The Transforming Center exists to guide pastors, leaders, and influencers, in establishing sacred rhythms to sustain their life in leadership.
The retreats, resources, and relationships we offer are designed to provide leaders with a safe place to be honest about the challenges of spiritual leadership, to experience rhythms of solitude, prayer and community, and to deepen their understanding of leadership that flows from their transforming self.
In everything we do, the Transforming Center seeks to be trustworthy, spacious, communal, practical, prophetic, and biblical.
A Transforming Community® is a retreat-based spiritual formation experience with nine quarterly retreats.
For over 20 years we have welcomed groups of men and women who long to experience God in the depths of their souls. Each retreat in this two-year experience includes substantive teaching on spiritual formation themes and practices, guided experiences with spiritual disciplines, and significant engagement in community with influencers from diverse backgrounds and theological traditions.
The content of each retreat is grounded in Scripture and in the richness and diversity of our Christian heritage. Reclaim practices and experiences that spiritual seekers down through the ages have used to open themselves to God’s transforming work.
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Create space for God
Each technology-free retreat includes extended silence and solitude so you can rest and pay attention to what’s going on in your own soul so you can lead from that place.
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Make time to listen and respond
People change incrementally....over time...with others...in the context of spiritual disciplines that open us to God. Each retreat invites you to engage a spiritual discipline, giving you time over the quarter to practice what you learned and integrate it into your own life.
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All in a beautiful setting
Retreats are held at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Chicagoland located with access to major airports.
Get a taste of Transforming Community by listening to the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Podcast!
Investment
The Transforming Community experience is a generous investment in one's relationship with God.
We have applicants who live, work and serve in communities that do not have the resources set aside for the long term spiritual formation experience that we offer. Your generosity can make the difference in whether or not pastors and leaders get the support they need to sustain their life in leadership!
“I’m not sure if my faith would have survived if I hadn’t gone through the Transforming Community experience and I am certain that I wouldn’t have been able to participate in TC14 without being sponsored. To know that someone would care enough about my soul and its experience with God to financially invest in me in this way is breathtaking and humbling all at once."
— TC14 Participant
Support Through Crowdfunding
Join together with others to give the gift of Transforming Community.
Remove the financial hurdle.
Make a one-time or monthly donation of any amount to help a specific leader meet their fundraising goal.
Recipients must raise the full amount needed prior to the start of the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive from donors about supporting someone to participate in the Transforming Community®experience.
A Transforming Community is a retreat-based spiritual formation experience with nine quarterly retreats. Each retreat includes substantive teaching on spiritual formation themes and practices, guided experiences with spiritual disciplines, and significant engagement in community with influencers from diverse backgrounds and theological traditions. We ask our retreatants to abstain from technology during retreats so they will have opportunities for extended silence and solitude to rest and pay attention to what is happening in their souls.
Leaders are accustomed to attending weekend seminars or conferences that last 1-3 days, and cost several hundred dollars. Sadly, the impact of these one-time events is often short-lived. The Transforming Center believes that true change happens incrementally…over time…in community with others. Retreatants use the three-month intervals between retreats to practice what they have learned in retreats, and integrate those new practices and learnings into their lives.
Because of the comprehensive nature of this program and the fact that it spans over two years, there is a significant cost associated with a Transforming Community experience. The fees include everything you need while on retreat: a private room and bath, five hot meals, healthy and plentiful refreshments throughout the retreat, retreat materials, plus a celebratory reception the second night while on retreat. That is in addition to the six teaching sessions, eight worship services, spiritual guidance for your solitude times, and group spiritual direction.
Comparable leadership experiences in the corporate sector are far more expensive, while the cost of similar programs hosted by other ministries are in line with or more expensive than the cost of a Transforming Community.
Currently the Transforming Center is affiliated with an academic institution so that a degree can be earned in concert with the experience. As well, if retreatants complete certain requirements, they are eligible to receive a Certificate of Spiritual Transformation from the Transforming Center at the conclusion of their community.
Our 700+ Transforming Community alumni have not been shy about sharing the impact of their experience upon their lives and ministries. In a recent survey, more than 85 percent of our alumni said their Transforming Community experience had a profound impact! Many have said that the experience literally saved them—spiritually and emotionally—as well as saving their ministries. At the conclusion of each community, we are always in awe at the ways that God has shown up so personally and profoundly for so many. There are countless stories of transformation that have led to rejuvenated leaders in their families, churches and organizations.
Still curious about the Transforming Community experience?
Check in with the soul of your leadership with our FREE resource. Over the course of a month, you will receive a new guided reflection each Saturday morning. Written by Ruth, each reflection will help you examine an aspect of your spiritual leadership and includes guided instruction on how to have an honest conversation with God about your spiritual leadership. Each reflection also includes a link to an audio conversation between Ruth and another leader about the content.
Experience Ruth Haley Barton as a spiritual director and get a very small taste of a Transforming Community retreat.