Congratulations on being offered a place in the upcoming cohort! We are so excited to learn with you and from you.
This is a seminar-style program. What we mean by that is that while there will be some lecture-based components, the bulk of the learning takes place through facilitated conversation with the cohort. The two keys to this being successful are preparation and participation; do the reading and please come prepared to share your perspective!
This site includes details to complete your registration and prepare for our time together.
Questions? Email ironsharpeningiron@ptsem.edu
PARTICIPANT COMMITMENTS
- Attend 10 virtual sessions, each 90 minutes long.
- Prepare for sessions through readings and self-reflection.
- Complete one final assignment that integrates learning with real-world leadership. Each participant will be invited to connect one of the core themes with an opportunity or challenge she is facing, and present on how she intends to use material from the seminar in addressing it.
- Participate in a 1-on-1 coaching session. A certified executive coach will be on hand throughout the seminar to offer feedback and guidance. Meeting with the coach during the month of July can be used to hone ideas for your final presentation or to address other needs related to your context.
- Demonstrate a willingness to engage deeply in learning, building relationships with colleagues, and fostering the growth of self and others.
MEETING DATES FOR SPRING 2024
All meetings will take place from 12 – 1:30 pm ET.
- April 11 | Leadership Identity
- April 18 | Designing Your Leadership Vision
- May 2 | Change Management
- May 16 | Implementation and Planning
- May 30 | Building Effective Teams
- June 13 | Giving and Receiving Feedback
- June 27 | Navigating Conflict
- July | Set up 1-on-1 Meeting with Coach Shelley
- August 1 | Final Presentations, Part I
- August 8 | Final Presentations, Part II
>>> Click here for the Leadership Seminar Syllabus – Spring_Summer 2024
In addition to the curriculum and coaching, a seasoned mentor will join each session to facilitate a moment for worship and meditation, as well as to act as a resource and wise guide as we move through the material. She will also be available for 1-on-1 meetings if desired.
COURSE MATERIALS
You will have access to all digital materials (normally behind a paywall) through our learning management system.
There are three books you will be asked to read almost in full. One will be sent to you as part of your welcome packet; the other two will need to be purchased or rented from your local library.
Instructions and details are available in the syllabus:
YOUR INVESTMENT
The cost for the program is $1999. This includes:
- Rigorous, yet flexible curriculum
- Access to a coach throughout the program, as well as one 1-on-1 coaching session
- Access to a mentor throughout the program
- Certificate of Completion from Princeton Theological Seminary
Click on the button on the right to complete registration. It will take you to a site generated by the system that creates your unique log-in for the learning management system. The “ENROLL” button is at the bottom of the page.
YOUR FACILITATORS
Rev. Dr. Anne Stewart is the Project Director of Iron Sharpening Iron and also serves as Executive Vice President of Princeton Seminary. She is a proud alumna of Smith College, Princeton Seminary (MDiv), and Emory University (PhD, Old Testament).
She is excited to combine these experiences through the Iron Sharpening Iron program, which joins women’s education with service to the church and a name that comes from the Old Testament. She is a Presbyterian minister and the author of Poetic Ethics in Proverbs: Wisdom Literature and the Shaping of the Moral Self.
Thais Carter is the Associate Director of Iron Sharpening Iron and also serves as the Director for Strategic Initiatives at Princeton Theological Seminary, guiding initiatives that extend the Seminary’s reach and engagement with a broader public. Prior to her work at Princeton Seminary, she served as the Bonnie and Peter Raquet Endowed Chair of the Institute for Leadership and Service at Valparaiso University, where she established a broad portfolio of programs focused on leadership development and vocational discernment. She brings a wealth of experience with organizational management, nonprofit leadership, and storytelling.
In May of 2022 she completed her Masters in Public Administration at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.
Rev. Shelley S. Smith is certified as an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and endorsed by the United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry as a Life Coach Chaplain. As a coach, she creates a confidential space to find inspiration and motivation that results in professional and personal transformation, balance and wellness guided by client goals. She works with clergy and teams of various denominations, partner with individuals and organizations in leadership development, and train persons participating in certified coaching programs.
She has over 20 years of ministry experience, with the past eleven years as a senior pastor. As a clergy member of the Greater New Jersey United Methodist Church Annual Conference, she is appointed to Extension Ministry as a coach. In addition to serving as the GNJUMC Conference Secretary, she is on the Board of Ordained Ministry and a Circuit Leader. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Palmer Theological Seminary, St. David’s PA in 2011., and was an adjunct professor in their Eastern School of Christian Ministries.
Rev. Pam Driesell began ordained ministry in 1999 as the organizing pastor of a PCUSA church plant near Athens, Georgia, and served the Oconee Presbyterian Church until 2010, when she was called as the fourth Senior Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.
She has served on numerous councils and commissions, including moderating the Tri-Presbytery New Church Development Commission, Princeton Institute for Youth Ministry’s formative Advisory Council, Columbia Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, and Montreat Conference Center Board of Trustees.
She is a graduate of James Madison University, Hollins University, and Princeton Theological Seminary.
