World Christian Discipleship 

 

 

No dorms. No classrooms. No degrees.

An Experience in a Monastic Missional Order.

 

World Mission Initiative is pleased to announce the

Certificate Program in World Christian Discipleship

 

 

WHO?

The World Christian Discipleship program is designed for young university graduates who are interested in discerning and preparing for Christian vocation, regardless of occupation (church planter, lawyer, teacher, pastor, etc.). The program is non-traditional so students should be prepared to live a simple life, live in community, serve the East End communities, and live according to a religious rule.

           

 

 

WHY?

Theological education and other leadership training for the Church in the 21st  century requires new, non-traditional models suited more for a missionary context than a Christendom world. Christian leaders need to be prepared to engage cultures and social contexts with Gospel integrity and missionary creativity. Most seminaries and Bible colleges are not prepared to train leaders in community contexts, including marketplace experiences. This program recognizes the missional context of Christian existence today.

 

“…the major role of the church in relation to the great issues of justice and peace will not

be in its formal pronouncement but in its continually nourishing and sustaining men and women who

will act responsibly as believers in the course of their secular duties as citizens.”

- J. Lesslie Newbigin

 

WHERE?

The WCD program is located in the East End of Pittsburgh, a multi-cultural area. Participants in the program live in the homes of local church members, work in local businesses, and share in the lives and  experiences of people in East Pittsburgh. The “classroom” is the community: its businesses, homes, parks and schools. Disciples meet in homes for meals, worship, discussion and community building.

 

WHEN?

Arrive in Pittsburgh August 23, 2010.

The WCD Program will begin August 28, 2010 with an opening picnic.

Program will end May 28, 2011.

 

 

HOW?

Disciples work 15-20 hours per week in local businesses. They are to see themselves as a missional presence in the East End. In addition they will be volunteering with local ministries (homeless, housing, etc.) and be assigned to a local church plant or a church in redevelopment. A one year commitment is expected.

 

“The World Christian Discipleship program is the kind of program that today’s young pastors need

in order to minister to a world that is broken and in need of God¹s incarnational love. 

College students are longing to engage in authentic hands-on ministry but need the community care

to pursue this difficult road.  The WCD is a wonderful marriage of these two needs.

This is the New Friars for seminarians.”  

- Chloe Papke, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

 

WHAT?

There are seven elements in the WCD curriculum: (1) working in a local business, (2) volunteering in a local  ministry, (3) working in a local church, (4) receiving spiritual direction in an  urban Christian community, (5) a 2-4 week cross-cultural mission  immersion,  (6) reading the Scriptures, ancient spiritual theology, and missional literature, and (7) following a religious rule. After one term, students will be able to take a  seminary course for audit (free) or for credit.

 

 

 

3 Tracks are available for WCD Participants:

FULL PARTICIPANT

- 20 hours/week working in a local business

- 20 hours/week working in a local East End church

- Living with a local church family

- Participation in WCD community meal, prayer, and instruction, including readings, mentoring and spiritual direction

- 2 to 4 week cross-cultural immersion trip

STUDENT PARTICIPANT

- Earning credit hours at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (minimum of 27 for the year to qualify as a full-time student)

- Participating in 1 specific missional endeavor in a local East End church; a Field-Ed site may be used as your missional church if it meets the criteria of the program and is approved by WCD staff

- Living on- or off-campus in the East End

- Participation in WCD community meal, prayer, and instruction, including readings, mentoring and spiritual direction

- 2 to 4 week cross-cultural immersion trip

 

LOCAL PARTICIPANT

- Continue working in current job

- Participating in 1 specific missional endeavor in East End church

- Living in the East End (home or apartment)

- Participation in WCD community meal, prayer, and instruction, including readings, mentoring and spiritual direction

- 7 to 10 day cross-cultural immersion trip

 

 

COST?

One year of your of life; tuition is $3,000 per year. International travel and mission costs are additional. Students are eligible for loan deferment or forbearance. Students are responsible for health insurance costs and coverage (A low-cost option is available for approximately $1,100 per year). We encourage participants to raise support to fund costs of the program. Scholarships are also available.

 

 

CORE VALUES:

Biblical: to know the Bible deeply and broadly, and obey it.

Missional: to live and proclaim the mission of God in every area of life and culture.

Communal: to share, confess, learn, and worship together as a community of faith.

Religious rule: to submit our lives to Jesus Christ under the guidance of common rhythms and practices.

Embedded: to live, work, worship, and play in our local neighborhood.

Multi-cultural:  to embrace all peoples as created in the image of God.

Global: to learn from Christians in the non-western world.

Historical: to learn from the ancient Church.

Poverty: to live among, love, serve, and learn from the poor.

Christian unity: to express in unity the one faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Stewardship: to care for the resources we have received from God.

Justice: to live the justice and mercy of God in the local context.

 

 

FAQs

When does the WCD start and end?

Orientation weekend is August 27-29, 2010, and our end date is May 28, 2011.

 

When are applications due?

Applications are due on June 1, 2010. If the spaces are not filled, some applications may be received later.

 

Do you provide health insurance?

No, but we can provide you with affordable options.

 

Can I defer my student loans through this program?

Yes. With both the FFELP and the Direct Staffords, you can qualify for "up to a three year deferment." The reason can be for an economic hardship which many Peace Corp volunteers qualify under. A deferment is NOT automatic and a student must apply every year. Another option is Forbearance. Forbearance is temporary postponement in payments. Banks will often differ on the length of time for forbearance. Many banks offer 2-4 years for forbearances. Unlike a deferment's federal rules, a bank can choose to give a forbearance; it just takes additional paperwork.

 

How can I pay for the WCD program?

WCD participants should draw on these sources for financial support in the following order: (1) personal resources (savings/earnings); (2) funds raised as mission support (churches/organizations/family/friends); (3) scholarships through WCD.

 

Each participant is responsible for raising their own funds for the required mission experience. Costs vary from $1,000-$3,000 depending on the chosen location.

 

PTS students are eligible for matching funds up to $1,000 and the need-based Shortridge Scholarship through World Mission Initiative. Full Participants may also be eligible for the Shortridge Scholarship. Click here for more information on these financial resources.

 

WMI is committed to seeing that anyone desiring to participate in the WCD Program will not be prohibited by financial considerations.

 

Can you get seminary credit for participating in the WCD Program?

There are various ways to receive credit from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary through the WCD program. PTS Seminary students can earn up to 9 credit hours for the year through the WCD requirements. The WCD Full and Local Participants may audit 2 courses per year at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for free, and up to 2 courses per year may be taken for credit at the student's cost.

Seminary students must note that they are only permitted to take 3 Seminary courses while in the WCD program (the WCD is equivalent to a forth class therefore, a full-time schedule).

 

Where will I be living?

Full participants will live with families in the East End of Pittsburgh. These families volunteer as hosts. Local and Student participants may continue living in their current home or apartment in Pittsburgh's East End.

 

How will I find a job?

The WCD Program has compiled a list of numerous job opportunities in the East End. It will be the participant's responsibility to secure a job.

 

 

LEADERSHIP:

Rev. Dr. Scott W. Sunquist  teaches in the areas of World Christianity and Christian mission at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Previously, he and his wife, Nancy, served with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in Virginia, and then they served as missionaries in the Republic of Singapore. Click here for more about Dr. Sunquist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

B.J. Woodworth is the lead and founding pastor of the Open Door, an emerging PC (U.S.A.) missional church. He serves the community by being a worship choreographer, visionary guide, mission equipper, community catalyst, and  prophetic poet.  BJ is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and also served as a campus minister with the CCO at the University of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

 

 

 

 

INTERESTED?

Contact us at the World Mission Initiative office at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. For an application, click here to download. You can email Don Dawson at ddawson@pts.edu with questions.

 

Applications are due by June 1, 2010. If the spaces are not filled, some applications may be received later.

 

 

ROOTED - ENGAGED - ANCIENT - CONTEMPLATIVE - EMBEDDED

World Christian Discipleship

a year-long monastic missional encounter in Pittsburgh