Catalog and Membership FAQs

Why should I become a member?

Members get to register for classes early – a full week before they open to the general public! Plus, members receive a 10% discount on all events and classes and access to value-add content in their inboxes throughout the year.

How can I support the Center?

Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality courses, workshops, events, and information for all. Please consider making a donation to the Center for Transforming Engagement today.

If you’re interested in contributing your skills or expertise, the Center is frequently looking for advisors on strategic development, growth, and fundraising. Occasionally, we are looking for volunteers to help with events or onsite offerings. Email transforming@theseattleschool.edu with ways you might help!

Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support the Center and our mission.

Who can I speak with about sponsoring a conference, event, or program?

Thank you for your interest in sponsoring one of our offerings! Sponsor information is available on this page with a contact form. If you’d like to discuss before committing, contact us at transforming@theseattleschool.edu and we’ll put you in touch with a staff member.

I had a major success as a result of a class I took! Want to hear about it?

You know we do! We might even feature it in our newsletter or on the News & Articles section of the website. Let us know about it at transforming@theseattleschool.edu!

I don’t know which class to take, can you advise?

Sure. We’re always willing to answer questions about classes via email or to schedule a time to talk over the phone. Just tell us a bit about your ministry background (or tell us if you’re just getting started!) and about what kind of class experience you’d like, and we can assist you from there. Start the conversation at transforming@theseattleschool.edu. 

Can children or teens take classes?

Classes in our course catalog are meant for adults unless otherwise noted.

Which type of class is right for me?

Each class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity and homework (if any). Other class types are:

• Workshop: participants generate work as part of class time and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates.
• Community & Connection: emphasizes peer connection and learning for encouragement and accountability.
• Application & Practice: explores new ideas and processes through putting them into practice.
• Philosophy & Ideas: intellectual-driven pursuits of new thoughts and ideas. Often abstract thinking, close reading of texts, or analysis.
• Spiritual & Personal Growth: emphasizes self-reflection and self-examination; habits and behavior changes; journaling is common.
• Professional Development: focuses on understanding the industry and building a career.

Additionally, classes highlight key features. These include:

• Project-Based: Participants will work toward completing a specific project (e.g., a change process, a sermon series).
• Career & Industry Guidance: Focuses on navigating the profession and its systems.
• Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
• Lecture: Instructor-led teaching
• Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
• Activities & Exercises: Class features guided work or assignments.
• Goal-Setting & Accountability: Includes tools or practices to help participants stay motivated.
• In-Class Work Time: Class will include dedicated time to work on implementing the learnings into their own work context.
• In-Class Sharing: Participants are invited to share their work to the full class or in small groups during class.
• Instructor Feedback: Participants receive direct feedback from the instructor.
• Peer Feedback: Participants share and critique each other’s work.

What level am I?

Classes and workshops are designed for various stages of the leadership journey. Simply select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.

• Introductory: You’ve never taken a leadership course; you likely don’t have a degree in divinity or other church-related fields. You’re looking to develop a solid foundation in leadership and organizational fundamentals and be encouraged in your ministry practice and service of God and neighbor.
• Intermediate: You have an understanding of the fundamentals via experience and perhaps previous courses in this or a related field. You know the lay of the land and are now learning to push yourself in your leadership identity and/or push the development of their ministry.
• Advanced: You have an established leadership reflection practice and are eager to advance your ministry career. Perhaps you are getting ready to expand your ministry or organization, or perhaps expand your career to the next role (for example, growing your consulting work, or moving from congregational to regional leadership).
• All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to be exposed to new possibilities, ideas, and connections.

When do class registrations close?

If a class has not met its minimum number of seats to run, we close it 2 business days before the class is scheduled to begin.

If it has met its minimum but not its maximum, we close online registrations on the day before the class starts.

We recommend registering for your class more than five days before it starts to help prevent these cancellations.

I’m not sure if I can take this class. Can you hold my seat while I decide?

Unfortunately, we are not able to hold seats. We sell seats on a first-come, first-served basis.  

What kind of help in payment is available?

We offer discounts of up to 50% to clergy, staff, and lay ministry leaders of our official partners, which includes the Olympia Presbytery, the Northwest Coast Presbytery, and the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. Partnerships have no financial cost, and are available with (a) regional or national denominations), (b) multi-site churches, or ( c) large nonprofit organizations. If you would like to encourage your organization to become a partner, please email your regional leader to let them know! You can even introduce them to us by cc’ing transforming@theseattleschool.edu, and we’ll put them in touch with the right person for next steps.

Early bird discounts are available during the first two weeks of registration.

Becoming a member costs offers 10% on all classes and events for a full year. Often, just one class is enough to make the membership cost worth it.

If you pastor with a denomination, you may have resources for professional development. Check with your regional supervisor for more information on funds available.

Do you offer payment plans?

At this time, we are unfortunately not able to offer payment plans.

How is class price determined?

Most classes are offered at general and member rates based on the number of instruction hours in the offering. Members receive a 10% discount and early bird discounts are available the first two weeks of registration.

How can I request a refund?

Refunds are available according to the following schedule:

• 60+ days before the program start date: 75% refund
• 30–59 days before the program start date: 50% refund
• Less than 30 days before the program start date: no refund

If you need to cancel your registration, please email transforming@theseattleschool.edu and include your name and the course title.

If the Center cancels a program, all participants will receive a full refund of registration fees. If a program is rescheduled, participants may choose to transfer their registration to the new date or receive a full refund.

Why am I being charged Sales Tax?

Starting October 1, 2025, a new Washington State law (ESSB 5814) goes into effect that changes how sales tax is applied to cultural and live presentations across the state. Under this law, classes, seminars and workshops are considered live presentations subject to sales tax, whether they take place in person or online.

What should I bring to class?

Your instructor will email you ahead of time if they’d like you to bring in anything. Generally, we recommend you arrive with a pen and notebook (onsite) or another means of taking notes (online).

Are classes recorded?

In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a participant has specific access needs.

We encourage participants to only sign up for classes that fully fit with their schedule.

What are the Center’s community guidelines?

Please see the full community guidelines on this page. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and cannot be resolved within the class, participants may let us know by emailing us transforming@theseattleschool.edu and we will direct you to The Seattle School’s incident report form.

What happens if my class is canceled?

If the Center cancels an offering for any reason, all participants will receive a full refund of registration fees.

If a program is rescheduled, participants may choose to transfer their registration to the new date or receive a full refund.

This class is more work / different than I expected! Can I get adjustments to the requirements?

For any concerns with class content, please contact your instructor directly.

For onsite offerings: What is the location? How do I get there? Is there parking? Is it accessible?

For onsite offerings, the instructor is responsible for securing their own location. Often, staff of the Center have never been to the location, and do not have access to information about it. Please reach out directly to the instructor with these questions. You should have received their contact information in the confirmation email.

For Online Offerings: When will I get the zoom information?

You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, in the confirmation email and again three days before the first day of class.

If you register for a class within this three-day window and do not receive this information, please contact us at transforming@theseattleschool.edu

Technical Support

Technology should not be the hardest part of your learning experience. If you encounter errors in the catalog, problems with payment, or difficulty accessing course materials, please let us know. You can find the technical support form here. We try to respond within 48 hours (business days only).