The people of the tribe of Issachar “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chronicles 12:32)
And we need an understanding of our unusual times—when non-essential travel is discouraged, when we connect with people through phones and computers, when preachers preach on Facebook Live or sermon.com, and when musicians and vocalists lead us in worship from their homes.
CMC’s commission “to mature and multiply churches locally and globally” captures the mandate of our times. Our world needs mature churches and it needs more churches, in the US and across the world.
Filling our own pulpits and leadership teams is not enough. CMC needs a surge of leaders to grow mature churches who plant new churches. And, as these leaders surface, they need training in spiritual disciplines, theology, and ministry skills. This training must be flexible enough to accommodate the geographical spread of CMC churches.
Rosedale Bible College’s new Training in Ministry (TiM) is a program for such a time as this. The training is online, the delivery format similar to what we are experiencing in our churches now. Each class has multiple points of engagement by the student, including video lectures, blog posts, assignments, small-group activities, tests and quizzes, and real-time class discussion with the instructor.
Filling our own pulpits and leadership teams is not enough. We need a surge of leaders to grow mature churches who plant new churches.
TiM equips people to more effectively minister in the home, church, neighborhood, and work environments. Students will be grounded in sound doctrine and established in a Jesus-centered Anabaptist group identity. They will be equipped with practical ministry and leadership skills useful in the church. They will be challenged to form a warm and sustaining walk with Christ and instilled with a conviction that the local church is God’s vehicle for mission to the world.
Joining RBC in designing this program are two denominations: CMC and LMC (Lancaster Mennonite Conference). Together we are building a program with five learning tracks: Congregational Care and Counseling, Spiritual and Personal Formation, Bible and Theology, Leadership and Ministry Formation, and Church Multiplication. Each track contains three courses. Three 10-week terms will be offered each academic year. Students completing ten courses in TiM will earn a one-year certificate from CMC. This is in addition to accumulating associated undergraduate credits that can go toward a higher academic degree at RBC or transferred to one of many colleges who accept RBC credits.
To make it possible for students to participate without accumulating a large debt, CMC is offering the CMC Leadership Development Scholarship to students with financial need. This scholarship will contribute one-third of the per course fee (currently projected to be $900). We want this program to be affordable to all. To demonstrate our commitment to upgrading the educational base of our conference and to support our denominational school, CMC plans to offer the scholarship to about 20 students per year for the next five years. A special campaign to raise $100,000 for this scholarship is currently under way.
I challenge young emerging leaders to step up for training. “Sharpen the axe when you are young,” Myron Augsburger challenged my generation, “before you go whacking away at life.” Give ten hours a week to Training in Ministry classes from September through May over three years. It will change the trajectory of your life.
And I challenge my generation, those in their 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. If you want to see the younger generation flourish, here are three ways to help.
1. Ask God to bring a young person who would benefit from TiM to your mind.
2. Approach the person with an offer to match CMC’s scholarship if he or she takes TiM classes.
3. Offer to mentor them while they are taking classes (and if you also want to grow, read along
with them).
Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself as one approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, and one who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
