Christian Ministry: Adolescent Studies
This concentration is the perfect choice for students preparing for ministry with youth, or who simply want to understand and engage well with young people.
Study adolescence from biblical, historical, psychological, and practical vantage points. Get connected with internships and opportunities to do ministry both locally and globally.
Learn the perspectives and skills needed to pursue ministry to youth. Apply now to begin your BA Christian Ministry: Adolescent Studies.
Learn together
Christian Ministry students get to learn from faculty with years of ministry experience. Small class sizes mean opportunities for close contact with professors and discussion with peers from diverse concentrations and denominations.
Inform your ministry
Learn from a variety of disciplines as you prepare for ministry. Take courses in the social sciences, and psychology in particular, for a broader understanding of the science behind adolescence and youth culture.
Discover your passions
Versatility is an asset for careers in ministry. Study in several concentrations while specializing in two, getting both a broad understanding of ministry and a deep knowledge of the work you’re called to.
Nick Csillag ('18)
Doing the Christian Ministry adolescent studies concentration gave me the opportunity to interact with youth and show them Christ in a way that related to them and furthered their knowledge of scripture while giving them the tools to dig deeper.
- Overview
- Requirements
This program provides a strong liberal arts foundation, biblical and theological grounding, and the skills necessary for success in ministry settings and the marketplace. This program is specifically designed to equip students for effective service and leadership in professional or lay settings by allowing them to tailor their program to include courses in several concentrations of study: Adolescent Studies, Camp Ministry, Childhood Studies, Family Studies, Mission Studies, Pastoral Studies, and Worship Arts. Additionally, the program provides a firm foundation for further study at the graduate level. This program ultimately seeks the transformation of students for effective ministry to the church and world through quality classroom instruction along with experiential education in a broadly defined academic and ministry training program.
Past graduates entered many types of careers including pastoral and associate pastoral ministry (youth, children, women, family, etc.), lay and ministry-related teaching, missions, camp leadership, church administration, and various other ministry and lay positions.
Outcomes
Graduates of the BA Christian Ministry will be able to:
- Demonstrate competency in a breadth of ministry skills.
- Articulate a culturally sensitive theology of the mission of the church and their place within it.
- Demonstrate a capacity to teach or preach effectively.
The BA Christian Ministry requires 45 credit hours of Christian Ministry and Christian Ministry-related course work (including 24 credit hours at the 300+ level). There are two layers of requirements in this program. First, students must complete the 18 credit hour ministry core requirements. Second, students must choose both a primary (18 credit hours) and secondary concentration (9 credit hours) from two of the following options: Adolescent Studies, Camp Ministry, Childhood Studies, Family Studies, Media Arts, Mission Studies, Pastoral Studies, Sport Studies, and Worship Arts. Like most Briercrest programs, the BA Christian Ministry requires 39 credit hours of 300+ course work within the context of a 120 credit hour degree.
Credit Hours: 120I. Ministry Core Requirements (18 credit hours)
CM 101 Foundations of Church Ministry
CM 105 Perspectives in Mission
CM 439 Christian Ministry Internship
CM 461 Issues in Ministry Leadership
PAST 438 Practical Theology
One of:
COMM 104 Public Speaking
COMM/PAST 355 Homiletics
II. Ministry Concentration Requirements:
Primary Concentration in Adolescent Studies: 18 credit hours including at least 12 credit hours from 300+ level.
Required Course:
YM 100 Foundations of Youth Ministry
Electives to be selected from:
Any Youth Ministry (YM) course
ADM 367 Principles of Leadership and Administration
EDUC 200 Introduction to Education
KIN 320 Camp Management and Leadership
NTST 110 Introduction to Native Studies
PAST 445 Pastoral Counselling
PHI 300 Philosophy of Education
PSY 382 Psychology of Human Development: Adolescents
SOC 392 Sociology of Youth in North America
THEO 301 Worship in the Christian Tradition
YM 355 Teaching and Preaching to Youth
Secondary Concentration: 9 credit hours including at least 3 credit hours from 300+ level from one of the other ministry options.
Note: For students pursuing a minor, courses from either their Core or from free electives may be used, but not courses from ministry concentrations
III. Free Electives (to bring credit hour total to 120 credit hours)
PRT 400 Senior Portfolio
SL 1-6 Service and Experiential Learning
In addition, all Bachelor of Arts degrees require the completion of Briercrest's core curriculum.
Faculty
Associate Professor of Preaching and Christian Ministry
Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry
Professor of Leadership and Pastoral Studies
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Your Future
Potential Graduate Programs
- Master of Youth Ministry at Briercrest Seminary
- Master of Christian Ministry at Briercrest Seminary
- Master of Divinity at Briercrest Seminary
- MA Theological Studies at Briercrest Seminary