Overview

This diploma is a three-year full-time or six-year part-time program of study that fulfills the educational requirements for ordination as an elder or deacon in the Church of the Nazarene. The program has the same 24 courses as the Certificate of Ministry for a total of 72 credit units. The diploma is designed for those who have finished at least 10^th grade and would like the option of earning a college degree. All credit units for the Diploma are transferrable to the Bachelor’s degree. The program is validated by the Church of the Nazarene but is not accredited at this time.

Program Outcomes

• Students will be faithful to Christ’s commission and make Christlike disciples who in turn make Christlike disciples. This will be the DNA of the community of faith rather than simply an attractor of other Christians. This community will empower every believer to live out his or her calling as a sent disciple of Christ to infect the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be the church where the church is not yet.
• Students will be tangibly engaged with those outside the community of faith in relational and caring ways. They will be a positive force for the transformation of communities and societies through the love and grace of God.
• Students will be innovative, resilient, and creative in expressing the gospel while growing a deep understanding of the contextual issues of a particular society and culture.
• Students will show, not just tell, the broader society about the transformational love of Christ in all aspects of living.  As such, there is a commitment to be with people and incarnate the love of Christ.

Core Values

• Prayer and Scripture: Prayer is an essential activity for every Christian, pastor, teacher, and layperson. Prayer is included in the educational process, including classroom and personal study time.
• Congregational Focus: The role of the minister strongly influences activities needed in the classroom. Our goal is to train students to disciple others who can then disciple others.

Four Engagements

We want our students to engage in four ways in every single course to help them make disciples.

• With themselves. Students need to grow in character, understanding, confidence, and skill.
• With other students. Learning to function in teams and lead teams is a crucial skill for ministers.
• With a worshipping community. Students are encouraged to be part of a worshiping Christian community to properly develop as a minister. Many projects assigned in the courses will be accomplished within a local church/congregation/church plant.
• With the larger non-Christian community. Community engagement is a crucial skill for ministers. Course assignments will involve students in reaching out to their communities.

Description of the Programs

Course Sequence

This curriculum is built on a narrative framework. The core 24 ministry courses are divided into six sections that cover the core story of the Bible:

The God Who Creates
The God Who Calls
The God Who Meets
The God Who Pursues
The God Who Comes
The God Who Restores

Each course in the Bible/Theology section is paired with a practical course in the Ministry section. This shows the connection between theory and practice, formation and engagement. Students are encouraged to apply in their lives (character) and ministries (competency and context) what they have learned (content) throughout their studies.