Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership Major | Undergraduate Admissions

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2). There is a critical need for ministry leaders who are equipped for service in this ever-changing world. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, the Christian church in America will increasingly face a shortage of ministers.

The forward-looking Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major is part of the Center for Church Leadership at Concordia University Irvine. The Center aims to equip and form the next generation of pastors and ministry directors for entrepreneurial ministry leadership through academic course work, spiritual formation, and hands-on ministry experience.

Many traditional routes for pastoral education require students to complete four years of undergraduate education on top of an additional three to four years of graduate school education. The Center for Church Leadership accelerates ministry formation by combining undergraduate and graduate education into a unified program. Up to 23 units of the Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major will satisfy course requirements for the Master of Arts in Church Leadership. This means you can complete both your BS and MA coursework in five years, with a year of residency to follow. The accelerated format allows you to complete your schooling faster in order to get into ministry leadership roles sooner.

What Students Are Saying

Concordia has helped me grow in my relationship to God, my community with others, and my confidence in myself.

Jessica James '19

Curriculum

Students in the Center for Church Leadership will benefit from coursework that provides essential ministry skills in addition to traditional theology preparation. Many pastors and ministers who have gone through traditional routes of seminary and ministry education come to realize that their schooling did not prepare them for leadership roles in their church. They’ve taken classes on how to exegete the Bible, how to write and deliver a message, and how to counsel with those who are in distress, but they are at a loss when it comes to managing a budget, supervising a staff, and fundraising for new projects and endeavors. The Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major bridges this gap by offering courses in finance and non-profit leadership. The addition of this important coursework will better prepare you for high levels of leadership in local churches and other ministry organizations.

Sample Courses

MACL 473: Systematic Doctrinal Theology
3

Instructor and students will pursue graduate-level study of systematic doctrinal theology in biblical perspective. The course surveys the loci, i.e. the topics, of doctrinal theology. In the process we will consider the nature and task of theological reflection; the responsibilities and qualities of a theologian; and such key topics in theological reflection as the Person and Work of Christ, Justification, Law and Gospel, the Trinity, Creation, the Word of God, the Last Things, Christian Vocation, and the life of the Christian Church. Special attention will be given to recognizing and characterizing the church-related context in which and for which theology is undertaken. Our exciting and demanding task is to focus in every class session on theology that will serve the Church, the Body of Christ.

CCI 103: Introduction to Ministry
1

This course will explore Christian vocations including the possibility of full-time professional church work in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) as pastor, deaconess, teacher, director of Christian education, or director of parish music and examine these positions in the context of the church-at-large and local congregations. The professional and personal growth and formation of the future church worker will be described and fostered.

NPL 375: Conflict Resolution
3

This course will focus on the approaches that a leader can use to resolve conflict through the study of constructive and destructive conflict, conflict resolution styles, family systems theory, and various approaches to conflict resolution with attention given to conflict in values- and faith-based organizations.

FIN 211: Personal Finance
3

This course will prepare students to make appropriate decisions regarding financial planning in career choices, investment, savings, income taxes, credit cards, loans, car and home purchases, asset protection, health expenses, insurance, and real estate.

CED 202: Church Leadership and Administration
3

In this course students will explore biblical principles and current practices of leaders and managers: envisioning, organizing, recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteers, budgeting, publicizing, and evaluating with special emphasis upon the application of these functions to church and parachurch leadership and administration. Learning culminates in a strategic ministry plan used within students' fieldwork congregations. Prerequisite: Fingerprint clearance or consent of Christ College's Office of Church Vocations.

View Full Curriculum

Fieldwork

The nations come to the greater Los Angeles region.

The Center for Church Leadership believes that students learn and are formed by both in-class and out-of-class experiences. As such, you will complete three years of field education experience, with the capstone residency year being a full-time experience in ministry.

Partnerships with local churches play a vital role in the overall education of students in the Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major. It is in the local churches that you will receive a “boots on the ground” experience that allows you to put into practice what you’ve learned in the classroom – as well as bring back to the classroom the experiences that you've learned in the field. The intentional nature of the field education experiences helps to better prepare you for life-long service to the church.

Concordia University's location in Irvine also serves as an excellent place to equip ministry leaders who understand the changing culture of the United States and the world. Here, you will gain valuable experience contextually in a region of global enterprise as well as ethnic and cultural diversity. Well-equipped ministers help fulfill God’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel and equipping the saints.

Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership Majors

Through the Center for Church Leadership, we endeavor to integrate faith, work, and an entrepreneurial mindset for the flourishing of all.

Career Opportunities

The Center for Church Leadership prepares students to serve as:

Youth Pastors
Children’s Ministers
Small Group Pastors

Mission Directors
Executive Pastors
Church-Planters

Outreach Pastors
College Ministers
Teaching Pastors

Extracurricular Activities

As an Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major, you are invited to be an active participants in abbeywest, our campus ministry program. Concordia University Irvine provides an active and thriving campus ministry with many different choices and styles for worship. With both contemporary and traditional daily chapel services, Bible studies and mission projects, there is something for everyone.

Center for Church Leadership Scholarship

Concordia University Irvine is committed to offering at least 50% of tuition in institutional aid to our undergraduate Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership students. Institutional aid will be comprised of a variety of sources such as academic scholarships, talent awards, and need-based grants.

Get in Touch

For more information about the Entrepreneurial Ministry Leadership major at Concordia University Irvine, we invite you to contact us directly.

Prof. Jonathan Ruehs
Director, Center for Church Leadership
949-214-3114
jonathan.ruehs@cui.edu

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Get started on submitting your application for admission today. Applications received after February 15 are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Fall 2020 Deadlines to Apply
Early Action	Nov. 15
Early Action II	Feb. 15
Rolling	July 27

Spring 2020 Deadlines to Apply
Regular Decision	Jan. 3

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