... Academic Requirements ...

Requirements for Completion of Program

A GIFTS participant is required to complete approximately 100 contact hours of education.  (A contact hour is defined as approximately 45-60 minutes of instruction)  Normally this is done within a 3-year time frame.  It can be spread out over a longer period, but the student must participate for at least three years.  The contact hours are completed through courses offered by the GIFTS program either locally or at a Luther Seminary event. Three or four local, weekend academic events are offered each year, and there are two Luther Seminary events each year.

Other opportunities approved or promoted by the GIFTS program, such as ones offered through the CHARIS Ecumenical Center or SELECT Video Courses, may also be recognized for credit. It is expected that a participant would attend at least one of the Luther Seminary Kairos events over the course of the three years. Of the 100 contact hours required for completion of the GIFTS program, the following would be required as core topics to be completed sometime during the three years in the program. The hours are grouped in eight categories.

 Christian Education- 100 hours

·        NEW TESTAMENT: 16 hours - Study of the Gospels, Epistles and other New Testament topics.

·        OLD TESTAMENT: 16 hours - Study of the Prophets, Psalms and the Law.

·        PASTORAL CARE: 10 hours - Study of the biblical, theological and scientific approaches to caring for God's people in need. 

·        WORSHIP/PREACHING: 10 hours - Study of the integration of liturgy, music, the arts and preaching in the worship life of the church.

·        LUTHERAN CHURCH HISTORY/DOCTRINE/CONFESSIONS: 20 hours - Study of the Lutheran heritage to modern times as well as investigation of doctrinal and confessional developments throughout history.

·        LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: 10 hours - Study of leadership styles, congregational trends and group interactions.

·        SPIRITUAL FORMATION: 10 hours - Study of God the Holy Spirit and how he works within the world, the church and one's own ministry.

·        ELECTIVES: 8 hours - Study of specialized topics that prepare the student for certain contextual settings and callings.

 Discipleship Training

Discipleship Training runs concurrent with the Christian Education 3-year program.  Regular sessions with the mentor/student are held within the congregational setting to help participants understand how God has gifted them and how their gifts may be used for community, for up building of the church, and for the work of ministry. 

A participant is expected to be involved in an ongoing practice of personal devotions and Bible reading.

A participant is expected to work closely with his or her pastor/mentor in the process of spiritual formation and growth. We expect that the GIFTS participant would meet at least monthly with the pastor/mentor. Topics they may discuss include:

·        Stories and journeys of faith

·        Spiritual gifts

·        Intersections of faith and daily life (e.g., family, citizenship, occupation, education, moral decisions, etc.)

·        Personal disciplines for spiritual formation

·        Lectionary text studies