Ministry (MIN)

This course is designed as an exploration into different types of ministry and the underlying precepts that guide the practice of Christian Ministry. The course will introduce the purpose, challenge and scope of ministry in general and will involve the learner in beginning to understand his/her call to ministry. Emphasis will be given to holistic development and the importance of a missional/community-based approach to ministry.

This course focuses on the personal spiritual growth and health of the ministry leader as it pertains to one s engagement in practices of Christian formation. The course culminates in the creation of an individualized development plan where students set individual goals of personal discipleship.

Focuses on the spiritual, psychological and social problems confronting adolescents, and on learning to adapt old paradigms in order to reach individuals and groups both outside and within a Christian environment.

This course will explore various approaches to ministry among children with emphasis on the integration of biblical and theoretical foundations, including child development, learning theory, nature and formation of children, and discipleship and education of children.

This course is designed to give the student a basic, overall understanding of youth ministry. The course will pose two questions: Who are adolescents and how does one effectively minister to them? Special emphasis will be given to the holistic development of adolescents, the exploration of contemporary adolescent issues, and the importance of a missional/community-based approach to youth ministry.

This course will explore various approaches to ministry among families with emphasis on the integration of biblical and theoretical foundations, including learning theory, processes of family life, including stages and phases, process of family development, and the history of family in the church.

This course will explore various approaches to ministry among adults with emphasis on teh integration of biblical and theoretical foundations, including adult development, adult learning theory, generational theory, and principles of spiritual formation.

This course will emphasize a biblical theology of mission including movements of God as a centrifugal (sending out) being the Old Testament, the New Testament accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the creation and sending of the church into the world, and the spread of faith communities by Paul evidenced in the epistles. Additionally, we will explore integration of these biblical principles through a lens of cultural paradigms found in the practice of global Christian activity (missions) in a variety of real-time settings.

This course will be conducted in the fall semester and will require two to three hours per week of involvement in a local, supervised ministry setting.

This course will be conducted in the spring semester and will require two to three hours per week of involvement in a local, supervised ministry setting.

Reviews the basic principles of leadership in organizations, current motivational theory, and how leaders cope with and create change. Emphasizes the underlying principles of leadership theory and how individuals can train themselves to be effective leaders in various organizations.

Cross-cultural ministry requires the attitude of a learner and an understanding of the history and culture of the people within a community. Through focused readings, interviews with cross-cultural workers, and interaction with members of the community, the student will develop an understanding of the host community in which she/he will be located during an immersive learning experience. This will provide the students with the skills for entering into another community for vocational ministry efforts. This course requires participating in a cross-cultural immersion learning experience for a minimum of 85 consecutive days, where the student will live cross-culturally and participate in an ongoing ministry. This course is offered in an individualized, distance learning format, mentored by a Judson faculty.

This course will explore the role that culture and context plays in the development of ministry practices and programs. Students will examine the nature of culture, theoretical and theological approaches to Christian contextualization, and contemporary ministry models of contextualization. The course will include a cross-cultural study trip where students are immersed in a specific context, interacting with ministry leaders and members of the local community.

This course will be intensive examination of theory and practice of administration and management in youth ministry. The course will cover the areas of self-management, team management and ministry management.

Grounded in an understanding of the incarnation, this course prepares students for living short-term or long-term in a culture significantly different from the student s home culture. The course will address such topics as nature of culture, cultural intelligence, acculturation, travel security and logistics, cross-cultural friendships, culture shock, and basic language learning. This course requires participating in a cross-cultural immersion learning experience for a minimum of 85 consecutive days, where the student will live cross-culturally and participate in an ongoing ministry. This course is offered in an individualized, distance learning format, mentored by a Judson faculty.

Approaches to ministry can vary significantly even within a community. Through immersion in a cross-cultural ministry context, the student will explore the various approaches to ministry in that context identifying goals and strategies for Christian impact. To accomplish this, the student will interact with ministry leaders, ministry participants, and readings appropriate to the ministry site. Foundational to understanding of the models will be an understanding of contextualization and integrated community development from a Christian perspective. This course requires participating in a cross-cultural immersion learning experience for a minimum of 85 consecutive days, where the student will live cross-culturally and participate in an ongoing ministry. This course is offered in an individualized, distance learning format, mentored by a Judson faculty.

This course will enable students to develop the essential skills of speaking and teaching in Christian ministry settings, building on the foundations of homiletics, communication theory, and learning theory.

Because God's heart is for developing relationships and communicating His message with all people whom He created, people in ministry cannot afford the luxury of having a monocultural outlook. This course provides the student with a study of the principles and processes of communicating from one society to another. It focuses particularly on the communication of the Gospel and the relevance of the Incarnation as God's model for intercultural communication. This course will explore questions of culture, globalization and partnership for mission in the 21st Century, allowing students to gain a grasp of basic tools for exegeting a culture and understanding how to become effective partners (servants) in missions. It exposes students to new possibilities for missiological praxis so that they meet the challenge of contextualizing the gospel in an increasingly global community.

Because God's heart is for developing relationships and communicating His message with all people whom He created, people in ministry cannot afford the luxury of having a monocultural outlook. This course provides the student with a study of the principles and processes of communicating from one society to another. It focuses particularly on the communication of the Gospel and the relevance of the Incarnation as God's model for intercultural communication. This course will explore questions of culture, globalization and partnership for mission in the 21st Century, allowing students to gain a grasp of basic tools for exegeting a culture and understanding how to become effective partners (servants) in missions. It exposes students to new possibilities for missiological praxis so that they meet the challenge of contextualizing the gospel in an increasingly global community.

This course focuses on the skills needed for the development of mentoring relationships with adolescents; relationships which seek to foster spiritual and personal growth. It examines the theological and biblical foundations for such relationships. Emphasis will be placed on the development of mentoring skills as well as strategies to mobilize other adults for mentoring ministry.

This course involves a study of the theology, methodologies, strategies, and techniques of evangelism and social action as an integral part of holistic, spiritual formation. Understood as a continuation of evangelism, this course will introduce a biblical philosophy of Christian formation through the practice of personal, corporate, and instructional disciplines.

Guided field experience in ministry leadership requiring four to six hours of involvement along with one weekly class session.

Guided field experience in ministry leadership requiring four to six hours of involvement along with one weekly class session.

Ministry leaders are often faced with challenging issues that may cause division and conflict within a church or ministry organization. Ministry job applicants are often posed questions on divisive issues in the interview process. This course will prepare students for these challenges by facilitating an examination of diverse perspectives on issues facing the contemporary ministry leader and helping them formulate a response based on biblical and theological foundations. Emphasis will also be placed civility in discourse, based on a biblical theology of unity in the church.

This senior seminar course if a capstone experience for students completing their professional preparation for youth ministry and/or adolescent studies. The goal of this course is to synthesize knowledge gained in prior YMAS courses and discuss topics related specifically to the YM/AS field. Seminar students will work toward a deeper understanding of the issues, perspectives, and questions they will face as youth ministers/adolescent educators.

Extensive guided practice in youth ministry or an adolescent-specified field experience. Supervised responsibility for hands-on work totaling 20+ hours/week.