About

Our New Program for Developing Shepherd Leaders

Pastoral leaders (ministers and elders) are called to shepherd God’s flock that is under their care (1 Peter 5:2). They do this as a team by leading the church in its life and mission, praying with and for God’s people, proclaiming the gospel while teaching the whole counsel of God, and modelling a living and mature faith in Christ.

Serving God’s people as a Shepherd Leader is a noble task (1 Tim. 3:1). But it can also be difficult, especially when Shepherd Leaders lack basic training.

In past years, Christ College has offered training for elders in church and presbytery settings across New South Wales, the ACT, and Tasmania. To build upon this training, and to make it more accessible to churches in regional areas, the Christ College Faculty have developed a new online Shepherd Leader Training program.

This program is available for new and existing elders, aspiring elders, and those wishing to serve in other church leadership roles.

Modules

The Faculty are developing eight modules that will run over the course of two years. These modules will include a variety of multimedia resources to assist shepherd leaders in their learning. The description for each module will be updated closer to its respective term date.

Module A: Elders in Christ's Church (ENROLMENT AVAILABLE FOR 2021)

This Module provides a biblical introduction to the role of elders in God’s mission through the church.It focusses on the biblical basis for eldership, the biblical qualifications required of elders, and the primary biblical functions of elders in the life and mission of the church.

Watch our Module A Video Sample

Want more details? Download the sample module outline in the Resources section at the bottom of the page.


Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Love God in Christ Be devoted to reading the Scriptures and prayer
Know Self in Christ Be thankful for their talents, personality, gifts and calling
Develop healthy relationships, beginning with own family
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Develop and communicate a vision derived from God’s mission
Preach and Teach Christ from the Scriptures Work as part of a shared leadership based on PCA polity
 

Module B: God's Word and the Gospel (ENROLMENT AVAILABLE FOR 2021)


This module provides an understanding of how the Gospel fits into the overarching biblical narrative. It helps participants to form a Biblical Theology that allows them to understand the sections of the Bible within God’s overall revealed story.

Watch our Module B Video Sample

Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Love God in Christ Be devoted to reading the Scriptures and prayer
Exemplify ‘Christ for all of life’
Know God in Christ Know God (Trinity, Christology, Pneumatology)
Understand biblical theology and how it leads to an understanding of the gospel and Christian living
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Lead public worship
 

Module C: Truths We Confess (ENROLMENT AVAILABLE FOR 2021)


Module C: Truths We Confess introduces participants to the history and theology of the Westminster Confession and the Declaratory Statement of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

Watch our Module C Video Sample

Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Love God in Christ Grow in personal worship of God
Know God in Christ Know God (Trinity, Christology, Pneumatology)
Understand how Reformed theology informs PCA standards
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Lead public worship
 

Module D: Living for Christ in Australia Today (ENROLMENT AVAILABLE FOR 2021)

Module D: Living for Christ in Australia Today explores foundations for Christian living what that means in the context of modern Australia.

Watch our Module D Video Sample

Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Love God in Christ Exemplify ‘Christ for all of life’
Know God in Christ Understand biblical theology and how it leads to an understanding of the gospel and Christian living
Know Self in Christ Identify as a growing child of God
Develop healthy relationships, beginning with own family
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Empower and equip church members
 

Module E: Leading God's People
Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Care for People Like Christ Care for all kinds of people to present them mature in Christ
Serve others with love
Be an active host in the church and home
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Develop and communicate a vision derived from God’s mission
Work as part of a shared leadership based on PCA polity
 

Module F: Caring for God's People
Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Know Self in Christ Identify as a growing child of God
Be thankful for their talents, personality, gifts and calling
Care for People Like Christ Care for all kinds of people to present them mature in Christ
Serve others with love
Be an active host in the church and home
 

Module G: Teaching God's People
Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Know God in Christ Understand how Reformed theology informs PCA standards
Lead God’s Church Under Christ Empower and equip church members
Preach and Teach Christ from the Scriptures Preach and/or teach Christologically from the Bible in a range of contexts
Present and defend the gospel to non-Christians
 

Module H: The Church in God's Mission
Graduate Attributes Addressed in This Module

Graduate Attribute Descriptor
Love God in Christ Grow in personal worship of God
Preach and Teach Christ from the Scriptures Preach and/or teach Christologically from the Bible in a range of contexts
Present and defend the gospel to non-Christians
Expect the Holy Spirit to change people through a redemptive approach to the Bible
 

Church-Based Training

There’s no need to enrol as a student, attend college classes, or complete assessments (although motivated students can still do that if they wish). Instead, we’ll give your church a time-limited license so you can access and engage together with our custom-designed video and written course materials in whatever order you like, and at a time that suits you.

Each module contains learning outcomes, a learning plan, participant notes, group discussion questions, instructional videos, a podcast structured around Frequently Asked Questions, a list of further resources, and an optional assessment for individuals who would like to enrol as a student and complete the two-year program.

To make the most of these materials, we recommend the creation of two group discussion opportunities during the school term where you can watch a video together and discuss the questions and prior individual reading material. The podcast works well as a capstone learning experience. There’s no need for much preparation on the part of the church leader. We’ve done all the hard work for you!

Costs

Church Licenses

* New Church Licenses from March 2021 *

We are currently investigating and developing a new licensing and delivery platform for the Shepherd Leader Training program that will allow churches to purchase an annual license for unlimited access to all available modules. We hope to be able to roll this system out in March next year. Pricing for this new model is below. To express your interest, please fill out the form below.

Church License Pricing
* Pricing is per year based on the number of regular church attendees. A valid license grants unlimited use of currently available modules to the licensed church for the license period.
Number of church attendees Annual License Cost
< 50 $500
50 – 99 $1,000
100 – 149 $1,500
150 – 199 $2,000
200 – 249 $2,500
250 + $3,000

 

Individual Students

$60 per individual per module
Students will be invoiced after successful enrolment into the program. Please note that the Shepherd Leader Training modules are not eligible for FEE-HELP as they are internal units.

Apply

Expression of Interest (New Church Licences)

1 Step 1
Church Information
Coordinator Information
Other Information
How did you hear about the Shepherd Leader Training program?Select all that apply.

Conditions of Licence

This material is authorised for use only by students and instructors attending a church with a current license for the Shepherd Leader Training program. Copying, posting, editing or distributing this material is an infringement of copyright.

By submitting this form, you agree to these conditions.


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Apply Now (Individual Registration)

We are now taking registrations for available Modules at the beginning of each NSW school term. Click the Apply Now button below, and one of our team will let you know about the next steps for enrolment.

Click here to Apply Now (Individual Registration)

FAQs

Is this training just for elders?
Whilst it is primary aimed at new and existing elders, this program is also for those thinking about what it means to be a shepherd leader in a church context.
 

Can I do this program by myself?
Yes, you can – but some assessments (‘ministry artifacts’) may require you to work with those in your local church. We think that this program is best done in a group setting.
 

Can we complete the modules out of order
Yes, you can choose which module you’d like to start with, to suit your church leadership context. Generally, the first four modules are the ‘foundational’ modules and we encourage you to complete those before completing the remaining four.
 

Are there any assessments?
Yes. We’re calling them ‘ministry artifacts’ – assessments that are grounded in your local church context. However these are only required if you enrol as an individual student, and not for participants under a church license. Details for ministry artifacts can be found in the module outlines.
 

If you have any other questions about the Shepherd Leader Training program, e-mail our Program Coordinator, Jonathan Pratt at jpratt@christcollege.edu.au.