Welcome!
Our mission at the Thrive Center for Human Development is to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others. We conduct research and develop resources at the nexus of spirituality and human thriving in order to promote whole individuals and societies.
Our Thrive Model
To thrive is to grow in authenticity with and for others and for a greater purpose. Our research at the Thrive Center has led us to understand thriving from both a spiritual and psychological perspective. Our goal is to provide a rigorous and substantive view of thriving that challenges popular notions of the word.
Latest Posts
Take a Breath: How Breath Work Provides a Portal to Our Spiritual Lives
“…then the Lord God formed the human from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ and the human became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 The gospels don’t describe Jesus’ first breath. What they do tell us is that he was born, and that he lived among us. God…
+ Read More
Want more Love and Goodness? Savor Gratitude
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson One way to understand spiritual health is a journey of becoming whole – of becoming wholly…
+ Read More
Life off Autopilot: The Complexities of Activating into Purpose
This is Part 2 of a 2-part series “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin What’s keeping you from finding your purpose? In Part 1 of this 2-Part series, I discuss how discovering your purpose is a vital part of spiritual health and…
+ Read More
Thrive Book List – Fall 2023
PURPOSE EDITION The Thrive list for Fall of 2023 focuses on books about purpose – a sense of which evolves over our lifetimes and is at times illusive. We’ve briefly described the books and added questions for reflection. You can click through to purchase the books, but you might want to consider going to your…
+ Read More
Observing the Body for Understanding
A Practice for Spiritual Health A daily practice of tuning into our bodies can help us discern meaning. We often think of spiritual practices as being “out of body” experiences, but research shows that sitting quietly and observing our breath, bodily sensations, feelings, and our thoughts – is a very useful spiritual practice. Psychologists remind us that…
+ Read More
Questions to Promote Love and Meaning
Thinking through paths out of anxiety and fear If it rings true for you that you need to train your brain to tone down anxiety and/or discover more about yourself – your sources of love and mattering, and your purposes – find a trusted friend or loved one or a small group and work through…
+ Read More
Life Off Autopilot: The Power of Purpose
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. “The meaning of life is discovering our gift, the purpose of life is giving it away.” Pablo Picasso Purpose is a core facet of spiritual health. Healthy spirituality provides more than a sense of connection, feelings of awe, or even an understanding of what is meaningful; spiritual…
+ Read MoreGetting Started
Online Course
Learn how to apply our Thrive Model to your own life and leadership through our new course on FULLER Equip!
Resource Hub
We offer psychologically-informed practices to help guide you and your community.
Spirituality
Research has long affirmed that spirituality can help our identity, sense of meaning, and purpose.
Shop
Explore books and chapters written by our faculty on topics related to thriving.
News and Events
Support Our Mission
The Thrive Center is on a mission to inform, inspire, and inform leaders and their communities to thrive and live lives that matter. Learn how you can support our mission and make a difference by putting research findings into practice!
Journey With Us!
Join our newsletter and receive our December Thrive Calendar - Daily guide to finding serenity amidst the holiday hustle. Each week is dedicated to a powerful theme of Advent - Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love !