Certificate in Mission Studies 2013 What is the Certificate in Mission Studies? The Certificate in Mission Studies (CMS) is an intensive and residential course on mission and cross-cultural ministry, especially for those preparing themselves for church-based mission programmes. This programme is jointly organised by the Centre for the Development of Christian Ministry and Centre for the Study of Christianity in Asia. CMS 2013 Course Prospectus (8 Modules) 1. Reading the Old Testament This module will guide students to understand the main thrust of the message in the Old Testament through a survey of the background and content of the Old Testament books. In this way students will be helped to appreciate reading the Old Testament with confidence. 2. Reading the New Testament This module, like the module on the Old Testament, seeks to guide students to understand and appreciate the message of the New Testament and to develop a familiarity with the background and content of the biblical material. 3. Understanding human cultures This module seeks to impart knowledge and skills for a Christian missionary to be function in an unfamiliar cultural setting. The module content will explain how values are expressed in human patterns of behaviour and introduce some basic perspectives and principles for cross-cultural engagement and ministry. 4. Understanding the Mission of God This module aims to clarify the relationship between the Mission of God and the mission activities and programme of the Church. It will develop from biblical material the presuppositions and principles for the motives, message, methods, strategies and goals of missions. 5. Interpreting the Bible This module builds on Module 1 Reading the Old Testament and Module 2 Reading the New Testament to introduce students to the principles involved in interpreting the scripture text and guide students to craft and to deliver a homily from their interpretation. 6. Spiritual formation in mission practice This module will address the principles and elements of spiritual formation in group worship and personal devotions with special reference to its theology and practice in cross-cultural ministry. Students will be guided in preparing and leading group worship and in the practice of personal spiritual exercises. 7. Transforming the community This module aims to demonstrate how the life and witness of the Church in proclaiming the Good News relates to community outreach and community development. It will explore different aspects of community development (such as, poverty alleviation, community health issues and micro-enterprise projects) and ask how the Good News and the Church may be part of that process. 8. Mission encounter (Practicum) There are two aspects to this module. Firstly, the module will sensitise students to the ministry of different missional contexts within Singapore through supervised field trips during the residential programme. Secondly, in consultation with the Module Instructor, students will design an extended personal practicum project that enables them to engage in cross-cultural ministry with a selected community. The project will run after the residential programme and may be conducted either locally or overseas. Back to top The CMS structure 1. Intensive and residential The CMS programme is intensive in that students will be supervised over a full five-day week for three weeks. There will be assigned CMS tasks that students will be required to complete and submit during the residential programme. Thus, students are advised to reserve their weekends for physical rest and quiet to make the most of their CMS experience. The residential dimension provides an opportunity for experiential learning through engagement with fellow students, instructors and invited guests. A Community of Learning The CMS residential component seeks to create a community of learning—a space where students learn about the meaning of cross-cultural ministry and service through active participation in communal living, the practice of spiritual disciplines and through disciplined study. The In living and working together, students learn to listen to others and to work with others and being part of a team. The experience and perspective of being a community of learning puts in the hands of the students, tools to befriend and live with peoples of a different culture. A major CMS objective is to expose students to the spiritual disciplines that will nurture a spiritual resilience for cross-cultural ministries. In a community of learning we experience keeping an internal sacred rhythm of prayer and bible reading and personal and corporate worship and fellowship. A community of learning also galvanises everyone to stay focussed on the theology and practice of mission studies. The community encourages stickability when the studying gets rigorous and the hours feel long. 2. Communal and personal worship and devotions Students will begin each day with group worship and conclude the day with group and personal reflections. Morning worship may be led by an invited Chaplain or students may be supervised to design and lead in worship. Evening devotions will focus on group and personal reflection and prayer over the day. Each student will be assigned to a spiritual formation group and exposed to both the group and personal spiritual disciplines of prayer, silence and meditation, community life and journalling. 3. Field programmes Field programmes are designed to facilitate experiential learning in various cross-cultural and missional contexts. These programmes will take the form of supervised excursions and visits to selected situations and may also involve student participation in ministry. Students will be introduced to making field notes and preparing field reports for submission. Back to top The CMS Benefits - Become familiar with issues encountered in cross-cultural context
- Be equipped to share and teach the Word
- Be exposed to practical skills for cross-cultural ministry
- Be mentored in the disciplines of Christian spirituality
- Experience community living with fellow students at TTC campus
- Supervised learning opportunities on field-trips and during practicum
Back to top The CMS Duration The programme will commence on 14 July 13 at 8pm and end on 2 Aug 13 at 5pm. An orientation will be held on 8 June, 2-4 pm at TTC. The CMS Fee 1. The course fee is S$1,400, and it includes tuition, accommodation and meals, and transportation to
field sites. Those who submit after 31 May 2013 will pay S$1,500, an additional late fee of S$100. 2. Please make payment to “Trinity Theological College”. 3. Please note that the Practicum module (M8) may incur additional personal expenses. Back to top The CMS Application Please download an application form here or write to Terence Peh at terence@ttc.edu.sg. Application is due on the 31 May 2013. Maximum of 20 students per programme. Register early today! Back to top CMS Application Requirements 1. The applicant should be a baptised Christian and a member in good standing with his/her church. A letter
of recommendation is required from the pastor of the applicant. 2. The applicant is required to complete all eight modules successfully as stipulated by the module instructors
to be awarded the CMS. Back to top Guidelines for course work and grading 1. An essay of about 1,500 to 2,000 words OR a two-hour examination. 2. The grading system is similar to that of the degree programme at TTC. 3. A student is allowed to re-sit the examination or re-submit the essay within two weeks after the results are
announced. 4. Students must attain GPA 2.0 to graduate 5. Students must complete and fulfill all the module requirements to obtain the CMS. 6. The Mission Encounter module is a supervised practicum to be fulfilled outside the stipulated CMS
class-time and may also incur additional expenses. 7. Students can choose to audit. Transfer Criteria 1. Students may transfer credits earned on the CMS into other CDCM programmes upon application. 2. Students who have successfully obtained the CMS may transfer credits as elective requirement of TTC
undergraduate degree programme. Noted: As there is no course to course correspondence between the lay training programmes and degree programmes, applicants must complete the former before applying for the latter. Back to top Administrators of CMS 2013 Programme CMS 2013 Coordinator: Mrs Kimhong Hazra CMS 2013 Programme Assistant: Mr Terence Peh, CSCA Project Manager CMS 2013 Programme Administrator: Ms Yap Seok Chin, Research Coordinator, Mission Practice (CSCA) CMS Management Committee The Very Rev. Kuan Kim Seng, Anglican Diocese of Singapore Dr Stanley Ling, CAC, Methodist Church in Singapore Rev. Phua Chee Seng, Presbyterian Church in Singapore Rev. Nick Singh, Lutheran Church in Singapore Rev. Aaron Tay, TRAC, Methodist Church in Singapore Rev. Canon Dr Michael Poon (Convenor) CMS Working Committee Mr Chew Boon Ann, Anglican Diocese of Singapore Mr James Goon, Anglican Diocese of Singapore Rev. Nick Singh, Lutheran Church in Singapore Rev. Aaron Tay, TRAC, Methodist Church in Singapore Rev. Teresa Wilborn, TRAC, Methodist Church in Singapore Elder Wong Foo Mun, The Presbyterian Church in Singapore Back to top | 
