Free College Ministry Courses

Christian Leaders Institute serves 180 nations in bringing college-level courses to many applications for those called into ministry. If you are seeking College credentials for part-time or career ministry positions, these free courses will help you earn college credentials.

If you are seeking to grow in your effectiveness as a Christian leader in your community, and you are not worried about college credentials, but you seek the rigor of formal college training, these courses will advance your ministry mission.

If are seeking licensed or ordained clergy recognition and you want a study based program, the Christian Leaders Alliance recognizes these free Christian ministry training courses at Christian Leaders Institute.

Start your Free College Ministry courses by creating an account at the Christian Leaders Learning site. This Learning site is made possible by Christian Leaders Ministries. These courses are generosity supported and available to anyone who has an internet connection, using their phones, tablets, or desktop computers.

Free Christian Ministry Training Courses

Ministry Foundations – MIN 101 (3 credits)

This course gives you a great foundation for pursuing basic ministry and developing your Christian leadership. This course is foundational for those who want to serve in a voluntary (bi-vocational) or salary position in ministry.

Outcomes:

Get a working knowledge of the leadership levels.
Understand the dark side of leadership so that you will stay effective in your leadership.
Learn the Biblical Foundations for Leadership
Develop assessment strategies for personal growth as a leader
Learn how to write a leader mission statement.
If you have not done so in the Connections class, you will also have the opportunity in this class to test out of the Christian Basics Course. Successfully completing that Christian Basics comprehensive exam earns you the Christian Basics Award.

Pastoral Care – MIN 210 (3 credits)

This course discusses caring for others pastorally as well as strengthening your own marriage. Whether you are married or not, this course gets at the spiritual principles of what makes a powerful kingdom partnership as a husband and wife become one spiritually, emotionally, and sexually. If you are married it is recommended that your spouse participates with you in going through this course.

Outcomes:

Develop character and ability for shepherding others on behalf of the Good Shepherd.
Learn biblical essentials of marriage.
Cultivate health in one’s own marriage (if married) and in the marriages of others.
Improve listening skills, self-awareness, and healthy boundaries.
Learn to deal wisely with conflict and live in the peace of Christ.
Know how to minister to the sick in Jesus’
Understand some of the major legal issues in pastoral care.

People Smart for Ministry – MIN 151 (3 credits)

This course discusses people intelligence for life and ministry. This class will help you identify common principles for effective communication and how to improve your effectiveness. This course also will help you minister to people better as you learn to hear what they are really saying. This course is designed for you to learn how to express your love in ways that people will understand.

Outcomes:

Learn the basics of communication, such as attentive listening and wise speaking.
Learn best practices for elements of communication such as first impressions, presentation, starting a conversation, and keeping a conversation going.
Learn elements from communication theory that the academic business community has identified as crucial for effective enterprise, with the application for ministry.
Learn how to conduct interviews or be interviewed.
Use humor to bless others and become a person who is more fun and accessible.
Ability to deal with troublemakers, such as “dragons in a church.”
Develop positive people skills and communication habits.

PeaceSmart Relationships – MIN 240 (3 credits)

PeaceSmart Relationships teaches students how to bring Biblical peace culture to every relationship in their lives. This course is increasingly important for those in ministry or those who are pursuing enterprise-related activities. Professor Brian De Cook practiced law for over 25 years. In this practice, he saw how many families, churches, and businesses suffered greatly because of conflict. This in-depth course will help you thrive in your bi-vocational or vocational calling!

Outcomes:

Discern and pursue God’s purpose in situations of conflict.
Discern and avoid harmful reactions to conflict.
Understand and use God’s reconciling power through loving confrontation, confession, and forgiveness.
Seek God’s presence in conflict through humility, faith, love, and sacrifice.
Learn to apply Peace Smart principles in families, organizations, and evangelism.

Church and Ministry – MIN 220 (3 credits)

This course explores some key aspects of pastoring a church including: Your Family and Ministry, Leading the Leaders, Helping People Through Grief, The Nine Facets of Training your Ministry and Small Group Volunteers (Carl George), Sharing the Gospel, Hospitality, and tools for pastors as they set up a discipleship culture in homes of those they influence. This course also offers guidance for dealing with important transitional events, such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

Outcomes:

Understand and embrace a ministry model of forming disciples of Jesus in a community of believers.
Prioritize sustainable, healthy self-care and discipling of family members.
Learn to train leaders for ministries and small groups.
Develop skills for guiding people through life transitions and important rituals such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
Develop vision and skills for evangelism and hospitality.

Sex Education and Conversations – MIN 261 (4 credits)

Sexual intimacy is a God-given gift connected to marriage and procreation. This course discusses many vital aspects of sexuality within a Christian worldview approach in order to equip Christians and ministers to grow in their personal lives and in their ministry impact.

Outcomes:

Upon completion of this course, students will:

Learn about the creation and fall of sexual intimacy and pleasure.
Survey the fall of sexual intimacy in the Old and New Testament.
Develop a theology of sexual intimacy renewal.
Study “God’s Design for Sex” mini-course led by Ruth Buezis.
Study singleness and the topic of masturbation from a Biblical point of view.
Survey some of the challenges to sexual intimacy.
Study the Song of Solomon mini-course led by Dr. Lloyd Carr.
Learn how to open up conversations about sex in the church and among Christians. Ruth Buezis will lead us through that discussion.
Get training about helping others overcome sexual sin, including porn and affairs.
Become aware of tools and insights that strengthen sexual intimacy or bring healing to sexual intimacy struggles.

Influence Smart – MIN 237 (1 credit)

Have you ever been around a leader who makes it fun to accomplish something? Have you ever noticed that some leaders know how to influence others in their thinking or in a team setting? Have you ever thought about becoming a person of influence or helping others become influencers? The dictionary defines influence as “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.”

Course Outcomes:

Understand the habits that hurt your influence.
Learn what the Bible says about influence from the book of Proverbs.
Learn some of the ways influence is thought about in culture.

Restoring Relationships – Transforming Justice – MIN 245 (3 credits)

This course teaches you to think about justice and conflict in a new way. We all have conflict stories that mark our lives. This course examines the dynamics of conflict and offense from a restorative justice perspective. It presents a way of processing conflict that encourages redemptive conflict stories grounded in a relationship of relentless reliance on Jesus Christ.

Course Outcomes:

Learn the dynamics of conflict from a Biblical perspective.
Develop skills to identify the opportunities that exist in every conflict you encounter.
Embrace the challenges that you face as an individual on parole/probation and establish a plan to change the dynamics of conflict in your life.
Recognize your existing approach to conflict and how it can be improved.

Anger Management – MIN 256 (1 credit)

This course focuses on helping people to manage unchecked behaviors that lead to poor judgment, acting out, self-destructive behaviors, and feeling out of control. Instead, attitudes and behaviors can be cultivated that are conducive to long-term success and peace of mind.

Course Outcomes:

Learn about anger issues and their causes.
Reduce and prevent exhibited anger behaviors.
Discovery of anger examples called undiscussable.
Internalize the antidote to acting out anger.
Name Self-protective strategies that bring anger into the open.
Learn anger’s impact on health and wellness.
Overcome the overwhelming.
Learn behaviors essential to anger management success.
Understand the mistakes and how we learn from them.
Choose an extraordinary emotional management path.
Communicate with precision/ Neuro-linguistic programming.
Develop relationships restoration and building.

Senior Adult Ministry – MIN 275 (3 credits)

This course provides training for ministry among senior citizens. The class surveys various aspects of aging persons, their unique needs, and opportunities for faith and service in God’s Kingdom. It explores life coaching for seniors, thus equipping ministers of all ages to benefit the seniors they are pastoring. It also examines current academic thought regarding seniors.

Outcomes:

Identify some unique characteristics of aging persons in terms of biological aging, mental acuity, and social development.
Be able to help golden agers discover and put to use the skills, talents, and time God has given them.
Be equipped to help senior citizens find joy in their last years.
Know challenges facing senior citizens and the Body of Christ as together they seek the betterment of seniors and the care that can be offered by, to, and with seniors.

Multiplying Disciples – MIN 312 (2 credits)

Multiplying Disciples is a course designed for ministers who are passionate about spreading the movement. The benefit of studying this course material is that you will be able to lead others with the same material. This two-credit course will assist you in:

Serving as a local volunteer, part-time, or career minister
Leading a Small Group
Planting a New House Church
Developing a new local church launch team
Reaching others in evangelism
Becoming a Life Coach Minister

Course Outcomes:

Learn the Biblical Framework of Discipleship identity and practice.
Develop practices that help you as a minister to live as a disciple and as a personal embodiment of the church.
Learn how to study the Bible to be effective as a small group or house church leader.
Survey the Old and New Testaments and the essential knowledge needed to lead a small group or church.
Study the essential theological issues that allow you to disciple others.
Discover your role in spreading the gospel in the discipleship framework.

Disability Smart – MIN 340 (3 credits)

Disability Smart refers to interacting wisely and well with people of differing abilities. Although widely used, the word “disability” can be misleading if understood negatively. God endows people with differences of ability. So the word “disability” is often less helpful than phrases such as “differences of ability” or “all abilities.” Although the course is titled “Disability Smart,” to keep it short, the subtitle better expresses the purpose of this class: Creating Congregations of Belonging for People of All Abilities.

As church leaders oversee worship, education, fellowship, and service opportunities for people in their congregations, it’s important to recognize that the congregation consists of people of all abilities. Children’s programs may include a child with Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder. Adult programs may include individuals who are struggling readers or a person diagnosed with dementia. When we worship as a community, there will be people gathered who represent a wide variety of abilities and disabilities. This course will equip you to make your congregation a community where each one can participate and belong. Pastors, worship leaders, children and youth leaders, and others involved in leading church programs will benefit from this course.

Course Outcomes:

Learn a framework (known as the 3-part plan) for effective ministry with people of all abilities.
Explore the Puzzle Piece Perspective (Part 1 of the plan), as a Scriptural understanding of God’s design of individuals and communities.
Learn and apply principles of Universal Design for Participation (Part 2 of the plan) in various ministries within your congregation.
Learn and apply principles of Responsive Design (Part 3 of the plan) that will allow you to plan for individuals.
Discover some areas of difference, such as autism spectrum disorder, dementia, mobility differences, and medical conditions, and how to apply the framework (3-part plan).
Learn how to embrace the God-given gifts of each person God has arranged as part of your community and strategies that allow individuals to use their gifts.
Recognize that learning and spiritual growth can happen differently for different individuals, but each one is designed to fill an important part of the Kingdom.
Discover ways to introduce people to Jesus who take in information differently than you do.
Learn how to worship with persons with dementia, address challenging behaviors, and discover important cultural dimensions of ministry with people of varied abilities.
Be confident that the setting you oversee can provide places of belonging for people of all abilities.

Breaking the Cycle of Addiction – MIN 350 (3 credits)

This course teaches you how to help others break the cycle of addiction.

Course Outcomes:

Learn the characteristics of addictions and the types of addiction.
Understand the theological issues related to addiction.
Understand your role in communicating the impact of addiction in communities.
Develop your ministry approach suited to your ministry leadership.
Learn about the Twelve Step program and its application in your ministry.

Sermon Construction and Presentation – MIN 380 (4 credits)

This course builds upon the basics of communication, explores various elements of preparing and preaching sermons, discusses various models of preaching, and presents a wide-ranging sample of preachers for learning and critical evaluation.

Course Outcomes:

Pursue preaching as a Scripture-based, Christ-centered proclamation of God’s message for people today.
Grasp and apply elements of preparation and crafting of sermon content.
Grasp and apply elements of nonverbal communication in preaching.
Sample a variety of preachers from the past and present.
Develop an individual preaching style that fits one’s own personality and abilities.

Worship Ministry – MIN 420 (3 credits)

This course examines the cultivation and practice of worship ministry. You will gain a deeper understanding of various elements of public worship, develop the ability to lead worship teams and musical praise, equip others to be effective worship leaders, discern the impact of worship style on seekers and longtime church members, and make the most of worship space, sound, and lighting.

Course Outcomes:

Understand what worship is and what is involved in leading public worship.
Know how to enhance various elements of public worship.
Develop vision and practical ability for leading worship teams and musical praise.
Evaluate and make the most of worship space, sound system, and lighting.
Consider the impact of worship style on new people and long-time church members.

Church Revitalization – MIN 430 (3 credits)

This course examines the necessity for church revitalization, the contributing factors that contribute to decline, and the biblical principles which lead to health and vitality.

Course Outcomes:

Have a biblical understanding of the nature and purpose of the church.
Be able to define the contributing factors that have led to decline and stagnation in your ministry context.
Understand the critical importance of repentance and how to lead others through it.
The ability to distinguish between the church growth model and the healthy church model.
Examine the role of the leader from both spiritual and pragmatic perspectives.

Preaching, Preparation, & Presentation – MIN 480 (3 credits)

This class cultivates the art and method of preparing and preaching effective sermons and/or formal Christian presentations. Drawing first upon the Bible and communion with the Spirit, students will deepen their calling as preachers, develop their skills in crafting and delivering powerful messages, and grapple with some practical challenges in preaching.

Course Outcomes:

Learn how to study the Bible in a way that will lead to sermons reflecting the truth that you learn.
Develop a pattern of sermon making that uses the skills taught to prepare interesting and attention-getting introductions, organize the body of the sermon in a memorable way, and conclude your message with power.
Embrace your role and calling as a preacher as you understand where and how we were called and the tremendous responsibility we preachers have.
Recognize that the called preacher must relate effectively to the congregation where he/she preaches. Several examples are given of how to do this.
Reflect on some of the practical issues of preaching, like preaching through pain and preaching when people aren’t responding.

Evangelism: Presenting Grace – MIN 310 (3 credits)

This class looks at mighty things the Holy Spirit does in the thought, work, and practice of presenting God’s grace to others through evangelism. Free College Ministry Training Courses like this one will help you reach the world for Christ!

Outcomes:

Understand and articulate God’s grace revealed throughout biblical history and given fully in Jesus.
Understand how salvation by grace relates to God’s law and Christian freedom.
Witness vocally and clearly to others in the Holy Spirit’s power about salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.
Recognize and overcome barriers and objections to vocal witnessing.
Develop a pattern of evaluating and increasing knowledge, courage, strategy, and skill for vocal witness.

Church Planting – MIN 313 (4 credits)

This Free college ministry training course takes many principles of marketing and integrates them with a biblical framework for planting sustainable, reproducible churches. (This class can be used as a marketing core requirement for the Degree program or as an elective in all programs. You can only use this course once in your program.)

Outcomes:

Form godly character and spiritual mentality to become a church planter.
Understand the need and opportunity for planting more churches.
Develop vision, strategy, and skills for healthy, sustainable church planting.
Identify and overcome hindrances to church planting.
Consider various church planting models and evaluate a target community.
Know how to cultivate leaders, form small groups, build stewardship, publicize a church launch, and accomplish other practical aspects of church planting.

MIN 318 – Senior Adult Ministry (3 credits)

This course provides training for ministry among senior citizens. The class surveys various aspects of aging persons and their unique needs and opportunities for faith and service in God’s Kingdom. It explores life coaching for seniors, thus equipping ministers of all ages to benefit the seniors they are pastoring. It also examines current academic thought regarding seniors.

Outcomes:

Identify some unique characteristics of aging persons in terms of biological aging, mental acuity, and social development.
Be able to help golden agers to discover and put to use the skills, talents, and time God has given them.
Be equipped to help senior citizens find joy in their last years.
Know challenges facing senior citizens and the Body of Christ as together they seek the betterment of seniors and the care that can be offered by, to, and with seniors.

Worship Ministry (3 credits)

The course looks at the culture and practice of worship ministry while exploring the dynamics of connecting in worship. This course also helps you learn how to lead others to be effective worship leaders. Attention is paid to some practical ways to help you learn how to learn and lead with instruments.

Outcomes:

Understand what worship is and what is involved in leading public worship.
Know how to enhance various elements of public worship.
Develop vision and practical ability for leading worship teams and musical praise.
Evaluate and make the most of worship space, sound system, and lighting.
Consider the impact of worship style on new people and long-time church members.

Women’s Ministry – MIN 475 (3 credits)

This course considers all general aspects of Women’s Ministry: Is there a need? Is it biblical? How to start and maintain a ministry?

Outcomes:

Know significant women and their ministry in Scripture and in Christian history.
Overcome obstacles and develop a vision for purposeful ministry.
Know various ways of equipping godly women to minister to women in church, community, and world.
Build practical skills for event planning, team building, leadership training, Bible study selection, crisis counseling, and avoiding burnout.
Understand the importance of ministry tailored to the unique needs and perspectives of women.

Ministry Care Conversations – MIN 235 (3 credits)

This course looks at many of the human relational dynamics that occur in most families. These insights are very helpful for Christian Leaders to lead people into God-glorifying wholeness. The Ministry Care Conversations class will spur healthy dialogue resulting in specific ways you can help those in your care. President Henry Reyenga surveys many books of Dr. Kevin Leman in the lectures. President Reyenga also links to YouTube Videos of Dr. Leman.

Outcomes:

Integrate biblical wisdom and observational wisdom about human development and interaction from the insights of Christian psychologists.
Understand healthy sexuality, courtship and marriage, and gender differences between men and women.
Understand parental authority and strategies, the impact of birth order, and differing parental roles in relation to sons and daughters.
Pursue constructive conversations between husband and wife, and between parents and children.
Use wisdom about human personality and relationships when engaging in leadership, teaching, and pastoral care.

Developing House Churches – MIN 416 (3 credits)

The early Christians set up house churches. They also had an operating system that made them work well. Professor Larry Kreider, Dove International President, leads this class. Dove International has been planting house churches and churches for over 30 years.

Outcomes:

Know biblical principles and practical guidelines for leading house churches or cell groups.
Develop personal qualifications and skills to be a house church leader.
Embrace vision for relational ministry, spiritual parenting/mentoring, and every-member mobilization.
Recognize some common problems of house church ministry and know how to deal with them.
Rely on the Holy Spirit in leading others and forming new groups of believers.

Introduction to Chaplaincy – MIN 230 (3 credits)

This free college ministry training course is designed to give the student an introduction to the ministry of chaplaincy — with the additional idea that we can also, via the internet, be “chatplains” who bring healing to others by our presence in the Name of God.

While this course uses the term chaplain most of the time, keep in mind the idea of being a chaplain. Some of the material is specifically created for people who provide chaplaincy via the internet. It is by means of the chat function which is increasingly popular for businesses to use as a way to assist their customers that chaplains can bring the “product” – a new or closer relationship with God – to those encountered on the internet.

This course is meant to be an overview of several different ways of being a chaplain. The various modules will address several of the possibilities of working as a Christ-follower in bringing hope and healing to those who are hurting.

Outcomes:

Know biblical principles and practical guidelines for chaplains.
Develop personal qualifications and skills to be a chaplain.
Understand basic practices for ministering to the ill, grieving, and dying.
Know several types of chaplaincy positions and general guidelines for serving in them, including firehouse chaplain, military chaplain, and prison chaplain.
Recognize theological aspects of chaplaincy.

Leadership – MIN 320 (3 credits)

This course explores how godly leaders, relying on the Holy Spirit, can help guide, motivate, mobilize, unify, and equip God’s people to pursue God’s mission for them.

Outcomes

Explore the mission model of the apostle Paul and its relevance for contemporary leadership in mission and ministry.
Understand the leadership process.
Understand himself/herself as a leader, and to identify the various aspects of personality and baggage that will affect his/her leadership.
Understand and be able to articulate the issues of culture in their s
Understand the best way of developing a vision for the future within his/her cultural situation.
Define a vision of a preferred future for the organization/ministry of which he/she is a part.
Be able to develop a strategic plan for implementation that will move the organization toward the preferred future.
Understand the importance of prayer in the process, and develop a structure for supporting the vision with prayer.

Life Coaching Ministry – MIN 250 (3 credits)

This course teaches you how to do life coaching ministry. Christian Leaders Institute is privileged to not only offer this Life Coaching Ministry class but also a minister ordination program, life coaching certification, and many specialized badges (increasing with time). This program is different from the traditional “life coaching certification” programs, which certify you in the general principles and practices of life coaching. The traditional approach certifies you as a “life coach” who may or not be a minister. This approach certifies “ministers” to be life coach ministers.

Outcomes:

Learn the principles of the exciting field of life coaching
Learn how ministry connects to life coaching.
Learn the skills of life coaching and how they differ from pastoral care or counseling.
Develop skills in life coaching that will allow you to minister more effectively in a local church or local life coaching ministry.
If interested, get certified by the Christian Leaders Alliance and ordained as a Life Coach Minister. (Fees do apply for certification and ordination.

Marriage Ministry – MIN 260 (4 credits)

Ministry leaders need more training in marriages. This advanced Thriving Marriages class surveys marriage from the pre-counseling phase all the way to finishing well in marriage. Professor Kristine Koetje-Balder brings over 25 years of experience to help ministry students know how to lead in their communities.

Outcomes:

Learn the basic principles of Christian marriage and how to help a marriage thrive.

Learn content that you can use for a pre-marriage ministry.
Develop skills for marriage counseling.
Get skills necessary for being a chaplain or for other ministry roles.
Learn biblical skills that will help your own marriage if you are married.

Youth Ministry – MIN 270 (3 credits)

This course teaches you the foundations for youth ministry. One Hope Ministries has created this Youth Ministry foundation course to help you identify and learn some best practices in youth ministry. One Hope’s mission is to affect destiny by providing God’s eternal Word to all the children and youth of the world.

Outcomes:

The importance of youth ministry.
The stages of faith development and how to incorporate that knowledge in youth ministry.
Some best practices of Discipleship of Youth.
The essential skills in teaching the Bible to youth.
The essential practices in sharing the gospel with youth.
Skills related to recruiting volunteers.
To survey issues of crisis in youth ministry.
How to empower youth to lead.
To examine your own calling for youth ministry.
How to work in a team with others.
To become aware of Youth Ministry Minefields and setting up proper safe boundaries.

Youth Discipleship Ministry & Movement – MIN 370 (3 credits)

This Youth Discipleship Ministry & Movement course empowers Youth leaders to not only learn how to disciple youth but also learn how to create local movements for raising up indigenous Youth leaders including young Christian leaders. The professor for this class is Dr. Ted Travis one of the world leaders in mobilizing youth leaders in Urban areas. This class is made possible from a grant from the DeVos Urban Youth Leadership Initiative.

This course is centered around reaching youth in urban environments, but the principles can be applied successfully to any youth ministry.

Outcomes:

1. Study Biblical principles for becoming a transformational leader
2. Know how to design programs that will motivate youth to participate and grow
3. Learn common pitfalls to avoid in youth ministries.
4. Know how to engage youth on issues that are important to them.

Domestic Tranquility – MIN 255 (3 credits)

This course provides students with a Biblical framework for learning and developing Godly, healthy living skills that promote self-care and community support. Students will learn the foundations of the 12-step recovery process, best practices of conflict management, and how to manage one’s dark side. Students will also survey the fundamentals of healthy relationship skills in personal and professional sectors, learn and apply love languages; God-given temperament patterns, and how to go from the self to community in the context of the church.

Outcomes:

Learn the foundations of personal spiritual health and wellness in the context of Scripture.
Learn and apply the 12-steps of recovery and its full process as originated from Scripture.
Learn and Apply Bible-based conflict management principles and best practices.
Discover the dark sides of life and leadership and how God uses them to shape and form the Christian believer.
Understand healthy community life via the church in the context of Scripture, the 12 steps of recovery, and daily moral inventory.

Total Fitness – INT 210 (3 credits)

This course teaches various life skills and shows how to become healthier and stronger as a total person. Biblical insights and practical knowledge are applied to spiritual, physical, financial, intellectual, emotional, relational, and vocational dimensions of life.

Outcomes:

Total fitness: hear God’s call to embrace practical wisdom and discipline for strengthening the whole person.
Spiritual fitness: draw near to God and stronger against Satan through spiritual disciplines.
Physical fitness: know why the body matters to God, improve bodily health and use body language well.
Financial fitness: earn a good living, escape debt, build wealth, honor God, and bless others with money.
Intellectual fitness: build healthy curiosity, sharp thinking, lifelong study, and courage to stand for truth.
Emotional fitness: learn to face feelings honestly and discover God working through emotions.
Relational fitness: heal from past relational wrongs and wounds, and interact with others in a wise and godly manner
Vocational fitness: pursue God’s calling for a job, career, and other tasks.

Free College Ministry Training Courses are being added to strengthen the Christian Leaders training at the Christian Leaders Ministries family.