Christians often wonder if their daily work matters to God and to the world. Abilene Christian University helps students to answer this question in their online graduate degree programs. Wherever an individual is called by God to go and serve Him, ACU can help the student to fulfill his or her mission, going beyond career advancement and salary, to find a way to serve God for a higher purpose. The Master of Arts in Global Service, ACU’s online graduate degree, can prepare students for ministry anywhere in the world. Whether the student decides to work in the US, wherein multicultural workforces are commonplace, or traveling abroad to serve, this master’s degree can provide the best education to fulfill one’s calling and career.
By earning ACU’s online Master of Arts in Global Service, graduates are vocationally prepared for ministries that require living, working, and communicating in intercultural contexts found in today’s global society. The curriculum in ACU’s Master of Arts in Global Service graduate degree program is an in-depth study of global topics pertinent in today’s world. Students enrolled in ACU’s online graduate degree program will learn and become experienced in evaluating complex global issues. They will learn to research and explore solutions to problems found around the globe, becoming effective change-agents transforming lives for the better. They will learn how to handle intercultural challenges with a variety of solutions created from a thorough understanding from a global perspective in theology, sociology, anthropology, history, communication theory, and practical ministry. An important part of ministering to people groups from around the world is understanding their culture, their traditions, and their history.
Although God is the same in the past, the present, and the future, people come to know Him via their own societal lenses. They learn about God in ways that conform to their traditions for learning, and ACU’s online graduate degree program in Global Services will help students to understand those traditions. Customs and traditions differ around the world, and those distinctive ways of viewing education and worship must be understood by those seeking a vocation in global ministry. Anthropology courses in ACU’s online graduate degree program help students to understand and accept different cultural histories and views of the world. By studying the history of different people groups, those seeking to meet their needs can better serve them when on mission. Communication is the key to reaching and serving others, and communication theory can help students learn how to communicate with people of various cultures and regions. Understanding other cultures is a goal of the Master of Arts in Global Service online graduate degree program at ACU, and meeting that goal will prepare students to minister to people around the world.
Computer technology has made global communication with other countries and regions much easier than ever before. Communicating with people from around the world helps to build relationship with other cultural groups, and these relationships prepare students to reach out and serve people from around the world. As global and intercultural connections grow quickly today, ACU can prepare students to reach out to others by emphasizing the development of meaningful interactions that help students to grow in their ability to communicate with people from various cultures. One way this is accomplished is through the four one-week residencies that are part of the online graduate degree program in the Master’s in Global Studies at ACU.
The role of this online graduate degree program is not only to fortify but bolster students as productive contributing members of the global faith community through the incorporation of specialized study uniquely found in the Master’s in Global Studies at ACU. Strong foundational knowledge is key to minister to other cultural groups. Besides academic knowledge about other cultures and societies, the online graduate degree program in Global Studies at ACU will also prepare students to be sensitive to the differences in the unique societal dynamics in ministry settings. They will learn how to best meet the needs of those through which their ministry is centered. This knowledge and sensitivity will best enable them to become skillful church planters in neighborhoods around the world and likewise establish or enhance existing ministry programs. The Master of Arts in Global Service degree coursework at ACU will also enable students to become nurturers locally and globally. The planting and growing of disciples from various regions, will help students to build congregations that are like beacons in their communities and regions around the world.
The Master of Arts in Global Service program is housed in the College of Biblical Studies at ACU. Its goal is to help students know the heart and nature of Christ, become aware of and ready to meet opportunities for service and spiritual growth around the world. The mission of this college is to provide leadership preparation and resources for effective ministry. The program equips women and men for mission work through strong academic foundations and theological inquiry methods and strategies. The program at ACU achieves its goals through graduate coursework, contextual learning, and mentoring opportunities.
Students enrolled in the online graduate degree program at ACU receive a theological foundation, become cross-culturally adept, and learn to be competent when working and communicating with a variety of people groups from around the world. The student who receives a graduate degree in Global Service from ACU is prepared for effective and sustainable service in a variety of settings.
Some of the courses students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Global Service will be involved in are as follows:
- Theology courses
- Ministry practice experiences
- Church planting
- Christian mission
- Philosophy of religion
- History of Christianity
- Contemporary Scripture teaching and engagement
- Leadership
- Research in missions
- Effective witness
All coursework is centered around the study of the Bible as God’s Word at ACU. Unlike many secular universities, ACU develops the spiritual dimension of the student as well as the academic and vocational facets. Information and knowledge can furnish a well-rounded world view, creating components necessary to a happy, successful and spiritually fulfilled life and therefore this remains at the heart of education in the Master of Arts in Global Service program at ACU.