The Goal

You pastor for the same reason that shepherds care for sheep. Not because it's easy, it isn't. You pastor because you value every member of your flock. You love your people and want them all to grow into spiritual maturity. Your love motivates you to be the best pastor possible. Talbot can help.

Our Ministry Skills specialty track will equip you to meet the challenges of pastoring in the 21st century. It will help you personally and professionally to lead your church to maturity in Christ. It will help you to be the pastor you want to be. To be an even better shepherd of God's flock.

Our Ministry Skills track is unusual in that you can join anytime. Everyone will complete the same three residencies but the order you take them will depend on when you join.

Videos

The Strategy

Leadership

God has always used human leaders to make significant advances for the Kingdom of God. He still does. During the first week of this residency you will learn the theory and theology of Christian leadership. During the second week you will apply what you have learned to the context of the local church. We will be traveling to several area churches to see effective leadership in action.

Discipleship

Pastors must help God’s people grow into greater maturity so that they display the very character of Christ in everyday life. In this residency, we will help you establish a biblical understanding of discipleship that will become foundational in your ministry, in the families of your congregation, and in your own life. You will gain valuable insight into how you can aid your people to fruitfully live as Jesus has called them, impacting their church, their neighborhoods, and the wider world.

Preaching

Our communication age demands effective communicators. Under the leadership of Dr. Kent Edwards (faculty mentor) you will learn how to preach the Scriptures with greater accuracy and relevance. You will discover how to analyze your audience and adapt your communication for maximum impact. Special emphasis will be given during the second week on how to preach the narrative portions of Scripture.

The Faculty Mentor

Dr. J. Kent Edwards is the Director of Talbot's Doctor of Ministry Program as well as the Professor of Preaching & Leadership at Talbot School of Theology.

Besides Directing the Doctor of Ministry program, Dr. Edwards is also the author of Effective First-Person Biblical Preaching (Zondervan). He brings 25 years of experience as a successful pastor and church-planter to the classroom. Dr. Edwards is Executive Secretary of ADME (the Association of Doctor of Ministry Education) and past president of the Evangelical Homiletics Society.