International Graduate School of Ministry

Most pastors and ministry leaders have never taken the time to assess how their unique talents, gifts, abilities, personalities, etc. affect or should affect their ministry. This module examines how our personal makeup and background are part of God’s design for ministry and how we can understand not only who we are but also how that should affect our ministry assignment. This module includes several diagnostic and assessment tools that students will be asked to complete as part of the module assignments.

Most studies have shown that one of the most glaring weaknesses in ministries today is a lack of authentic leadership. Few pastors and ministry leaders feel they have a gift of leadership, and even fewer have been trained in the area of leadership. Unfortunately most function much more like chaplains or managers than they do leaders. What are the key elements to biblical leadership? What are the differences between leaders and non-leaders? Can leadership be learned? This module will help you assess the degree to which you are presently leading or failing to lead your ministry and will discuss strategies for improving your leadership style. This module will also help you develop training and equipping plan for other leaders in your ministry.

Many times we forget to put our ministries into the proper perspective taking into account the ministry of the church over the last two thousand years. We can learn much from studying the past. This module not only gives an overview of that history, but provides key insights that give us the necessary perspective for our ministries today. Over the last several years we have seen the reemergence of interest in the five-fold ministry described by the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians (Eph 4:11-13). Many see this as the key to ministry structure that has been missing in most of our current models for ministry. But how does it work? What are the roles and responsibilities of each of the five gifts/offices? How do they work together? How is this leadership model different from our current ministry structure? How can ministries change their current organizational and operational structure to be more in alignment with this five-fold approach? This module will provide foundational teaching and tools ministries need to move into this new wineskin.

Everyone would agree that prayer and intercession are foundational for any Christian leader as well as any Christian ministry. Prayer and intercession provide the foundation necessary for building a vital Christian life or ministry. But what are the foundational principles of prayer and intercession that are most critical or most important? This module/course explores prayer and intercession from many different perspectives and challenges every student to evaluate or reevaluate everything they knew or thought they knew about these critical areas of Christian life and ministry. This module/course will give you an overall perspective of how personal and corporate prayer and intercession can deepen your spiritual life.

We all recognize the significance of finances and stewardship in the life of a disciple. How we develop a stewardship mindset, how we budget and allocate our financial resources, how we communicate regarding financial issues, are all critical elements in the life of every ministry. Yet statistics show that a very small percentage of people in our ministries are really involved financially at a significant level. The average giving (as a percentage of income) has been steadily dropping for years. Fewer and fewer people are carrying a larger load. What can be done to reverse these trends? How do we train and equip our people in the area of stewardship? Many pastors and ministry leaders are afraid to discuss these issues because of the backlash that some have received when they teach about finance and stewardship. However, as the same time we see an increasing popularity in ministries from outside the ministries that are focusing on helping Christians become more effective stewards of their resources. This module examines the issues dealing with finance and stewardship, both personally and corporately today. It also examines the biblical principles that we need to know and apply in order to see increased fruitfulness in this arena.

No area has been more controversial or difficult for churches than defining their position regarding the role of women in ministry. It is an area that is very misunderstood and has limited the effectiveness of ministry in virtually every cultural setting. So. what do the scriptures really teach about women in ministry? This course is designed (1) to undertake a study of the Old and New Testament texts and their cultural environments which bear on the roles and status of women in biblical history and, in particular, in the early church; (2) to reflect on a wide range of perspectives relevant to the issues of women and ministry; and (3) to formulate significant implications and conclusions for the role and status of women in ministry and the church today. This course will challenge you to reexamine what you have learned or been taught about the role of women in ministry. It will help you develop your own position on the subject and be confident in that position.

Biblical anthropology including the origin of man, evolutionism vs. creationism, the antiquity of man and his creation in the image of God and man’s nature. Hamartiology and man’s fall, the origin of sin, the relation of Adam’s sin to the subsequent race, the sin nature, personal sin and the wages of sin. The salvation of God including the person and work of Christ, the application of salvation to all, and a study of the credo salutis, including election, regeneration, justification, sanctification and perseverance. Additional topics include the various theories of the atonement throughout the ages of church history.

The word “theology” comes from two Greek words that combined mean “the study of God.” Christian theology is simply an attempt to understand God as He is revealed in the Bible. No theology will ever fully explain God and His ways because God is infinitely and eternally higher than we are. Therefore, any attempt to describe Him will fall short (Romans 11:33-36). However, God does want us to know Him insofar as we are able, and theology is the art and science of knowing what we can know and understand about God in an organized and understandable manner.

The study of theology, then, is nothing more than digging into God’s Word to discover what He has revealed about Himself. When we do this, we come to know Him as Creator of all things, Sustainer of all things, and Judge of all things. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all things. To study theology is to get to know God in order that we may glorify Him through our love and obedience. 

Understanding how the church has developed over time is extremely important in order to understand where the church is today. By looking at our history we get a much broader understanding of how and why the church has developed the way it did. A study of the history of the church is especially encouraging as we see how God has had a powerful witness in every period of history and in every culture. The actual growth of the church during that time surprises many who study it for the first time. Even in times of great persecution the church has continued to flourish. What can we learn from this history? That is the focus of this module.

In the 1970’s Eschatology was a very hot topic. Then it quieted down for a while. But recently there has been a resurgence in interest, not only in the Book of Revelation, but the whole issue of the “end times” in the scriptures. The church has wrestled with this issue since Pentecost, but most seem to agree that we are in or moving rapidly towards the “end times.” What does that mean for a ministry today? What are the different streams of interpretation regarding the End Times? What does each of these streams believe and why? What are the implications of each of these interpretations? What do we need to do to prepare God’s people so they can be ready to act, not just react? What are the key principles and concepts in scripture that we all need to be aware of that will give us the proper perspectives? This module will cover with all of these issues with the goal that each student will develop and clear view of their own view of scripture on this issue and the implications of that view for their ministry.

We all know from Ephesians 4:12 that one of the primary responsibilities of ministry leaders is to “prepare God’s people for works of service.” Unfortunately few of us know exactly how to do that. Hardly any of us have had practical training or experience in how to produce or reproduce leaders. How do we use multiplication strategies to provide the needed infrastructure? What are the differences between coaching, mentoring, training, and equipping? What methodologies work best in a ministry environment? This module provides practical answers and strategies to assist ministry leaders in this critical area.

The church has a wonderful opportunity today to be at the very forefront of community transformation and development. Governments are looking more and more to the non-profit sector for help in meeting the many needs of people today. The church by God’s design is the perfect change agent that can significantly impact the social and economic fabric of a community.

While in the past the church has often proved to be resistant to this role, today many churches are stepping out aggressively to become a leading resource in communities around the world. Where this has been done, there are amazing stories of radical transformation that has literally reshaped communities while at the same time demonstrating the vital role the church was meant to play in its local community.

More and more ministry leaders are recognizing the need for working with other congregations in their community. This community focus, instead of just a congregational focus, provides a somewhat new perspective for most ministry leaders. While there have been several city-reaching strategies and events over the last few decades (Billy Graham Crusades, Luis Palau Crusades, Promise Keepers, Greg Laurie, Reinhard Bonnke, etc.) most leaders know that much more follow-up needs to done. Now there is a renewed interest in trying to get congregations in a city to work together. Those who have studied these efforts have almost unanimously agreed that a lot more needs to be done to effectively change cities or nations. But what needs to be done and how do you do it? This module examines the strategies that have proven most effective in launching city-wide prayer and repentance, building a prayer wall, establishing gates of influence in a city or nation, .and establishing the Lordship of Christ over the city.

Most of us fail to realize how truly divided we are as a Christian community. Thus, when we attempt to work together for a common good it is not surprising that most are not familiar with the landscape. How do we learn to work together in ways that maximize our individual strengths? How do we get people into the right kind of relationships so that they can do together what they cannot do by themselves? What steps need to be taken to ensure healthy, enduring relationships that really make a difference? These are the kinds of key questions that will be addressed in this module.

You may earn up to 8 module hours through independent studies. Students interested in this option should work with your Coordinator to propose an Independent Study module. Each Independent Study module can be for 1-4 module credit hours (30-120 module hours of study) depending on the need of the student. When the Independent Study is identified and approved by your Coordinator you can pay the appropriate fee and begin your study.

The Master of Ministry program concludes with a thesis project whose purpose is to integrate both theory and practical ministry. This is different from the standard thesis project which focuses primarily on academic and/or experimental research. The thesis project should focus on a subject that contributes to practical ministry. That is, the student should consider topics/subjects that he or she expects to use as part of their personal ministry context. Through the thesis project, the student must demonstrate the following:

• The ability to identify a specific concern in ministry, mobilize appropriate resources, develop a method for addressing the concern, and evaluate the completed results.
• The ability to reflect depth of theological insight in relation to practical ministry.
• The ability to function responsibly under supervision appropriate to the project.

The Doctor of Ministry program concludes with a dissertation project whose purpose is to integrate both theory and practical ministry. This is different from the standard dissertation project which focuses primarily on academic and/or experimental research. The dissertation project should focus on a subject that contributes to practical ministry. That is, the student should consider topics/subjects that he or she expects to use as part of their personal ministry context. Through the dissertation project, the student must demonstrate the following:

• The ability to identify a specific concern in ministry, mobilize appropriate resources, develop a method for addressing the concern, and evaluate the completed results.
• The ability to reflect depth of theological insight in relation to practical ministry.
• The ability to function responsibly under supervision appropriate to the project.