Graduate Certificate in Church Planting

Heritage Theological Seminary is pleased to offer a five-course program entitled Graduate Certificate in Church Planting.  It is designed to train and equip those who are either preparing to plant a local church or are already leading a church plant by providing the tools and guidance to help churches and their leaders thrive in ministry. Leaders from church planting churches will also find it helpful as preparation for launching daughter churches or sites.

This five-course certificate program will equip you with a strategic understanding of church planting leadership and the skills necessary to stay effective in ministry. Each class will be taught by experienced and knowledgeable professors in the field of church planting and will include practical assignments that can be implemented into your ministry context.

Five Course Curriculum

1. Strategic Advance: Church Planting Theology and Praxis with Tom Haines

Receive an introduction and systematic overview of the process of church planting for the strategic advancement of the church in culture.

Professor: Tom Haines, Director of Church Planting with FEB Central Ministries

Includes Lectures From:

• J.D. Payne, Author and Professor of Christian Ministry at Samford University
• Jeff Christopherson, Co-Founder and Missiologist for Send Institute and Executive Director of Church Planting Canada
• Dustin Boreland, Lead Pastor of Reach Montreal
• Darryl Dash, Author and Pastor of Liberty Grace Church

2. Nurturing Leadership Culture in Church Planting

Grow in your understanding of the unique leadership essentials for leading and creating a culture of reproducing leaders in the missional church planting context.

Professor: Tim Strickland, Director of Leadership Development with FEB Central Ministries

3. Evangelism & Discipleship in Canadian Church Planting

Delve into the theology and current methods of evangelism and discipleship that are most effective in the often-difficult Canadian context.

Professor: Dwight Bernier, Network Director of Acts 29 Canada

4. Disciplines for Church Planting Effectiveness

Learn the essential skills and habits that every church planter must develop to survive and thrive in ministry.

Professor: Darryl Dash, Author and Pastor of Liberty Grace Church in Toronto, ON.

Includes Lectures From:

• Tom Haines, Director of Church Planting with FEB Central
• Marc Soto, Lead Pastor of Forward City Church in Chatham, ON and Church Planting Catalyst with FEB Central Ministries

5. Intercultural Awareness & Contextualization in Church Planting

Students will learn to function effectively within a multi-cultural context and will develop skills to equip a team of interculturally competent leaders for our diverse Canadian context.

Professors: Bechara Karkafi, Church Planting Catalyst among New Canadians with FEB Central Ministries & Graeme Melvin, Pastor of The Meadows Church in Mississauga, ON and Church Planting Catalyst with FEB Central Ministries

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Graduate Certificate in Church Planting must be 28 years of age or over. A bachelor’s degree is not required for entrance to this Certificate. If any applicant has had previous post-secondary education, official transcripts will be required in the application process.

Applicants under 28 must have a bachelor’s degree to apply for the Graduate Certificate in Church Planting.

Program Benefits

This certificate is designed to help equip students who are interested in pursuing the following positions: Church Planter, Site Pastor, Outreach Director.

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