MCM Course Preview
The Master of Christian Ministry program features courses in biblical and practical theology, church history, and more to prepare students for gospel-centered church ministry.
BIBL 510
Introduction to the Old Testament
Description
This course introduces the nature and content of the Old Testament Scriptures, including its basic parts and structure (Law, Prophets, Writings), its authors and books, its central themes, and the continuity of the grand biblical narrative.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Identify books of the Old Testament Scriptures and distinguish between their unique contributions to the biblical narrative.
- Discover and describe essential themes of the Old Testament.
- Define the grand biblical narrative and locate central passages in the Old Testament.
BIBL 520
Introduction to the New Testament
Description
This course introduces the nature and content of the New Testament Scriptures, including its authors, books, and basic genres, its central themes, and its fulfillment of the Old Testament’s promises, patterns, and plotline.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will identify books of the New Testament Scriptures and distinguish between their unique contributions to the biblical narrative.
- Students will discover and describe the essential themes of the New Testament.
- Students will define the grand biblical narrative and locate central passages in the New Testament.
BIBL 530
Basics of Biblical Interpretation
Description
This course explores the basic hermeneutical skills and foundational theological assumptions involved in understanding the Scriptures, applying them to our lives, and teaching them to others in such a way that they are enabled to do the same.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will understand the grand narrative of the Scriptures and how it shapes biblical interpretation.
- Students will discover methods of biblical interpretation and will develop a faithful biblical hermeneutic.
- Students will understand and describe misconceptions in biblical interpretation.
- Students will observe, describe, and demonstrate how to apply the Scriptures to themselves, their church, and their community.
CHIS 510
Survey of Church History
Description
This course examines significant figures, events, councils, creeds, and movements in the church’s history with a view to God’s promise to build his church and fulfill the Great Commission.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will develop a general knowledge of major figures, events, and movements in the church, beginning from its inception to modern day.
- Students will recognize the development of doctrinal understanding in the history of the church.
- Students will recognize and classify movements and doctrines with ecclesiastical traditions.
CHMN 510
Evangelism and Missions
Description
This course examines the basic elements of evangelism and missions (both locally and internationally), focusing on how to embody the fruit of the good news that we proclaim to a watching world.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will develop a biblical, theological, and practical approach to the work of evangelism.
- Students will develop a biblical framework for the work of missions.
- Students will learn of and assess current cultural contexts to aid evangelistic efforts.
CHMN 520
Discipleship and Spiritual Formation
Description
This course covers the basic elements of maturing and equipping the people of God to do the work of gospel ministry, including the spiritual disciplines that God uses as the normal means for producing the virtuous character of Christ in his people.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will learn about and develop spiritual disciplines for the glory of God in pursuit of holiness and good works.
- Students will explore methods of discipleship that emphasize maturation and multiplication.
- Students will develop leadership skills for advancing the work of gospel ministry.
CHMN 530
Marriage and Family
Description
This course studies the nature and design of marriage, including how it differs from celibacy, with a view to the necessary sacrifices and skills that are needed to thrive in a covenant relationship and to receive and raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will develop a biblical and theological view of marriage and family.
- Students will cultivate a biblical view of parenting that emphasizes instruction and admonition.
- Students will cultivate biblical wisdom for thriving in marriage and encouraging others in marriage.
PHIL 510
Christian Philosophy, Ethics, and Worldview
Description
This course explores the primary issues in the philosophy of religion. These include topics such as the existence of God, revelation, freedom and determinism, the problem of evil, and moral decision making.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will develop an awareness of key components of logic.
- Students will explore, define, and evaluate major branches of philosophy.
- Students will discover principles and practices in building a biblical worldview.
THEO 510
Survey of Christian Theology
Description
This course introduces the discipline of theology from the angle that every Christian is (by nature and by calling) a theologian, that is, someone who is called to know God. The course also surveys the major doctrines of the Christian faith.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will identify and describe major theological loci and their relationships to one another.
- Students will recognize how different approaches to describing the knowledge of God affects how Christian life is to be conducted.
- Students will demonstrate how the knowledge of God and the knowledge of God’s world are interrelated and they will be able to identify how this knowledge is appropriated in the students’ own lives and the lives of their community.
THEO 520
The Gospel of Christ
Description
This course examines the content and significance of the gospel, arguing that it is in essence the good news about Jesus Christ, our Lord. The course also seeks to situate all of theology and ministry within a gospel-centered framework.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will develop an awareness of the employment of Christological method in theology.
- Students will identify the significance of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
- Students will develop and build a gospel-centered framework for theology and ministry.
- Students will trace the historical development of the person of Christ to the identity of God.
THEO 530
The People of God
Description
This course studies the nature of the church and its place in the mission of God, arguing that the church is not only the context for salvation but also the means by which the message of salvation (and the fruit it produces) advances in the world.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will define the nature, purpose, and place of the church in the grand narrative of Scripture.
- Students will explore and assess the essential functions of the church, both internally and externally.
- Students will develop and build a gospel-centered framework for life in the church.
THEO 540
Contemporary Issues: Anthropology
Description
This course provides an in-depth analysis of the image of God, with special attention to how this doctrine addresses the issues of race/ethnicity and gender/sexuality, which are matters of great confusion in our cultural moment.
Outcomes
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- Students will define the image of God in man and build a biblical theology of anthropology.
- Students will develop a robust understanding of the effects of the fall in the doctrine of humanity.
- Students will explore, examine, and evaluate issues related to biblical anthropology, including work, sexuality, race and ethnicity, and more.