Youth and Young Adult Ministry

2014 Cohort - Courses and Schedule

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

Submit an Application

Mission

To develop youth and young adult ministry practitioners who manifest spiritual/theological depth, professional competency, academic excellence, professional leadership skills, A genuine and growing relationship with Christ, a perspective that joins God and young people in their cultural settings, programming expertise, and the ability for self-reflection necessary for the spiritual care of youth and young adults within the broader church and community context.

The DMin Youth and Young Adult Ministry Concentration will provide a 'ministry-embedded' integration of theory and practice within a biblical theology of youth and young adult ministry.

Concentration Goals

Upon completing this program, the participants will be able to:

  1. Articulate a Seventh-day Adventist Christian perspective on the categorization of adolescent development and the influence of socio-cultural dynamics on the spiritual life of youth.
  2. Direct a biblically and theologically faithful youth and young adult ministry.
  3. Utilize a 'transformational model' of youth and young adult ministry, while being conversant with, and drawing upon the philosophical and historical development of the variety of models of youth ministry.
  4. Model transformational leadership
  5. Demonstrate the transparency needed in a deepening relationship with God.
  6. Reflect constructively and theologically upon the content and process of youth and young adult ministry.
  7. Develop youth and young adult ministry programs in the local church and other targeted areas with both professional and theological competency.
Competencies

The Doctor of Ministry Youth and Young Adult Ministry Concentration seeks to create competency in five areas related to the discipline:

  1. Academic Advancement: to enable participants to acquire knowledge of current issues and empirical findings related to the field of youth and young adult ministry, to engage the discipline through theological, sociological and psychological perspectives, to learn basic research skills relating to the field of youth and young adult ministry.
     
  2. Spiritual and Theological Development: to enable participants to reflect on their personal spiritual and theological perspectives and to integrate them into the practice of youth and young adult ministry.
     
  3. Praxis: to enable participants to acquire skills pertinent to their practice in the field to youth and young adult ministry within the context of the church and the wider communityh in their particular cultural environments.
     
  4. Professional Formation: to enable participants to gain knowledge of the professional field including spiritual leadership, consultation, networking, and ethical conduct.
     
  5. Self-reflection/Personal Growth: to help participants to become aware of their personal strengths and limitations (background, emotional state), and to realize the impact that self-awareness and self-understanding may have on ministry.
Learning Modalities

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

  1. A professional portfolio: including a ministry development plan, journaling, and relevant learning artifacts
  2. Learning groups/mentoring: including collective assignments, consultations, and accountability
  3. Classroom consultation: including didactic and experiential learning, as well as networking with top educators and experts in the field of youth ministry.
  4. Research: including perusal of the current literature, assigned readings, and developing empirical constructs for youth ministry practice.
  5. Praxis: including implementation of programming in the context of church life and other targeted areas of youth and young adult ministry.
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 2014, during the five-six years you expect to be in the program, the title of your group will be "the 2014 YYAM Cohort."


Module Descriptions
  1. DSRE710 - Current Issues in Youth and Young Adult Ministry
    Credits: 4
    This module covers training in both the development of models/constructs, and research skills within the context of youth and young adult ministry.   It provides education in the following specialty areas: theology of youth and young adult ministry, developmental theory, faith development, the core value and centrality of youth and young ministry, the impact of post modernism, missional church, and models of youth and young adult ministry.  This module also fosters the first formative thoughts on the participant’s ministry project and a review of literature for one’s project.
     
  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. DSRE765 - Advanced Youth and Young Adult Ministry
    Credits: 5
    This module will focus on a ministry embedded integration of theory and practice targeting specific areas and issues within the youth and young adult ministry context.  It will provide education in the areas of youth culture, adolescence sexuality, interventions with at risk youth, contemporary worship, short-term missions, reclaiming missing youth, creative teaching methods, and evaluation tools for youth and young adult ministry.
     
  5. DSRE721 - Perspectives on Youth and Young Adult Ministry Leadership Strategies
    Credits: 5
    This module will explore the various leadership roles and functions involved in youth ministry.  It includes: youth and young adult ministry leadership principles, planning and leading major events, implementing change, leadership in youth and young adult evangelism, developing people helping skills, and the life cycle of a youth and young adult ministry.
Contact

Dr. Steve Case serves as concentration coordinator. He can be reached at 1-916-961-2177, steve@involveyouth.org.

Schedule

Travel and lodging information is provided in the links under the "Intensive Location" column.
Cohort participants will take these courses and modules:

 2014 Youth and Young Adult Ministry Cohort

 Syllabi and schedule for the cohort that begins in 2014:
 (follow the linked titles to obtain the syllabi) 

 Course #
 Course Name  Instructor  Intensive Dates  Intensive Locations
 DSRE710  Current Issues in Youth & Young Adult Ministry (4 cr)  Steve Case  Feb 13-21, 2014  Orlando, FL
 GSEM790  DMin Project Seminar (4 cr)  James Wibberding  Feb 23-Mar 3, 2014  Orlando, FL
 GSEM706  Spiritual & Theological Foundations for Ministry (8 cr)  Jon Dybdahl  April 6-16, 2015  Andrews University
 DSRE765  Advanced Youth & Young Adult Ministry (5 cr)  Steve Case  Feb 8-16, 2016  Seattle, WA
 GSEM796  DMin Project (3 cr)    Spring semester 2016  
 DSRE721  Perspectives on Youth & Young Adult Ministry Leadership Strategies (5 cr)  Allan Walshe  Feb 16-26, 2017 Loma Linda, CA
 GSEM796  DMin Project (3 cr)    Spring semester 2017  


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.

 

Ordering books

For dates and locations of intensives 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.

2/1/2017