Advanced Certificate of Youth Ministry

Overview of the Advanced Certificate in Youth Ministry at BTS

BTS believes in the synergy of combining local church involvement with quality instruction for effective seminary learning and understanding personal calling. We offer a two-year, 30-hour Advanced Certificate in Youth Ministry, primarily designed for deployment in Birmingham but also accessible through our distance education program. This certificate is an excellent pathway for qualifying in youth ministry and serves as a foundation for higher-level Master's degrees at BTS.

Youth Ministry Program Structure: Year One

Year One of the program focuses on classroom learning complemented by ministry opportunities. It encompasses 18 credit hours, divided into 9 classes across three semesters:

Semester One (FALL):

• Intro to Research and Writing
• Old Testament History and Theology
• Intro to Biblical Counseling

Semester Two (SPRING):

• Ministry to Children, Youth, and Family
• Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life or Personal Evangelism
• Westminster Confession of Faith (or London 1689)

Semester Three (SUMMER):

• Theology and Practice of Administration
• Christian Philosophy of Education
• ST: Theological Anthropology

Year Two: Integrating Ministry and Classroom Learning

The second year shifts focus to ministry, supplemented by classroom learning. It involves 12 credit hours, split into 6 classes over three semesters:

Semester One (FALL):

• Intro to Apologetics
• Biblical Counseling and Gender and Sexuality

Semester Two (SPRING):

• Biblical Counseling with Children and Youth
• Clinical One (Evangelism [conducted by SDEA])

Semester Three (SUMMER):

• Cross-Cultural Communications
• Clinical Two (Apologetics and Evangelism in conjunction with Campus Outreach summer training)

Program Highlights and Future Opportunities

Key features of our program include:

• A strong Biblical and theological foundation.
• Practical ministry training integrating apologetics, biblical counseling, and youth and family ministry.
• Clinicals for applying learned concepts in real-world settings.
• Multiple pathways for further seminary studies.

Interested in the Advanced Certificate of Youth Ministry? Contact BTS for more details or to discuss hosting a local cohort!