Christian Ministries Department

Faculty

Undergraduate Department Chair: Kimberly Budd

Graduate Program Director: David Sanders

Bret Koontz, Keith Krispin, Magdalene Larson, Sharon Rogers

Mission

The Department of Christian Ministries exists to:

• To educate, equip, and empower life-long spiritual leaders for ministry among people worldwide,
• Strengthening the body of Christ for all generations.

Vision

Department majors are built on the premise that effective ministry requires the ministry leader to become an ongoing student of God's Word, culture, people, and ministry, as well as skilled in leadership, administration, teaching and speaking, and mentoring and discipleship.

These programs, built around a common set of core courses, are designed to provide students with the character development, spiritual growth, biblical and theological grounding, and skills needed for effective service in churches, youth ministries, mission agencies, social service centers, and other Christian non-profit organizations. Students are taught timeless foundational ministry principles and practical application tools necessary for effective ministry leadership in ever-changing and diverse cultures, whether in one's hometown or overseas.

Students in the department are taught through a combination of practice and theory, allowing them to construct and develop their own models of ministry, grounded in a biblical theology of ministry. Each program involves coursework in biblical and theological studies, social sciences, as well as in ministry specific areas. All students gain extensive experience through 2.5 years of practicums and internships.

Programs

The Department of Christian Ministries is home to three undergraduate ministry degrees, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Ministry and Leadership, designed to prepare students to develop and lead biblically grounded, strategic, effective ministries in church, parachurch and not-for-profit settings.

Thrive Program

Thrive is an innovative program that provides a select group of ministry students with the enhanced support and development opportunities needed to pursue an accelerated educational track, completing both a ministry undergraduate degree and the Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership in 5 years.