciples are encouraged to participate in this regional opportunity for worship, fellowship, and collaboration. Registration is now open.