What this is
The most rigorous offering in the Wilderness Formation catalog.
Ancient Paths Certification Week is a five-day, four-night immersion in the Ancient Paths curriculum. Richard Dahlstrom developed the curriculum over decades of guiding leaders, congregations, and seekers into the mountains. John Wayne Seitzler helped build it into the program it is today. It's the curriculum our entire methodology grew out of.
Unlike our church-equipping work, AP Cert Week isn't built for one congregation. It gathers people from across the country and beyond. Our first cert week included a team from the Netherlands. Pastors, elders, lay leaders, ministry staff, recovery program leaders, and people God has formed in the wilderness, all in one cohort at Snoqualmie Pass. You come, you live in it, you learn it, you leave equipped to teach and lead it in your own context.
Who it's for
Individuals and small teams ready for depth.
AP Cert Week is the right starting point if:
- You're a pastor, elder, or lay leader who wants to learn the methodology directly, in cohort with others doing the same work
- You're a small team (2 to 4 people) from a church or other ministry wanting the deepest possible foundation before launching at home
- You're someone who has experienced God forming you in the wilderness and you want to lead others in similar ways
- You're a ministry leader outside the local church (recovery, parachurch, missions) bringing wilderness into the work you already do
- You want immersion and a body of practice, not just exposure
If you're a church or other ministry wanting on-site training for a larger team, our Wilderness Ministry Training is the better starting point.
