| The Master of Christian Studies is designed for those wishing to complete a general course of theological studies to enrich their ministry effectiveness and deepen their understanding of the Christian faith. This program is especially appropriate for those contemplating ministry in a lay leadership context or a para-church ministry.
The program allows for maximum flexibility in selecting courses suited to the needs and interests of the individual. The student will be assigned an advisor who will assist and approve the selection of courses in the program. The advisor will work with the student to identify a vocational focus and the combination of courses which would best support that direction.
Master of Christian Studies
32 Units - Bible, Theology, and Christian History
30 Units - Open Electives
Diploma in Christian Studies
15 Units - Bible and Theology
15 Units – Open Electives
Growth Groups (two semesters)
Research Seminars (two semesters)
CORE COURSES
Growth Groups
The AGS Growth Groups are intended to provide students with an opportunity, outside of the formal programs and courses of the seminary, to reflect on personal, relational, emotional, and spiritual issues in their lives. The groups are an integral part of the seminary’s goal of developing mature leaders for the church.
•Growth Groups 1 – The focus of the first semester is on interpersonal communication, and the focus of the second semester is on dealing with our emotions and barriers in our personal growth.
•Growth Groups 2 – For second year students, this two-semester program is designed mainly to provide a caring community where students can evaluate honestly and process where they are on their spiritual journey and support each other on the next step they need to take to deepen their communion with God.
Research Seminars
New students are introduced to the challenges of research and writing at the graduate level through a series of research seminars. The seminars introduce students to library research, help develop critical and creative thinking skills, and offer guidance in developing and writing a research paper
Personal and Spiritual Formation
This course takes the student on an extended personal journey of self-reflection with the goal of preparing oneself for a unique ministry within the church. It is a personal exploration of one’s own strengths and readiness for ministry. The goal of the course is to enable the students to formulate their own philosophy of ministry in light of their unique strengths and giftedness for ministry.
Being a Servant Leader
This learning experience facilitates the development of servant leaders with Christ-like leadership skills and qualities. Students interact with secular leadership models through critical dialogue and reflection to discern what they can learn and apply to their own leadership ministry. Students also learn the basic skills for mentoring to develop other servant leaders. The main focus is to enable students to become reflective practitioners so they will learn and grow continuously as leaders while remaining humble servants of God’s people.
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