The goal of the MA in Ministry Studies (MAMS) degree is to give you competency and real-world experience to serve and strengthen established churches or to plant new churches. This program is for those who desire to be in church leadership or part of a church plant or revitalization project. It will give you the hands-on training to start, restart, and develop local churches. The core courses focus on knowledge and interpretation of the Scriptures while the concentrations allow you to select from a range of courses designed to prepare you for a specific area of ministry.
Both concentrations require an internship and integration project that will help you turn biblical principles into real experience. The Church Planting and Revitalization concentration in particular requires you to complete a minimum of four specialized courses offered as on-site seminars in designated cities in the U.S. These courses are designed to optimize hands-on ministry training for church-planters. Each day will include morning class time, afternoon ministry in the city, and an evening recap and discussion time.
This concentration will offer you specialized training in the essential areas needed to plant new churches or to revitalize struggling churches. You will learn how (a) to research and exegete the demographics of a community for maximum evangelism and church growth potential, (b) design an effective strategy to reach a community with the Gospel through the local church, and (c) organize a contextualized church planting/revitalization ministry in a way that meets the needs of a specific community while remaining faithful to the Scriptures.
This concentration will allow you to emphasize training in pastoral leadership, discipleship, counseling, church worship, or a combination of these disciplines. You will be able to perform a lead or supporting role in an established local church in various areas of the teaching ministry, including women’s ministries. You will also be able to assist in the supporting ministries of a local church or parachurch ministry, including the ministries of counseling, one-on-one discipleship, evangelism, youth ministry, and public worship.
RESIDENCE
LIVESTREAM
ONLINE
MODULE
EVENING FLEXResidential courses extend over the Fall and Spring semesters with a break in the middle of each semester. To make these courses available for distance students, many of classes are live-streamed. Because of these multiple course formats, neither of the concentrations for this degree require living in the Greenville area. Additionally, you can flawlessly transition into the Master of Divinity program, which can also be completed from a distance.
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Residential, module, and evening flex classes are often live-streamed, making it possible for students to interact live with a class from virtually anywhere in the world. Because of these multiple course formats, neither of the concentrations for this degree require living in the Greenville area. Additionally, you can flawlessly transition into the Master of Divinity program, which can also be completed from a distance.
Online courses allow the convenience of working in an asynchronous program, meaning that students do not typically meet at prescribed times; rather, most tasks take place on a week-by-week basis over the seven-week period. Because of these multiple course formats, neither of the concentrations for this degree require living in the Greenville area. Additionally, you can flawlessly transition into the Master of Divinity program, which can also be completed from a distance.
Module weeks are offered during the Fall and Spring semesters and sometimes during the summer. Each module contains a one-week residency, preceded and followed by six-weeks of distance course work. The one week of residency is often offered through live-stream as well. Because of these multiple course formats, neither of the concentrations for this degree require living in the Greenville area. Additionally, you can flawlessly transition into the Master of Divinity program, which can also be completed from a distance.
Students with day jobs can take classes on Monday or Thursday evenings. Five credits of class can be possible on both Monday and Thursday evening, with two-credit classes meeting for one hour and three-credit classes meeting for two hours. Many courses are live-streamed as well. Because of these multiple course formats, neither of the concentrations for this degree require living in the Greenville area. Additionally, you can flawlessly transition into the Master of Divinity program, which can also be completed from a distance.
General
Church Planting/Revitalization
