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2024-25 Academic Catalog

Certificate in Christian Ministries

Overview

The Certificate in Christian Ministries offers students an opportunity to explore concepts of mission, calling, spiritual formation, discipleship, and leadership alongside a study of both Old Testament and New Testament narratives. Christian Ministries Certificate students will emerge with an excellent foundation for continued personal study, volunteer ministry work, discipleship at home and in the community, and continued studies at the graduate level.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate, students will be equipped to:

  1. Explain the importance of mission, both personal and corporate, as well as the danger of mission drift.
  2. Articulate what it means to pursue a deepening relationship with God and a transformational spiritual walk.
  3. Discuss C. S. Lewis’ impact on today’s Protestant church.
  4. Explain the historical, religious, cultural, and social elements that form the context of the stories and how a unique relationship of the Hebrew people with Yahweh developed.
  5. Examine the teachings of Christ in a manner that engages the heart and the mind to promote spiritual growth.
  6. Explain the leadership example Jesus Christ provided in his years of ministry as described in the New Testament.

Admission Requirements

An online application must be submitted and accepted before a student begins his or her first course. All courses in the Christian Ministries Certificate must be completed or approved through the Accelerated Online Degree Program.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit may be considered on a case-by-case basis after an application has been submitted.

Certificate Requirements

Certificate in Christian Ministries (18 credit hours)

Complete the following:

Not all courses are offered every year. The certificate is successfully finished when all certificate courses are completed with grades of C- or better and a certificate GPA of 2.0 or above.

 

Students must choose LACC 285: Portraits of Jesus of Nazareth

Once a self-described atheist scholar, C. S. Lewis has become one of the most widely read Christian apologists of all time. Best known for The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, Lewis wrote more than 70 books in the mid-20th century. In this course, students will read a sampling of his nonfiction and his fiction as they explore the broader societal contexts and implications for Lewis' life and far-reaching influence.
This course examines how the identity of Israel was shaped by particular narratives in the Old Testament. Students will discover the influence of the social, cultural, historical, and religious context on the narratives. Students will learn how the narratives convey theological concepts and explore personal application of those concepts.
This course will consider leadership through a New Testament lens, exploring the example Jesus provided in his years of ministry as presented in the Gospels. Students will examine Jesus' unwavering IQ (intelligence quotient), EQ (emotional quotient), and AQ (audience quotient), drawing connections between Jesus' example found in the Gospels and current popular theories of effective business leadership.
In this course, students will discuss personal mission, individual calling, and the danger of mission drift at both a personal and corporate level. In considering the groundwork that undergirds a clear sense of mission, students will explore what it means to live lives that are self-aware and intentional, identifying the impact of moral systems, ethical codes, values, beliefs, and biases on both individual decision-making and cultural assumptions.
In this course, students will explore the orthodoxy (right thinking), orthopraxy (right behaviors), and orthopathy (right feelings) of spiritual formation, asking such essential questions as, “Who am I?”, “How do I view God?”, and “How does my faith impact how I engage with those around me?” As students consider effective ways to articulate and communicate a deepening relationship with God, they will also explore specific spiritual practices and the art of discipling others within a faith community.
A scheduled class with topics chosen to meet the special needs and interests of students, faculty, or visiting professors.