Essential Teaching for Effective Ministry
Current Courses
The courses offered by Church Answers University are intentionally designed to be relevant and helpful for today’s church leaders.
Building a Healthy Worship Ministry
Course Description: This course equips church leaders with insights to construct an effective worship team, empowering them to lead worship for the local church. Discover the key principles and practices essential for cultivating a biblical and quality worship team.
Accompanying Book: Worship Leading 101: A Primer for Church Leaders by Mike Harland
Professor: Mike Harland
Church Revitalization
Leading With Hope to Help any Church
Course Description: This course will provide the learner with a step-by-step path to a hope-filled future for both church leaders and churches. The course will walk through a seven-point checklist—everything from reconsidering priorities to evaluating location and facilities, and more.
Accompanying Book: The Church Revitalization Checklist by Sam Rainer
Professor: Sam Rainer
Contemporary Issues in the Church
Today’s Challenges and the Right Path to the Future
Course Description: This course will provide the learner with what is needed to face the challenges and opportunities that the quarantine crisis creates for the local church, including new and better ways to lead the gathered church, a wide-open door for growing the digital church, a moment to rethink the facilities, new strategies for church growth, and much more.
Accompanying Book: The Post-Quarantine Church by Thom S. Rainer
Professor: Thom Rainer
Jesus-like Leadership in the Church: How to Lead God’s People
Course Description: This course will explore the leadership of Jesus in the New Testament, as well as discuss models and methods of leadership that better equip learners to lead in the local church or other ministry contexts.
Accompanying Book: Leading the Jesus Way: Learning to Lead from the Master by Matt McCraw
Professor: Matt McCraw
Launching, Leading, and Sustaining a Healthy Small Group Ministry
Course Description: This course will provide the learner with an exploration of the characteristics of a healthy small group and many of the issues that will be faced as a leader, an explanation of how to address common issues that arise in small groups, and insights into how to equip church members to love God and love one another.
Accompanying Book: How to Lead a Healthy Small Group by Kevin Mills
Professor: Kevin Mills
New Testament Essentials
The Teachings of Jesus and the Early Church
Course Description: This course will provide the learner with a complete understanding of the teachings of Jesus and how the early Christians thought and lived out their beliefs. It is a solid foundation of biblical knowledge on which the learner can build a deeper understanding of Scripture and God’s ultimate purposes.
Accompanying Book: Journey through the New Testament by William F. Cook III
Professor: Bill Cook
Old Testament Essentials
Connecting the Themes and Stories of the Old Testament
Course Description: This course will help the learner gain a solid grasp of the major themes and stories of the Old Testament by exploring God’s original design for humanity, tracking the major themes in the Old Testament, tracing God’s story of redemption, and more.
Accompanying Book: Journey through the Old Testament by Justin Gatlin
Professor: T. J. Betts
Personal Evangelism
Overcoming the Difficulties of Sharing the Gospel
Course Description: This course will help the learner discover why it is so difficult to share the greatest news in the world, identify common objections that are difficult to answer and learn how to respond to them gracefully, learn about the three biggest barriers to talking to others about the gospel and how to bypass those obstacles, and see how God loves to work through our lives to draw others to Himself.
Accompanying Book: Sharing the Gospel with Ease by Thom S. Rainer
Professor: Thom Rainer
Prayer
Leading Churches from Our Knees
Course Description: This course will illustrate how churches need to take prayer seriously in order to grow, explore how Jesus and the early church depended on God through prayer, explain how prayer is essential to preparing for spiritual battles, and guide the learner in establishing the priority of prayer and a thriving prayer ministry in their churches.
Accompanying Book: The Potential and Power of Prayer by Chuck Lawless
Professor: Chuck Lawless
Systematic Theology
Connecting the Dots of Doctrine in the Bible
Course Description: This course will offer a summary of Christian teaching that covers a multitude of Christian beliefs. This course offers precise descriptions without sacrificing depth in a way that is beneficial for church leaders and churches.
Accompanying Book: I Believe by Thom S. Rainer
Professor: Matt McCraw
The Healthy Church
Identifying the Essential Ingredients for Thriving Churches
Course Description: This course will reveal traits that are present in healthy and revived churches. The course will further identify actions that church leaders can take to implement steps that will lead to greater health and vitality in their churches.
Accompanying Book: The Anatomy of a Revived Church by Thom S. Rainer
Professor: Thom Rainer
The Purpose of the Gathered Church in Worship
Course Description: This course is a helpful and informative course for church leaders, explaining the significance of congregational worship, enabling an understanding of why churches gather, and fostering a biblical model for congregations to praise God.
Accompanying Book: Worship Leading 101: A Primer for Church Leaders by Mike Harland
The Role of Women in Redemptive History
Course Description: This course will explore what God has accomplished through the unique talents and contributions of women of the Bible, drawing inspiration and lessons for all women in the Church today. Through character studies and personal reflection the learner will identify with a long lineage of women that God has used to impact families, communities, and workplaces for the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying Book: The Calling of Eve: How the Women of the Bible Inspire the Women of the Church by Jacki C. King
Professor: Jacki King
Understanding the Bible as a Whole
Comprehending the Big Picture of Scripture
Course Description: This course will help the learner comprehend God’s big picture as revealed in His Word, explore the major themes of Scripture, and know quickly and easily the subject and purpose of each book of the Bible.
Accompanying Book: Understanding the Bible as a Whole by Sam Rainer
Professor: Sam Rainer
Who is in Charge? Church Polity and Governance
Course Description: This course will discuss different models of local church polity and leadership. Learners will be equipped with a well-rounded knowledge of church operational leadership, and will grasp recommended models of the most effective church polity.
Accompanying Book: Who is in Charge? Leadership, Authority, and Decision Making in the Church by Brad Waggoner
Professor: Brad Waggoner
Women’s Discipleship
Course Description: This course will help the learner create a foundation of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how he modeled discipleship for his followers. The learner will learn how to make disciples through practical teaching on the spiritual disciplines, the community and accountability of the Church, and ways to engage in Gospel conversations. Whether a stay at home mom, ministry leader, or someone in the marketplace, the learner will be equipped to follow Jesus in personal discipleship and will learn how to develop others in their own faith journey.
Accompanying Book: Disciple: How to Create a Community That Develops Passionate and Healthy Followers of Jesus by Chuck Lawless
Professor: Jacki King