D.Min. Students Build Community at Annual In-Person Retreat

Students in the Doctor of Ministry program came to campus for the annual in-person retreat, which brings together first- and second-year cohorts for intentional learning, reflection, and relationship-building. 

The retreat provides an important face-to-face anchor for the collegial learning experience, given that much of the D.Min. program takes place online. It allows students to move beyond the confines of individual courses and screens to share meals, engage in sustained conversation, worship and reflect together, and deepen the trust that supports honest learning throughout the program.

Second-year student Rubina Hussein reflected on the experience, saying, “The D.Min. program is largely online, so being together in person is rare — and all the more meaningful for it. What struck me was how invested everyone was in each other’s success: peers walking the same path, and faculty and staff supporting it. It felt like a real community with a shared goal.”

The retreat reflects HIU’s commitment to a cohort-based model in which experienced religious leaders learn not only from faculty, but also from one another. Students bring wisdom from congregations, chaplaincy settings, nonprofit organizations, and other forms of religious and spiritual leadership. They also represent diverse religious traditions, identities, communities, and vocational callings. This diversity makes the cohort itself a vital learning resource: colleagues can challenge one another’s assumptions, offer perspectives from different contexts, and provide the encouragement and constructive feedback needed for reflective and innovative ministry. These relationships can become a lasting network of support extending well beyond graduation. HIU’s DMin program intentionally combines formative face-to-face experiences with flexible online learning to cultivate this interreligious community of peers. Bringing the first- and second-year cohorts together also expands the circle of collegial learning. 

“Second-year students can share insight gained through their first year, while first-year students bring fresh questions and perspectives,” said Allison Norton, Director of the Doctor of Ministry. “Both cohorts benefit from seeing themselves as part of a wider community of scholar-practitioners who are navigating complex changes in religious life together.” 

The retreat is therefore not separate from the academic work of the program. It creates the relational foundation that makes rigorous online learning possible. The conversations begun face-to-face continue through synchronous seminars, learning partnerships, collaborative reflection, and informal connections across the year. 

Ultimately, the retreat offers students space to step back from the immediate demands of ministry, to move “onto the balcony,” consider the larger social and religious landscape, and discern where their leadership and learning should be directed. In the company of colleagues who understand the pressures and possibilities of contemporary ministry, students can recover imagination, clarify their questions, and strengthen their capacity for reflective, contextually grounded action. As described in “Why the D.Min. Is More Relevant than Ever for Chaplains and Congregational Leaders”, this combination of sustained reflection, practical inquiry, and supportive peer relationships is central to the value of the D.Min. experience.