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 for credit.
Full course
CY4560 Family, Childhood, and the Church: Exploration in Family Ministry
A theological framework for home and congregation 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
CY4562 The Child, Children’s Ministry, and the Church
This course focuses on Christian understandings of the personhood of the child. It places in conversation developmental/psychological perspectives and theological positions. Particular attention is given to recent research in brain studies. Students will explore the theological nature of the child and their place in the church. The course makes a case for the essential place of children’s ministry in the church, exploring how childhood is wrestling with spiritual, transcendent, and mystical realities. Therefore, perspectives and practices of children’s ministry are explored, evaluated, and reimagined.
Half course
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 or half course
CY4566 Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Youth Worker
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 or half course
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 understand 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
CY4579 Young Adults and the Church
Young adulthood brings with it a search for meaning, purpose and faith. Students explore God’s presence in the young adult journey focusing on the theological and development dynamics inherent in young adult questions and dreams. Theological understandings of the church and its mission that are particularly effective in engaging young adults are studied and worked into effective approaches to ministry in congregations, campus ministries and mission organizations.
Half course
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.
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.