Our Story

From Research to Resource

In 2015, the founder of Fuller Seminary’s Center for Spiritual Formation, Brian Wallace, was driven to address the church's lack of spiritual formation and discipleship.

Five years of research on spiritual formation and human flourishing revealed God’s power to sustain men and women laboring in the most challenging environments. However, it also unveiled a profound crisis in adult discipleship within the church. Sunday schools, sermons, and singing were proving to be insufficient by themselves to form God’s people to take their place in God’s mission in the world. People in the pews were missing out on the power of God to sustain them, and the most effective patterns of spiritual formation were lacking in discipleship in the church.

Brian Teaching

Brian set out to work with a team to translate this research into a resource useful for the church and mission organizations. This solution empowered Christian leaders and pastors to meet their people's relational and formative needs. As a result, Fuller Formation Groups were born.

What happened far exceeded what the team hoped for.

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More than We Hoped For

Over 2,000 leaders, pastors, missionaries, and lay people across dozens of churches, organizations, and communities have experienced a Formation Group. Through inviting participants to experience regular practices, retreat, community, and a guided life, FFGs have expanded to four continents. In these varied contexts, adaptations have been made to meet the participants in their formation, culture, and time. In addition, new learning cohorts and experiences are being added, including the Certificate in Spiritual Formation through Fuller Equip. 

 

Supported by Fuller Theological Seminary, the Center is continuing to add more formational opportunities as we meet and partner with more churches, denominations, missionary networks as well as individual pastors, leaders, missionaries, and lay leaders. 

 

Spiritual formation has always been essential and continues to be. Our team desires to support and strengthen you and your people for the good of the world. We’d love to partner with you!

Brian Teaching
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