About the Course


Back in the fourth century, St. Augustine of Hippo spoke of the human spirit as a “scattered self”—in other words, we are a riddle even to ourselves; our attention and our affections are divided and chaotic; and our hearts are out of joint, never wholly devoted to “the one thing that is needful” (Luke 10:42 KJV). Unfortunately, this state of fragmentation is the default setting for many pastors, who, under the pressures of their ministries, family demands, and calling, are succumbing to overwork, addiction, and psychopathologies at an alarming rate. Behind all of these symptoms is the root of the disease: shame.

How can the Gospel—the scandalous good news that we are accepted as God’s beloved on account of the work of Jesus Christ—deliver us from this cycle of shame, guilt, and exhaustion? Join Dr. Chuck DeGroat, Professor of Pastoral Care and Christian Spirituality at Western Seminary and author of Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion, and Healing the Divided Self, as he shows us that the antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest, but wholeheartedness.

What You'll Learn

  • What is the antidote to exhaustion—in our ministries, our work, and our family life? 
  • What is the root cause of our culture’s pervasive sense of anxiety and guilt?

  • What are the unique pressures pastors face in their ministries?

  • How does the way of Jesus offer relief from the cycle of shame and overwork?

  • Where can we find the kind of wholeness and rest that can overcome our fragmented, scattered minds and hearts?

  • What is “wholeheartedness”?

  • What are some practices to cultivate wholeheartedness?

Course curriculum

  • 1

    The Scattered Self

    • Introduction

    • Stressed About Rest

    • The Antidote to Exhaustion
  • 2

    Fueled by Shame

    • Tired, Guilty, and Ashamed

    • Blessed are the Busy?

    • On the Brink of Breakdown

    • No Quick Fix
  • 3

    Blessed are the Wholehearted

    • The Way of Jesus

    • Begin at the End of Yourself

    • It's All Already Yours

    • The Gathered Self

    • The Practice of Wholeheartedness

About the Instructor

Professor of Counseling at Western Theological Seminary

Chuck DeGroat

Chuck is Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality at Western Theological Seminary (Holland, MI) and Co-Founder and Senior Fellow at Newbigin House of Studies, San Francisco. He is passionate about spiritual formation for mission. He’s spent 20+ years in a fluid combination of pastoral ministry, seminary teaching, and clinical counseling. He writes about the intersections of psychology, theology, and Christian spirituality…with a focus on our lived experience of oneness and worthiness in Jesus. Chuck was also a teaching pastor at City Church San Francisco, where he co-founded Newbigin House of Studies, an urban and missional training center with M.Div. and M.A. offerings. He started two church counseling centers, a Lay Counseling Program, and a Fellows program. He is the author of Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion, and Healing the Divided Self, Toughest People to Love: How to Understand, Lead, and Love the Difficult People in Your Life—Even Yourself, and Leaving Egypt: Finding God in Wilderness Places. He is currently writing a book about narcissism’s effect on the local church.