Congregational Equipping Course Offerings

Preparing Faithful Leaders

Congregational Equipping courses nurture lay leaders and church teachers, as well as provide theological insight for interested laity. While they do not offer graduate-level credit, they do offer the expertise of UDTS faculty and the flexibility of online learning to meet your needs while remaining in your context.

Course Offerings

Core Courses Offered Annually

• Introduction to the Old Testament:
  This course is a survey and introduction to the content, message, interpretation, and background of the Old Testament.
• Introduction to the New Testament:
  This course surveys the contents of the New Testament and serves as an introduction to its content, themes, and interpretive approaches.
• Introduction to Preaching:
  As an introduction to the basic principles of preaching, this course will give attention to sermon design and development, proper handling of the biblical text to derive the message of the sermon, illustrating and applying the message, types of sermons, and sermon delivery.
• Foundations of Christian Education:
  This course explores the role and practice of the teaching and discipling ministries of the church. An incarnational model of teaching and learning-engaging the whole person-will be emphasized. Models for learning, recent cognitive research, and instructional design models will be and applied in your context.
• Christian Caregiving:
  This course is an introduction to the caring aspects of pastoral ministry, including biblical foundations of care, the development of pastoral identity, various models of care, and varieties of essential pastoral communication skills necessary for entering diverse situations of crisis and need.
• Presbyterian Polity:
  This course provides an overview of Presbyterian Church (USA) polity, both in principle and practice. Particular emphasis will be given to the use of the constitution in the local congregation and governing bodies. The class will include lectures, discussion posts, case studies, and outside assignments.
• Reformed Theology:
  This course will introduce the theology of the Reformed tradition and will meet the particular needs of those training to be Commissioned Ruling Elders in the Presbyterian Church (USA).The course will combine readings, discussion, and weekly recorded lectures as well as live optional Q&A time.
• Reformed Worship and Sacraments:
  This course introduces basic scriptural, historical, and theological principles of Christian worship as viewed from a Reformed perspective, with special focus on liturgical practice in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Occasional Offerings

• Congregational Leadership and Administration:
  This course examines Biblical and theological conceptsof leadership, explores current secular understandings, and connects them to the context of the church. 
• Starting Missional Communities:
  This course focuses on the practices of presence, hospitality, conversation, and examen, and includes study of innovating forms of Christian community, equipping students with the missional imagination and habits needed to develop and lead new Christian communities.

Current Courses Available for Registration 

Note: All of our online courses are semi-synchronous meaning that there are lectures, reading and assignments on a weekly basis, but the work can be completed during the week based on a student's individual schedule. There are no specific class times to login, but there are weekly due dates for course assignments. Many courses also offer optional zoom opportunities over the course of the 8-week term. Please contact the Director of the Congregational Equipping Program for Christian Leadership Program with any questions (DERegistration@dbq.edu).