Welsh National Centre for Religious Education
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CERTIFICATE IN CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
The Certificate in Children’s Ministry is a distance
learning programme offered world-wide by The Welsh National Centre for Religious
Education, University of Wales, Bangor.
OVERVIEW
The course is designed for people who wish to engage in children’s ministry
within a local church. The course is open to candidates sponsored by their church,
who are registered in accordance with the child protection policy of their own
church, and who currently have access to practical experience of working among
children in their church.
The certificate is worth 120 credits at level one. It is a Certificate of Higher Education, equivalent to the first year of full-time undergraduate study. Students who successfully complete the Certificate in Children’s Ministry may be able to transfer into the second year of the full-time BTh programmes operated by the University of Wales, Bangor, in Bangor itself, or into other comparable courses.
The course requires the completion of twelve ten-credit modules. Students generally choose either to take four modules a year over three years or six modules a year over two years. The minimum number of modules that can be taken in a year is four. The maximum number of modules that can be taken in one year is eight. The academic year begins in September.
COURSE STRUCTURE
There are two distinct parts to this course. Each part comprises six ten-credit
modules. Part A Called to Share Faith is specifically concerned with the theory
and practice of ministry among children. Part B Exploring Faith is concerned
with the wider Christian education of those who minister among children. The
two parts may be studied in sequence or in parallel.
PART A: Called to Share Faith
Each module requires working through one of the six sections of the workbook, Called to Share Faith, published by the Bible Reading Fellowship.
There are six modules in this part of the course and all six
are required.
1 Child Development and Faith
2 Ministry among Children
3 Children in the Church
4 Children Growing in Faith
5 Ministry, Faith and Skills
6 Ministry and Educational Practice
In each module the student is required to complete two assessment tasks. The first task comprises a portfolio of practical work to the equivalent of 1,500 words. The second task is an assignment of 1,500 words.
PART B: Exploring Faith
Each modules requires working through one of the books in the series Exploring Faith published by Darton, Longman and Todd. Each book in this series is supported by a module workbook prepared by the staff of the Welsh National Centre for Religious Education.
A tutor is assigned to each student. For each module a student may expect up to 30 minutes of telephone or direct contact time, and the exchange of up to five e-mails or written communications, in addition to feedback on the course work submitted.
Currently there are 14 modules from which to choose, and further modules are in preparation. All students begin this part of the course with Study Skills in Theology and then may select their own sequence of five further modules in consultation with their tutor.
1 Study Skills in Theology
2 Studying the text
3 Living Theology
4 Social Contexts of Theology
5 Science and Belief
6 Choosing Life?
7 Being Anglican
8 Literature in Christian Perspective
9 Understanding Ministry
10 The Bible: Authority and Interpretation
11 Communicating the Gospel
12 Exploring God Talk: using language in religion
13 Faith and Feminism
14 Psychology and Faith
In each module the student is required to complete two assessment tasks. The first task is a series of ten short-answer questions (around 250 words each) intended to sample the student’s knowledge and understanding of the module material across the breadth of the subject area. The second task is an assignment of 1,500 words, in which the student will demonstrate ability to explore, understand and explain a topic within the module subject area in more depth.
COST
Part-time undergraduate level study is costed by the University of Wales, Bangor
per ten-credit module (Click here for fees). There is
an additional cost of £12 per module for the course materials.
Note Special rates apply for candidates pursuing the course through the Church in Wales Called to Teach programme.
Further information and an application form can be obtained from the course co-ordinator:
Dr
David Lankshear
Welsh National Centre for Religious Education
University of Wales, Bangor
Normal Site (Meirion)
Bangor
Gwynedd LL57 2PZ
