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DMin Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

Areas of Study: (students in one area can take electives in another area.)

  • Church and Parachurch Executive Leadership (DML)

  • Leadership in Preaching/Pastoral Ministry (DMP)

  • Leadership in Community Spiritual Formation (DMS)

  • Leadership in Chaplaincy (DMC)

  • Marriage and Family Counseling (DMF)

LEADERSHIP TRACK SEMINARS

DMC-801 Organizational Leadership: Effective Chaplains Lead from Where They Are

DMC-801 Organizational Leadership: Effective Chaplains Lead from Where They Are

(3hrs)

Chaplains serve as servant leaders within secular institutions. This seminar focuses on understanding the institutional organization as a human system and the means by which the chaplain can leverage moral power and limited institutional authority to provide effective servant leadership from within the “chain of command.” Students will develop a strategic plan to maximize their ministry leadership to “lead from where they are.”

DML-801 How the Nature of the Church Affects Strategies for Ministry

DML-801 How the Nature of the Church Affects Strategies for Ministry (3hrs)

The nature and purpose of the ministry of the church is studied in-depth. What are the implications for the minister as a servant of God to the congregation and to the community? Students develop personal goals and strategies and they will also define the general and specific goals of their churches. These are evaluated and revised in light of the theological implications.

DMP-826 A Systems Approach to Churches & Organizations

DMP-826 A Systems Approach to Churches & Organizations (3 HRS)

Churches and organizations are not a group of people, they are a complex whole. They are interrelated in a system that includes interactions and processes. You never deal with one person, for that person interacts with others and affects the whole. Understanding the whole is necessary to effectively address changes, transitions, and conflict. 

DMR-801 Research Methods and Strategies –Developing Ministry through Research

DMR-801 Research Methods and Strategies –Developing Ministry through Research

This seminar is designed to assist students in developing their D.Min. project and thesis.  It will assist students in developing the project title paper and proposal, finding and evaluating available resources, designing the project, evaluating the results, and writing the thesis.  The development of the thesis will be presented and its various chapters explained. Topics include quantitative and qualitative research, sampling, library research, developing operational definitions and instructional objectives, administering tests, conducting surveys, and guidelines for writing. This course must be taken as one of the last two seminars.

DMS-812 How to Develop a Biblically Based Spiritual Journey

DMS-812 How to Develop a Biblically Based Spiritual Journey (3 hrs)

With its serious attention to doctrine and action, evangelicalism appears to have under-emphasized the inner life. One of the results is that Christians have often been left without direction in developing a personal spiritual journey. This can lead in non-biblical directions.  An integrated model of theology, spirituality and care-giving will be developed. This model can then be used for a biblically based spiritual journey.

MARRIAGE & FAMILY COUNSELING TRACK SEMINARS

DMF-821 Systems Theory in Family Contexts

DMF-821 System Theory in Family Contexts (3 hrs)

This introductory seminar helps students understand and treat marriages and families. Integrated with biblical and theological perspectives, it teaches systems theory as it applies to traditional and alternative family structures and various presenting problems. Models taught integrate information on family, marital, sibling, and individual subsystems and the systemic influences on them, particularly from family of origin and society.

DMF-827 Ethical and Professional Issues in MFC

DMF-827 Ethical and Professional Issues in MFC (3hrs)

Biblical, ethical and professional issues in marriage and family therapy are related to licensure or certification legislation, legal responsibilities and liabilities, malpractice, ethics and family law. This includes the scope of practice, confidentiality and mandated reporting, understanding how values impact practice, professional supervision, referral, continuing education, and the unique challenges of a church affiliated ministry. The person of the counselor, personal development, and spiritual formation are considered in the context of professional development.

DMF-828 Residency

DMF-828 Residency  (3hrs)

The residency is a supervised evaluation of students’ counseling.  It includes a review of their contract hours, the composition of their caseloads, additional related clinical experience, evaluations from other supervisors, review of video samples including case notes, and development of a plan for ongoing professional growth.

MENTORING REQUIREMENT FOR BOTH TRACKS

The mentoring course should begin in the student’s first year in the DMin program.

DMM-801 (All students – begin in 1st year) Effective Mentoring Relationships

Dr. James Howard’s Ph.D. in New Testament focused on the importance of the community in personal development—something that is at the heart of mentoring. His dissertation was on “Paul, the Community, and Progressive Sanctification.” He has served as an associate director in the Denver Seminary mentoring program, and has a wealth of mentoring experience. Dr. Howard is currently the Vice President of Advancement for Denver Seminary and serves as chairman of the board for Cadence International.

DMM-801 EFFECTIVE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS (1HR)

This one-year of mentoring begins with an 8-week online course designed to assist students and their mentors in developing a biblical and theological framework for personal development in a mentored relationship. Through the mentored ministry experience the student learns how to grow in the context of community as well as develop a strategy for mentoring others.

LEADERSHIP TRACK LEARNING CONTRACTS

The first of the two learning contracts should be taken the term following completion of DMM-801 (Mentoring) and completed by the end of the second year students are in the doctoral program. The second learning contract should be taken the term following the first learning contract.

DMR-802 Ministry Evaluation Learning Contract (1 HR)

More student directed but includes an evaluation of the student’s ministry through the eyes of the people they serve with mentors sharing in the evaluation.  It is designed to help surface issues to be addressed, one of which might become the basis for a project and thesis.

DMR-806 Thinking Systems in Ministry

DMR-806 THINKING SYSTEMS IN MINISTRY LEARNING CONTRACT (1 HR)

To understand a church or organization it is necessary to see it as a system rather than a collection of individuals. With their mentors, students will learn to “think systems” in order to discover the systemic structures at work within their church or organization, understand the complex interactions that occur among elements of the system, and identify possible points of intervention to bring change. 

PROJECT & THESIS FOR BOTH TRACKS

Dr. David Osborn (D.Min. Director)

DMR-901 Project & Thesis

A First Reader, Second Reader, and Research Consultant will be appointed by the Doctor of Ministry Director in consultation with the student.

DMR-901 PROJECT & THESIS (4 HRS)

This summative project enables students to make a significant contribution to ministry. Their thesis records the research done to address a significant need in their ministry. Their project is focused on addressing that need, and is based upon the research. This initial registration is for four of the seven hrs of credit. Consecutive enrollment required.

Students must register in the term following their last seminar.

DMR-902 PROJECT & THESIS CONTINUATION (no credit)

Each subsequent term after students have registered for their project and thesis (through the final term of their sixth program year), they must register that they are continuing to work on their project and thesis and pay a continuation fee of $250. This non-credit continuation allows students who have registered for the project and thesis (DMR-901) to continue to be active in the program. (Students must register for DMR-902 the term following DMR-901 and every term thereafter until the end of their sixth program year or the term in which they will graduate. Students will register for DMR-904 in the term of graduation. Students who have not graduated by the end of the sixth program year must request a program extension and, if granted, will then register for DMR-903 Extended Continuation, until the term of graduation. Consecutive enrollment required.

DMR-903 PROJECT & THESIS EXTENDED CONTINUATION (no credit)

Students granted a program extension must register for Extended Continuation each term beginning with the first term of their seventh program year and pay an extended continuation fee of $500. Students must register each term until the term of graduation, in which they will register for DMR-904. Consecutive enrollment required.

DMR-904 PROJECT & THESIS COMPLETION (3 HRS)

In the term when students complete and defend their thesis the student will register for the final three-hours of their project and thesis. Students should not register for this until they are sure that they will be completing their work and graduating in that term. (Students must also complete the Application for Graduation and submit it to the Registrar’s Office no later than the deadline noted on the form in order to graduate that term.)


REGISTRATION NOTE:

Students who began paying for the Project & Thesis and/or Project & Thesis Continuation prior to fall 2010 may be directed by the D.Min. office to register for DMR-805 instead of one of the course codes listed above.