Spiritual Formation Weekly Gathering
Following a catered meal, we come together for some teaching as we explore the evening’s scriptural theme. After a brief time of personal reflection, we break into small groups for discussion and prayer.
Our weekly scripture study is led by a rotating team of teachers which includes directors Sue Smedley and Karen Mahan, local pastor Rev. Matt Coburn (Trinity Baptist Church, New Haven), and our interns.
Curriculum
Over the years we’ve identified five key elements in spiritual development that are critical not only to life in graduate school, but also in the years beyond: identifying truths and lies that we believe about God, ourselves, the world around us, developing intentional spiritual practices and how to live through the Holy Spirit’s strength.
In the Fall semester we examine and build on these formational elements through close reading of scripture, and in the Spring we weave in spiritual disciplines and contemplative practices such as Lectio Divina, Examen, and Ignatian imaginative prayer. For this reason, students find that they see the most growth by attending Spiritual Formation on a consistent basis throughout the academic year.
Our curriculum follows a three year rotation, using a different scriptural focus each year. While the scriptural vantage point may change, the elements we examine remain consistent. This provides graduate students with the opportunity to dive deeper into the beautiful richness and diversity of scripture over the course of their programs.
Year 1: Psalms
Fall 2024
Study spiritual formation elements using references from the Psalms
Spring 2025
Applying contemplative practices to a particular Psalm every week
Year 2: Gospels
Fall 2025
Study spiritual formation elements using references from the Gospels
Spring 2026
Focus on Contemplative Methods in the Gospels
Year 3: Epistles
Fall 2023
Study spiritual formation elements using references from various Epistles
Spring 2024
Focus on a particular Epistle and incorporating scripture study methods and contemplative practices
First Friday Faculty Series
On the first Friday of every month we host a Christian faculty member who shares the story of their own spiritual journey and how being a Christian has influenced how they pursue their professional career and make personal life decisions. Following the talk we open the time for questions and answers, which is often the most vibrant part of the evening!
“...hearing from faculty members on how they integrate their faith with their work and try to be a witness to their patients or colleagues through seemingly small actions and behaviors has helped me more tangibly understand what it means to live out my faith and serve the Lord through my work.”
“Finding God at Yale”
We began the “Finding God at Yale” series because we have found over the years that graduate students are eager to hear from Christian faculty who can serve as role models. It’s also a special opportunity to ask a variety of questions, from how to navigate the academic world as a Christian in a particular discipline, to how to balance work and life. This is also an opportunity for students who regularly attend Spiritual Formation to invite friends and colleagues from their departments and around Yale to attend.
We host speakers from various professional schools and departments throughout the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). In the past, we’ve heard from faculty from the Medical School, Yale Divinity School, Yale School of Management, Yale School of Architecture, and the School of Public Health, as well as GSAS.
Upcoming Faculty Friday Speakers
Retreats
We host a retreat at the beginning of each semester to provide students the opportunity to fellowship with other students in their particular discipline and to meet other Christians at Yale outside their program(s). Retreats also provide a chance to see some of the beautiful Connecticut coastline near Yale! Retreats usually run from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and include breakfast, lunch, and free time to explore the area afterward.
Registration for retreats is required so to ensure an accurate headcount for catering and materials. Registration usually opens 2-3 weeks before the retreat and will be available here on our website and sent out through our mailing list.
Fall Retreat
September 23, 2023
10am - 2pm
The Fall Retreat is a chance for the various Graduate Fellowships at Yale to connect and get to know each other as we start the new academic year. We usually gather at Killam’s Point, a beautiful seaside location in the nearby town of Branford, CT. After a light breakfast, we gather for worship and a time of teaching that addresses some of the spiritual challenges of life as a Yale graduate student. The rest of the morning is spent in guided devotional time and small group discussion. After lunch, we split into groups by Graduate Fellowship to pray over the start of the new year. The retreat then officially closes in a time of worship. Hiking and exploring in the Killam’s Point area is available until 5:00 pm.
Winter Retreat
January 19, 2024
The Winter Retreat (usually in January) is held at a similar, close by location with beautiful nature surroundings. The retreat begins with a time of worship, followed by a teaching on contemplative prayer.
This year, our in-house retreat will be led by Prof. Bo Karen Lee, Princeton Seminary.
Prayer Pods & Mentoring
Prayer Pods
We started forming “prayer pods” during covid as a way for Christians to communicate and support each other during the week. These are smaller groups, usually 3-5 people, who opt to meet with others in a similar discipline or of the same gender, and then we group them into “pods”. Prayer Pods are free to meet however they choose, via zoom or in person, and we encourage connecting once a week.
Individual Mentoring
Individual Mentoring offers students an opportunity to process how the elements taught in Spiritual Formation are applicable in their own lives. It is also a chance to process life in general! Because of its connection to the themes of our curriculum, individual mentoring is only offered to those who are committed to regularly attending weekly Spiritual Formation meetings.
Mentoring meetings are held with one of the Spiritual Formation directors or interns and typically last about an hour. Students are free to discuss the themes from Friday meetings or any issue that is pressing in their lives. Sign-ups for mentoring meetings usually begin in October and February after students have had the chance to attend several Spiritual Formation events and meet the directors.
If you are interested in learning more about prayer pods or mentoring, please contact info@rivendellinstitute.org or speak with one of the Spiritual Formation directors.
About Our Directors
Karen Mahan
Karen has been involved in campus ministry at Yale for over 30 years and has been a part of Rivendell since its founding in 1995. As co-director of Spiritual Formation, her longstanding work with the Yale graduate community is motivated by a passion to help students integrate Scripture with their daily lives.
Karen grew up in Indonesia as a daughter of missionaries and studied in Freiburg, Germany, before obtaining a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside. After a stint working on Capitol Hill with the Ways and Means Committee, she transitioned to student ministry at Dartmouth College before arriving at Yale. Karen has helped to coordinate ministries in the Republic of Georgia and Cambridge, England.
In keeping with her international interests, Karen teaches English in the Afghani community in New Haven, and is a Training Facilitator at the Trauma Healing Institute. She is also an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church where she has frequently served as a member of the vestry.
She is married to David Mahan and they have three grown children.
Sue Smedley
Sue brings a wealth of mentoring experience and a heart for connecting with people to her position as co-director of Spiritual Formation at Rivendell. Since her move to Yale in 2001, she has developed close relationships with many graduate and professional students, and is driven by a passion for guiding them towards discovering their own worth and identity in Christ during a time of life fraught with personal and academic challenges.
For many years before coming to Yale, Sue was a Regional and National Director for the youth organization Cru, which gave her a sense of scale and vision extending far beyond local organizational goals. She continues to draw upon this experience as she writes and develops curriculum and engages in vision casting for Rivendell’s Spiritual Formation program. Sue lived with her family at Oxford for three years, during which time she further developed her vocation of Spiritual Director for women.
Sue received her B.A. in Art from the University of Missouri, and continues to have a sense of wonder at the beauty of colors and creation which draws her to outwardly express an inward aesthetic of life, reflective of spiritual flourishing through all circumstances. She enjoys landscape and architectural painting in oil and has recently discovered the joys of watercolor.
Sue is married to Don Smedley and they have a daughter.