Discerning God's Will: Listening to the Lord in Decision Making

About this event

Join the Center for Christian Studies for the seminar, "Discerning God's Will: Listening to the Lord in Decision Making," on November 9, 2026, 7 PM-8:30 PM, hosted by the Prestoncrest Church of Christ. Leading the seminar will be Steve Cloer, Associate Professor of Ministry at Harding School of Theology and Director of the Center for Church and City Engagement, and Mark Powell, Lead Minister at the Donelson Church of Christ and former Dean of Harding School of Theology.

The lecture will be held at Preston Place # 135, across the street from the Prestoncrest Church of Christ Church Building.

A seminar offered as part of the Center for Christian Studies' fifth anniversary lecture series .

Discerning God’s Will

How does one move from simply making decisions to discerning God's will? What does this look like in everyday life—in the home, at work, or at school? And in churches, how do leaders go from focusing on efficiency and order to becoming a community of spiritual leaders? If Christians believe that God is active in the world and in our lives, then significant effort should be taken to cultivate a heart of discernment that is intentional about noticing God’s direction and guidance through His Spirit. In this discussion, we will look at key spiritual practices and principles for actively seeking God's will together.

Presenters:

Steve Cloer is an Associate Professor of Ministry at Harding School of Theology, where he directs the Doctor of Ministry program and teaches courses in congregational ministry, mission, and leadership. He also directs the Center for Church and City Engagement based at the Holmes Road Church of Christ in Memphis, TN that helps churches engage the city for the mission of God. His research and writing interests include missional theology, church leadership, ministry in urban contexts, and racial reconciliation.

Steve has served in youth ministry, campus ministry, and preaching ministry. Most recently, Steve was the preacher for Southside Church of Christ in Fort Worth, TX for 15 years. This historic congregation was located two miles south of downtown. For most of his time there, Steve and his family lived in an urban neighborhood near the Southside church building

Steve and his wife, Lindsay, have three children, Joshua, Bethany, and Lydia and they live in Memphis, TN.

Mark Powell is Lead Minister of the Donelson Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee. Before coming to Donelson, he was dean and professor of theology at Harding School of Theology in Memphis, where he taught for 22 years. He is the author of Centered in God: The Trinity and Christian Spirituality, Discipleship in Community: A Theological Vision of the Future (with John Mark Hicks and Greg McKinzie), and a forthcoming book on the Holy Spirit. Mark is originally from Conyers, Georgia, just east of Atlanta. He and his wife Debbie have been married for 30 years and have three adult children.