30 Credits
Ministry leadership is a sacred opportunity to shepherd God’s people toward their purpose, regardless of the organizational platform. From local church to missions to Christian camps and other para-church organizations, this foundational toolbox for leveraging a leadership role for Gospel-driven purpose is essential. The range of courses in this track also stack well into discipline-focused undergraduate degree programs and integrates well with any undergraduate applied internship in a ministry context.
Purpose
The purpose of this certificate program is to build foundational skills for leveraging God’s Word in life and ministry, then add ministry leadership foundations and professional ministry application skills. Students with non-ministry professional backgrounds involved in or transitioning to ministry roles, in particular, can develop biblical discipleship-driven ministry skills in this focused track.
Vision
The vision that drives this program is to strategically develop a strong ministry leadership toolbox that can be applied in any professional ministry context.
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the Certificate in Ministry Leadership, students will engage and leverage foundational Bible study and application skills as demonstrated by the following competencies:
- Apply foundational Bible study skills to the examination of the Word resulting in a clear understanding of what the text says, what it means, and its implications for life.
- Develop a philosophy and strategy of godly living that will guide the student for a lifetime.
- Integrate and apply Bible study skill across the domains of life, personal ministry, and work.
- Develop personal disciplines and rhythms for thriving and holistic spiritual formation and effective family leadership.
- Teach the Word of God to others with confidence, creativity, and impact.
- Actively shepherd individuals toward God and mobilize them on mission.
- Leverage active ministry environments for Kingdom purposes.
- Develop ministry programming that delivers on an organization’s Gospel-driven mission.
- Nurture a thriving ministry team environment, as a teammate and as a leader.
- Broaden one’s leadership skillset with hard skills and/or people skills that add dynamic impact on mission.
Certificate Courses (30 credits)
The Certificate in Ministry Leadership program is built with a logical sequence of skill development designed to lay essential foundations for any faith-driven discipline.
Bible & Theology (6 credits)
- BIB100 Principles of Bible Study. An introduction to methods and tools for inductive study of biblical texts, through observation, interpretation, application, and implementation.
- THE120 Foundations for Christian Living. Develop a philosophy and strategy of godly living as a guide for a lifetime, including a Biblical worldview, ethics and patterns of behavior, Bible study, prayer, and making Biblically-informed choices.
Ministry Leadership Foundations (9 credits)
- MIN311 Personal Life of the Ministry Leader. Explore the core values that drive the healthy personal life that is foundational for effective ministry leadership.
- MIN312 Family Life of the Ministry Leader. Consider biblical principles concerning the family, especially those regarding God’s expectations for the ministry leader at home and in helping others lead their homes.
- MIN320 Effective Bible Teaching. Study the methods and skills of teaching and learning as applied to Bible teaching.
Professional Ministry Core (15 credits)
- MIN401 Dynamics of Discipleship. The core of ministry leadership is shepherding individuals toward God, helping them grow in their faith, and mobilizing them as productive parts of the body of Christ.
- MIN402 Introduction to Impact Ministry Leadership. Train in the effective use of impact ministry environments and dynamics, as tools for introducing others to a growing, intimate relationship with God.
- MIN403 Principles of Ministry Strategy. An in to practical competencies and skills for the effective development and use of a wide range of programming as tools for accomplishing biblical ministry objectives.
- MIN404 Developing Dynamic Teams. Apply group and team theory for recruiting, developing, mobilizing, and mending teams of employees and volunteers for maximum effectiveness.
- Ministry Leadership Elective. Select one more applied ministry course from the catalog.