We aim to provide students who are discerning a call to Christian ministry with the theological framework, practical experience, spiritual disciplines and mentoring guidance necessary to embark upon a lifetime of involvement in Christian ministries.

Through coursework, year-long internships and relationships with each other and mentors, students in this program will be prepared for possible future theological education and various non-ordained ministry positions in churches and organizations — locally and worldwide.

• Do you think you might be called to some form of Christian ministry?
• Are you currently involved in ministry opportunities?
• Do you enjoy youth ministry?
• Or helping to lead worship in a local church?
• Are you interested in missions or in local community development?

Then we invite you to consider being a part of the studies in ministry minor. 

Minor Overview

This program will prepare students for such ministries as:

• Youth ministry
• Worship leadership
• Leadership within community development, missions and social agencies
• Lay ministry within the church
• Where appropriate, future seminary training and theological education

The minor has three different tracks:

• Social witness
• Worship leadership (with two sub-tracks: pastoral and musical)
• Youth ministry

The minor is interdisciplinary in nature, meaning that it involves courses from a variety of disciplines, from religion to psychology to communication to newly-created ministry courses. It combines theory with practice, so students are doing an internship at the same time as they are in class together, integrating their practical experience with a theological understanding of Christian ministry and discipleship.

It is concerned with spiritual formation: students meet with mentors, practice spiritual disciplines, and are encouraged to let their theological learning and ministry experiences shape them in significant ways.

Purpose and Goals

The studies in ministry minor is grounded in a belief in the Triune God, and in a belief that we are called to love others as God has loved us. Thus the goals of the minor are to:

• Help students explore Christian ministry as a vocation
• Equip students for Christian ministry by nurturing a community of learners who can love, think, discern, serve and pray together
• Foster development of a theological framework for ministry
• Encourage students to develop spiritual disciplines that will sustain a lifetime of discipleship and service
• Provide all students with the opportunity to begin a lifelong love of theology and commitment to the church
• To serve the church by providing women and men who have been trained to lead and serve in many different aspects of Christian ministry

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Two sessions are held each October for freshmen and sophomores and one session is scheduled in March for freshmen. All sessions are held before academic advising and approximately two weeks before the next semesters' registration.

 

ORIENTATION FOR NEW MINORS

For all minors admitted through the application process.