Participant Policies & Guidelines

By enrolling in any offering of the Center for Transforming Engagement, you agree to abide by the following policies and guidelines. Participation in our programs signifies your understanding and acceptance of these terms. Please review this page and contact the team at transforming@theseattleschool.edu if you have any questions. Thank you.

Community Guidelines

Creating a respectful classroom for everyone.

The Center for Transforming Engagement is a place to learn how to lead and develop our organizations and ministries in service to our wider communities. If you have signed up for a class, workshop, or conference with us, you will be engaging with other leaders seeking to improve in those same areas. Those leaders will come from a variety of cultural, theological, and demographic backgrounds — and all are welcome.

Our only barrier to participation: If you are not able to be welcoming and respectful to others, you will not be able to participate.

We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. Our intention is to create a space in which every participant feels safe. Please alert staff if you experience or witness any harassment or discrimination.

The following guidelines are intended to help you and your fellow learners to approach the class experience with compassion, curiosity, and consideration. Most of us care deeply about our ministries, and leadership development is inherently emotional work. Sharing our growth areas in these types of work can be scary — and is the best tool we have to grow and to cultivate empathy for diverse perspectives.

Community Agreement

The Center for Transforming Engagement values diverse perspectives; no one person or tradition has it all figured out perfectly. To that end, we value a classroom environment where all participants are respectful.

In accordance with this, we are committed to welcoming people from across backgrounds and social positions. That includes denominationally affiliated and Christian unaffiliated individuals; progressives and conservatives; people who pray to God, to Spirit, to Jesus;

While we encourage curiosity and good faith efforts to deepen understanding, kindness is the top priority. Those who are unable to refrain from statements that are exclusionary or incendiary — including racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic, sectarian, faith-ist, creed-ist, or any other prejudiced words or behaviors — are discouraged from participating.

Should such statements be made, the Center expects that Instructors intervene. When necessary, resources for reporting discrimination are available through The Seattle School.

In working on issues of diversity and developing relationships with people different from ourselves, people will inevitably make errors. We are committed to doing our best, in good faith, to listen, to learn, and to treat others with respect and dignity.

Workshops & Courses

All participants share a common impulse to lead well and serve their communities, though you all come from different worlds and bring different experiences and values to the table. Course discussions can be a highly charged emotional space. Workshops and courses are an opportunity to be generous, vulnerable, and empathetic in ways that still question and push each other’s work to be the best version possible. Respectful disagreements can be pivotal in making each participant’s work better.

Participant email addresses provided at registration may be used within the class to distribute assignments, share resources, and circulate work outside of class. These email addresses will also be used by the Center to distribute important scheduling information and updates about any classes in which the participant is registered. If a participant would like to use a different email for these purposes, please contact us prior to the class, or the instructor at the start of class.

Cultural Norms & Guidelines

“No fixing, no saving, no advising, no setting each other straight.” – Parker Palmer

• Commit to the expectations outlined by your instructor. Please arrive fully prepared to engage in the process.
• Maintain confidentiality. Keep private information about other participants and their congregations or workplaces. You may share about your own experiences and to “share the lesson, not the story.” No public dissemination of any other participants’ ideas, materials, or submissions is permitted without the express permission of that participant — no, not even in a sermon.
• You are invited to be a whole person. Thoughts and feelings are both valid sources of information.
• Remain respectful of all participants (and their work) in the classroom.
• Agree to disagree. Often, at the messy forefront of adaptation and learning, there are no right answers.
• Critique is often a part of the classroom experience. Be ready to speak about problems in your own work and the work of others in a constructive manner. Critique the work, not the worker.
• Be aware that your fellow participants have an equal right to the class space and time. As a general rule: Everyone should speak once before anyone speaks twice. Keep discussion on topic toward the course content.
• If you come into the classroom with a background of privilege (education level, income, language proficiency, etc), be aware of that position and the ways in which it can potentially affect other participants.
• Put aside personal technology or applications not being used for the purpose of the class.
• Online offerings: Video on and eliminate distractions; treat the experience as though you are in person.

Norms for Instructors

While every instructor has their own style and personality, the below are the values and ideals of the Center for Transforming Engagement. We aim to further these values through our administration and instruction, and invite our partner-instructors to join us.

• Participants are adult learners and, most often, presently working in the ministry field. Respect that they are coming to the classroom with substantial and varied experiences, and be prepared for questions that are more about applying learnings to specific situations.
• Participants don’t receive grades or diplomas for their learning. They come because they’re looking for helpful, practical, applicable learnings to inform their work — aim to bring big ideas down to the ground, and to use assignments in ways that advance their actual work. While you can’t effectively demand assignments or attendance, you can make the course and its work valuable enough for them to engage.
• Listen deeply and engage responsively. Our participants come from urban, suburban, and rural contexts; from mainline congregations to innovative “don’t call it church” communities; from the US and Canada. Be flexible and adaptable, and listen for real needs and contextual differences so you can translate across context (and perhaps grow your frame in the process!).
• Be teachable teachers. Trust that your participants might have something to teach you — whether a modification of your ideas or how your ideas apply to a new context. Know the limitations of your knowledge and expertise and know that “I don’t know” and “I’m not sure” are entirely acceptable responses to give.
• We aim to further a culture of 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.
• We are rooted in the Christian tradition while innovating for the present and into the future. Old ways of doing ministry — even just a few years ago — may need a refresh or reboot. Be aware and adaptive to changing circumstances; sometimes the context may even change mid-course. Participants may even be conversation partners in facing those changes.
• Be comfortable with discomfort of diverse perspectives and opinions. Your approach to differences should be a model of engaging difference as a learning opportunity.

The Space (for onsite offerings)

Along with respecting the community, please respect the physical space. Our spaces are often donated by partner churches, denominations, or organizations, and we want to leave the space as clean and beautiful as when we entered. There are areas that are not open to us; please respect the limitations of our space use and stay in well-lit and signed spaces.

Guideline Violations

If you would like to report a violation of participant guidelines, please email us at transforming@theseattleschool.edu and we will respond to you as soon as possible. Our administrative staff are part-time Monday through Thursday.

Payment & Refund Policy

Enrollment in a program is a financial commitment. As adult learners, we trust that you have carefully considered the financial, time, and emotional investments involved before registering. Because most offerings have limited seats, we take seriously our responsibility to honor the time of instructors and the emotional investment of all participants.

Payment in full is required at the time of registration to secure your seat. Payments are non-transferable. 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.

Attendance & Participation Policy

Please review your personal schedule carefully before enrolling, and reserve all meeting times on your calendar.

For most offerings, attendance is self-directed: you are encouraged to attend all sessions and fully participate to gain the intended learning outcomes. Missed sessions or incomplete work will limit your learning experience. No refunds are provided for missed classes or partial attendance.

If you are purchasing Continuing Education Units (CEUs), attendance is mandatory. Full or partial absence will result in forfeiture of CEUs. No refunds will be provided.

For programs that apply toward a certificate, instructors will record attendance and completion of coursework. To receive a certificate, participants must:

• Arrive prepared, with assignments completed and ready to engage.
• Participate actively in class discussions and activities.
• Attend at least 80% of scheduled meeting times.

Fair Use Policy

All program materials—including recordings, presentations, and written content—are the intellectual property of the instructor and/or the Center. These materials may not be copied, distributed, or used outside the program without prior written permission. The Center retains all copyrights for recorded and distributed content.

Participants may download or reference program materials for personal learning use only. Sharing materials publicly or using them for teaching, preaching, public speaking, publishing, or commercial purposes is not permitted without express written consent.

Release of Claims

Content and Risks

Offerings of the Center for Transforming Engagement may include psycho-educational and reflective components that invite participants to explore their life stories, work, and callings from psychological, spiritual, and social perspectives. These experiences may evoke strong emotions or surface difficult memories.

Participation in our programs is not therapy and does not replace professional counseling. By enrolling, you affirm that you are emotionally and psychologically able to engage this work responsibly. If at any time you find participation distressing or beyond your capacity, we encourage you to care for your well-being and step back as needed. The Center and instructors are not responsible for personal costs related to such care. 

In the event of a medical or mental health emergency, the Center for Transforming Engagement and its instructors or representatives are authorized to call 911 or arrange emergency medical care if they believe it is necessary for your safety or the safety of others. You are responsible for any medical, rescue, transportation, or related costs incurred. This permission does not require staff or facilitators to take any specific action in an emergency situation.

Feedback & Media Policy

The Center collects survey feedback to evaluate program effectiveness and to support research that advances understanding of leadership and congregational development. By participating, you consent to your survey responses being used in aggregate for these purposes. All data are handled confidentially and stored securely, and individual responses will not be shared in a way that identifies participants without consent.

Quotes or comments shared through surveys, interviews, or group discussions become the property of The Seattle School. In keeping with our commitment to confidentiality, no quotes will be attributed to you without your explicit permission through a separate Quotation Release Form.

During onsite programs and events, the Center may capture photos and videos for educational, promotional, or archival purposes. These images or recordings may appear in publications, websites, or social media managed by The Seattle School or the Center for Transforming Engagement. Participation in our programs implies consent to this use.

Course or workshop sessions may be recorded and shared privately with enrolled participants for learning purposes in the case of absences or learning accommodations.

If you prefer not to be photographed or included in recordings, please notify us at transforming@theseattleschool.edu before the start of your program.

Waiver and Release of Claims

By participating in programs offered by the Center for Transforming Engagement (“the Center”), you agree to release The Seattle School, the Center, and their staff, contractors, instructors, and affiliates from any claims or liabilities that may arise from your participation, including withdrawal or removal from a program.

This release does not cover claims resulting from gross negligence or intentional misconduct by the Center or its representatives. By enrolling, you acknowledge that you’re waiving any potential claims related to your participation, even those not currently known or anticipated.

These policies are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and any disputes will be handled in the courts of King County, Washington.

Instructors or facilitators who host on-site or in-person program events are required to carry their own liability insurance, as the Center’s insurance coverage does not extend to independently hosted gatherings.