Christian Ministries Program

The Christian Ministries faculty understands that many students want to make a difference in their world through various forms of ministry. Such individuals may have felt a "calling" into full-time Christian service. Designed to help students apply their learning to a ministry setting, the Christian Ministries major prepares students to understand the foundational principles that develop the Christian mind and lifestyle, and prepare them for service.

Grad school is fairly common for Christian ministries majors; in our last survey of graduates, exactly half had taken graduate work (seminary programs are most common). Graduates often wait until they have gained experience in ministry before seeking further formal education.

Graduate school, including seminary, provides opportunity for advanced study in one's chosen field. Students going into ministry who took an undergraduate major in a different field will find themselves at a disadvantage in seminary. On the other hand, students who majored in a ministry field as an undergraduate will be able to do more advanced study at seminary and are likely to have greater success than if they had not studied ministry as an undergraduate.

Given the critical and complex demands of cross-cultural ministry, every missionary team/organization must have those whose profession is cross-cultural ministry. These are the people who are trained to discern the theological and ministry issues that exist on the field, to identify the principles and practices needed for effective evangelism and discipleship, and to "chart the course" for the ministry to follow.

All ministry programs in the department will help you understand basic principles of ministry and the mission and work of the Church. You'll study the dynamics of spiritual growth, develop views for becoming a global/world Christian and learn how to study the Bible and lead Bible study groups.

The Christian Ministries major will prepare you to understand processes of ministry with people of all ages. You'll learn a variety of ways to approach discipleship/educational ministry. You'll learn leadership principles and what organizational structures prove most effective. You'll discover principles for developing and evaluating curriculum and resources that serve as tools for reaching people of all ages for Christ.

If, however, domestic or overseas mission work is your desired goal, the Intercultural Studies major will help you learn how to communicate the Gospel with people in cultures other than your own. Students in this field study world religions, the uniqueness of the Christian message, trends in mission activity, and principles and strategies of cross-cultural communication.

The Worship Arts major will prepare you for leading in the worship arts of today's church. You'll learn how to lead programs in music, media, the visual arts, and drama. You'll gain the tools to become excellent in at least one of these areas. And all this will be learned in the context of a biblical view of worship and the church and its mission.

The Youth Ministry major will prepare you for ministry with adolescents in a church or parachurch context. You'll understand the unique journey of faith that teens experience. You'll discover a variety of models and strategies for youth ministry. You'll learn how to analyze youth culture. You'll gain tools for building relationships, discipling, counseling and leading recreation with youth.

We believe you can't learn ministry just in a classroom (though the classroom is very important!). Therefore, the department employs a three-tiered experiential learning model. In tier one, students observe and reflect on what is happening in ministry settings. These activities begin in the very first course students take, and continue in practica and other settings through the program. In tier two, students practice the skills they are introduced to in their classes. Sometimes this practice occurs in classes, but students are also encouraged to practice ministry in their church/parachurch settings. In tier three, students take on leadership responsibility in ministry. Leadership involvement is essential in the internship which is required in all ministries majors.

Students with a major in Christian Ministries complete supervised internships in churches as children's ministers, directors of Christian education or youth ministers; in parachurch ministries, like Youth for Christ; or in a Christian camp environment. Youth Ministry majors focus specifically on ministry to this age-group. Most students choose to complete their internship during the summer in full-time, paid positions. In fact, many churches actively recruit Asburians for these positions.

Intercultural Studies majors complete internships with extended ministry involvement in cross-cultural settings. Typically, these internships are overseas, although students occasionally opt to work in a cross-cultural setting in the United States.

Students with a major in Worship Arts are often involved in chapel or other ministry opportunities on campus such as "praise nights" or class or hall prayer meetings. Many are involved in worship arts ministries in local churches and all majors must complete an internship in a thriving church.

Furthermore, many of the department's students are involved in weekend and summer ministry teams, discipleship groups and community service projects. Dozens of ministry opportunities exist on campus and in the surrounding area.

The Christian Ministries Resource Center provides opportunities for students to study current developments in curriculum and resources for age-level and educational ministry. Curriculum materials from more than 20 publishers, as well as a variety of other resources, are available for student use in class projects and/or church ministry. This center, housed in the Kinlaw Library, is also utilized by Asbury Theological Seminary, which is nearby in Wilmore.