The Master of Arts in Intercultural Ministry Education is designed for you to train others effectively for missions. While some courses are missiological, the focus is practical implementation of mission concepts and methodology. Students may choose between a Course Track and Thesis Track.
At the end of your degree you will:
There are 2 different tracks you can take to accomplish your MA in Intercultural Ministry Education:
The Course Track is designed to be more content based and focuses on how you can implement the content you’re learning in the classroom immediately.
The Thesis Track is designed for those who want to further their education after an M.A or teach at an advanced level. The thesis track is also beneficial for those interested in ministering overseas because some countries only acknowledge master’s degrees with a written thesis (for instance, Brazil).
Missiological Education – Training for Affective Growth
Empirical research has demonstrated that the most critical factors affecting cross-cultural ministry
competence are the spiritual, character, and social dynamics of the missionary. This course looks at these
empirical studies, detailing the spiritual, character, and social dimensions and considering ways and
models by which these can be developed in the lives of missionaries for effective ministry. (3 Credits)
Philosophy of Missiological Education
This course is focused on educating and training missionary practitioners for competent cross-cultural
ministry. It studies theoretical and empirical literature on wide-ranging concepts of competence. These
concepts include adaptive patterns, competence assessments, cognitive social learning concepts, social
and psychological orientations, models of cross-cultural competence, personal qualities, and ministry
skills. Empirical field studies that have redefined cross-cultural competence will be presented along with
recommended content design models with reference to their defining philosophies of education and
training. Please note: this course is a prerequisite for Ministry Training – Program and Curriculum
Design (EDU524). (3 Credits)
Cross-Cultural Ministry – Design for Effective Teaching
Western teaching styles tend to be deductive; non-western tend to be inductive. To be effective in cross cultural ministry it is important to understand and be skilled in communicating truth both inductively and deductively. This course trains the student in both approaches. (3 Credits)
Missiological Education – Design for Effective Training
Competence in cross-cultural ministry demands skills including language learning, culture study, religion
and worldview study, and ministry skills specific to the cross-cultural context. These are skills that are not
easily learned in the traditional classroom but require experiential field training. This course looks at how
to design, manage, undertake, and assess field training in preparing missionaries for effective ministry. (3 Credits)
Ministry Training – Program and Curriculum Design
This course takes students step-by-step through a systematic approach in developing competence-oriented
missionary training programs. This will enable students to start their own training schools or to evaluate
and effectively improve the training in existing schools. Prerequisite: Philosophy of Missiological
Education (EDU521). (3 Credits)
Our general electives requirements are designed to fit your needs. We have a large selection of courses that you can choose from.
You can download our academic catalog to see all of our courses.
You can choose any of the 2 classes to fulfill your Intercultural Studies requirements:
Cross-Cultural Communication
Communication is complex; cross-cultural communication is even more complex. This course first lays a foundation of theory in the field of intercultural communication. It overviews many elements and processes involved in the sending and receiving of messages within intercultural contexts. It then addresses issues in communication that students must be aware of, including 15 factors affecting cross-cultural communication, communication competence models, cognitive social learning concepts, perception, categorization, attribution, and cognitive complexity. The course wrestles with the implications of these for effective ministry and how to implement training to develop these competencies. (3 Credits)
Intercultural Interaction
This course will explore the factors that serve to facilitate or impede communication within one’s cross-cultural context. The student will be able to learn the difference between perceived communication and the reality of what cultural communication consists of and apply the principles to help him or her communicate more effectively. (3 Credits)
Missiological Anthropology
This course looks at the universals of culture from the perspective of a missionary, using theory, research, and case studies to help missionaries think about issues and processes of cultural adaptation/contextualization they must work through. As an applied course, this is meant to be practical, its concepts and principles integrated into cross-cultural ministry. (3 Credits)
Applied Church-Planting Models and Methods
Lessons from evangelistic and church-planting models from around the world are compared to identify strengths and weaknesses of each, and how to personally develop a contextually effective method from the insights gained. (3 Credits)
Contextualization in Missions
Every church exists in some cultural and sociological context. Yet missionaries tend to plant churches that function like their home-culture churches. It is essential that the church be both biblically sound and culturally viable. Contextualization is an essential concept and a necessary skill. However, contextualization is fraught with controversy over degree of contextualization and how contextualization in various contexts is undertaken. These issues will be considered and a theory and model for a biblically and missiologically sound approach to contextualization developed. (3 Credits)
Dynamics of Kingdom Ministry
This course gives students a personal and Kingdom-oriented theology of ministry, demonstrating God’s heart and passion for the world through Scriptures. How mission fits into the extension and promotion of the Kingdom of God is studied, including the power and resources of the Kingdom, the centrality of the Kingdom in proclamation, and the final victory of the Kingdom over Satan and all his kingdom as mission works towards the culmination of this present evil age and the inauguration of the eternal Kingdom of God, the reign of the King, Jesus, and the role of the glorious people of God in all of these events. The course is intensely practical, each student working through how a Kingdom worldview should transform life and ministry. (3 Credits)
Dynamics of Kingdom Ministry
This course gives students a personal and Kingdom-oriented theology of ministry, demonstrating God’s heart and passion for the world through Scriptures. How mission fits into the extension and promotion of the Kingdom of God is studied, including the power and resources of the Kingdom, the centrality of the Kingdom in proclamation, and the final victory of the Kingdom over Satan and all his kingdom as mission works towards the culmination of this present evil age and the inauguration of the eternal Kingdom of God, the reign of the King, Jesus, and the role of the glorious people of God in all of these events. The course is intensely practical, each student working through how a Kingdom worldview should transform life and ministry. (3 Credits)
Training for Effective Growth
Empirical research has demonstrated that the most critical factors affecting cross-cultural ministry competence are the spiritual, character, and social dynamics of the missionary. This course looks at these empirical studies, detailing the spiritual, character, and social dimensions, and considering ways and models by which these can be developed in the lives of missionaries for effective ministry. (3 Credits)
Philosophy of Missiological Education
This course is focused on educating and training missionary practitioners for competent cross cultural ministry. It studies theoretical and empirical literature on wide-ranging concepts of competence. These concepts include adaptive patterns, competence assessments, cognitive social learning concepts, social and psychological orientations, models of cross-cultural competence, personal qualities, and ministry skills. Empirical field studies that have redefined cross-cultural competence will be presented along with recommended content design models with reference to their defining philosophies of education and training. (3 Credits)
Design for Effective Teaching
Approaches to teaching differ around the world. Each of these approaches have strengths and weaknesses inherent in them. This course looks at effective teaching processes and elements from both inductive and deductive approaches to communicating truth. (3 Credits)
Design for Effective Training
Competence in cross-cultural ministry demands skills including language learning, culture study, religion and worldview study, and ministry skills specific to the cross-cultural context. The course looks at specifics in designing, managing, doing, and assessing experiential field training. (3 Credits)
Program and Curriculum Design
This course takes students step-by-step through a system-approach in developing competence oriented missionary training programs. This will enable students to start their own training schools or to evaluate and effectively improve the training in existing schools. (3 Credits)
Our general electives requirements are designed to fit your needs. We have a large selection of courses that you can choose from.
You can download our course description to see all of our courses.
Thesis Intro: Missiological Research Methods
This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of missiological research. It will look
at how to do research on missions leadership and praxis or any missiological issue utilizing socio-anthropological inquiry integrated with theological and missiological thinking. The development of a research design, bibliography, and database for the thesis will be included.
Thesis Course I: Defining the Problem and the Proposed Methodology
This is the first course in the Thesis process. During this eight-week course the student will engage with
foundational design and methodologies of missiological research and develop skills of critical
engagement with literature in their field. In the majority of cases, students will select a qualitative or
quantitative approach to their research. The outcome includes a refinement of the methodology used in
the thesis, literature research, and developing a bibliography for the student’s final thesis paper.
Thesis Course II: Literature Research and Refined Methodology
Through this course, students will engage with foundational design and methodologies of missiological
research and develop skills of critical engagement with literature in their field. The outcome includes a
refinement of the methodology used in the thesis, literature research, and developing a bibliography for
the student’s final thesis paper.
Thesis Course III: Discovery and Analysis
This course provides the structure to write the first three chapters for a thesis for the Master of Arts
program. The student will be guided step by step through the entire process.
Thesis Course IV: Findings and Conclusions
This course provides the structure to write a thesis for the Master of Arts program. The student will be
guided step by step through writing chapters four and five for a successful Master of Arts thesis.
