YOUTH MINISTRY – CORE CLASSES

YM 121 – Introduction to Youth Ministry
In this course, students will begin to explore their commitment to a youth ministry career. The course includes: a history of youth ministry, ministry priorities, setting ministry goals, seeking professional growth, the call and qualifications of an effective youth leader, postmodern youth culture, understanding the unique needs of adolescents, and programming models for middle school and high school youth church/camp ministries.

YM 223 – Philosophy of Youth Ministry
This course is a study of foundational principles in establishing and maintaining a local church ministry to adolescents. Emphasis is placed upon a system of philosophy, theology, and general principles for adolescent ministry programming.

YM 231 – Youth Evangelism & Discipleship
This course will instruct students how to design a ministry which enhances spiritual development especially as it relates to youth through models of evangelism and discipleship.

YM 347 –  Issues/Culture of Today’s Youth
This course will equip youth workers with the proper biblical response to today’s issues that affect youth. Emphasis is placed on helping students (Jr. High and Sr. High) cope with the major and minor issues they face, including: abuse, disorders, media, emotional, relational, and familial issues and others.

YM 353 – Youth Ministry Management
The “nuts and bolts” of Youth Ministry, including: an examination of youth programming, creating a more parent-friendly ministry, calendar planning, budgets, time management, youth meetings, recruitment and training of volunteer staff, keeping your ministry ‘lawsuit free’, being a professional inside the office, dealing with criticism, creating a clear vision for ministry, and balancing family and ministry.

YM 427 – Youth Ministry in Contemporary Culture
This class is highly interactive in nature and is designed to inform our youth ministry practice through the study of the emerging post-modern generation. We will examine specific ways “emerging churches” across America have been engaging and evangelizing to emerging generations.

YM 436 – Practicum in Youth Ministry
A supervised experience which allows the student to develop, plan, and implement activities in an approved youth ministry situation. The important practicum allows for the practical integration of the theoretical and conceptual bases already learned in the classroom.

YOUTH MINISTRY – ELECTIVE CLASSES

YM 233 – Middle School Ministry
The intense, chaotic, spontaneous, and unpredictable early teen years are explored in this course, while developing a strategy for ministry to middle school in the local church. Specific early adolescent developmental issues are covered, along with the programming implications of the changes early teens’ experience.

YM 243 – Camping and Retreat Ministries
An overview study of the foundational principles in ministry through camping and retreats, as well as special event programming. Includes objectives, personnel, materials, philosophy, and an examination of Christian camps and institutes for children, youth, and/or adults,

YM 325 – Urban Youth Ministry
This course focuses on the study of ministry with youth in urban settings and similar contexts. Attention is given to cultural, social, historical, and developmental influences, particularly those that shape youth lives, as well as to the resources available to youth ministers in an urban context.

YM 345 – Teaching Youth
The writing of lessons plans, evaluating teaching, and speaking experiences are all covered in this course by way of addressing issues in youth culture, the use of humor, the role of narrative and storytelling, and how to deal with the language of the youth culture.