METP 101 | Knowing and Loving God

This course represents the foundation upon which a Christian leader builds their ministry. A basic understanding of the triune God is presented as well as how to have an ever-deepening relationship with him. The attributes of God the Father, the person and work of Christ the Son, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit are outlined with a strong emphasis on Scripture as the informing source of our knowing God. Who we are as human beings in relation to God is also covered. The importance of loving God is stressed with practical suggestions on how to grow in the grace and the knowledge of God.

METP 102 | Learning God’s Word

This course provides an overview of how the scriptures came to us, a brief presentation of God’s story and his interaction with humankind as described in the bible, and a primer of biblical interpretation. The importance of the scripture as the inspired word of God as a guide for our faith and practice is highlighted. Best practices for meaningful ongoing biblical engagement will be modeled with a view to spiritual formation of the minister as well as a source for preaching and teaching.

METP 103 | Caring for the People of God 

The focus of this course is on how a ministry leader or pastor can provide spiritual care for those they are leading. Using the scriptural metaphor of a shepherd leading sheep and the instructions of the apostle Paul to Timothy, the importance of being a caring person who thinks first of others will be discussed followed by recommendations of best practices about building relationships, counselling, caring in times of crisis, mediating conflicts, and developing other care-givers.

METP 104 | Communicating God's Word

This course will present a biblical understanding of the ministry of preaching and teaching. The focus is on getting from a biblical text to practical application in a way that helps the hearers to understand the main point of the message and motivates them to action. This course combines principles of effective exegesis, homiletic structure, and communication with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to inspire passionate and relevant preaching. Best practices of preaching and teaching will be outlined inviting the students to be aware of the contexts in which they may be presenting.

METP 105 | Ministering in Power

This course is an introduction to ministry that seeks to understand how to work in the supernatural with legitimate spiritual power to advance the kingdom of God for his glory. The role of prayer and working faith are explored in relation to power ministry. The ministry of Jesus and the apostles is discussed as models of doing ministry that includes expectations of signs and wonders. Prophetic speech, confrontations with demonic powers, healings, and the diversity of spiritual gifts are presented as various expressions of the working of the Holy Spirit in ministry contexts. The interventions and non-interventions of God are also discussed. (The confrontations with demonic powers is discussed in the companion course to METP 106 Spiritual Warfare.)

METP 106 | Spiritual Warfare

In this course we examine Spiritual Warfare from a biblical theological foundation. The unseen realm which includes good angelic beings and evil spirit beings is discussed in the context of God’s created order. Spiritual Warfare is explained in light of the Kingdom of God. A model of deliverance from demonic activity is presented. A brief explanation of strategic level spiritual warfare is provided.

METP 107 | Reaching the Lost, Making Disciples

In this course evangelism and discipleship will be highlighted as the primary activity of the church. The Great Commission to make disciples of all nations will be described in terms of the particular ministry context of the student. Making disciples will also be placed within the framework of loving our neighbours as ourselves exploring how evangelism can be appropriately combined with social work and social justice to serve our communities. The process of conversion will be clearly defined in terms of entry into the Christian life and the steps to Christian maturity will be outlined as a part of the discipleship process.

METP 108 | Financial Stewardship

In this course the spiritual and practical areas of money, finances, wealth, and poverty in relation to the personal life of the student and in relation to ministry concerns. A survey of how the scriptures speak to these matters will be presented. The positive and negatives sides of money will be discussed with regard to both personal and ministry finances. Best practices for the administration of finances will be highlighted. An underlying theme will be the importance of imitating our heavenly Father by having a generous spirit while at the same time being good stewards.

METP 109 | Marriage, Family and Ministry

In this course, the marriage and family life of the minister will be discussed in relation to the context and demands of their ministry. The importance of a healthy marriage will be highlighted and safeguards along with best practices that promote healthy marriages will be explored. Parenting tips that facilitate the raising of godly children will be presented. Best practices in maintaining a healthy balance between ministry and family concerns will be discussed. While the focus will be on the minister and their family, the concepts will also be presented in a way that they can be used for helping people in the churches in the area of marriage and family.

METP 110 | Leading Yourself and Others

In this course the basics of leadership will be presented beginning with a discussion on the practice of self-leadership. We will look at the minister’s calling and gifts that they bring to the ministry context. The heart of servant leadership will be described based on the leadership model of Jesus. Self-awareness of the students gifts will enable them to find their appropriate place in ministry alongside others. The spiritual disciplines that facilitate the development of authentic, transformational, servant leadership attitudes will be explored. Best practices for leading others will be highlighted to equip students for leadership roles in their respective contexts.

METP 111 | Building Communities of Faith

In this course the focus will be on church planting and organizational leadership. How those who have come into faith can be built into sustainable and missional communities of faith (i.e. a local church) will be explored. Principles of moving from organism to organization will be discussed taking into account the ministry context of the student. There will be a brief discussion about congregational dynamics providing some basic guidelines of navigating through conflicts. Ways of enhancing the corporate worship experience will also be explored. The principle of excellence in leading a congregation will be an underlying theme.

METP 112 | Developing Christian Leaders

This course will focus on the mentoring role that ministry leaders have in developing emerging leaders. Intentional mentoring relationships will be explained based on the mentoring model of Jesus as he equipped his disciples. The characteristics of an excellent mentor and the skills required for effective mentoring will be described. Best practices for initiating, sustaining, and concluding a mentoring relationship will be outlined. Some of the potential roles of the mentor in their engagement with the mentee will be defined.