Graduate Certificate in Shepherd Care

The Graduate Certificate in Shepherd Care equips
Christians to offer compassionate, confidential support to ministry leaders in crisis.

Pastors, missionaries, and parachurch leaders often face burnout, relational strain, and ongoing ministry pressures that impact their emotional, mental, and spiritual health. The Graduate Certificate in Shepherd Care is designed for those called to emulate the shepherding heart of Jesus as they walk alongside these leaders with wisdom and grace. Shepherd Care equips you to provide a safe, trustworthy relationship for ministry leaders seeking someone who can help them process personal and vocational challenges without fear of judgment, loss of reputation, or jeopardizing their ministry roles.

This certificate program is ideal for:

Denominational Care Shepherds
Parachurch Member Care Workers

Mission Agency Care Workers

Denominational Care Shepherds
Parachurch Member Care Workers
Mission Agency Care Workers

Courses

6 courses (18 credits)

Shepherd Care for Pastors

Develop the knowledge and skills to provide a safe, trusted, and confidential relationship for pastoral leaders facing personal, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. Identify and address issues that contribute to discouragement and ineffective ministry in order to strengthen personal well-being and sustain long-term ministry effectiveness.

Shepherd Care for Ministry Workers

Examine the spiritual, neuroscientific, and psychological processes that underlie the challenges facing international ministry workers and their personal relationships, including the brain’s response to stress and the identification of fleshly vulnerabilities. Develop practical techniques for cultivating Godly Resilience and encouraging its development in ministry leaders and international workers.

The Person of the Christian Leader

Examine the integrity and spiritual vitality necessary for godly leadership. Analyze the role of family, marriage, and the “dark” side of leadership in the personal formation of the Christian leader.

Managing Conflict

Develop the knowledge and skills to facilitate organizational change and resolve the conflict associated with that change in a healthy manner. Examine and apply key strategies and practices for effective conflict resolution.

Understanding Culture

Examine culture through cultural, anthropological, and missiological perspectives to develop cultural awareness and cross-cultural competence for building healthy, God-honoring relationships within diverse communities. Analyze biblical, anthropological, and missiological insights to create environments that reflect God’s reconciling work in church life and missional engagement and to express the gospel in ways that celebrate differences and foster unity in Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Formation for Ministry

Develop a foundational working knowledge of spiritual formation as an introduction to theological seminary and a basis for lifelong continuing education. Practice and experience spiritual exercises and small-group engagement for personal application and leadership in the church.

Further Study

Our Graduate Certificates are intentionally modular, allowing you to stack certificates together to build towards (or even complete) a master’s degree.

Christian Studies

Shepherd Care

MACM

MA in Christian Ministry

Combining the Christian Studies Certificate fulfills 70% of the requirements for the MACM (11/16 courses or 33/48 credit hours).

*The MACM is a “professional degree,” which primarily means it is weighted toward developing practical ministry skills. As such, six of the concentration electives in the MACM should be drawn from practical theology or counseling courses.