A class comes to an end

This week marks the end of my first venture into online teaching.  As many of you know I taught a class this semester on "Growing a Healthy Church" for Campbellsville University.  Nineteen students enrolled in the class, and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in a long time.  Developing my first college course was an interesting challenge and much tougher than I ever thought it would be as a student.  When it was developed I felt good about the course, and from some of the evaluations from the students I feel they enjoyed the class and found it helpful to their ministries. However, the part I enjoyed most was the interaction with the students.  It was a delight.  I had some really sharp students in the class who may have taught me as much as I taught them.  It was fascinating to read about some of their challenges and frustrations in the discussion questions we had each week, but it was also very rewarding to read about some of the victories they were experiencing in life and ministry.  I felt these past eight weeks was an investment into the lives of young leaders, and I can't think of a better way to spend one's time.  I pray that I'll have the opportunity to do more teaching in the future.

My readers come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.  If you have read my earlier books you know I began my pastoral ministry with a high school education, but after about a year or so I decided a little more education wouldn't be a bad thing!  I knew God had called me into the ministry, but I also realized after a few months that there were areas of ministry in which I was struggling. I'm so glad I made the decision to pursue my education.  I've never enrolled in a school to gain a degree but to experience personal and ministerial growth, and I believe every class I ever took led to such growth.  I took several courses in a secular college that I didn't enjoy very much, but I grew even in those classes.

In this blog I'm always challenging you to invest in yourself.  For some of you the best way to do that might be to consider enrolling in a formal education program.  With online courses it is now much easier to do that.  You can take the classes you need without leaving home, quitting your job, moving to a campus somewhere, and disrupting your family's life. 

Campbellsville University is an excellent school to consider.  It is a Christian school, fully-accredited, with several online options available.  There is a Certificate in Christian Ministry that can be earned completely online that is especially appropriate for bivocational ministers.  They also have a fully accredited Master of Theology degree that can be earned online.  The school frequently adds other courses online, so I encourage you to check their website and see for yourself what they offer.