Formation for faithful leadership

Introduction to OT

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Biblical and Theological Foundations

This course provides a basic introduction to the Old Testament’s content, historical background, canon, genres, theology, culture, interpretation, and ecclesial use. By the end of the course, students…

Introduction to NT

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Biblical and Theological Foundations

This course introduces the New Testament as a collection of ancient texts from varying genres. By the end of the course students will be able to articulate what…

Ministry Profile

Personal Formation

This course is an immersive retreat designed to help participants clarify their ministry identity and name their primary ministry function for the current season of life and leadership.…

Spiritual Formation as a Practice

Personal Formation

This course invites students into spiritual formation as a lifelong practice shaped by rhythm, attention, and discernment rather than technique or performance. Drawing from the Reformed tradition and…

Self-Knowledge

Personal Formation

This course focuses on developing self-knowledge as a core component of faithful and sustainable ministry. Through guided reflection and the use of selected personality and leadership assessments, students…

Boundaries in Christian Care

Ecclesial Structure and Accountability

FORM 104 is a conversation-based, three-session course for pastors, commissioned pastors, church staff, elders, deacons, volunteers, and other participants in Christian ministry. The course treats boundaries as practices…

Psychological Evaluation and Debrief

Ecclesial Structure and Accountability

This course centers on psychological self-assessment and reflective integration as a component of preparation for commissioned ministry. The evaluation process is typically conducted through LeaderWise and includes a…

Introduction to Polity

Ecclesial Structure and Accountability

This course introduces students to the polity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a living system that shapes the life, governance, and ministry of the church. Grounded in…

Preaching Lab 1

Foundational Ministry Practice

This workshop introduces foundational skills for effective preaching by focusing on communication, structure, and listener engagement prior to advanced work in biblical interpretation and exegesis. The course is…

Practicum: Leading the Sacraments

Foundational Ministry Practice

This practicum prepares students to lead the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper faithfully, reverently, and pastorally within the Reformed tradition and the polity of the Presbyterian…

Practicum: Community Mission as Relationship Building/Christian Community

Foundational Ministry Practice

This practicum introduces students to the theory and practice of Christian mission as a community-building endeavor rooted in relationship, mutuality, and shared witness, rather than solely in meeting…

Practicum: Moderating

Foundational Ministry Practice

This practicum focuses on the practice of moderating congregational leadership meetings with clarity, purpose, and pastoral wisdom. The primary emphasis is on moderating Session meetings and committee meetings,…

Practicum: Witness to the Resurrection—Leading a Funeral

Foundational Ministry Practice

This practicum prepares students to lead funeral and memorial services as a faithful witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and as a pastoral act of care for…

Introduction to Reformed Theology

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Biblical and Theological Foundations

This course provides an introduction to Reformed theology through readings, lectures, and discussion with a particular focus on the theology of John Calvin and the content of the…

How We Believe: Foundations for Presbyterian Thought

Biblical and Theological Foundations

Presbyterian theology is not simply a list of doctrines or a collection of perfectly settled answers. It is a communal practice of listening, interpreting, questioning, deciding, and remaining…

Reformed Worship and Sacramental Theology

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Leading the Worshiping Community

This course in Reformed Worship and Sacraments introduces the basic scriptural, historical, and theological principles of Christian worship as viewed from a Reformed perspective, with special focus on…

Spiritual Formation II: Sustainable Ministry and Self-Care

Leading Self and Congregational Systems

This course deepens the practice of spiritual formation within the specific demands of congregational pastoral leadership. Building upon foundational work in spiritual disciplines and self-knowledge, students examine the…

Recommended preparation

FORM 102 — Spiritual Formation as a Practice

Family Systems Theory and Congregational Care

Leading Self and Congregational Systems

This course introduces students to family systems theory as a framework for understanding congregational life, leadership dynamics, and emotional processes within the church. Drawing from the work of…

Healthy Conflict and Communication in Congregational Systems

Leading Self and Congregational Systems

FORM 203 equips students to lead through congregational tension with steady presence, clear communication, and spiritually grounded resilience. The course explores how conflict functions in anxious systems, how…

Church Finance and Stewardship Systems

Leading Structures and Stewardship

POL 201 provides a practical foundation for financial governance in congregational and presbytery contexts. Students learn how money functions as a theological and organizational reality—shaping trust, mission capacity,…

Stewardship and Generosity Leadership

Leading Structures and Stewardship

This course explores stewardship and generosity as theological practices that shape congregational identity, mission, and discipleship. Rooted in Scripture and the Reformed tradition, the course examines how financial…

PCUSA Polity

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Leading Structures and Stewardship

This eight-week course provides an overview of Presbyterian Church (USA) polity, both in principle and in practice. There will be an emphasis on the use of the constitution…

Building Management and Property Stewardship

Leading Structures and Stewardship

Church buildings are more than assets to maintain; they are tools entrusted to the church for ministry and mission. This course introduces students to the practical and strategic…

Preaching: Exegesis and Theological Proclamation

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Leading the Worshiping Community

An introduction to the basic principles of preaching: what sets preaching apart from other types of oral communication; how does one select biblical texts for preaching; what spiritual…

Practicing Congregation Leadership: Designing Healthy Boards and Ministry Systems

Leading Structures and Stewardship

This practicum develops advanced competencies in congregational leadership through the intentional design of healthy boards, ministry structures, and decision-making systems. Building upon foundational work in polity, moderating, and…

Leading Transformative Bible Study

Leading Outward in Mission and Care

This practicum develops the skills and theological grounding necessary to lead Bible study as a formative, communal practice within the life of the congregation. Building upon foundational biblical…

Community Engagement Practicum: Mission, Evangelism, and Relational Presence

Leading Outward in Mission and Care

This practicum equips congregational pastors to lead communities into faithful, relational engagement with their local contexts. Building upon foundational work in community-based mission, the course moves from participation…

Christian Presence: Prayer, Visitation, and Spiritual Care

Leading Outward in Mission and Care

This practicum develops the capacity for sustained Christian presence in moments of vulnerability, transition, illness, grief, and spiritual questioning. Grounded in the hope of the gospel and the…

Christian Education and Catechetical Leadership

Offered through a seminary
Required in the applicable MVP pathway; register with the provider.

Leading the Worshiping Community

This course explores the role and practice of the teaching and discipling ministries of the church as graced means of cultivating the character of Christ personally and corporately.…