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Children, Youth and Family Ministry [CY]

CY4525 Contemporary Issues in Children, Youth, and Family Ministry

This is a directed reading/seminar collaboration course. Each year a contemporary topic in the area of Children, Youth and Family ministry is chosen. Students will then read from the bibliography associated with that topic and a guest lecturer will be invited to present to students. The student will seek to integrate readings, discussions, and the idea of leading thinking. Because topics change, this course may be repeated up to two times for credit.

Full course

Electives: MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY4560 Family, Childhood, and the Church: Exploration in Family Ministry

A theological framework for home and congregational ministry will be developed in this course followed by practical ministry strategies to provide effective ministries across the generations. Students will gain an understanding of the importance of different family forms, the cultural impact on the conception of family/childhood, and move toward intergenerational approaches for ministry.

Full course

Electives: MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY4564 Culture and Emerging Generations

Ministries with emerging generations and their families require deep understanding of young people’s cultural engagement. Students learn to read the agency and structures of younger generations in culture. Drawing on this work, and work from other courses, students integrate text and context in developing effective practices in youth and family ministry.

Full course

Electives: Cultural Context, MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY4566 Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Youth Worker

This is a travel course in Berlin, Germany.

From 1927 to 1938 Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s central pastoral ministry was with children and youth. This course examines Bonhoeffer’s biography, looking in-depth at his lectures, sermons, and essays on youth work. Through Bonhoeffer’s writing and history students are given an example of a theological thinker in children’s and youth ministry to emulate. The course particularly explores confirmation using Bonhoeffer’s work in Wedding 1932 and Pomerania 1938 to reexamine our practices today.

Full course

Electives: MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY4570 Relational Ministry and the Future of the Church

A course that examines the theological, historical and sociological bases for relational/incarnational youth ministry. The course is designed to look at popular understandings of relational/incarnational ministry, assessing them through a theological understanding of relationships. Students will be given the tools to use a relational/incarnational approach to youth ministry engendered from theological and strategic perspectives.

Full course

Electives: MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY4597 Guided Reading and Research in Children, Youth and Family

An independent study for qualified students under the personal supervision of a member of the division. Consult faculty within division.

Electives: MA CYF, MDiv Leadership


CY6598/8599 Guided Reading and Research in Children, Youth and Family Ministry

An independent study for students in Advanced Theological Education. Consult faculty within division and Advanced Theological Education Office.