LEADing News

Summer 2024 @ Wheaton

This Summer we began expanding the number of courses being offered for enrollment as more students get admitted to the M.A. in Leadership program. We also noticed a trend as students, particularly those working full time are pacing themselves by taking a course every term including summers, as they even out taking courses through the year.

In Summer ’22 and ’23 we had students take approximately 100 credits each, but then saw the total credits increase to 170 this past Summer 2024. We had 17 students enroll in Organizational & Change Leadership with Bill Donahue. 13 took what is becoming a very popular summer course, The Best and Worst of Christian History: Key Insights for Today’s Leaders. This was taught by our Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Public Christianity, John Dickson.

We had 3 courses with enrollments of 11 each. One was an online course Biblical and Theological Foundations of Leadership taught by James Spencer and the other two were the same course, Cultural Engagement, one of which was offered in a hybrid format at Wheaton and the other in an online format.

On returning to school for the LEAD program: Gail Childs

This summer was my first in-person college class in decades. While I’ve attended various classes and training for my profession, there has been nothing this interesting or intense. Add to this the changes for me as a returning ‘80s student: on-line classes, discussion posts on a blog-like forum, and video meetings with fellow students from around the world. In my early college days new technology was an electric typewriter with memory. You get the picture.

I quickly learned I would have to adjust my reading style and speed to digest the material. I also had to adjust to pre-recorded lectures and juggle to balance school and work deadlines, meetings and travel.

The summer hybrid modular intensives were a refreshing chance to step out of my ordinary day-to-day life and dive fully into being a student. I can still see and hear my professors’ lectures and student discussions in my mind. I’ve used concepts from Cultural Engagement to build stronger relationships with others. It also helped me be better prepared for a short-term mission trip and influence the organization for future programs. The Best and Worst of Christian History has me re-learning history and looking for application for today. This fascinating course has prepared me for spirit-prompted conversations with airplane seat mates about history and faith— which is the best outcome of all!

Dr. Michelle Reyes taught the two versions of the Cultural Engagement course this past Summer (2024)

She writes, "Returning to Wheaton College as a faculty member after having been an undergrad from 2004 to 2008, was a deeply rewarding experience. Teaching allowed me to guide adult learners through critical cultural insights to apply in their professional and personal contexts.

The hybrid modality fostered in-person connections, and the students found the case studies a particularly useful canvas to explore the intersection of theology, leadership, and cultural intelligence (CQ). The online course provided flexibility for students to engage with material from diverse locations and apply insights on cultural engagement in their work as missionaries, pastors, and beyond. In both settings, students took cultural assessments, gaining language to articulate their own cultural perspectives as well as a deeper empathy for others.

One student remarked, “I found this course a pleasant challenge. So many things that I had not considered in the past were presented and it was like learning to swim in the deep end. I wish I had taken a course like this when we signed up for cross-cultural mission work. Thank you for the challenge and support.”

Michelle said that she wanted this course to empower the people doing hard and holy cross-cultural work and was grateful that the course was able to achieve this goal.

An Event to Remember

Sponsored by Center for Faith and Innovation in partnership with the LEAD program. 

As you can tell it was awesome and great to have Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy speak at Wheaton College and especially to the Wheaton Thunder Football team at their practice on August 28th. And as you can see from the pictures below that he had a great impact of the coaches and players alike as all listened in rapt attention to how he intertwined his faith as a follower of Jesus Christ with giving his maximum effort on the football field as one working unto the Lord.