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BA in Youth and Family Ministry

If you have a heart for pre-teens, teenagers, young adults, and their families, then a BA in Youth and Family Ministry is the degree for you.

This program will prepare you to lead a youth ministry or disciple-making team. You’ll study under distinguished professors who couple academic excellence with practical experience, and engage in honest discussions that foster innovative ideas, meaningful collaborations and lasting friendships. You’ll learn to cultivate an environment that nurtures discipleship and spiritual formation. At the end of your studies, you will be able to articulate and implement a Biblically based philosophy of ministry for youth and families.

On the journey to receiving your Youth and Family Ministry degree, you’ll make memories and find friends. But most importantly, you’ll learn how to extend Christ to some of our world’s most vulnerable people—children and teens.

Potential Careers

Children's Minister
Middle School Youth Pastor
High School Youth Pastor
College Pastor
Family Minister
Associate Minister Working with Youth
Church-Related Organizations
Campus Ministers in Urban and International Settings

Sample Course List

Some of the classes you’ll take while pursuing your BA in Business Administration:
BI 170
Interpreting the Christian Scriptures
A study of the resources, principles, and methods of interpreting Scripture.
CH 380
History of American Christianity and the Stone-Campbell Movement
This course surveys the history of Christianity in the United States by examining key ideas, figures, and movements primarily active in the period of 1700 to 2000. The course discusses the issues involved in transplanting and adjusting old European church systems to the New World and also creating distinctly American expressions of the Christian faith. Special attention will be given to the rise and development of the Stone-Campbell (or Restoration) Movement in this social and religious context.
ID 101
An Introduction to Worldviews
This course introduces the concept of worldview as a tool to understand, compare, and evaluate a variety of philosophical and religious perspectives (e.g., Deism, Secular Humanism, Marxism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, etc.). Attention is given to the nature and implications of a Christian worldview in the context of our contemporary pluralistic culture.
YM 325
Relational Dynamics for Youth/Family
A reflective examination and skill development of interdependent dynamics necessary for an effective youth and family ministry through increasing self and social awareness, so as to improve the emotional, social, and spiritual health for the leader and all associative relationships.
YM 326
Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts
A creative and practical simulation course (the class acts as a real youth ministry team) focused on the master of intermediate youth ministry and practical theological skills and competencies (e.g., Biblical study tools, technology, creative program creation and development, administration of ministry, and personal budgets and finances) by developing a complete year’s worth of youth and family ministry programming through careful hermeneutic and exegetical practice.
YM 327
Social Issues for Youth and Family Ministry
An exploration of the current emotional and social issues confronting young people and their families (abandonment, identity formation, at-risk students, abuse, sexuality, drugs/alcohol, depression, suicide, cutting, self-esteem, pornography, etc.), and basic solution-focused counseling skills needed to effectively address these issues from a Biblical perspective.

Student Testimonials

Hear from students who’ve earned a BA in Youth and Family Ministry:
  • “LCU’s Youth and Family Ministry program launched me into ministry feeling equipped from the inside out. My favorite part [of the degree] was my instructor and how he modeled for me what lifelong learning and Kingdom work looked like.”
    — Matt Fogle
  • “One great thing about LCU is that while here, we are encouraged to be active in churches through service learning. I have gained so much from my youth ministry classes and have been using my knowledge to lead a youth group of 30 to 40 middle school students. This year, we have seen eight students give their lives to Christ.”
    — Josh Medlin
  • “I wanted the best youth ministry experience possible and my youth pastor told me that I should choose LCU. ”
    — Jerald “Jay” Jeter
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