The Master of Arts in Children’s, Youth, and Family Ministry is designed for those who minister to the children, youth and families in churches and parachurch organizations. The program allows students currently serving in professional or lay volunteer ministry to complete the degree requirements through a hybrid learning environment: a mixture of online courses and on-campus intensives taught on the St. Paul campus. Students have a balance of Bible and Theology and Children’s, Youth, and Family Ministry courses with an emphasis that integrates spiritual formation throughout the curriculum. The degree can be completed in two years.

The objectives of the program are as follows:

1. A comprehensive understanding of biblical content, a discerning approach to biblical interpretation, and theological reflection informed by historical traditions.
2. Growth in emotional, spiritual, and relational health resulting in observable love for God and neighbor.
3. The capacity and skills for effective children’s, youth, and family ministry leadership and the ability to function successfully on a ministry team.
4. Intercultural competence as it is lived out in the children’s, youth, and family ministry of the local church, broader community, and the global arena.
5. Integration of biblical knowledge and personal and spiritual formation into ministry practice with children, youth, and families.