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• March 18, 2019

The role of ministers of education and health is pivotal to developing the human capital essential for sustainable economic development. These sectors together usually account for the lion’s share of the national budget, they are often the largest employers, and they provide critical frontline public services.

Yet the global commitment to universal education and health coverage has compelled many developing country governments to make commitments they can hardly afford, overloading already poorly resourced delivery systems and compromising prospects of better quality education and health care.

It is hard to be a visionary minister in the face of these challenges. And even if a minister can sustain an optimistic vision, it is harder still to implement transformative change in government.

There is no “school for ministers,” and no job that really prepares for the role. The Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program provides a unique opportunity for education and health ministers to step back from the pressure of their daily duties, to reflect on their purpose and vision, and to map the legacy they want to achieve while in office and how to get it done. Read the full article .

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April 21, 2022

What is education ministry.

When you think of going to college for a degree in ministry, what do you think of?  Biblical Studies , Biblical Languages , and Youth Ministry typically come to mind. These degrees and others are great at preparing people for church work as pastors, speakers, and leaders. But what about those people who want to teach the Bible in church or parachurch settings? That’s where educational ministries comes in. What is education ministry? 

Created, taught, and directed by Dr. Christy Hill, the educational ministries major at Grace College serves to prepare ministry leaders for educational settings in and outside of the church. Hill describes educational ministries  as “ a multidisciplinary approach to reach the whole person with the fullness of life in Christ. It equips students to create educational programming in faith communities that encompass the cradle to grave experience of life on this planet.”

So how did this major come to be? What are the key components of the degree? And who are the students it attracts? Keep reading to find out!

The Woman Behind the Degree

Hill’s educational background focuses on Christian education. She received her bachelor’s degree in Christian education from Wheaton College, her Master’s of Arts in Christian Education from Talbot School of Theology, and her Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Talbot School of Theology. One of Hill’s greatest passions is helping people bridge the gap between having correct beliefs and acting those beliefs out.

In the process of creating the educational ministry major, one of Hill’s core objectives was to put theory and practice hand-in-hand. Major-specific classes (i.e. Foundations of Educational Ministry, Relational Skills for Ministry, etc.) include insightful discussions about the implications of the content. They also have a heavy emphasis on application and provide students with space to reflect on what has been learned. Hill designed these courses from the ground up, starting with learning objectives, then choosing the material that would help students complete that objective, and finally, designing activities to further assist in that process.

“ I want students to know the ‘so what’ and the ‘now what’ of good theory, so that they are able to implement these principles into their skill set and refine them for continued growth,” said Hill. 

The Classes Within the Degree

From an academic perspective, the best way to answer, “What is education ministry?”, is by looking at the major checksheet. The educational ministry degree has nine basic Bible courses that are meant to provide a strong foundation in knowledge of Scripture and living the Christian life. There are two classes dedicated to the Old Testament and two dedicated to the New Testament. The Bible exposition classes take a deep dive into one or two books in order to understand the purpose of the book, the author’s intention, and the different approaches to interpretation.

There are six specialization courses that focus on people, specifically how the mind works and how to engage in relationships. Classes such as “Foundations of Educational Ministries” give students the chance to plan and teach Bible lesson plans using the guidelines taught in the course. All of these classes are applicational and meant to give a fuller picture of ministry after college. 

Finally, all students get to pick two classes from a variety of subjects. This allows students to specialize their classes towards counseling, education, missions, or Christian foundations.

The flexibility of this major provides students with a well-rounded education and comprehensive ministry preparation. But don’t just take our word for it, there are many students and alumni who have engaged in this degree to be prepared for a life of ministry. Find out what educational ministry means to them and how they landed on the degree.

Chloe Peyton

Hometown: Warsaw, IN

Graduation Year: 2024

Desired Career: Missionary or a Non-Profit Leader

What is Education Ministry to You?: The discipline of learning how to learn and grow up into Christ through spiritual growth, discipleship, and outreach.

Peyton has a heart for discipleship. She chose to major in educational ministry for its focus on people and practicality in applying the material to everyday ministry. Peyton values having the right theological information and applying it to the life of an everyday believer. 

Jordan Weddle

Hometown: Goshen, IN

Graduation Year: 2014

Current Career: Director of Children’s Ministry at Christ’s Covenant Church in Winona Lake, IN

What is Education Ministry to You?: A range of what a biblical education looks like from children through adults.

Weddle began his time at Grace as an elementary and special education major. He became a believer at Grace and felt called to ministry with children. When this major was introduced, he jumped at the opportunity. He felt that the degree emphasized following the example of Jesus as the Master Teacher as well as preparing to serve a variety of ages in the church.

Homewtown: Auburn, IN

Graduation Year: 2023

Desired Career: Children’s Coordinator/Director

What is Education Ministry to You?: Teaching with a biblical focus. Our goal is to lead and equip students to engage with God’s word and grow in Christlikeness.

Ruse enjoys working with children. During her first year at Grace, she discovered that her main passion did not lie in teaching academic subjects, but the Bible. The major excited her because it was an opportunity to learn to effectively communicate the Bible to children with a relational/soul care component. She feels most edified by content that focuses on how to connect with people and show Christ-like care for them.

Natalee Riggins

Hometown: Sleepy Hollow, IL

Desired Career: Women’s Ministry Leader

What is Education Ministry to You?: Teaching, but with a specific focus on the Bible and the body of Christ.

Riggins enjoys writing Bible studies for women. She came to Grace with a desire to communicate the message of the Bible effectively. Her favorite class so far has been “Foundations of Educational Ministry” because its content and application points specifically focus on teaching and how to get content across.

Mariah Burger

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Graduation Year: 2022

Desired Career: Mentorship Program with Children

What is Education Ministry to You?: The study of general educational principles in the realm of ministry.

Burger loves to walk alongside people in their walk with God. She enjoys this major because it builds a strong biblical foundation while placing equal emphasis on people-skills, compassion, and leadership. Her favorite classes have been Spiritual Formation and Relational Skills for Ministry.

Jacob Abrahamson

Hometown: Vancouver, WA

Graduation Year: 2020

Desired Career: Something in the local church, as a counselor, or on the mission field

What is Education Ministry to You?: A degree that includes theological training with an emphasis in teaching and human development.

Abrahamson is passionate about psychology and the Bible. He chose education ministry because it allowed him to explore both passions and determine which career path he actually wants to pursue. He especially enjoyed the Psychology of Religion and Communication & Conflict Management classes because they pushed him to study things beyond the scope of the class.

If you’re looking for a major that emphasizes biblical knowledge, relational skills, and leadership training, educational ministries is right for you!! Check out our Lancer Application and the educational ministries checksheet to get started today.

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Understanding the Differences among Commissioned Ministry Roles

Commissioned ministers serve in a variety of roles with their own particular emphases. Understanding what each of these commissioned ministers is trained to do will lay a foundation for understanding what commissioned ministry is in the LCMS today.

Director of Christian Education

Though sometimes perceived as a calling for the young, DCEs of all ages and stages in their careers serve congregations, schools, and recognized service organizations (RSOs). Whether providing instruction directly or equipping volunteers to join in the educational ministries of the congregation, DCEs are involved with all ages. Many are called specifically to serve in children’s, youth, or adult ministry. Many others are generalists called to provide leadership across multiple age ranges and in a variety of settings.

The ministry of the DCE may be seen through his or her leadership in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, mission trips, youth gatherings, retreats, youth groups, parenting seminars, confirmation, and many other educational ministries. To prepare for such a broad role, DCEs are trained in theology as well as educational theory.

The ministry of the DCE is a support to the pastor that may take many different shapes depending on the needs of the local church as well as the life stage and skill/experience of the individual DCE. While the younger DCE may find his or her nights alive with the noise of lock-ins and retreats, the more seasoned DCE may be called upon to provide holistic ministry to the family. What unites the ministry of the DCE across these various life stages and ministry emphases is a passion for teaching the faith through well-formed theological reflection to members of the congregation and community across the life span in developmentally appropriate and creative ways.

Lutheran Teacher

The Lutheran school and the Lutheran teacher place an emphasis on the formation of the whole student. Specifically, the Lutheran teacher seeks to support the work of the church and the home in the faith formation of their students. The Lutheran teacher is trained not only to teach—math, science, reading, and other subjects—but to do so through the lens of his or her Christian faith. The Bible is taught and the Christian faith confessed in every course and lesson.

Lutheran teachers do not clock out at 3:00 p.m. when the school day ends or when their grading is complete. They are active members of their congregations. They take an interest in their students and the families of their students, supporting the church in the care of the families of the congregation. Like their public school counterparts, Lutheran school teachers continue to shape and teach students through extracurricular activities such as sports, drama, and music, providing life lessons and helping further develop valuable skills and talents in their students. However, unlike public school teachers, the Lutheran teacher is expected to conduct all this service with a particular focus in mind.

From the beginning of the day to the end, Lutheran education is all about the Gospel, and the Lutheran teacher is called to bring that Gospel to the children of the congregation and community through the ministry of the Lutheran school. While it is the vocation of all Christian teachers to represent Christ in their teaching, Lutheran teachers are placed in their calls for the express purpose of not only teaching the many school subjects but also bringing the Gospel into all aspects of that teaching.

The word deaconess means “servant.” Deaconesses are trained women who spend their time in both spiritual care and social service. Early LCMS deaconess work involved work in orphanages, deaf ministry, and care of the elderly.

While many deaconesses serve through calls to local congregations, many others serve in hospitals, in social service agencies, and as missionaries. Often the Lutheran deaconess is a support to the pastor in providing care to female members of the congregation and community. Whether coming alongside the pastor as he visits women in need of spiritual care or providing this care and support on their own, the Lutheran deaconess is trained to understand the impact of pain, illness, and loss, and is prepared to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ into those times of struggle. Many deaconesses provide end-of-life care to an increasingly graying population.

Director of Christian Outreach

Like the deaconess and the DCE, the Director of Christian Outreach (DCO) was established by the LCMS to support the work of the pastor. While the DCE is focused on Christian education, the DCO is focused on outreach. Just as the DCE is an equipper focused on Christian education, the DCO equips and supports the members of the congregation in their outreach and presentation of the Gospel to the community. The DCO is formed theologically with a missiological emphasis. The DCO’s ministry may include establishing a church plant for a new congregation or attempting to revitalize a more established church.

The ministry of the DCO is naturally focused more on those outside the church than those within its walls. Yet while the DCO keeps at the forefront of his or her mind the needs of those who have yet to hear the Gospel or who have not yet come to saving faith in Christ, the DCO balances that ministry with the work of equipping the members of the local congregation to engage in outreach as well. The ministry of the DCO has been established in order to better equip the local congregation to understand the context in which God has placed their ministry and to formulate and execute a Spirit-led strategy to reach that community with the Gospel.

Director of Parish Music

The relatively recent development of the Director of Parish Music (DPM) has elevated the role of the church musician within the LCMS and their support of the ministry of the pastor in worship. While Lutheranism has had a more than solid history in music (think of Luther the hymnwriter here as well as Bach, who was called to serve at St. Nicholas and St. Thomas in Leipzig), the DPM places that tradition more formally within the ministry of the local congregation.

In addition to a strong theological training, DPMs have broad musical training to meet the variety of ministry needs and musical styles found in the local church. Training may range from proficiency on the organ to handbells, choir, and/or the direction of a praise band for contemporary forms of worship arts.

DPM positions may be full-time in larger congregations. They may involve additional responsibilities with an affiliated Lutheran school. They may also include children’s, youth, or family ministry, or may be bivocational with another role outside the ministry of the local church.

Director of Family Life Ministry

The newest rostered position in the LCMS is the Director of Family Life Ministry (DFLM). The DFLM supports Christian marriages and families and leads youth programs to teach the faith to younger generations. In addition to certification in the LCMS, DFLMs are also certified Family Life Educators by the National Council on Family Relations. This dual certification is reflected in the combination of theological and social science education that DFLMs receive to prepare them to support the ministry of the pastor as he ministers to the families of his congregation and community.

DFLMs serve the church by developing life-stage programs to build and equip strong, healthy families through programming, family life education, and mentoring. They are prepared to provide training for parents in shaping faith at home and in church, premarriage education and marriage enrichment training, parent education classes throughout the life span, human sexuality training, training for families with members in the later years, and non–nuclear family training. The DFLM seeks to serve the church by supporting the family holistically. Viewing the family as a system, the DFLM is able to support the family through the various changes confronted throughout the stages of the life cycle. Though often doing similar work that a DCE might, the DFLM is prepared with a deeper base of social science training specifically aimed at preparing them for this ministry with the family, rather than the educational emphasis of the DCE.

Lay Minister

The Lay Minister is the final commissioned minister to be examined. This ministry varies depending on the talents of the individual, the training track taken in preparation, and the needs of the local congregation. A Lay Minister may be involved in evangelism, visitation, Christian education, youth ministry, senior ministry, church administration, member assimilation, and spiritual gifts administration, among other areas of local congregational ministry. Lay Ministers are trained in theology as well as their area of specialization.

While there is overlap and parallel work done by individuals from different roster classifications, this diversity of training and emphasis in ministry enriches congregations across the LCMS. Each of these offices was established to support the ministry of the pastor. The training of commissioned ministers is substantively different from that of pastors. Whereas pastors in the LCMS get a deeper and broader theological education than commissioned ministers, their seminary education only includes one course in teaching and one course in pastoral care/counseling. The specialized training of commissioned ministers is specifically designed to provide workers who can support the pastor in those areas of education and care.

Get an in-depth look at the theology of commissioned ministry so you can properly respect and rightly balance these offices of ministry.

Concordia Publishing House

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Home Equipping Leaders Stewardship Educational Ministry Team Leader Job Description

May 28, 2014

Educational Ministry Team Leader Job Description

(This team may be called Christian Education, Nurture, Lifespan Learning, Discipleship, or some other name.)

What Is My Job?

Oversee learning and teaching experiences for the congregation so that people of all ages grow in their understanding of the gospel and become better equipped for daily living as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Lead the congregation to understand the importance of lifelong growth and learning as Christian disciples.

Result Expected

An effective leader will assure that people of all ages will have opportunities for learning so that they will grow in their understanding of the gospel and become better equipped for daily living as faithful disciples. The congregation will have a comprehensive plan for growth and nurture for all ages and all stages of faith.

Spiritual Gifts and Qualifications Helpful for the Job

• This education leader benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, administration, helping, and shepherding.
• This leader shows evidence of passion for learning and helping people learn and grow in faith.
• Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages; interest in a wide range of educational experiences; the ability to work with teachers, small-group leaders, facilitators, and others involved in Christian nurture; and skills for researching educational issues and developing programs and events.

Responsibilities of the Position

This person will coordinate the planning and implementation of a comprehensive Christian formation ministry so that all people at every stage of faith have an opportunity to grow in discipleship.

• The education leader will identify, equip, and support people to serve as division superintendents (see job description for the Small-Group Coordinator/Church School Superintendent ), teachers, counselors, sponsors for children and youth programs and small-group facilitators (see job descriptions for the Small-Group Coordinator/Church School Superintendent and Small-Group Coordinator ).
• The leader and education team will be familiar with the overall goals of the congregation and how these goals influence and contribute to the educational programs.
• The education leader will be familiar with United Methodist curriculum resources, facilitate their use, and be able to recommend appropriate resources for all age levels and faith stages.
• This leader will learn about and link with organizations, people, and resources in and beyond the congregation that promote Christian discipleship in the Wesleyan tradition.
• The education leader will make efforts to ensure that people of all ages have opportunities to consider their vocation as Christians and how they may express their Christian discipleship in their careers, occupations, and daily living.
• The education team will lead the congregation in celebrations of worship and fellowship to highlight Christian education in events such as rally day, giving Bibles to children, and the launch of special programs such as DISCIPLE® Bible Study, Companions in Christ® and vacation Bible school.

Getting Started

• Learn from people in your congregation, in the community, and in other congregations who have interests similar to yours. Consider groups, events, and programs that will enhance the congregational plan for nurture. Collaborate with other congregations. Seek to identify gaps in your congregation and community where your congregation can lead the way in making a positive difference in your community.
• Help the congregation understand that a vital Christian faith includes intentional learning and growing in discipleship.
• Learn about the lives of people in your community and especially ways that nurture ministries can address community issues such as family support, grief support, community issue discussion panels, and so on.
• Soon after you are elected, convene a meeting of the ministry team to evaluate, share hopes and concerns, and plan for your work. Share the ministry with others by delegating projects to people in the church or community who have passion for a particular age group or a particular topic.

People and Agencies That Can Help

• Your pastor, parents, teachers, and others in your congregation, the community, and other congregations who share your interest in Christian growth and learning. Be alert to community groups committed to the education of others.
• Cokesbury’s Curric-U-Phone is staffed by professional Christian educators who are available to answer questions. Toll free, 1-800-251-8591; email: [email protected] .
• Discipleship Ministries, www.umcdiscipleship.org/leadership-resources ; toll free 1-877-899-2780; or email [email protected] .
• InfoServ, the information service for the church, provides current information about United Methodist resources, programs, and staff services. Email: [email protected] ; Website: infoserv.umc.org .

Web and Print Resources

• The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016 (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2016)
• Charting a Course of Discipleship , revised edition by Teresa Gilbert, Patty Johansen, and Jay Regennitter; revised by Delia Halverson (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2012)
• Comprehensive Plan for Teacher Development (free PDF download)
• Disciples Making Disciples: A Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders by Steven W. Manskar (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2016)
• Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007)
• Foundations: Shaping the Ministry of Christian Education in Your Congregation (free PDF download)
• Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation, 2017-2020: Christian Education and/or Small Group Ministries (Cokesbury, 2016)
• “How Adults Learn,” “Adult Faith Formation,” and other titles, www.umcdiscipleship.org/webinars
• Interpreter , www.interpretermagazine.org
• Keeping in Touch: Christian Formation and Teaching by Carol F. Krau (Discipleship Resources, 2014)
• Safe Sanctuaries®, www.umcdiscipleship.org/safesanctuaries
• Start Here: Teaching and Learning with Adults by Barbara Bruce (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2003)

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July 30, 2019

Job Description: Financial Secretary

An effective financial secretary will receive, record, and deposit all funds received by the congregation in a timely, thorough, and confidential. . .

Job Description: Finance Committee

An effective finance committee proposes a budget; then raises, manages, and distributes the financial resources of the congregation to support an. . .

Job Description: Church Treasurer

An effective church treasurer disburses all funds received into the church treasury in a responsible and organized manner, with funds identified . . .

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