Coordinator, Dan Haase

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.

Requirements for the Discipleship Certificate are 26 credits:

Core Requirements8
CFM 215Spiritual Formation in Community2
CFM 216Discipleship Practicum (2 credits total, 1 credit each)2
CFM 359Discipleship *4
Content Units18
Students select courses from each of the following areas:
Biblical Foundations2-6
BITH 325Biblical Interpretation and Hermeneutics4
BITH Book Studies: BITH 332, 338, 341, 344, 356, 358, 362, 363, 364, 365, 368, 433, 434, 438, 454, 457, 458, 4622 or 4
BITH 382Church2
Spiritual Formation and Ministry6-12
CFM 224Christian Spiritual Practices2
CFM 231Evangelism2
CFM 232Spiritual Guidance and Discernment2
CFM 335Teaching the Bible4
CFM 339Compassion and Crisis Ministry: Responding to Trauma and Suffering4
CFM 421Philosophy of Ministry4
Working with Groups2-4
CFM 216Discipleship Practicum (up to 2 additional credits beyond the required 2 core credits)1
CFM 333Student Care in College Ministry (for RAs only)2
COMM 221Interpersonal Communication4
COMM 362Group and Professional Communication 2
Total Credits26

Students who complete the Certificate in Discipleship may choose to complete a major in Christian Formation and Ministry or any other undergraduate major. Students choosing to add the Christian Formation and Ministry major to this certificate must complete a minimum of 16 hours from the following courses to fulfill the requirements for the major:

Major RequirementsMinimum of 16
CFM 115Introduction to Christian Formation and Ministry4
CFM 223Human Development and Ministry4
CFM 224Christian Spiritual Practices *2
CFM 251Ministry Practicum0
CFM 335Teaching the Bible *4
CFM 339Compassion and Crisis Ministry: Responding to Trauma and Suffering *4
CFM 421Philosophy of Ministry *4
CFM 494Ministry in Culture4
CFM 496Internship0
HNGR 114Poverty, Justice and Transformation4
*

If not already taken for the certificate.