Stewarding the Church in the 21st Century
Strengthening the ability of pastors to lead mission-focused, financially healthy, congregationally engaged churches.
This flexible, one-year program will provide ministry professionals with the opportunity to experience relevant, project-based coursework, to develop projects that will provide a direct benefit to the pastor and the church and to engage with ministry professionals.
Here's what to expect:
4 Appropriately paced, three-credit, online learning sessions that teach church leaders how to raise funds, recruit and manage volunteers, oversee budgets, create and use strategic plans, and develop a congregation that is focused on your church’s purpose.
3 Face-to-face meetings to learn from ministry experts and engage with peers.
2 Applied projects designed to provide direct benefit to you and your church based on the content covered in the coursework.
1 Student-coach connection to help you understand material, execute your projects, and serve as a mentor.
Courses:
The Path of Stewardship 1: NPCL Orientation
1 credit hour
Become familiar with the learning management system, establish personal learning goals and objectives, and get to know the purpose of the program.
Financial Stewardship: 21st Century Resource Development and Management
3 credit hours
Identify different approaches to gaining financial resources and a new understanding of financial management practices for your church.
Stewarding Human Resources: Governance, Personnel, and Volunteer Management
3 credit hours
Evaluate different leadership and governance structures for nonprofit and church oversight. Assess best practices for human resource development and management. Understand methods for volunteer recruitment, development, engagement, and retention.
Applied Project 1
3 credit hours
Apply concepts from the previous courses to solve a problem or create an improvement process within your church.
The Path of Stewardship 2
1 credit hour
Engage in oral presentation, reflection, and analytical skills by presenting your applied project. Reflect on strengths and challenges, and connect with mentors and other church leaders.
Stewarding Vision: Strategy Design, Implementation and Evaluation
3 credit hours
Compose vision, mission, values, and purpose statements. Understand elements of strategic planning, program design and evaluation.
Stewarding the church: Leadership and Management
3 credit hours
Understand the difference between leadership and management. Examine personal leadership strengths. Identify behaviors associated with leadership and describe key practices for effective management.
Applied Project 2
3 credit hours
Apply concepts from the previous courses to solve a problem or create an improvement process within your church.
The Path of Stewardship 3
1 credit hour
Engage in oral presentation skills by presenting your applied projects. Reflect on strengths and challenges, and connect with mentors and other church leaders.
“Seminaries prepare us well to be theologians, but they don’t always prepare us well to be administrators of the churches we serve. We need to be equipped to do both in order to serve effectively as pastors.”
Katie Ricke
Pastor at Beresford Zion United Methodist Church, Beresford, S.D., and program graduate.
Dakota Wesleyan University is proudly affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
For more information about this program, please call 605-995-2650 or email admissions@dwu.edu.
Alisha Vincent
Associate Professor, Chair of the Nonprofit Administration Program, and Director of Special Academic Projects and Initiatives
Email
Phone: (605) 995-2937