The Discipleship Certificate is an interdisciplinary program designed to facilitate students' growth as disciples and disciple-makers. It seeks to cultivate the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to take part in the work of discipleship both here at Wheaton and in the broader Church. The goal of the program is to provide a deep and experiential education for those students participating in discipleship ministries, blending theory and practice in significant ways.
The program's academic home is the Department of Christian Formation and Ministry, though courses are also offered in Biblical and Theological Studies and Communication. Through these offerings, students will be equipped in biblical foundations, spiritual formation and ministry, and best practices for discipleship within the context of small groups. Students from any major are eligible for the Discipleship Certificate, but students must be participants or leaders within the Discipleship Ministries programs (DSG, Strongholds, and Family Groups at Wheaton).
Requirements for the Discipleship Certificate are 24 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| C E 212 | Discipleship and Small Groups | 4 |
| C E 232 | Spiritual Guidance and Discernment | 2 |
| C E 216 | Discipleship Practicum (2 credits total, 1 credit each) | 2 |
| Content Units | 16 | |
| Students select courses from each of the following areas: | ||
| Biblical Foundations | 2-6 | |
| BITH 325 | Biblical Interpretation and Hermeneutics | 4 |
| BITH Book Studies: BITH 332, 338, 341, 344, 356, 358, 362, 363, 364, 365, 368, 433, 434, 438, 454, 457, 458, 462 | 2 or 4 | |
| BITH 382 | Church | 2 |
| Spiritual Formation and Ministry | 6-12 | |
| C E 222 | Transformational Education | 4 |
| C E 226 | Christian Spiritual Practices | 4 |
| C E 231 | Evangelism | 2 |
| C E 321 | Teaching the Bible | 4 |
| C E 339 | Compassion and Crisis Ministry: Responding to Trauma and Suffering | 4 |
| C E 421 | Philosophy of Ministry | 4 |
| Working with Groups | 2-4 | |
| COMM 221 | Interpersonal Communication | 4 |
| COMM 362 | Group Dynamics | 2 |
| Discipleship Practicum (up to 2 additional credits beyond the required 2 core credits) | ||