Pastoral Theology (PT)
PT 5090 Field Education - 0 Hours
Field-based ministry experience is vital to the development of Trinity students. Field education experiences are an opportunity to integrate academic work with practical ministry experience. All field education experiences are mentored experiences. Mentoring provides an opportunity to invest in the next generation of Christian leaders and ministries are enriched by having a student serve in a church or parachurch setting. Students are required to complete 40-45 hours of service (3-5 hours per week of ministry for a thirteen-week semester) for each Field Education course. Contact the Office of Supervised Ministry for orientation materials and details on fulfillment requirements. Field Education may be taken as an elective in any master's program by students who want to reflect on the pastoral implications of their academic work. Repeatable indefinitely. Credit/No Credit.
PT 5100 Spiritual Formation for Ministry - 2 Hours
The most critical item you can bring to Christian leadership is your own spiritual maturity. You cannot effectively lead others into what you have not first experienced for yourself. For fruitful Christian service, it is vital to know God and how to walk with Him. This course helps students to understand and apply a biblical and theological understanding of how one grows in the knowledge and grace of God through Jesus Christ. Specifically, students: 1) Understand and engage in a biblical theology of spiritual formation, 2) Apprehend the importance of utilizing the "means of grace" for growth in godliness, 3) Integrate the theoretical with the practical to enrich one's personal and devotional life, 4) Explore a wide array of Scriptural practices that have proven useful toward spiritual maturity, and 5) Develop a Personal and Professional Development Plan.
PT 5155 Church Planting Boot Camp - 2 Hours
Church Planting Bootcamp provides an introduction to the major start-up issues the planter faces. The objective is to provide a theological foundation and practical ministry skills that will enable the planter to start healthy, growing, reproducing churches. Four stages of church planting: preparation, conception, development, and birth stage are explored. Offered each May.
PT 6000 Current Studies in Pastoral Theology - 1-3 Hours
Topics selected deal with significant issues related to pastoral theology.
PT 6280 Christian Worship - 2 Hours
An introduction to Christian worship particularly in the liturgical leadership of the church. This course gives attention to the theology and history of Christian worship. It also examines the interplay between worship and culture, worship styles, and corporate worship planning. The course 1) equips students with a biblical theology and historical understanding of Christian worship and 2) develops skills in planning and leading Christian worship services that are God-honoring, biblically faithful, and contextually engaging.
PT 6300 Introduction to Chaplain Ministries - 2 Hours
The course will assist participants in exploring and evaluating various chaplaincy options as full or part-time ministry vocations. Though primary emphasis will be given to military and institutional chaplaincies (hospital, hospice, prison, etc.), other options will also be discussed including corporate, law enforcement, National Park, university, and Civil Air Patrol.
PT 6500 Money and Ministry - 2 Hours
This course helps students, ministry staff and pastors grow in sensitivity and knowledge about how to navigate financial challenges common in a variety of ministry settings. The course is designed to be flexible and developmental in nature, since each participant will come to the course with varying levels of financial knowledge, experience, and competency. The goal is to build upon the different foundations each participant will be bringing to the course, and tailor assignments in a variety of ways to help each participant grow in understanding and wisdom.
PT 7225 The Essence of Biblical Leadership - 2 Hours
In recent years the issue of leadership has occupied a great deal of our thinking and attention. There is no shortage of resources and seminars on the subject. To be sure, there needs to be the infusion of fresh, godly, biblical leadership who are filled with the compassion of Christ and who are committed to advancing His Cause. But what is distinctively Christian leadership? What does the Bible teach about leadership? What is the relationship between leadership and our effectiveness in ministry? These and other questions will be addressed in the course.
PT 7290 Pastoral Practices - 2 Hours
An introduction to the practices of pastoral ministry particularly in the shepherding care of the church. This course includes attention to the theology of spiritual care and the practical outworking of pastoral work including but not limited to conducting weddings and funerals, administering the Lord's Supper and baptism, and offering spiritual consolation in the care of souls. The course 1) develops competency in engaging in select pastoral practices within the church and 2) increases pastoral aptitude in caring for the spiritual needs of people.
PT 7410 Denominational History & Polity - 2 Hours
Designed for students seeking a greater understanding of, or anticipating possible placement within, a particular Christian denomination. Attention paid to history, polity, doctrine, missionary outreach, and current trends. This is an independent study course, enabling the student to work with a pastor/ administrator from, and study the history and polity of, a denomination other than the EFCA. To register for this course, the student must contact the professor of record to receive clearance. Before registering, the student must select a denominational representative, and the representative must be approved by the professor of record according to TEDS standards for supervision.
PT 7415 Evangelical Free Church History and Polity - 2 Hours
Designed for students seeking a greater understanding of the EFCA or anticipating possible placement within the denomination. Attention paid to history, polity, doctrine, missionary outreach, and current trends. Students are challenged to consider these distinctives in relation to their own concepts of ministry context and potential.
PT 7481 Internship 1 - 2-3 Hours
This course is the first internship experience for MDiv students. The internship program is designed to foster the formation of ministerial identity through a blend of guided ministry experiences, mentoring from qualified practitioners, reflective assignments, and an Internship Huddle. Interns are supervised in a ministry context by qualified mentors approved by the Office of Supervised Ministries. Students are required to complete 100 hours of field experience per credit hour. Students enrolled in 2 or more hours during any semester of Internship are granted half-time academic status. Students enrolled in 3 or more credit hours during any semester of internship are granted full-time academic status. Prerequisite: approval from the Director of Supervised Ministries.
PT 7482 Internship 2 - 2-3 Hours
This course is the second internship experience for MDiv students. It provides an expansion of the student's ministry experience, mentoring from qualified practitioners, reflective assignments, and an Internship Huddle. Students are required to complete 100 hours of field experience per credit hour. This course requires a continuation of the same ministry site and mentor as PT 7481 unless granted an exception by the Director of Supervised Ministries. Students enrolled in 2 hours during any semester of internship are granted half-time academic status. Students enrolled in 3 or more credit hours during any semester of internship are granted full-time academic status. Prerequisite: PT 7481.
PT 7483 Internship 3 - 1-2 Hours
This course is the third internship experience for MDiv students under the previous catalog. It provides an expansion of the student's ministry experience, mentoring from qualified practitioners, and reflective assignments. Students are required to complete 100 hours of field experience per credit hour. This course requires a continuation of the same ministry site and mentor as PT 7481 and PT 7482 unless granted an exception by the Director of Supervised Ministries. Students enrolled in 2 or more hours during any semester of internship are granted half-time academics status. Prerequisites: PT 7481, PT 7482.
PT 7484 Intensive Internship - 4-6 Hours
This course is for MDiv students fulfilling their entire internship requirements in one semester. This internship option is typically reserved for students who are in a full-time ministry setting (30-45 hours per week). The internship program fosters the formation of ministerial identity through a blend of guided ministry experiences, mentoring from qualified practitioners, reflective assignments, and an Internship Huddle. Interns are supervised in a ministry context by qualified mentors approved by the Office of Supervised Ministries. Students are required to complete 100 hours of field experience per credit hour. Students enrolled in 3 or more credit hours during any semester of internship are granted full-time academic status. Prerequisites: approval from the Director of Supervised Ministries.
PT 7501 Guided Research - 1-4 Hours
Independent research on an approved selected topic under a faculty member in the department bearing the course prefix. May be repeated for credit as the subject matter changes. Available in all departments. Letter grade or Credit / No Credit as arranged with faculty member.
PT 7977 ThM Comprehensive Exam - 1 Hour
A department-specific major comprehensive exam required in some ThM concentrations. Registration should be completed at the beginning of the semester for the regularly scheduled exam date later that semester. Credit is posted when the exam is passed; No Credit if the exam is failed or not completed.
PT 8000 Current Issues - 2 Hours
Seminar discussion and advanced individual research on significant issues in pastoral theology.
PT 8980 ThM Major Research Paper - 0-1 Hours
ThM participants completing the two capstone research paper option must register for PT 8980 in their department concurrent with registration for the advanced elective course in which they are writing a ThM capstone research paper. Paper parameters are found in the Academic Handbook and paper objectives are specifically articulated in consultation with the faculty member on the online Capstone Proposal Form. Registration occurs twice at the same time as registration for the course, once for each paper. Credit / No Credit. (Both the course and the paper must be graded 'C'- or better to receive credit for the paper.)