DCE Program Distinctives
God calls us into ministry and provides pathways to prepare us for our area of service. At Concordia University Irvine, we take seriously our part in preparing students for a lifetime of service to Christ and His kingdom.
Our approach to the formation of a DCE consists of three interrelated areas:
- Theological Formation, which focuses on gaining a solid understanding of the Christian faith as taught by the Lutheran Confessions, as well as the ability to make application of Lutheran theology in the practice of daily ministry.
- Character Formation, which focuses on gaining the integrity, attitude, moral fiber, and personal disposition necessary for service of the church in Christ’s kingdom.
- Skill Formation, which focuses on the practical skills necessary to strategically plan, implement, and evaluate Christian education ministry in congregations of the LCMS.
We provide this quality formation for ministry through the practical ministry experience of our faculty and program directors. This strength bears out in our teaching as well as our emphasis on the fieldwork experience.
The DCE program is a part of Christ College, providing you with strong mentoring relationships with the strongest theology faculty in the Concordia University System.
The DCE program focuses on life-span ministry, preparing you to work with people of all ages. You may minor in specific ministry areas, such as Worship Arts Leadership, Cross Cultural Studies, Early Childhood, Missiology, Youth Ministry, or in any other minor the university offers.
The DCE program includes a strong fieldwork component. You are assigned to a fieldwork church as early as your freshman year and continually connect classroom learning to the congregation. This also provides you with DCE or pastor mentors throughout the program.
The DCE program incorporates a strong element of assessment through the use of growth plans used throughout the fieldwork component of instruction. You will have regular assessment of your theological, character, and skill formation.
Concordia’s quality Global Programs offer you study abroad opportunities that connect with your preparation for ministry.
The Christian Education Leadership major is separate from the DCE program, which enables students of various denominations to enroll in the major and prepare for Christian education ministry within their church bodies.
DCE students build relationships with other church work students through the Christ College courses. Taking these courses together strengthens present and future relationships between ministers in the various church work professions.
This program provides great opportunities for networking with local DCE's eager to share their wisdom in formal class settings and informally over lunch.