Certificate in Church Planting and New Christian Communities
Is it I Lord?
Degree Overview
Pursue your vocation to start, nurture, and support new churches and new Christian communities as a lay or ordained planter with Bexley Seabury Seminary.
The need for people trained in and committed to church planting and beginning New Christian Communities (and Fresh Expressions of Church) in the Episcopal Church has never been more urgent.
We offer a Certificate in Church Planting and New Christian Communities for those who may have a lay vocation as a planter, or who may have already completed an MDiv, or who are working to complete an MDiv currently. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but do not require a graduate theological degree (like an MDiv).
Certificate in Church Planting and New Christian Communities
15 credits
12 required credits:
Learning from London (3 credits) - travel to London, England, to investigate church growth and vitality in a thriving, diverse, cosmopolitan city. (An alternative may be arranged if the student cannot take this course.)
Church Planting (3 credits) - learn the approaches and skills needed to plant a church or begin another form of New Christian Community.
Reimagining Congregations in Mission (3 credits) - become familiar with intercultural and postcolonial perspectives on mission, along with a theology of companionship and cultural humility in responding to God's call.
Missional Theology (3 credits) - dive into theological perspectives on the mission of God in the world and how we're called and empowered to join it.
Choose a single three-credit elective, or three one-credit electives offered by Bexley Seabury to customize and contextualize your work.
Elective courses may cover topics such as discipleship, evangelism, funding start-ups, team-building and collaborative leadership, vision-casting and launching, church redevelopment and revitalization, or ecclesiological experiments.
3 elective credits:
Engagement Outside of Bexley Seabury
Alongside these course requirements, students are strongly encouraged to participate in gatherings of people engaged in church planting and revitalization outside of Bexley Seabury, such as the Episcopal Church's Genesis II gatherings, or Root, Thrive, Soar. This engagement is designed to, from early in your formation, connect you with the larger community within the Episcopal Church doing this work, allowing you to form relationships across the spectrum of planters and entrepreneurs who will support you beyond seminary.
Certificate classes are scheduled in Bexley Seabury's January and Summer Terms. This means that if you are already in ministry, or if you are earning an MDiv elsewhere, the Certificate would still fit well with your schedule.
Please reach out to faculty member and Church Planting and New Christian Communities Advisor Kelley Hudlow (khudlow@bexleyseabury.edu) with any questions or for further information.
Your Journey with Bexley Seabury's Certificate in Church Planting and New Christian Communities:
Cost: Tuition costs $2310 per 3-credit course ($770 per credit hour).
Courses: Take online courses and complete your certificate in 1-2 years (can continue to years 3 and 4 with permission from Academic Dean).
Financial Aid: Everyone in the program is eligible for our in-house tuition scholarship.
Have questions about applying? Contact us at admissions@bexleyseabury.edu
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