A study of the role of Christian educational ministries in developing mature and healthy believers and congregations with a particular focus on the key leadership tasks of directing an effective educational ministry in a local congregation.

The following learning objectives will be achieved by this course:

1. Identify, understand, and implement critical elements of an educational ministry that enable a local church to lead its members to Christian maturity.
2. Implement key principles and practices in leading an educational ministry to fulfill its purpose in a local church.
3. Develop an organization that will facilitate effective educational ministry in the local church and in cooperative denominational programs of education.

The following competencies as outlined in the Sourcebook on Ordination: United States of America Edition, 2006 to meet the educational requirements for Ordination within the Church of the Nazarene will be achieved by completing this course:

• Ability to provide oversight of a congregation using management skills, including leadership, conflict resolution, and administration. (CP5)
• Ability to manage ministry resources (time, human, financial, etc.) in a way consistent with a church's size and characteristics. (CP6)
• Ability to conceive and articulate purpose, mission, vision, and to develop strategic plans in a local church. (CP7)
• Ability to develop team building skills, identify and cultivate spiritual gifts, recruit volunteers, diagnose and intervene in problems. (CP8)
• Ability to envision Christian education most appropriate for a local church and to assure the development and empowerment of those serving in it. (CP20)
• Ability to describe the role of curriculum in the spiritual formation of congregations and to evaluate specific curricula in light of that goal. (CP25)
• Ability to prepare, organize and deliver a biblically sound basic scheme of teaching/learning discipleship in culturally appropriate ways, using appropriate techniques and skills (CP26)
• Ability to develop ways by which individuals and congregations may be formed/shaped by Scripture. (CP27)

There are no prerequisites for this course.