The Center for Transforming Engagement

Our leaders, trainers, and coaches have walked in your shoes.

We are boots-on-the-ground practitioners who’ve faced discouragement, disillusionment, and burnout working within traditional ministry settings. Yet, we are unwilling to let that be the end of our story.

Participating Individuals

In Grant Money Received

Participating Organizations

Who We Are

At our core, we are world changers motivated by our experiences and vision for radical change.  

Our whole team had a wonderful experience, and I’d encourage any church that is feeling stuck–do this program and be amazed at what God is going to show you. You will come through it encouraged, strengthened, and bonded with your people.” John and Judith Hix, pastors of Seattle Vineyard church

Clear-eyed, yet committed to hopeful service

Our times demand that we not stick our heads in the sand, nor be content with the status quo. We clearly see the state of things, yet choose a hopeful stance to problem-solving and own a stubborn optimism and insistence that the solutions we imagine be applicable to real-world problems.

Experienced, and always learning

This is collaborative, communal work that demands authenticity. We offer proven tools rooted in decades of healing yet, AND are learners practicing side-by-side with you. As co-powering guides for your journey, we are in a parallel process, and readily admit that our leaders and facilitators don’t have it all together. We are both invested in individual growth, and fully committed to relational contexts.

Rooted in tradition, while innovating for the future

Our methods are deeply rooted in traditional Christian messages of hope, restoration and relationship, yet we recognize that the old ways of doing ministry need a reboot. We long for a paradigm shift that allows us to dig deeply into our call in a fresh and more sustaining way. Just like you, we are moving forward to reimagine ministry within our complex, modern context.

Bridging Worlds

Often, we find ourselves at the intersection of the church and academia.

We are unapologetic about how scholarship and Christian tradition have shaped us, but when those get in the way, we choose relationships. We honor what’s non negotiable, but are eager to set aside what is harmful in order to evolve, shift, and work together to craft something better.

Kate Rae Davis

Executive Director

Rose Madrid Swetman

Programs Director

J. Derek McNeil

President of The Seattle School

Stephanie Bulthuis

Programs Supervisor

Andrea Sielaff

Programs Supervisor & Evaluation Manager

Beth Alford

Communications & Partnerships

Sam Skillern

Administrative Coordinator

Seth Thomas

Instructor

Melissa Skelton

Instructor

Full attendance and participation during all sessions are expected to complete the program.
Terms / Conditions. By registering for a Resilience or Leaders Circle, you agree to the following (scroll down and click agree)
Please consider the schedule closely to ensure you will be able to participate in the virtual meetings, and block off your calendar to ensure your attendance. Should you have an emergency (illness, situations out of your control) that will impact your participation please email transforming@theseattleschool.edu
Time commitment:
Two hours one day per month for 8 months, dates to be determined by majority of registrants' availability and adjusted as needed during the first group meeting.
Your feedback is immensely valuable!
As an essential component of your participation in this program, we ask that you provide us with your honest, candid, and timely feedback in program surveys and conversations, and consider providing reviews or testimonials of the program for promotional use.
Code of Conduct:
The Center for Transforming Engagement strives for intentionality in the ways we relate to one another - how we as a team relate to each other, how we relate to participants, and how we hope participants will relate to us and one another. To that end, we hold cultural norms about the ways we interact with one another. Your participation in this program is contingent on your agreement to abide by these cultural norms. i. For growth to happen, we all need to be able to share about the deeper challenges we face. To provide that atmosphere of openness and support, you commit to not sharing personal information that is shared in program meetings. ii. In our interactions with each other and our communities, we practice the humility of not-knowing that is required to listen and discover. iii. Be aware of different cultural and characterological ways of communicating, and invite others’ voices. Respect theological differences: the river of Christian orthodoxy is wide, and while the streams of that river are distinct, they are not inherently better or worse. Even if you can’t respect the belief, treat the person with respect. iiii. We value both thoughts and feelings as valuable pieces of information that inform one another, and inform our learning and discerning together. iv. Be in the here and now (not mentally somewhere or some time else), with the people who are sharing their time and stories with you. Eliminate any distractions possible.
Fair Use Policy
All program content, recordings, and materials are the intellectual property of The Seattle School and may not be presented, distributed, or replicated. The Seattle School retains the copyright for all recorded content. Some print materials (PDFs, worksheets, journal prompts, etc.) will be licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike. Those materials will be available for download on our website, and may be used as long as the following conditions are met: (1) attribute to the Center for Transforming Engagement even if remixed/modified; (2) do not use for commercial (paid) purposes; and (3) anything you make that remixes or builds upon this material, you must also distribute under Creative Commons. More information on this license is available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
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(scroll down and click agree) Full attendance and participation during all sessions are expected to complete the program. Please consider the schedule closely to ensure you will be able to participate in the virtual meetings, and block off your calendar to ensure your attendance. Should you have an emergency (illness, situations out of your control) that will impact your participation please email transforming@theseattleschool.edu Time commitment: Two hours one day per month for 8 months, dates to be determined by majority of registrants' availability and adjusted as needed during the first group meeting. Your feedback is immensely valuable! As an essential component of your participation in this program, we ask that you provide us with your honest, candid, and timely feedback in program surveys and conversations, and consider providing reviews or testimonials of the program for promotional use. 2. Code of Conduct The Center for Transforming Engagement strives for intentionality in the ways we relate to one another - how we as a team relate to each other, how we relate to participants, and how we hope participants will relate to us and one another. To that end, we hold cultural norms about the ways we interact with one another. Your participation in this program is contingent on your agreement to abide by these cultural norms. Confidentiality. For growth to happen, we all need to be able to share about the deeper challenges we face. To provide that atmosphere of openness and support, you commit to not sharing personal information that is shared in program meetings. Curiosity. In our interactions with each other and our communities, we practice the humility of not-knowing that is required to listen and discover. Respect differences. Be aware of different cultural and characterological ways of communicating, and invite others’ voices. Respect theological differences: the river of Christian orthodoxy is wide, and while the streams of that river are distinct, they are not inherently better or worse. Even if you can’t respect the belief, treat the person with respect. You are invited to be a whole person, with both thoughts and feelings. We value both thoughts and feelings as valuable pieces of information that inform one another, and inform our learning and discerning together. Presence. Be in the here and now (not mentally somewhere or some time else), with the people who are sharing their time and stories with you. Eliminate any distractions possible. 3. Fair Use Policy All program content, recordings, and materials are the intellectual property of The Seattle School and may not be presented, distributed, or replicated. The Seattle School retains the copyright for all recorded content. Some print materials (PDFs, worksheets, journal prompts, etc.) will be licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike. Those materials will be available for download on our website, and may be used as long as the following conditions are met: (1) attribute to the Center for Transforming Engagement even if remixed/modified; (2) do not use for commercial (paid) purposes; and (3) anything you make that remixes or builds upon this material, you must also distribute under Creative Commons. More information on this license is available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
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Lina Thompson is the lead Pastor at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. Her primary vocation and call is the formation of leaders who love and serve their city and seek its peace.
Lina Thompson is the lead Pastor at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. Her primary vocation and call is the formation of leaders who love and serve their city and seek its peace.
Silas Sham is the Lead Pastor of Bethany Community Church Northeast in Seattle and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary. His research explores how food can form and reflect theological imagination. He created Theology on a Plate, a gamified discipleship experience that brings people around the table to taste, tell, and practice the story of God. His work has been published through the Society of Biblical Literature and in various theological and ministry journals, and he believes the best theology is lived, savored, and shared in community to nourish all of creation.
Silas Sham is the Lead Pastor of Bethany Community Church Northeast in Seattle and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary. His research explores how food can form and reflect theological imagination. He created Theology on a Plate, a gamified discipleship experience that brings people around the table to taste, tell, and practice the story of God. His work has been published through the Society of Biblical Literature and in various theological and ministry journals, and he believes the best theology is lived, savored, and shared in community to nourish all of creation.
Rev. Danielle Merseles is the current Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle. After an unexpected yes to volunteering in youth ministry back in 2011, Danielle eventually enrolled in seminary at Seattle Pacific, did a unit of chaplaincy at Harborview, and became ordained in the PC(USA). She loves regularly teaching and learning from people younger than her and has been called to Bethany for nearly 10 years now. She is a New Jersey native, Tulane University School of Architecture graduate, hobby potter, loves being auntie/godmother to her friends small people, and has called Seattle home since 2007.
Rev. Danielle Merseles is the current Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Seattle. After an unexpected yes to volunteering in youth ministry back in 2011, Danielle eventually enrolled in seminary at Seattle Pacific, did a unit of chaplaincy at Harborview, and became ordained in the PC(USA). She loves regularly teaching and learning from people younger than her and has been called to Bethany for nearly 10 years now. She is a New Jersey native, Tulane University School of Architecture graduate, hobby potter, loves being auntie/godmother to her friends small people, and has called Seattle home since 2007.
Jessica became disabled as a young adult and has worked for accessibility and inclusion specifically in third places for over 20 years. Coming to the Episcopal Church after experiencing religious trauma from “faith healing,” Jessica feels called to break down barriers, both physical as well as spiritual by addressing the harmful theologies and behaviors that have shown disabled people that “we are not welcome as the Beloved People God created us to be.” She is blogger, speaker, and consultant for Bridge Disability Ministries.
Jessica became disabled as a young adult and has worked for accessibility and inclusion specifically in third places for over 20 years. Coming to the Episcopal Church after experiencing religious trauma from “faith healing,” Jessica feels called to break down barriers, both physical as well as spiritual by addressing the harmful theologies and behaviors that have shown disabled people that “we are not welcome as the Beloved People God created us to be.” She is blogger, speaker, and consultant for Bridge Disability Ministries.
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, and served as the President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for nearly twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She is the author of seven books, including Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025), and Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky, and served as the President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for nearly twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She is the author of seven books, including Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Rowman & Littlefield, 2025), and Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
The Rev. Natalie "Nat" Johnson serves as Priest in Charge at St Peter's, a diverse and multi-ethnic Episcopal parish in Seattle WA. Over the last five years, Rev. Nat has served on the Diocese of Olympia's Commission on Ministry, walking with individuals sensing a call to ordained ministry. They also currently serve as Affiliated Faculty at Church Divinity School of the Pacific where they teach Liturgical Theology to seminarians preparing for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Natalie "Nat" Johnson serves as Priest in Charge at St Peter's, a diverse and multi-ethnic Episcopal parish in Seattle WA. Over the last five years, Rev. Nat has served on the Diocese of Olympia's Commission on Ministry, walking with individuals sensing a call to ordained ministry. They also currently serve as Affiliated Faculty at Church Divinity School of the Pacific where they teach Liturgical Theology to seminarians preparing for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is a 3rd Generation Filipino/Chinese American and an active speaker, writer, and coachsultant. His writing, teaching, and speaking have taken him to Australia, The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and across the United States as he addresses topics of faith, leadership, activism, culture, race, and technology. Author of six books, most recently, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World (Chalice Press, 2021) Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith (Broadleaf Books, 2024). Bruce also has a broad online video and audio presence but writes and podcasts through his Newsletter & Podcast, The Amalgamation. Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored seven congregations throughout California. In 2008, he was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the youngest and first Asian American to hold the denomination’s highest elected office. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, works with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center to lead delegations to Palestine, is a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence, is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and is the Church Relations and Development Officer at Zephyr Point Conference Center. Bruce and his wife, Robin, have three adult children, two senior pups, too many houseplants, and a thriving empty-nester life in San Jose, CA.
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow is a 3rd Generation Filipino/Chinese American and an active speaker, writer, and coachsultant. His writing, teaching, and speaking have taken him to Australia, The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and across the United States as he addresses topics of faith, leadership, activism, culture, race, and technology. Author of six books, most recently, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World (Chalice Press, 2021) Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith (Broadleaf Books, 2024). Bruce also has a broad online video and audio presence but writes and podcasts through his Newsletter & Podcast, The Amalgamation. Bruce has been an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1995 and has pastored seven congregations throughout California. In 2008, he was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church USA, the youngest and first Asian American to hold the denomination’s highest elected office. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, works with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center to lead delegations to Palestine, is a Senior Consultant and Coach with Convergence, is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and is the Church Relations and Development Officer at Zephyr Point Conference Center. Bruce and his wife, Robin, have three adult children, two senior pups, too many houseplants, and a thriving empty-nester life in San Jose, CA.