Cross Cultural Outreach for Church-Based Ministry

Module information

Module Tutor(s):: Robin Barfield
Semester:: Short Courses
Credits:: n/a
When is the course?:: Mondays 9.05-12.00
3rd Feb - 19th May (break 3rd March, 7th April, 14th April, 5th May)
Who is this course for?:: This course is ideal for anyone interested in furthering their understanding and engagement in God's worldwide work today, including church leaders, mission committee members, mission agency workers, and missionaries-in-training.
It is open for students outside of the UK to participate online.
How does it work?:: Each week will consist of two 50 minute interactive lectures. There are then about 3-4 hours a week of flexible work which will include reading (provided), engagement in the online discussions and watching additional content.
Students are expected to attend all classes and interact in the week on the online forums.
You can take this course online via Zoom or in-person at college.
Cost:: This course including access to our digital learning platform costs £300 for the 12 week course. Alumni can access one course for free each academic year. Select this box on your application.

In this module we'll be looking at training and equipping others, aiming to instill a deep understanding of leadership and team dynamics for children’s, youth and family ministry roles. What does it look like to keep going for the long haul? How does personal administration benefit the ministry? What does it look like to recruit and care for leaders well? And how do we engage well with wider evangelicalism and culture?

If you are involved in children, youth or family ministry as an employed minister, church leader or as a keen volunteer, then you will know how hard it is to recruit, train and equip leaders for serving Jesus in this way. This module is here to help you. It will help you to be clear on your aims and objectives in the task of leading a team and will alert you to some of the complexities of team dynamics, helping you to lead your ministry more faithfully and effectively.

We will be thinking through the dynamics of how we care for ourselves as we do this as well as how other interested parties might impact it – our relationship with other church leaders, parents and supporters. Then we will look at how we recruit and train teams, considering different church contexts and hearing from expert practitioners. We will think about what a healthy team culture looks like and the importance of character in selecting leaders.

The lecturer, Robin Barfield, served for over twenty years as a youth and children's minister in a local church, so he's got plenty of experience in grappling with these things. This module will be entirely accessible either on zoom or on campus. Some lectures will be delivered onsite and some remotely, making use of various digital tools to enable full participation in both places.

Applications have now closed. Email cpd@oakhill.ac.uk if you would like to submit a late application.

Details and forms

Church Leader's Reference Form

We require a reference if you are not currently in paid Christian ministry.

CPD Code of Conduct

Student Privacy Notice

If you have any questions pertaining to signing up for your course, group rates, or church rates email cpd@oakhill.ac.uk.

Please note in order to take this course you will need a reliable internet connection and payment (if required) needs to be made before 23rd August.