Millennial Church

2016 Cohort Schedule

Concentration Goals
Learning Modalities
The Cohort Experience
Learning Environment
Module Descriptions
Contact the Coordinator

Submit an Application

Currently, there is no new cohort launch scheduled for this concentration following the cohort now in progress (group that started in 2016).

Mission

Prompted by the promise of Christ's soon return, the Doctor of Ministry program at Andrews University is designed to develop spiritually mature and responsible professionals in ministry for worldwide church leadership. The Millennial Church Concentration prepares participants for the specific challenges of transforming congregations for mission and ministry in the context of millennial disciples serving in a western secular culture.

The concentration is intended to provide a significant and terminal professional doctoral experience for those who lead churches in generational transition, providing biblically sound and theologically informed leadership in churches that engage millennials in faithful discipleship. In doing so they will offer practical models of churches throughout the division transitioned to places of discipleship for youth and young adults.

Participants in the cohort will be required to experience association and support in their learning journey through linking with a church-formed initiative targeting millennials. 

Concentration Goals

The outcomes of the concentration include; 1) a knowledge base, 2) a transformational emphasis on being, and 3) doing, evidenced in skill training for ministry among the millennial generation of disciples of Christ.

Knowing: The knowledge base has the five following components:

1. A current understanding of the worldview and culture of millennials living in the 21st century in western cultures
2. An understanding of spirituality and the spiritual decision process among these young adults
3. A faithful theology of ministry
4. An advanced understanding of a theology of the church
5. An advanced understanding of ecclesiology
6. An understanding of the leadership issues--especially change theory--involved in the challenge of transforming congregations for ministering to millennials
7. Identifying the culture and worldview of millennials, especially in the context of religion and religious institutions

Being: In the process of the millennial church concentration, participants will experience transformational development in the following essentials:

1. Transformation through personal biblical spirituality and theological formation
2. A compassionate vision for youth and young adults
3. A vision for mission to youth and young adults
4. Valuing diversity
5. Commitment to renewal of the church
6. Courage to challenge the status quo

Doing: Participants in the millennial church concentration form skills for effective ministry in the context of the congregation. Those include:

1. Articulating a biblical theology of the church, its mission and ecclesiology
2. Fostering shared vision for church renewal
3. Facilitating planning within the systems effecting renewal in the congregation
4. Leading and managing change in the process of congregational renewal
5. Leading congregations to effective mission to millennials
6. Engaging millennials in mission
7. Managing conflict effectively
8. Developing competencies for leadership in diversity and multiculturalism

Learning Modalities

The following nine learning modalities will be included in the concentration’s andragogy:

1. A ministry development plan
2. A context support group
3. Learning groups including collective assignments, consultations, and accountability
4. Classroom consultation: including didactic and experiential learning and networking, with top educators, experts, and practitioners in the field of ministry
5. Journaling
6. Research: including perusal of the current literature, assigned readings, and case studies
7. Praxis: including implementation of ministry in the context of the congregation
8. Mentoring
9. A project including theological reflection, literature review, field research, and intervention involving a specific challenge in congregational renewal

The Cohort Experience

The program is delivered in the cohort model, wherein participants proceed through the sequence of courses together. Study and learning are year-round, with pre-intensive, during-intensive, and post-intensive activities and experiences. Pre-intensive assignment preparation can begin as early as six months prior to an intensive. There are four annual teaching sessions presented by ministry professionals. During the program you will participate in regional work groups, follow a ministry development plan, read and reflect on the best literature in your concentration area, and develop and evaluate a professional project within the context of your own congregational or other leadership responsibilities.

Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. For example, if you are a member of a cohort that formed in 2016, during the five-six years you expect to be in the program, the title of your group will be "the 2016 Millennial Church Cohort."

The Congregation as a Learning Environment

Each participant will engage in a project in which the congregations they serve will transform into churches effectively discipling millennials. Participants will be required to link with a support system in their transformative leadership targeting the discipling and congregational life of millennials. The congregations participants serve provide the learning context. Specific existing congregations that have experienced transformation or church plants focusing on millennial or later generations will provide a backdrop for case studies. These congregations offer observable laboratories for the intended transformational experience.

Module Descriptions

1. CHMN709 - The Changing Church
   Credits: 4
   Includes biblical theology of the church and ecclesiology. Why churches change, or resist change, theory and practices in managing change. Defining discipleship. Preparing church leaders who desire to gain an understanding of the implications of intergenerational congregations in secular cultures. Includes characteristics and worldviews of millennials. 
    
2. GSEM790 - DMin Project Seminar
   Credits: 4
   Participants receive assistance in forming their DMin project proposal, and orientation to issues in successful completion of the project. Areas of focus include a literature review, theological reflection, critical thinking, experiential learning, reflective observation, research design and techniques, reading and evaluating research, academic writing, development of an effective work plan for completion of the project, and other project-related topics.
    
3. GSEM706 - Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Ministry
   Credits: 8
   This module looks at theological and spiritual foundations as a basis for engagement in ministry. Ministry is based on being as well as doing. This module builds the spiritual and theological foundation from which the practice of mission and ministry grows and seeks to lead the participant into a self-reflection and examination of life and belief. 
    
4. CHMN713 - Transformational Leadership and Organic Systems Thinking
   Credits: 5
   Personal and theological reflection will be integrated with advanced principles for leading change. Systems thinking, transformation of organizational culture, and human development theory are investigated in the context of missional leadership. The module pursues development and application of missional-lifestyle modeling and incarnational mission skills.
    
5. CHMN714 - Discipling Leaders for Mission
   Credits: 5
   Developing disciples according to the biblical model for an apostolic movement. Congregational leaders become mature in Christ and thus a mission oriented movement is multiplied. Includes cross-cultural leadership. Coaching and mentoring skills are taught so that the congregational leader can develop people who practice mature repentance and forgiveness in Christ.

Contact the Coordinator

Dr. Kleber Gonçalves serves as coordinator for the Millennial Church concentration. He can be reached at kleber@andrews.edu or 1-269-471-3190.

Schedule

Travel and lodging information is provided in the links under the "Intensive Location" column. 
Cohorts are identified by the year in which they formed. Cohort participants will take these courses and modules:

2016 NAD Cohort Course requirements and schedule for the cohort formed in 2016: (follow the linked course names to obtain the course requirement documents)
Course #	Course Name	Instructors	Intensive Dates	Intensive Locations
CHMN709	The Changing Church (4 credits) Daily schedule for intensive	Allan Walshe	April 19-29, 2016	Altamonte Springs, FL
GSEM790	DMin Project Seminar (4 credits) Daily schedule for intensive	James Wibberding	May 2-8, 2016	Altamonte Springs, FL
GSEM706	Spiritual and Theological Foundations for Ministry (8 credits) (Field Research Symposium March 29-30, Petr Cincala) Daily schedule for symposium	Allan Walshe	March 16-30, 2017	Andrews University
	Implementation Symposium	David Penno	December 12, 2017 2:00-4:00 pm, EST	virtual meeting via Zoom
CHMN713	Transformational Leadership and Organic Systems Thinking (5 credits) Daily schedule for intensive	Skip Bell	March 19-30, 2018	Riverside, CA
GSEM796	DMin Project (3 credits)		spring semester 2018
CHMN752	Discipling Congregational Leaders (5 credits)	Kleber Gonçalves	April 22-May 2, 2019	Andrews University
GSEM796	DMin Project (3 credits)		spring semester 2019

The Doctor of Ministry reduced residency (for intensive venues other than the Andrews University campus) is offered as an approved exception to Association of Theological Schools Degree Program Standard B, section E.3.1.1.

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 software loaded on your machine to access any pdf documents referenced on this page.

4/19/2019