West Texas Clergy Education: Courses

The major purpose of this module is to link theory with practice by providing regular, structured, and supervised opportunities for students to apply and test knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed largely during classroom-based studies, in concrete experiences in the church and community. The key component for providing practical experience and developing key vocational skills and competencies is found in the Supervised Ministry Experience. The student will be required to demonstrate a range of skills appropriate for his or her ministry context. Issues of character development are also addressed.

The course is a basic introduction to the field of Christian education. Christian education has its foundations in two primary areas: (1) Christian theology and (2) education. Therefore, we will be exploring the theological roots (both in the Bible and history) of Christian education and the education principles and practices that enable our efforts to be effective and relevant. The primary context in which Christian education takes place is the community of faith, which is most often expressed in the local church. So our study will focus primarily on Christian education in the local church and the various types of educational settings and structures present there.
At the completion of the course, the students and teacher will have a clearer understanding of how Christian faith is nurtured in persons and communities. They will be equipped with some basic skills to create strong educational structures, materials, and practices for use in their own settings. They will also have a growing passion to see children, youth, and adults become Christians and be nurtured in Christian faith.

What if the learning leader and students really opened their minds and hearts to all that God may want to do during this course? Suppose God wanted to launch a life-changing transforming movement of faith, fervor, and devotion that we cannot now even imagine through the experiences of this course.

Therefore, the vision statement begins with a call to the learning leader and students to put themselves at the disposal of God, the Holy Spirit. Let us make ourselves His—His if He wants to set us on fire for Christ. His if the Lord chooses to bless us with His silence. His if He seems to hide beyond the clouds beyond the reach of our prayers (Lam 3:44). His even if God’s silence can become for us a time of fertile emptiness in which we examine ourselves, submit to transformation, and imagine new beginnings. Let us be open to all the possibilities of grace.