The Tyndale Centre for Pastoral Imagination (TCPI) is now offering a Ministry Formation Certificate that ingeniously sees “pastors training pastors” for effective ministry. It is fitting for TCPI, whose premise is to work with churches to “discern, equip, and support pastors,” to offer a program that animates a vision to empower pastors leading churches with renewed imagination.
Rev. Dr. Sarah Han, the Director of TCPI, and Laura Bevan Alexander, the Coordinator, say that “the Ministry Formation Certificate was born out of conversations in 2022-2023 with local pastors where as TCPI we were asking local pastors what they felt the gaps in support or development were for local ministry leaders. A group of pastors emerged from those conversations who all expressed the desire for a non-degree, practically focused training that could equip people in their communities for ministry.”
The Ministry Formation Certificate is a six-month, in-person program that allows students to learn from experienced local pastors and practitioners—“pastors training pastors.” The cohort-based program also offers participants a chance to get to know and grow with a group of fellow leaders. Students in the program will focus on personal, communal, and missional ministry application to aid them in their pastoral formation.
While this is a non-degree program, there is an option to have currently enrolled Tyndale Seminary students apply to have this certificate transferred as an elective Master course credit.
This program is for anyone who is “a) in the process of discerning a call to ministry and wanting a place to experience what that could look like, b) working in ministry formally or informally (staff or layperson) and desiring further practical or theological equipping without the commitment of a degree program,” explains Sarah and Laura.
Pastor Sam Lee of Spring Garden Church, an instructor for one of the sessions, emphasized the “importance of learning in community.”
“I really enjoyed our monthly mentoring community where we were able to debrief what was taught. It gave a safe space where the whole group was able to learn from one another and support each other,” he says.
“What I have loved about this program is the way in which the church and the school can partner together in building into the next generation of ministry leaders.”
Pastor Sam sought to teach his students this: “You are not what you have, what you do, or what others think about you. You are the beloved sons and daughters of God.”
Sarah and Laura hope that graduates from the program will “come away with clarity in their sense of calling or purpose, a deeper sense of personal and pastoral formation than what they started with, and practical tools they can apply in their unique ministry contexts.”
Akad Yousif, a student who completed the program, has experienced this kind of growth. "This program has given me more confidence to continue serving God and His people for many years to come. It has encouraged me, strengthened me, and reminded me of the joy and responsibility of ministry,” he says.
“I will carry with me the reminder that it’s always important to keep learning. Whether it’s taking courses, engaging in conversations, or simply staying open to new ideas, this helps us serve people better and stay aware of what’s happening both in the church and in the world.”
It is clear in the example of Pastor Sam’s teaching and Akad’s record that graduates are learning vital lessons that will shape their ministry for a lifetime.
View more information or register for the Ministry Formation Certificate.