Accomplishments Name three things you hope to
accomplish in your lifetime
About the Center for Faith and Service
Based out of McCormick Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, the Center for Faith and Service works to help young people connect their passion for ser-vice, justice, and social change with their faith and
faith traditions.
For more information about the center, visit
www.faith3.org
How to Use the Discernment Deck
The Discernment Deck is intended to help wander-ers, seekwander-ers, and doers figure out (or “discern”)
what it is they’re called to do. The questions are divided into four areas: Self, Relationships, Choices, and Vocation.
Read them to yourself and then reflect on them either alone or with a group.
Seminaries that Change the World Each year, the Center for Faith and Service identifies Divinity Schools and Seminaries that engage students
and build leaders who are equipped to be effective agents of change for their communities and world. Andover Newton Theological Seminary | Austin Presbyterian
Theological Seminary| Bethany Theological Seminary | Brite Divinity School | Calvin Theological Seminary | Emory Candler
School of Theology | Christian Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary | Earlham School of Religion Fuller Theological Seminary | Garrett-Evangelical Theological
Seminary | Hartford Seminary | Iliff School of Theology Luther Seminary | Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago McAfee School of Theology | McCormick Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary |Sewanee School of Theology Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry Union Presbyterian Seminary | Union Theological Seminary
in the City of New York | The University of Chicago Divinity School | Virginia Theological Seminary | Wake Forest School of
Divinity | Wesley Theological Seminary | Yale Divinity School
Service Programs that Change the World
The Center’s Service Programs that Change the World identifies and celebrates groups that recruit,
hire, and train individuals who want to make a difference in the world, including their own. Most of these service placements last a year, some long-er. These programs all share in common a commit-ment to community living, simplicity and
sustaina-bility, social justice, and spiritual exploration. For a complete list of Service Programs that Change the World
visit www.faith3.org
Center for Faith and Service McCormick Theological Seminary
5460 S University Ave Chicago, IL 60615
www.faith3.org
773.947.6300 ex. 6316 faithandservice@mccormick.edu
Fulfillment
Where do you find fulfillment? How important is that to your work life? How important is this (experience?)
to your work life?
Financial
How do your financial obligations determine what options you can pursue? If so, what are you doing
about that?
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and
go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have
come alive." — Howard Thurman What makes you come alive? If you
aren’t already doing it, why not? What do you need in order to
“do it”?
Faith
How do you feel the decisions you’re making line up with your values and
your relationship with God?
Causes
Is there an issue or a cause that is important to you that you want to engage in? How will you engage in it that cause tomorrow, next year, and
throughout your life?
Disappointments How do you handle disappoint-ments? How do you grow from them? Identify a disappointmentand
how it affected you both in the short and long term.
Values
Identify three values that are important to you as you think about your life work. Where did they come
from?
Home
Where do you call home? Do you see that changing over time?
Family
Is family life (parents, siblings, friends) a major factor in your
decision-making? How so?
Significant Other
Do you have or do you hope to have a significant other in your life? How does (or how will) this person impact
your career choices? Could you ever see yourself leaving a job you or
moving from a place you like to advance his/her career?
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't
settle” -Steve Jobs
What have you done that you loved? What have you done that you didn’t love? How are these experiences
helping to inform what you’re doing now?
Children
Are children (your own or significant ones like nieces orgod-children) part
of your plan? How do you see children impacting your life choices,
especially when it comes to your career?
Colleagues
Are there people out there that you know you want to work with? Who are they and how do you see
your-selves collaborating? How do you begin to connect with them?
Advisors/Mentors
Identify three people that you know or that you want to know (dream big!) and reach out to them for a conversation (even just by email).
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
-- Albert Einstein
When was the last time you tried something new? How did it go? When was the last time you “made a
mistake?” What did you learn from the experience?
“If you’re brave enough to say good-bye, life will reward you with a new
hello.” --Paulo Coehlo What in your life do you need to say
goodbye to?
Geography
Is place important? Is where you live as or more important than what
you do?
Fun
Are your interests and hobbies (biking, surfing, hiking) a determining factor in terms of where you want to
“Do one thing everyday that scares you.” -Eleanor Roosevelt When was the last time you did something that scared you? What did you do? What could you do
to-morrow that scares you?
Simple Living
What is your strategy for developing and maintaining a simple lifestyle? Name simple living practices that you
want to develop.
Mission Statement
Write a six word missing statement about who you want to become.
Education
What academic programs that you are interested in pursuing? What steps are you take to create that
op-portunity?
Skills
What skills are you hoping to devel-op and what are some places (whether as a job or volunteering)
where you can learn those skills?
“I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a
life'.” ― Maya Angelou How do you see the relationship be-tween making a living and making a life? Are these the same to you, or are they separate? Are your
require-ments for making a living keeping you from making a life (or vice
Haiku
Write a haiku about what you want to do with your life
Credentials
Does what you want to do in the world require credentials (a degree,
certain training or experiences)? If so, what are they and what are you
doing to get them?
Childhood Dreams
What did you want to be when you grew up? How does that dream re-flect who you want to be now? Does
it have anything do with what you want to do now?
Next Steps
Describe three “next steps” you plan to make in the next month to move
your discernment along.
Recognition
How important is recognition? How do you seek it in formal and informal
ways?
Inspiration
