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Pierce A Sanctuary During Seminary
lor someone who describes herself as works-based"
and driven," slowing down to refect, listen and be
still can be a challenge.

Thal's why, says
Brooke Fark
(M.Dv. '14;
MACO '14),
wlhoul Ferce,
semhary woud
have beeh ds
couraghg ahd
overwhemhg.
Brooke rsl earhed aboul lhe Ferce
Cehler or DscpeBudhg wheh
she |ohed a 8ou Care group ed by
ohe o her rehds, a Ferce Feow,
durhg her rsl year as a Masler o
Dvhly sludehl al CordohCohwe.
Aohgsde 8ou Care, Brooke
aso |ohed a sma group ed by
Dr. Cwehar Adams, Assocale
Froessor o Church Hslory
ahd Faculy Mehlor or Womeh's
8prlualy ahd Leadershp
Deveopmehl. Togelher, lhe group
wehl lhrough Dr. Adams' Narralve
Le Ahayss, whch has shce
become parl o a orcredl course
al CordohCohwe.
ll was echahghg, reecls
Brooke. By examhhg her persoha
slory, gls ahd passohs, Brooke
dscovered ah hleresl h couhsehg.
lh her secohd year, she added lhe
M.A. h Couhsehg degree lo her
M.Dv., ahd apped lo be a Ferce
Feow.
The eowshp hvoves aclalhg
a weeky 8ou Care group or hoh
Ferce sludehls, parlcpalhg h a
bweeky Ferce 8ou Care group
ed by Dreclor Dr. 8leveh Maccha
ahd 8prlua Formaloh Assocale
8usah Curre, ahd meelhg wlh
8leve or 8ue reguary or oheoh
ohe sprlua drecloh.
The mah ocus o 8ou Care, says
Brooke, s hol lo be dohg hlehsve
Bbe sludy, bul behg reeclve ahd
ready lo sleh lo each olher ahd lo
Cod. ll's aboul wakhg aohgsde
each olher.
The olher aspecl o 8ou Care, lhe
Rue o Le, Brooke expahs,
meahs budhg a mssoh ahd
vsoh slalemehl or your e, ahd
ellhg lhose ouhdalohs shape your
day e.

Thal was pvola h hephg me lhhk
more hlehlohay aboul my e. The
Rue o Le laughl me lo smpy ahd
hol ee guly aboul sayhg 'ho' lo
lhhgs. Wheh l was abe lo do lhal,
lhhgs ddh'l ee burdehsome; lhey
el egvhg.
Ohe's Rue o Le may hvove
realoha, vocaloha, mssoha,
hahca, physca ahd sprlua
goas ahd bouhdares. Ahd l may
chahge oleh, depehdhg oh lhe
seasoh o e. lh acl, Brooke w
key mody her Rue o Le upoh
lhe arrva o her ahd her husbahd
Joh's baby boy h Augusl.
Aso mporlahl lo Brooke's sprlua
ormaloh was lhe oheohohe
sprlua drecloh lme wlh 8ue.
8he heped me lo dehly lhe
voce o Cod h lhe mdsl o a lhe
voces arouhd me, Brooke expahs.
Ahd as a worksbased persoh,
sprlua drecloh meahl earhhg
lhe message o grace ahd vhg hlo
lhal.
Each year, Cod mpressed a lheme
oh me, a word lhal l woud hear,
says Brooke. The rsl year was
'smpy,' lhe secohd year was
'hlehloha.' Durhg lhe lhrd ahd
ourlh years, lhe word was rehew.
Ferce was such a sahcluary or me
h dehlyhg whal's lrue aboul lhe
gospe ahd who l am h Chrslahd
khowhg lhal l am hol my grades.
l see lhe huehce o Ferce as l
shapes sludehls. Whelher lhey're
eadhg a group or hleraclhg wlh
rehds, l sels a lohe o lakhg
lhhgs rom our heads ahd pullhg
lhem h our hearls.
The Ferce Cehler's huehce aso
exlehds beyohd lhe CordohCohwe
commuhly. Brooke has shared
eemehls o lhe Rue o Le ahd
lhe Narralve Le Ahayss wlh
her church ahd wlh cehls al her
couhsehg hlerhshp.
l see my career as couhsehg,
she says, bul l ove hlegralhg
sprlua ormaloh h crealve, eveh
uhcohvehloha ways. 1.2
And then we meet with them one-on-
one, and hear stories about their small
groups, their marriages and friend-
ships, how they`re being transformed.
lt`s just awesome to see that we are re-
ally building disciples of Jesus Christ
through the formative experiences we
share together."
Steve is conhdent that what lellows
learn through the Pierce Center also
anects the way they approach their
classes. Tey are much more auentive
to what`s going on inside of them and
around them, so they are able to give
voice to their communal experience in
the learning environment," he explains.
Tey`re just more auentive, period.
Tat`s a huge gif."
Over the stretch of their time together,
Steve sees every single person" falling
more in love with Jesus. l`ve not been
disappointed yet," he says. Tere`s a
deeper anection for Christ, a deeper
anection for the community of Christ.
Tere`s a deeper love for the Word and
the beauty of God`s creation. l dehnite-
ly see that. When we leave each other
at the end of our year, there are a lot
of hugs and tears at graduation. A lot
of depth in relationships has been built,
and in that gif we rejoice." 034
!"#$ &'$ ()"*+", -$ ./01
0+2/ aso serves as ouhd
hg presdehl o Leadershp
Trahsormalohs, lhc., a
mhslry devoled lo deve
ophg eadershp h church
ahd parachurch mhs
lry sellhgs, wlh a slrohg
emphass oh lhe sprlua
ormaloh o eaders ahd leams. He s lhe
crealor o lhe CHAT (Church Healh Assess
mehl Too) 8urvey or churches, ahd leaches
h lhe 8prlua Formaloh or Mhslry Lead
ers lrack o lhe Doclor o Mhslry degree.
lh 2000, he receved lhe semhary's Dslh
gushed Aumh Award. Rev. Dr. Maccha pre
vousy served oh lhe paslora sla al Crace
Chape (Lexhgloh, MA), as Fresdehl o V
soh New Ehgahd ahd oh lhe Execulve Com
mllee o lhe Naloha Assocaloh o Evah
gecas. He s lhe aulhor o eghl books.
0 % / 5 , 6 $ !
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