Certificates in Youth and Children's Ministry
These programs are designed for those who are actively engaged in the practice of youth ministry or children’s ministry and feel called to deepen their own understanding of the practice of that ministry. The program will equip participants with a foundational learning, rooted in the practical application to their specific ministry context. This program is designed to provide an overview of core biblical, theological, Episcopal, and practical knowledge that will be applied directly to the practice of ministry in the students context.
The two programs will run concurrently sharing some online classes and discussion sessions while also splitting up for classes and readings that are specific to Youth Ministry or Children’s Ministry.
Each participant will complete a Ministry Statement and a Ministry Plan for their specific setting, as a way of integrating their learning and the practice of ministry. The formation of a community of learners, who will practice and model Formation ministry not just for the duration of the program, but beyond it into and throughout their professional lives, is central to the program.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO EITHER PROGRAM:
- The completed online application with your $50 application fee. (Once accepted the $50 fee will be applied to your total cost of $1750)
- Two letters of reference from a Christian Formation colleague, supervisor in ministry setting, teacher or mentor email to [email protected]
- Personal statement describing learning goals as well as the reasons such a program would benefit you and the church emailed to Randall Curtis at [email protected]
- Please apply as soon as possible. Once the above materials have been received they will be emailed to the faculty and an acceptance email will be sent within two weeks.
- Final Deadline is July 1 for applications or when space is full. (space is limited to 30 students).
- Practicing in a parish or youth program or children’s ministry in a paid or volunteer capacity
- Commitment to attend the week long intensive as well as significant online work before and after the week long intensive
PAYMENT DATES:
75% of the full payment must be received before attending the in-person event in October. The full amount is due by December 31, 2018.
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM:
- Program runs August 1, 2018 through December 31 2018
- Attend the residential Program: September 30, 2018 - October 5, 2018 at St. Columba’s in Memphis, TN
- Complete online courses before the residential program (2-4 hours/week)
- Completion of Ministry Statement and Ministry Plan for their primary ministry context after the residential program
COST: THE TOTAL COST OF $1750 INCLUDES
- Full lodging and food at the residential program: September 30, 2018 - October 5, 2018 at St. Columba’s in Memphis, TN. (student pays travel to and from the center)
- $100 discount to the 2019 Forma Conference which will be held in Indianapolis, IN
- A one year membership to Forma
The formation of a community of learners, who will practice and model Youth and Family Ministry not just for the duration of the program, but beyond it into and throughout their professional lives, is central to the program.
For questions about the Certificate in Youth Ministry Program contact Randall Curtis at [email protected].
For the Certificate in Children’s Ministry Program contact Jamie Martin-Currie at [email protected]
SCHEDULE AND MATERIALS
The final book list, schedule and syllabi for the 2018 class will be finalized by March 1, 2018. Below is the previous years model for reference. They will be very similar.
2018 Youth Ministry Certificate Program Book List
2018 Children's Ministry Certificate Program Book List
2018 Syllabi for the Youth and Family Track
2018 Youth and Children Certificate Schedule Intensive Week
FACULTY
Randall Curtis
Randall is the Evangelist and Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth and in the Episcopal Church in Arkansas. Randall’s focus with the Certificate program is program development, marketing your ministry, communication and peer discipleship with teenagers and young adults. He also coordinates the online platform as well as the acceptance process.
Randall has over 20 years experience in youth ministry working at churches in the Dioceses of West Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee. Randall is a clergy spouse in North LIttle Rock, AR with his wife, daughter, 2 pugs and more tortoises than he tells his family has. He is also the holy geek at Theholygeek.com.
Meredith Scott
Meredith is Director of Youth Ministry, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Greensboro, North Carolina. She specializes in building “Volunteer Hearts.” By leading youth through volunteer/leadership programs, she walks with them on their spiritual journey as they create a foundation that finds great joy and peace in serving others, living as Christ lived.
Leads annual pilgrimage for both youth and adults, Camino de Santiago, Spain & St. Cuthbert’s Way, Scotland, as well as annual mission trip,Glory Ridge, providing unique experiences to love the gift of the present and to strengthen spiritual formation.While serving others and making work worship.
Mother to son Jack (15) and daughter, Grace (13) and to multiple youth members in the EYC program, ranging in age from 10 to 18. Wife of the wonderful J. Scott, married 21 years. Caretaker for two precious Boston Terriers, Bruno and Daisy. Loves to travel, paint, read and spend time with family and friends. Owns MBScott Fine Art, painting in mixed mediums, specializing in angels. She is a life-long learner open to discovery and adventure through spiritual journey and conscious appreciation of God's gift of life.
Paula Barker
A deep purpose of my life is to help others discern and live into God’s dreams for them. Mentoring is what I do. Whether I’ve been in the role of a parish priest, a seminary professor (for 27 years), a church school teacher, a youth group leader, a retreat facilitator, a spiritual director, or a mom; you would find me mentoring folks. I grew up in an outstanding youth ministry program, which served me in this way and propelled me into most of what I’ve treasured in life. That’s one reason why I’m passionate about mentoring, especially with young people. Another is that it brings joy.
My way of mentoring helps people develop their capacities for making meaning of their experiences in ways that are distinctively theirs while also being theologically coherent. That’s why I became a professional theologian and historian of Christian spirituality – to help people understand and communicate about what God is doing here and now.
Besides work, what do I like to do? Spend time with people I love, take in the beauty of nature nearby and on other sides of the world, and make music. Having just retired as rector of a church in Maryland, I’ve moved to a house around the corner from a daughter in Tucson as a base from which to enjoy these things. And I’m training for my first-ever triathlon!
Victoria Garvey
An educator for most of her life -- a perspicacious 1st
grade teacher had her coaching others when she was 6 -- Victoria Garvey has a
passion for learning and teaching, and unsurprisingly, for the Church. In her
professional career she has taught at nearly every level from 2nd graders
through graduate school, but she has spent most of that teaching time at one of
our seminaries [Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL] where she taught biblical
languages and biblical theology, her doctoral area. Most recently, those
passions for learning/teaching/Church were fed in her position as Bishop’s
Associate for Lifelong Christian Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
where she even got paid for doing what she loves. These days, she serves on two
faculties for the wider church, consults with a couple of dioceses concerning
congregational vitality and she continues to speak locally, nationally and
occasionally, internationally, facilitates workshops, leads retreats and in her
spare time, serves the wider church as board member and committee member of
several churchwide commissions and here at home as four-time deputy to General
Convention.
Jamie Martin-Currie
Jamie Martin Currie is the Missioner for Christian Formation
and a member of the Mission Amplification Team in the Episcopal Diocese of
Texas. She served as the lay minister for Christian education in three diverse
Episcopal parishes for 17 years; St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, St. Martin’s,
Houston and St. Andrew’s, Pearland before being called by the Diocese in 2011.
Jamie oversees formation support for diocesan congregations and communities.
She trains and deploys consultants to assess children’s and youth ministries in
congregations, oversees diocesan youth ministry events and develops children,
youth and family ministers. Jamie presents workshops at parishes throughout the
Diocese and the larger Episcopal Church, hosts retreats and serves as a
curriculum consultant. She is the president of Forma, the network for Christian
Formation. An EFM graduate, Jamie has a master’s in education from Bank Street
College of Education in New York where she lived for 21 years.
Randall Curtis
Randall is the Evangelist and Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth and in the Episcopal Church in Arkansas. Randall’s focus with the Certificate program is program development, marketing your ministry, communication and peer discipleship with teenagers and young adults. He also coordinates the online platform as well as the acceptance process.
Randall has over 20 years experience in youth ministry working at churches in the Dioceses of West Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee. Randall is a clergy spouse in North LIttle Rock, AR with his wife, daughter, 2 pugs and more tortoises than he tells his family has. He is also the holy geek at Theholygeek.com.
Meredith Scott
Meredith is Director of Youth Ministry, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Greensboro, North Carolina. She specializes in building “Volunteer Hearts.” By leading youth through volunteer/leadership programs, she walks with them on their spiritual journey as they create a foundation that finds great joy and peace in serving others, living as Christ lived.
Leads annual pilgrimage for both youth and adults, Camino de Santiago, Spain & St. Cuthbert’s Way, Scotland, as well as annual mission trip,Glory Ridge, providing unique experiences to love the gift of the present and to strengthen spiritual formation.While serving others and making work worship.
Mother to son Jack (15) and daughter, Grace (13) and to multiple youth members in the EYC program, ranging in age from 10 to 18. Wife of the wonderful J. Scott, married 21 years. Caretaker for two precious Boston Terriers, Bruno and Daisy. Loves to travel, paint, read and spend time with family and friends. Owns MBScott Fine Art, painting in mixed mediums, specializing in angels. She is a life-long learner open to discovery and adventure through spiritual journey and conscious appreciation of God's gift of life.
Paula Barker
A deep purpose of my life is to help others discern and live into God’s dreams for them. Mentoring is what I do. Whether I’ve been in the role of a parish priest, a seminary professor (for 27 years), a church school teacher, a youth group leader, a retreat facilitator, a spiritual director, or a mom; you would find me mentoring folks. I grew up in an outstanding youth ministry program, which served me in this way and propelled me into most of what I’ve treasured in life. That’s one reason why I’m passionate about mentoring, especially with young people. Another is that it brings joy.
My way of mentoring helps people develop their capacities for making meaning of their experiences in ways that are distinctively theirs while also being theologically coherent. That’s why I became a professional theologian and historian of Christian spirituality – to help people understand and communicate about what God is doing here and now.
Besides work, what do I like to do? Spend time with people I love, take in the beauty of nature nearby and on other sides of the world, and make music. Having just retired as rector of a church in Maryland, I’ve moved to a house around the corner from a daughter in Tucson as a base from which to enjoy these things. And I’m training for my first-ever triathlon!
Victoria Garvey
An educator for most of her life -- a perspicacious 1st grade teacher had her coaching others when she was 6 -- Victoria Garvey has a passion for learning and teaching, and unsurprisingly, for the Church. In her professional career she has taught at nearly every level from 2nd graders through graduate school, but she has spent most of that teaching time at one of our seminaries [Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL] where she taught biblical languages and biblical theology, her doctoral area. Most recently, those passions for learning/teaching/Church were fed in her position as Bishop’s Associate for Lifelong Christian Formation in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago where she even got paid for doing what she loves. These days, she serves on two faculties for the wider church, consults with a couple of dioceses concerning congregational vitality and she continues to speak locally, nationally and occasionally, internationally, facilitates workshops, leads retreats and in her spare time, serves the wider church as board member and committee member of several churchwide commissions and here at home as four-time deputy to General Convention.
Jamie Martin-Currie
Jamie Martin Currie is the Missioner for Christian Formation and a member of the Mission Amplification Team in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. She served as the lay minister for Christian education in three diverse Episcopal parishes for 17 years; St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, St. Martin’s, Houston and St. Andrew’s, Pearland before being called by the Diocese in 2011. Jamie oversees formation support for diocesan congregations and communities. She trains and deploys consultants to assess children’s and youth ministries in congregations, oversees diocesan youth ministry events and develops children, youth and family ministers. Jamie presents workshops at parishes throughout the Diocese and the larger Episcopal Church, hosts retreats and serves as a curriculum consultant. She is the president of Forma, the network for Christian Formation. An EFM graduate, Jamie has a master’s in education from Bank Street College of Education in New York where she lived for 21 years.