About the Program
Why This Major Is Relevant
Today’s adolescents are growing up in ever more treacherous waters. New technologies, such as Web 2.0 social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, in-game Internet communities, and text messaging, make unsupervised communication easier. Offline, the availability of drugs, alcohol, and sexual experimentation make the transition from child to adult rife with difficult decisions. Many young people go through these transitions in broken homes and without the guidance they need to make healthy choices. APU’s youth ministry degree uniquely equips graduates to step into this gap, provide direction, and help young people grow into adults with safety and Christian faith intact.
Gain In-Depth Learning Experiences
The youth ministry program features the Philosophy and Theology of Ministry course, in which each student develops his or her own personal philosophy of ministry. This works hand-in-hand with the two-semester Christian Ministries Internship requirement, which provides an opportunity to put that philosophy into practice. Students graduate with a clearly formulated ministry plan and a year of applicable work experience on their resume.
