Overview

The Children at Risk specialization enables students to dialogue with a variety of disciplines for understanding and relating to children and the contexts in which they live. Students will develop effective strategies to implement holistic work with children in times of need by connecting relevant theory and theology with contemporary best practices.  Courses in this area of specialization are often team taught with adjunct faculty coming from such diverse organizations as World Vision, International justice Mission, Oasis International, and the US House of Representatives.

As students work through our Master’s-level programs, they move from courses focused on foundational theory to those that address accepted best practices and the contextualized skills students need to help different groups of children and their communities. Alongside these classes, our programs offer a range of services and opportunities to help each student deepen her or his calling and spirituality and, if needed, connect with internships or placement in a child-focused agency.

Courses Available

Theoretical Foundations

*MD 575 Children and Culture. This course examines variables that influence the way children are seen, treated, listened to, parented and discipled as they grow up in contemporary societies.  It draws from theological, anthropological, sociological, and cross-cultural psychological perspectives.  It explores cross-cultural understandings of children, multi-cultural child development, listening and relating to children, cultural stories of children and childhood, and social and political implications for child development, behavior and relationships. Missiological implications for mission and ministry with children are discussed. Segura-April

**MD553 Children and the Kingdom. This course explores the wealth of the Church’s theology regarding children and offers the opportunity to critically reflect on these developments.  It then provides an introduction to the Understanding God’s Heart for Children framework and how it can be used to practically impact the shape of ministry with children. McConnell, Segura-April

Principles and Strategies

*MD 543 Mission to Children at Risk. From the AIDS orphan to the child soldier, kids all over the world struggle every day in unfair situations that place them 'at risk'. This course is designed to provide a deeper understanding of the problems these children face and equip students with the tools they need to show them the holistic love of Christ. Segura-April, Scott

**MD 551 Girl Child: The Problem and Potential. The girl-child around the world is often marginalized and put at risk due to her status as both female and child. This course is designed to provide a deeper understanding of the problems the girl-child may face as well as the potential she holds for being an active member of her community and the church. Includes an overview of the major risk factors that affect girl-children, developing a biblical theology of gender, theological foundations necessary to work with girls long-term, and presentation of best practices drawn from historical and contemporary mission projects with the girl-child. Segura-April

**MD 555 Learning with Children. Focuses on how we can learn from and with children in order to inform ministry practices and contribute to the understanding of issues related to mission with children at risk. Explores some of the inter-cultural, ethical, legal, methodological, and practical issues related to doing research with children. Emphasis on how to conceptualize, design, implement and follow up effective research with children, including children in extreme circumstances. Segura-April

**MD 524 Advocacy for Social Justice. This course explores what it means for every Christian to observe God’s call ‘to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.’ Participants will explore various biblical, theological and historical traditions of social justice. We will investigate detailed examples of injustice and models of advocacy, both in the U.S.A. and internationally. Taylor, Myeus, Finkler

**MM 568 Self-Care in Mission. Addresses personal and organizational issues of self and mutual care, such as: stress and burnout; safety and trauma; singleness, marriage, and family; sexuality and sexual impurity; team relationships and conflict transformation; the reality of suffering; and vocation. Will provide students with resources to implement appropriate self-care and organizational member-care in a variety of mission communities. Tiersma Watson, Eriksson

Contextualized Models and Skills

**MD 545 Ministry to Street Children. Explores the questions of why children are living and working on the streets and the complexities involved in this. Focuses on key principles and basic tools needed to minister with street living and/or working children and the process of establishing an effective ministry with them. Segura-April

**MD 552 Ministry to Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Children. This course will give students a basic introduction to the problem of trafficking of children for sexual and labor exploitation. Students will study existing faith-based and secular strategies to address these issues, evaluate them and formulate effective solutions. Students will develop a missional approach to addressing sex and labor trafficking in their own ministry context. Foster Crawford, Crawford

***MD 548 Children and Armed Violence.  Since the beginning of the twentieth century the greatest casualties in any war have been children.  This class will address how concerned Christians can engage in order to minister to these children; from refugees to child soldiers.  Faculty

***MD550  Introduction to HIV/AIDS.  The HIV/AIDS pandemic has become one of the most pressing social issues of the coming century. As infection rates continue to rise among vulnerable populations in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Africa, the Christian church is becoming increasingly mobilized to respond in effective ways. This course will equip practitioners to address five primary dimensions of HIV/AIDS: theological/spiritual, medical, psychological, sociological, and economic. The course will take special interest in the plight of children in each of these five areas.  Faculty

**FS 505 Child and Family Development. An overview of child and family development from a life span and asset based perspective.  Balswick, King

**PI 510 A Science and Theology of Spiritual Development. This course provides an introduction and overview to an interdisciplinary approach to spiritual development, offering students the opportunity to integrate and formulate their own understanding of spiritual development as it relates to the study and practice of their own discipline.  Students will address issues related to epistemology; teleology; human nature; dualism; biology; a history of the study of spirituality development; personal and corporate practices of spirituality and implication for ministry. King

* Normally offered once per year
** Normally offered every other year
***Has been offered in the past; may be offered again based on student interest

Additional Related Courses

MD 538 Medical Missions: Comm. Health Evang.
MD 540 Theology of Holistic Ministry
MD 542 Globalization and Mission
MD 546 Humanitarian Aid
MN 520 Introduction to Urban Mission
MN 526 Urban Ministry/Mission Models
MN 591 Urban Youth Workers Institute Conference
PI 504 Community and Healing Children at Risk

 

Vocational Placements

Although this specialization is quite new, some students studying in this area have found employment in organizations such as Viva Network, InnerChange, Word Made Flesh, and World Vision. The range of tasks in these vocational placements spans everything from organizational administration to face-to-face work with children both here in the US and in the developing world. However, the need most often expressed by these organizations is for graduates who can reflect theologically and missiologically on the practices of the NGOs in which they work. Graduates of this program should expect to be equipped with the kind of insights that are sought after in a variety of child-focused NGOs worldwide and mission organizations focused on working with children at risk.