Studies in Ministry Minor

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 new Studies in Ministry minor. This minor will begin in Fall 2007.

The Studies in Ministry minor is dedicated to preparing students, theologically and practically, for entry-level ministry positions in churches and Christian organizations. It aims 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 minor will be prepared for possible future theological education and various non-ordained ministry positions in churches and organizations – locally and worldwide.

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:

• Youth Ministry
• Worship Leadership (with two sub-tracks: Pastoral and Musical)
• Social Witness

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 that 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, meaning that students are given mentors and meet in peer groups to encourage the practice of spiritual disciplines.

We hope that you will consider being a part of this new minor.

The Studies in Ministry minor is administered by the CrossRoads Project under the academic supervision of Interdisciplinary Studies.  Please contact the director of the minor, Kristen Johnson, if you have any questions.