Children and Family Ministry (BA)
Credential: Bachelor of Arts
Majors: Children & Family Ministry, Biblical Studies
Certification/Licensure: This program is not intended to lead to certification/licensure.
Location: Lancaster
Program Director: Esther L. Zimmerman, PhD
Program Mission Statement: 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.
Program Learning Outcomes: As a result of this program, 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.
Experiential Learning: We place a high value on field experience in ministry preparation. As a result, all undergraduate ministry students will complete a 3-credit internship as well as a 3-credit practicum in Children and Family Ministry prior to graduation. Students are responsible for arranging their own field placements in area churches or parachurch ministries. However, the Church and Ministry Leadership Department maintains an active list of ministry internship opportunities and works closely with students and ministries to ensure a good learning experience.
Curriculum Structure and Degree Requirements
|
Curriculum Structure
|
Credits
|
|
LBC Foundation Studies Courses
|
4
|
|
Bible & Theology Core Courses
|
30
|
|
Arts & Sciences Core Courses
|
31
|
|
Major Courses
|
45 |
|
Exploration Studies – Elective Courses
|
12 |
|
Program Total
|
122 |
LBC Foundations (4 credits)
Bible & Theology Courses (30 credits)
| BTH 101 | Foundations for Biblical and Theological Studies | 3 |
| BIB 103 | Creation & Covenants: OT I | 3 |
| BIB 104 | Israel's Life & Literature: OT II | 3 |
| THE 223 | Christian Narrative I: Creation & Fall | 3 |
| THE 224 | Christian Narrative II: Redemption & Consummation | 3 |
| BIB 203 | Life of Christ: NT I | 3 |
| BIB 204 | Early Church: NT II | 3 |
| Bible Elective - BOT or BNT | 3 |
THE
| Theology Elective | 3 |
| THE 320 | Christianity and Culture | 3 |
Arts & Sciences Courses (31 credits)
| LAN 101 | Academic Writing, Research, and Rhetoric | 3 |
| LAN 104 | Public Speaking | 3 |
LIT
| Literature Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
HIS
| History Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
SCI
| Science Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
SCI
| SCI Lab (100/200 Level) | 1 |
MAT
| Math Core (100/200 Level) | 3 |
| Structures of Human Culture Elective* | 3 |
| SOC 325 or SOC 326 | |
| Arts & Sciences Elective (300 or 400) level | 3 |
| Arts & Sciences Elective | 3 |
Children & Family Ministry Courses (45 credits)
| CML 102 | Foundations of Ministry | 3 |
| CML 210 | Fundamentals of Leadership | 3 |
| CML 324 | Spiritual Formation of Ministry Leaders | 3 |
CML
| CML Elective | 3 |
CML
| CML Elective | 3 |
CML
| CML Elective | 3 |
| THE 303 | Theology of Children, Youth and Family | 3 |
| CFM 201 | Teaching Skills for Children | 3 |
| CFM 323 | Pastoral Care of Children and Families | 3 |
| CFM 334 | Discipleship of Children | 3 |
| CFM 421 | Community Ministry | 3 |
| CFM 433 | Leadership in Children and Family Ministry | 3 |
| CML 250 | Ministry Field Experience | 3 |
| CFM 350 | CFM Internship | 3 |
| CFM 450 | CFM Practicum | 3 |
| CML 400 | Cross Cultural Experience | 0 |
Exploration Studies (12 credits)
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
Program Director: Esther L. Zimmerman, PhD
Esther is Scottish though she now makes Pennsylvania her home. She attended Cairn University (BS, Bible and BS, Secondary Education), Pennsylvania State University (MEd, Training Design and Development) and earned a PhD 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.