The MDC Online is pleased to announce the launch of the Lay Ministry Certificate Program on October 1, 2012. This program includes 6 modules from the Nazarene Course Of Study (COS) and is awarded as outlined in the 2009-2013 Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (Download Here)

• Explanation of the Certificate of Lay Ministry
• Step By Step Instructions
• Certificate Modules
• New MDC Online Students Application Process

402 All Christians should consider themselves ministers of Christ and seek to know the will of God concerning their appropriate avenues of service.

402.1 Any member of the Church of the Nazarene who feels called to serve as a church planter, bivocational pastor, teacher, lay evangelist, lay song evangelist, stewardship minister, church staff minister, and/or other specialized ministry on behalf of the church, but who does not at the present time feel a special call to become an ordained minister, may pursue a validated course of study leading to a certificate of lay ministry.

402.2 The local church board, upon the recommendation of the pastor, shall initially examine the lay minister as to personal experience of salvation, effective involvement in church ministries, and knowledge of the work of the church, and satisfy itself as to the lay minister's qualifications for such ministry.

402.3 The local church board may issue to each lay minister candidate a certificate signed by the pastor and the secretary of the church board.

402.4 The certificate of the lay minister may be renewed annually by the church board upon the recommendation of the pastor, if the lay minister has completed at least two subjects in the lay ministry educational program as outlined by the Continuing Lay Training. The lay minister shall report annually to the church board.

402.7 After completion of a lay ministry validated course of study, a lay minister shall proceed in a specialized concentration of study according to his or her chosen ministry.1 The provision for grading and recording the same will be made at the Continuing Lay Training office.

The MDC Online may have additional specialized courses in place as seen in the above Manual Paragraph. Please contact us HERE or watch this website for more information to come on this subject.

     Lay Minister (Applicant) Steps

1. Using Form #1 – The Lay Ministry Service Log (Sourcebook for Ministerial Development (Canada) page 7, the candidate can track their Lay Ministry record and make that available as a resource for the initial examination by the Church Board. (Lay Ministry Service Log PDF)
   
   
2. Talk to your local Mentoring Pastor about your desire to receive a Lay Ministry Certificate.
   
   
3. Have their Mentoring Pastor fill out and submit the "Request for Lay Ministry Certificate"form to the MDC Online Registrar. (Request for Lay Ministry Certificate PDF)
   
   
4. Once you receive the church board's recommendation, start the education process as directed by the Church Manual (402.4).
   
   

     Sponsoring Church / Mentoring Pastor Steps

1. Meet with your potential Lay Minister and discuss the requirements as seen below or in the Church Manual - The Lay Minister – Paragraphs 402.0 - 402.8.
   
   
2. Recommend the Lay Minister to the Local Church Board and arrange a time when the Board can examine the applicant as directed by the Church Manual (402.2).
   
   
3. Upon the Church Board issuing the Lay Ministers Certificate and accepting the applicant; print, fill out and submit the "Request for Lay Ministry Certificate" form to the MDC Online Registrar. (Request for Lay Ministry Certificate PDF)
   
   
4. Once you receive the Certificate back from the MDC Online Registrar, have the Mentoring Pastor and the Church Board Secretary sign the document and present it to the Lay Minister in whatever way seems appropriate.
   
   
5. Ensure that the Lay Minister is aware that they are required to start and complete 2 courses in the next year in order to maintain the Certificate.
   
   
6. Make arrangements for the Lay Minister to annually report to the church Board and submit a new "Request for Lay Ministry Certificate" form for each subsequent year. (Request for Lay Ministry Certificate PDF)

Download the Full Instructions HERE

Communicating the Gospel in a Pluralistic World - CO107LMC
In this module students confront the ideology of religious pluralism from a Wesleyan-Arminian perspective.  Religious pluralism claims that not only are there many religions, the diversity represents the way things "ought to be". There exists no single religious perception of reality that is universally applicable and binding.  No religion can legitimately claim to proclaim the truth for all persons.

Exploring John Wesley's Theology - Theo112LMC
The module will examine the life of Wesley in historical context-Britain in the 18th century. It will also examine Wesley's dependence upon and creative appropriation of certain theological traditions. Each aspect of the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" will be examined.

Exploring Nazarene History and Polity - NH113LMC
The History and Polity module gives a brief overview of the development of the Church of the Nazarene as a denomination.  It also provides an introduction to the organization of the denomination via a study of pertinent sections of The Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.

Practicing Wesleyan-Holiness Spiritual Formation - WH102LMC
Spiritual formation is the transformational outworking of the grace of God in the hearts and actions of human beings.  It includes Christian fellowship, community, and worship (Eph 4:15-16) as well as acts of service (Gal 6:10).  This course focuses primarily on the spiritual disciplines, devotional skills, and practices that open the door to the transforming Spirit.

Telling the Old Testament Story of God - OT101LMC
This module is an introduction to the serious study of the Hebrew Scriptures in their historical, cultural and literary contexts.  The module emphasizes the essential contents, structure and theological message of the books of the Old Testament.  Students are introduced to the practice of biblical exegesis and to the geography and archaeology of the lands of the Bible.

Telling the New Testament Story of God - NT103LMC
This module will introduce the student to the New Testament biblical literature, Bible study methods, and the environment of the Early Church. Special attention will be given to the political, cultural, religious, and geographical setting, the literary genre, and the meaning of the text in its original cultural, historical, and literary context for the purpose of discovering the principles of truth to be applied to our contemporary setting.