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Christian Ministry Minor
The centerpiece of the Christian Ministry Program is the Christian Ministry minor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Five courses have been added to the Hastings College catalog that are specific to this program: Church Leadership: Preaching, Worship, Polity and Program; Christian Education and Youth Ministry; A Survey of Sacred Music-Music of the Christian Church from Medieval to Contemporary; Student Ministry Practicum; and Seminar on the Nature of Christian Ministry. Through elective courses, students can choose a concentration in Pastoral Leadership, Christian Education and Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, or Social Justice and Mission. The ministry practicums allow students to serve congregations under the tutelage of a pastor, Christian educator, or church musician. Students can earn a Religion major with an emphasis in Christian Ministry by completing the Christian Ministry minor and taking three additional Religion courses.
All students must complete the following courses for the Christian Ministry minor:
The centerpiece of the Christian Ministry Program is the Christian Ministry minor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. Five courses have been added to the Hastings College catalog that are specific to this program: Church Leadership: Preaching, Worship, Polity and Program; Christian Education and Youth Ministry; A Survey of Sacred Music-Music of the Christian Church from Medieval to Contemporary; Student Ministry Practicum; and Seminar on the Nature of Christian Ministry. Through elective courses, students can choose a concentration in Pastoral Leadership, Christian Education and Youth Ministry, Music Ministry, or Social Justice and Mission. The ministry practicums allow students to serve congregations under the tutelage of a pastor, Christian educator, or church musician. Students can earn a Religion major with an emphasis in Christian Ministry by completing the Christian Ministry minor and taking three additional Religion courses.
Most Christian Ministry courses are taught by religion faculty. Our current religion faculty have, collectively, more than 40 years of part- and full-time pastoral service in congregations. Thus, in addition to providing sound theological training, they can counsel students on the practical and logistical realities of careers in the ministry. The Christian Ministry minor includes six required courses, including the student ministry practicum, and an elective course, totaling 24 credit hours.
| Academic requirements |
All students must complete the following courses for the Christian Ministry minor:
- Rel 225: Hebrew Bible (4 hours, first year)
- Rel 235: New Testament (4 hours, first year)
- Rel 245: Introduction to the Christian Tradition (4 hours)
- or - Rel 385: Contemporary Christian Theology (4 hours)
- or - Rel 387: The Roman Catholic Tradition (4 hours)
- or - another theology class approved by the Director of Christian Ministry.
- Rel 405: Church Leadership: Preaching, Worship, Polity, and Program (4 hours)
- Rel 490: Student Ministry Practicum (3 hours, third or fourth year)
- Rel 480: Seminar on the Nature of Christian Ministry (1 hour)
- Rel 406: Christian Education and Youth Ministry (4 hours)
- Rel 403: Counseling Theories and Process (1 hour, taken concurrently with Psy 333)
- Rel 402: A Survey of Sacred Music (3 hours, Interim; students specializing in Music Ministry must take Religion 402 and one other hour of relevant Music Department credit approved by the Director of Christian Ministry.)
- Rel 407: Social Justice, Mission, and Ministry (1 hour, taken in the spring after the interim course Hum 392) or Hum 230: Being, Doing, Knowing: Service Learning.
