Christian Church | Pacific Southwest Region

All Licensed and Ordained Ministers in the Pacific Southwest Region are required to meet the minimum standard of 1.5 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) per year to maintain standing in the PSWR, effective January 1, 2006. 1.5 CEUs equals 15 hours of instructional time.  

Ministers can earn CEUs by attending either Regionally sponsored and other religious/spiritual educational opportunities not sponsored by the PSWR. 

To apply for CEU credit for Regionally sponsored events, a CEU credit form will be provided for you at the event and will be stamped by event leaders at the end of the event. The minister is then required to submit this stamped form to the Regional Office for the credit to be applied to their ministerial profile. Submit the form and documentation via email to Michel Johnson at mjohnson@docpswr.org or a copy mailed to the Regional Office. Be sure to keep a copy for your records.

To apply for CEU credit for events not sponsored by the PSWR, download and print the PSWR CEU Form. Complete the form and attach proper proof that you completed the instructional hours. Submit the form and documentation via email to support@disciplespswr.org or a copy mailed to the Regional Office. Be sure to keep a copy for your records.

Upcoming CEU opportunities will often be shared via PSWR E-Shout. Use the form below to sign up to receive these emails. Please scroll down below for a list of upcoming CEU opportunities. You can also check the PSWR Regional Calendar and the “Upcoming Events” page for information on upcoming events.

DSF CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
ONLINE COURSES

Registration is now open for Biblically-Informed Pastoral Leadership: New Testament, beginning May 4th and part of the DSF Certificate Program.

Biblically-Informed Pastoral Leadership: New Testament
In this introduction to the New Testament, we will explore what is in it (Gospels and Letters), and what is not.  A close look at the canonical and non-canonical gospels and careful consideration of the Jesus in the Synoptics and in John, who crosses human-made boundaries with compassion and inclusion, will guide us in applying biblical teachings in practice.  What is the good news?  Students will develop skills to interpret biblical texts in dialogue between ancient contexts and the contexts in which they serve.  This may include using the Bible for spiritual formation, preaching, or other community needs.

The course is designed for your busy life: the first three weeks are fully asynchronous, wrapping up with a live Zoom session in week four for group conversation and connection.

This course is one of 10 fully online offerings in the DSF Certificate Program, designed to strengthen ministry practice, support vocational discernment, and deepen theological grounding — all with flexibility to fit your life.

Why the DSF Certificate Program?
✔ Start the Certificate at the beginning of any month of the year
✔ Ideal for CEUs, vocational discernment, and continuing education
✔ Build practical tools for real-world leadership while learning in community

All courses are fully online: Full Certificate Program: $3,000 / Individual Courses: $300. Scholarships available up to 50% to ensure access for all. Together, let’s build ministries that heal and uplift. Learn more and enroll at dsf.edu/dsf-collective.

INTERIM MINISTRY BASICS
April 13, 2026 – June 8, 2026 on Zoom

Are you looking for a new adventure in ministry?
Our Interim Ministry Basics course will be offered twice in 2026! We’ve trained over students in the last few years. Their response to the class has been great!

We’re offering a new, revised curriculum with updated resources. This new offering will be interactive and collegial and practical.

The course is taught through Zoom and our learning platform, the Disciples Leadership Network.

Topics to be covered include – 

• What is interim ministry? And how is it different from settled ministry?

• What gifts and skills are needed for interim ministry? What tools are needed?

• What are the issues congregations need to talk about during the interim time?

• What is the role of the Transition Team?

• How do we lead a meaningful visioning process?

• How do we handle issues of change? And of conflict?

The Spring Training will be each Monday from April 13 through June 8 (with an orientation session on April 12). The 8 sessions will cost $600. Many Regional ministers are willing to share in the cost if the student offers to serve in an interim setting in the future. Email us at interims@dhm.disciples.org or visit the Disciples Interims website for more information and the application link.

Our Fall 2026 offering will meet on Mondays from September 14 to November 2 (with an orientation session on September 13).

SACRED PARENTHOOD: CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES FOR FAMILY, HEALING, AND JUSTICE
April 13-17, 2026 Virtual Summit

The Parenting for Justice Summit gathers community leaders, psychologists, educators, ministers, and activists to explore how we raise liberated children in an unjust world—without losing our joy.

For ministry leaders who walk with families, this is an invitation to deepen the practices of justice, compassion, and healing in the home—right alongside the work you’re already doing in your community.

You are invited to this free and completely virtual event for leaders, parents, caregivers, ministers, educators, and mental health professionals who support families from a healing and justice-centered approach. The summit takes place online (and asynchronous) April 13-17, 2026. Learn more and register here.

CHURCHWEST INSURANCE SERVICES PRESENTS:
NAVIGATING TH MINISTERIAL EXCEPTION IN 2026
Apr 15, 2026 10:00 am PT Webinar

The ministerial exception doctrine remains a cornerstone of religious autonomy, yet recent rulings have shifted the landscape of how it is applied in. During this webinar, we will explore how courts are moving past job titles to focus on the vital religious functions of your staff members. We will discuss significant recent decisions from the Ninth Circuit that clarify protections for faith-based hiring while also addressing the limits of the doctrine in areas like wage and hour compliance. Our team will provide practical guidance on how to document your organization’s religious mission within your job descriptions and handbooks to ensure your employment decisions are secure. Register today!

GENERAL ASSEMBLY (ONLINE)
July 10-11, 2026

The General Assembly online, with the theme, BEYOND: Love Surpassing (Ephesians 3:14–21), builds on the work that God began last year and marks the first General Assembly of the new triennium as we live into our new structure. Plan to join us online alone or with others at a local assembly gathering in your area for vital worship, discernment, and connection.

More than a series of meetings, General Assembly is a covenantal space for worship, learning, discussion, business, fellowship, and action. Gathering online allows more of us to participate, connect, and faithfully live into our call to be the church we say we are.

If you have never joined a General Assembly before, we extend a special invitation. There is a place for you at the table.

Registration is $30 per person. Plan to join us for this powerful time of connection, worship, and shared purpose. Be there. Be part of what's Beyond. REGISTER TODAY!

SENT SUMMER: IN THE HEAT OF THE WORK
JUNE 21-22, 2026

Formerly the SENT Seminar, this year’s annual virtual event hosted by NBA’s Social Entrepreneurship program will feature a new date, time, and format, taking place from 7:00pm-8:00pm ET/4:00pm-5:00pm PT each night. The seminar will bring a message of inspiration and resilience from public change makers as they share personal anecdotes and frameworks that nurture endurance for those “in the HEAT of The Work” of leading social change.

Additional information will be coming soon; stay tuned to this page for future updates. Information about the 2025 SENT Seminar can be found here. 

NATIONAL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
SENT COHORT - 12 MONTH JOURNEY

Leadership development, healing spaces, and empowerment for Black men, women and girls of African American, Indigenous, and diasporic descent; access to sensory-centered STEM opportunities and products designed for hard of hearing youth; financial literacy to combat online predatory debt—these are just a few of the impactful services provided by the members of NBA’s 2026 SENT Cohort.

“Entrepreneurship is not meant to be done in isolation,” said Rev. Darnell Fennell, NBA’s Director of Social Entrepreneurship. “We need accompaniment—people who listen deeply, encourage faithfully, and challenge us lovingly. I’m excited about how this cohort community will enrich the lives of leaders and strengthen the work they are called to do.”

The SENT Cohort is a 12-month journey where new faith-rooted social entrepreneurs are brought together to be a part of a community of support and growth as they work through an active process of formation and conversation led by NBA’s Social Entrepreneurship program.

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - EMERGE
Asynchronous Online Course

New Church Ministry is now offering a Leadership Academy course on CHURCHx, an elearning platform built to support mission and ministry. Learn about the DisciplesNEXT framework from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace. This course is ideal for those who work during the week or are bi-vocational. While it provides the same curriculum as those who attended Leadership Academy in person, only the EMERGE track session is currently available. EMERGE participants discern their missional purpose, develop their future stories, and prepare their communities of faith for launch. However, workshops and resources are continuously being added. Access to this course never expires. Learn more

New Church Ministry proudly presents IMPACT, a webinar series that welcomes you on a captivating journey of storytelling and deep mutual learning. In each episode, host and Minister of New Church Strategies Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez invites guests who have defied conventions and fostered vibrant communities of faith to share their invaluable experiences and personal narratives. By exploring the challenges, triumphs, and transformative moments of these visionary leaders, attendees gain invaluable inspiration and direction for their own ventures. 

This dynamic series embraces diversity, welcoming influential leaders from a multitude of faith traditions and backgrounds. From established religious institutions to emerging spiritual movements, IMPACT showcases a broad spectrum of voices and perspectives, ensuring participants have a rich tapestry of insights to draw from. While each of its speakers bring a distinct approach and innovative strategies to the table, equipping participants with a toolkit of ideas to create thriving, inclusive places of worship that resonate with today’s seekers, IMPACT emphasizes the power of storytelling as a catalyst for change. Whether you are an aspirational individual looking to make a difference or a member of an established congregation that is considering revitalizing its mission, IMPACT is your transformative guide. Join us as we delve into the profound potential that storytelling has to shape the future of faith communities worldwide. Together, we can ignite a new era of spiritual vitality and make an enduring impact on the lives of those we serve.

CERTIFICATE IN PASTORAL MINISTRY

Join the conversations that will expose you to new ideas, deepen your commitments, and give insights on how to minister in a changing world. The Center for Ministry and Lay Training's online program allows you to explore your call to ministry or even earn a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry. Click here to apply.

Phillips is the only Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) seminary offering this Certificate in Pastoral Ministry. Since 1906, Phillips has been educating those who serve the church and is pleased to continue the 120-year legacy of the Bible College of Missouri through the Center for Ministry and Lay Training.

As a student, you’ll not only learn from our top-notch faculty, but you’ll also build a network of others engaged in ministry. The Center for Ministry and Lay Training is not designed for those who want to do ministry the way it’s always been done. If you want to make a difference in this changing world, we’ll help you push beyond your comfort zone. Learn more about the program and upcoming course schedule.

Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry training consist of two steps and a small group Fieldwork experience. The first step is Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry: The Work of the Leader (FTML). The second step, Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry: The Work of the Congregation (FTMC) builds on the information and experiences of FTML. The curriculum is designed for experiential learning throughout. Participants read content prior to class so that they are able to use the information to understand specific transition situations as found in sacred stories or in congregational case studies. Even in the virtual world connections and conversation are a vital part of the IMN FTM training.

UN*SILENCE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: BECOMING A SENSITIVE RESPONDER TO THE HIDDEN PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

Clergy and lay leaders who are passionate about reducing Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence (DV/IPV) can sign up for a 5 hour training facilitated by Courtney Armento. The course is available for a discounted rate of $117 and is self-paced with occasional live sessions with Courtney for Q&A. In the course, you will discover what to say (and what not to say) to those experiencing DV/IVP so that you facilitate spaces of calm in the midst of their storm. You will become equipped to create safe spaces so that you can empower those going through DV/IVP to make conscious choices. With your help, we can turn around the toxic culture of DV/IVP that unfortunately many have experience in churches and reduce -- dare we say eliminate? -- DV/IVP in our communities. Sign up for the course here (CEU credits available)

Several ministries are offering online trainings and webinars for clergy and church leaders. One source is New Church Hacks, offered by New Church Ministry, a ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that trains, equips, assists and multiplies emerging and affiliating congregations and leaders. New Church Hacks provides clever solutions to tricky problems and empowers courageous leaders with the tools, tips and how-tos to start, sustain and strengthen congregations.

ChurchWest Insurance and their partners are busy developing tools to help your ministries in the weeks and months to come. Please visit their website to browse available webinars. CEU credits will be given based on the length of the webinar session (most sessions average one hour).

The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center provides speakers and education resources for churches of all denominations on biblical peace and justice issues, as well as conflict transformation skills training and training for church leaders grounded in family systems theory. It also provides mediation and consultation services for churches, schools, and other organizations. Please visit their website to browse available webinars and educational opportunities. CEU credits will be given based on the length of the webinar session.

Union Theological Seminary | Progressive theology has long taken shape at Union, where faith and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice. Grounded in the Christian tradition and responsive to the needs of God’s creation, a Union education prepares its students for committed lives of service to the church, academy, and society. A Union education develops practices of mind and body that foster intellectual and academic excellence, social justice, and compassionate wisdom. Union forms courageous faith leaders who make a difference wherever they serve. Please visit their website to browse available webinars and educational opportunities. CEU credits will be given based on the length of the webinar session.