Children and Family Ministry (BA)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Majors: Biblical Studies, Children & Family Ministry
Major Mission: The Children and Family Ministry major will equip students to lead Biblically-based, holistic disciplining ministries with children and their families anywhere.
Program Description:
This program exists because every child in every community all around the world should have someone who can help them know, love and obey God for a lifetime.
• There are approximately 2.2 billion children under the age of 15 in our world today. The church needs globally effective leaders who share God’s heart for children and have the ability to both think and act well.
• A high proportion of the world’s children are considered to be ‘in crisis.’ Effective children’s ministers must be equipped not only to meet spiritual needs, but to approach children and their families holistically.
• The context of the North American church is changing and effective children’s ministry can no longer focus exclusively on discipling the children of church members. Children’s ministers must also be equipped to engage non-Christian children in the context of their families and local communities.
This major prepares students to design, develop and lead relevant ministries with children and families in the church, the community and around the world. By combining strong biblical foundations, practical equipping, contextual awareness and significant field experience, students will develop the skills needed for effective ministry with children and families anywhere.
Major Outcomes - Students will:
1. Demonstrate integrity as a Christ-follower and leader.
2. Articulate a biblical and personal philosophy of ministry.
3. Evaluate and respond appropriately to the contextual needs of children and families.
4. Acquire skills for holistic discipleship ministry with children and families.
5. Cultivate skills to build and lead volunteer ministry teams.
The Children and Family Ministry Program reflects the following values:
Reflective Ministry
We recognize that doing flows from being. The children’s minister will be mindful of the work that God is doing in them as He works through them and will consistently apply biblical understanding to issues of practical ministry with children and families.
Holistic Ministry
We recognize that children are not only spiritual beings but also physical, social, emotional and intellectual. The children’s minister will seek to address the needs of the whole child in the context of the family, the church and the community.
Discipleship-Based Ministry
We recognize the Father’s heart is for children to know and follow Jesus for a lifetime. The children’s minister will walk with children and their families, building opportunities to encounter God and respond to Him in faith, worship, obedience, and service.
Family-Oriented Ministry
We recognize that God places children in immediate and extended families. A family-oriented ministry will never exclude a child’s family but seek to equip them as the primary influencers of their children. At the same time, the children’s minister will challenge the local church to be a spiritual family for all children.
Contextualized Ministry
We recognize that the needs of the children, families and communities differ over time, place and culture. The children’s minister will seek to listen and understand real needs in order to build ministries that allow the church to respond in relevant ways.
The curriculum sheet identifies the courses for this program. BA Children and Family Ministry Curriculum Sheet
For the course descriptions related to this program, see the courses section of the catalog.
4+1 Programs, Bachelor's + Master's
4+1 Program Option
In a 4+1 program, students work toward the completion of an undergraduate degree while also pursuing a Master’s degree. Graduate-level courses taken during undergraduate studies fulfill both undergraduate elective requirements and graduate program requirements. In the 4+1 program, students are dual-enrolled in LBC and Capital Seminary and Graduate School. For more information about the application process, please speak with your academic advisor. Available master’s programs include the Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM) and Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (MABS).
Admission Requirements
A student may opt for the Four-Plus-One track at any point up through the beginning of their junior year. Before a student is formally admitted to the track, however, an evaluation will be conducted by their academic advisor. The evaluation should consider the student’s previous academic performance, character and ability, and the recommendation of another LBC faculty member. Students may then either be admitted into the Four-Plus-One track, be given provisional admittance with requirements (e.g. raising GPA, etc.), or denied admittance and remain on the traditional four-year track.
4+1 Master of Arts in Ministry
The curriculum sheet identifies the courses for this program. BA/MAM Children and Family Ministry Curriculum Sheet
For the course descriptions related to this program, see the courses section of the catalog.
More information about the Master of Arts in Ministry program
4+1 Master of Arts in Biblical Studies
The curriculum sheet identifies the courses for this program. BA/MABS Children and Family Ministry Curriculum Sheet
For the course descriptions related to this program, see the courses section of the catalog.
More information about the Master of Arts in Biblical Studies program
Program Director:
Esther L. Zimmerman, PhD
Esther is Scottish though she now makes Pennsylvania her home. She attended Cairn University (B.S., Bible and B.S., Secondary Education), Pennsylvania State University (M.Ed., Training Design and Development) and earned a Ph.D. from Lancaster Bible College | Capital Bible Seminary & Graduate School.
She has been teaching full-time at Lancaster Bible College | Capital Bible Seminary & Graduate School since January 2016. Prior to that, she served for 12 years as International Children’s Ministry Director for a global mission organization while also supporting her husband in local church ministry.
Esther has been blessed with a global ministry perspective as she led a training project that extended to 60 countries. Her passion is multiplication of discipleship ministry to children in their families and communities and she continues to serve as an active member of the Global Children’s Forum.
She and her husband, David, have three children: Rebekah, Daniel, and Abigail.