KEY POINTS:
TRAINING PLACE
Qualification: Bachelor of Ministries.
Institution: Bible College of NZ, at Auckland, Christchurch and Manawatu campuses and through distance learning.
Contact: ph (09) 836 7800 or 0800 999 777, email admin@bcnz.co.nz, website www.bcnz.ac.nz.
Prerequisites: Minimum age 19. Referees required. NCEA: a minimum of 42 credits at Level 3 or higher on the National Qualifications Framework; or equivalent Higher School Certificate/Bursary qualifications.
Course dates: Application Deadline: January 30, classes begin: February 25, 2008.
Course cost: (2007) $4200.
Starting salary: around $31K, plus allowances.
Career prospects: Pastoral care, youth ministry, preaching.
Matt Chapman is well-equipped to relate to the young-adult age group.
The Bachelor of Ministries is a three-year degree offered on campus and through distance learning by the Bible College. Each year involves a mix of academic and practical courses, including ministry field work.
The degree equips students for Christian ministries such as serving through local churches, or through intercultural mission, educational or welfare and service agencies.
The course promotes intelligent Christian interaction with contemporary society. It has a core of biblical, theological and historical studies which provides a foundation for a deep appreciation of the Scriptures and their application within an area of ministry focus.
Candidates learn to use the Scriptures to sustain spiritual growth. They are encouraged to think independently and are trained in the skills of research, analysis and synthesis.
The first year involves Bible studies, tracing the history of the Christian church, and understanding theology. The second year digs deeper into the Bible and the nature of God, and students choose specialist areas best reflecting their personal spiritual and ministry goals. These areas are: pastoral ministry, youth ministry, cross-cultural mission, faith in the marketplace, teaching and preaching, children and families ministries, and spiritual formation. This chosen emphasis is developed in the third year.
THE GRADUATE Matt Chapman
Age 28
Role: Young adults' pastor with St Columba Presbyterian church, East Tamaki
Graduated December 2005
I thought the opportunity to help serve people and tell them about God sounded like a fulfilling career choice. Even more so, I feel that it is what I was built to do.
There was an opportunity opening at my church to work with the university age group. Having just finished my degree, and after being engaged in a lot of in-depth investigation of faith that goes on, I knew this was something I could offer to people in this age range - people who had specific needs, people who asked specific types of questions, and people who were deconstructing life and faith.
My pastoral role involves running a series of programmes for young adults, including a weekly service/meeting on Sunday nights, a home group, social events, retreats, overseas mission and aid and wider church integration. I do a lot of upfront leading, preaching, pastoral care, and facilitation within these programmes.
Our programmes run on Sunday and Tuesday nights, and I am also involved in the Sunday morning service. I am also here two office days on a Monday and a Friday.
My Bachelor of Ministries has trained me not only in theology, which is used for preaching and teaching, but also practical skills such as pastoral care, counselling, and church management. When I decided I wanted to make working in the church my career I knew I had a responsibility to "know my stuff". It was important to study not only because it meant I was eligible to be in a paid pastoral position, but simply so I could do the position justice, and give God and his people the best I could.
I like the fact that the BMin at BCNZ was non-denominational, so it's not affiliated with any branch of the church, and that it integrated practical field work which a lot of other theological degrees do not.
The lecturers are top-notch and make plenty of time for students outside the classroom in which ideas can be discussed and chewed over.
THE EMPLOYER
Andrew Norton
Senior minister at St Columba
We employed Matt to meet a need that we had identified as a weakness in our church, of engaging with young adults - school leavers 18 to 30 years old.
Matt, he's the personality, and the age of the people we are wanting to connect with. He meets the profile of the need.
I think you always start by employing a person, not a qualification.
However, as far as Matt is concerned, the qualification is added value. What we saw in the qualification was the ability to think and engage. Particularly within that age group, a lot of younger people are wrestling with the relevancy of faith. They might have gone to church as a child at Sunday school, they might have gone through a youth group, or they might have an awareness of spirituality or spiritual things; and yet, in the 18s to 30s everything is thrown up for grabs.
Being able to have some ability to wrestle with what I call the intellectual as well as the emotional and spiritual issues is very important - that's what we saw the qualification added to Matt.
