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Staff Ministry
Staff ministry is a form of public, representative ministry. An individual is given a call by a group of believers to carry out church work on their behalf.
Worship coordinator . . . Sunday school director . . . church administrator . . . youth leader: When a congregation has a need for a specific type of ministry that doesn’t include preaching, it may decide to fill that need by calling a staff minister.
At Martin Luther College, the WELS College of Ministry, we can prepare you for staff ministry in one of the 1200+ churches of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We will give you the basic theological training and the practical skills you need to develop and use the unique ministry gifts God has given you. Specifically, we’ll train you to serve in youth work, evangelism, family ministry, visitation, administration, Christian education, and, if you choose, parish music.
If you opt for the staff ministry program, you’ll be choosing not just a profession, but a profession of faith; not just a job, but a ministry, a calling, and a way of life.
Staff Ministry Program
The program offers a bachelor's degree with three options:
| • Staff Ministry Major (four-year program) | ||
| General Education | 84 credits | |
| Staff Ministry | 53 credits | |
| • Staff Ministry & Elementary Ed (double major, five-year program) | ||
| General Education | 77 credits | |
| Elem. Ed. Professional | 49 credits | |
| Staff Ministry | 46 credits | |
| • Staff Ministry & Parish Music (double major, five-year program) | ||
| General Education | 77 credits | |
| Parish Music | 48 credits | |
| Staff Ministry | 51 credits | |
“It was a blessing to study under professors who know God’s Word so well and have experience applying it in the ‘real world.’ My experience as a staff minister has reinforced the relevance and value of my education at MLC.”
Jack Meyer
MLC 2005
Family Minister, Ascension Lutheran Church
Plymouth, Minnesota
Staff Ministry Courses
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Theology and Practice of Ministry
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Biblical Interpretation
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Intro to Youth and Family Ministry
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Foundations of Evangelism
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Congregational Assimilation and Retention
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Parish Education
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Caring and Counseling
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Parish Visitation
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Organization and Administration in the Parish
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Developing and Training Leadership
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Early Field Experience I, II, & III
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One-semester Internship
Campus Culture
Daily chapel, religion courses, rigorous and highly practical academics—these are some marks of a Martin Luther College education. The entire campus culture is centered on Christ. Our professors have all served in the public ministry in congregations or schools, and they will share their personal experiences with you in their classes. Your fellow students are Christians with a heart for ministry, just like you, and the friends you make here may very well be your friends for life.