Family Ministry

2010 Cohort Syllabi and Schedule 
2014 Cohort Syllabi and Schedule
2014 Cohort Brochure (pdf)

Mission

Changing the people who change the world, the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Family Ministry Concentration prepares men and women to fulfill the teaching and discipling mandates of the gospel commission as they impact families positively for the Kingdom.

The DMin Family Ministry Concentration prepares an individual for a proactive ministry of preaching, teaching, and working with groups to develop the positive family and relationship skills needed in today's culture. It is designed to promote pastoral excellence by attending to the (1) pastor's personal life, (2) the pastor's own family, (3) families in the congregation, and (4) the congregation as a family.

Competencies

The DMin Family Ministry Concentration seeks to create competency in four areas:

1. Famly Life Education - Participants acquire knowledge of the various topic areas related to the field of family life education and explore current issues and empirical findings related to this area of study.
2. Spiritual, Theological, and Personal Development - Participants reflect theologically on the lived experience of families, become aware of their personal strengths and limitations, realize the impact self-awareness and self-understanding have on ministry, and seek to integrate their expanding spiritual and theological perspectives into their personal formation as individuals and members of families.
3. Research and Praxis - Participants learn and acquire basic research skills pertinent to their practice in the field of family life education and family ministry within the context of church and community. Based on current research, students develop and deploy a relevant, field-based project intentionally addressing family ministry in the local context.
4. Professional Family Ministry - Participants gain knowledge of the professional family ministry constructs and acquire ministry skills pertinent to the practice of family life education and enrichment  within the context of ministry.

Learning Modalities

The following learning modalities will be included in the concentration's pedagogy:

1. Module Intensives - Participants will attend intensives (each approximately two weeks in length) led by top educators and experts in family ministry and family life education that provide didactic and experiential learning experiences. Pre-and post-intensive assignments include assigned textbook reading, reflective journaling, and preparation of papers that will form chapters of the participant's project document.
2. Ministry Development Plan (MDP) - Each participant will prepare a plan for their development personally (including spiritually), relationally, and professionally along with a detailed description of what will be involved in the completion of the specific concentration. The MDP is comprised of four sections: a description of the participant's current situation, their vision for their life and ministry following the program, the steps they propose to move in the direction of that vision during their program and a listing of the helping as well as hindering forces.
3. Learning Groups - Each participant will become part of a small work group (3-7 individuals each of whom is part of the concentration cohort) which meets on a regular basis (as assigned--usually twice per year) to fulfill specific assignments. Work groups provide a forum for participants to co-investigate principles of Christian ministry in a collegial, supportive environment. Meetings may be held by teleconference.
4. Context Support Groups - Each participant will select and invite 5-7 persons within their ministry context to serve on their context support group. These individuals meet as a group with the participant once each year of the program to provide encouragements and assessment of their growth (based on the participant's Ministry Development Plan) throughout the journey.
5. A Mentoring Relationship - Each participant will recruit a mentor suited to the Family Ministry concentration. Monthly contact with the mentor is to be initiated and scheduled by the participant. A report of the mentoring relationship will be submitted annually.
6. Professional Portfolio - Each participant will prepare a professional portfolio, a practical record demonstrating growth throughout the doctoral program as a family ministry professional. The completed portfolio will be presented at the end of the particpant's program.

Outcomes

Upon completing this program, you will be able to:

• Exhibit growth toward personal and family health and wholeness;
• Demonstrate proficiency in theological reflection, especially in the lived experience of families;
• Evaluate available family life resources appropriate for sermon preparation or seminar preparation, church programming, evangelistic events and pastoral counseling;
• Identify support resources for families in your community;
• Demonstrate leadership skills in famliy life education and enrichment adequate for facilitating church-related events;
• Display progress toward professional certification level II from the Adventist Association of Family Life Professionals.

Coordinator

Dr. Ron Flowers serves as coordinator for the Family Ministry concentration. He can be reached at ronaldmflowers@gmail.com.

Cohort participants will take these courses/study modules:
 

Ordering books
 

Ordering books

For dates and locations of courses planned for cohorts in other concentrations, see the four-year DMin Program Planner.

You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) software loaded on your machine to access any pdf documents referenced on this page.

4/152013