The Christian Community Development major equips students primarily in three areas:
- Understanding and defining Christian Community Development
- Understanding culture through engagement of Intercultural Studies
- Exposure to methods of qualitative research.
Career Outlook
Students with a Christian Community Development major can find work in:
- Community development
- International development
- Community outreach
- Social ministry
- International missions
Students will be able to serve in the local church, non-profit organizations, NGOs, mission organizations, and a variety of other settings.
Learning Outcomes
The successful student in this course will be able to:
- Assess and evaluate the historical and biblical foundations of Christian community development with attention on the place of the local church as a prophetic witness for transformation.
- Assess and evaluate different social justice traditions throughout the history of the church (early monasticism, attempts at Reformation, black church, Latin American and Latinx church, social gospel movement, etc.) and how they have confronted social economic disparities and structural racism.
- Articulate the complexities of different models of community development (Perkins: relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution; Green and Haines: Self-Help, Technical Assistance, Conflict)
- Articulate the principles of Christian community development.
- Apply qualitive research skills in an introductory assessment of a neighborhood, producing an asset and needs assessment.
- Articulate and assess a call to ministry and Christian Community development.
Participate in Missions
At PBA, you’ll receive guidance as you seek out service environments and find freedom in turning those opportunities into your own. Participate in and lead weekly cross-campus worship, prayer, and discussion, join your residence hall’s Bible studies, and embrace one-on-one mentorship from a Discipleship Leader.
We also invite you to adventure into the world, carrying God’s heart and purpose and your understanding of scripture, truth, and our role in God’s kingdom into places like Brazil, Greece, Japan, South Africa, Haiti, Finland, and more locations.
Program Details
Join your classmates as you work to create community transformation and gain knowledge and understanding of God, scripture, and our role in Christ’s kingdom through this faith-centered bachelor’s program at PBA. What you’ll learn here will equip you to serve churches and communities.
Review the course catalog for the Christian Community Development program.
PBA awards over three million dollars in scholarships every year and 97% of PBA undergraduate students receive financial aid.
Explore Our Community
Everything PBA has to offer—pristine beaches less than a mile from campus, access to world-class culture and internship opportunities in West Palm Beach, state-of-the-art facilities, and a caring community of faculty and friends—is the empowering backdrop to something much bigger: the purpose you were chosen for. Schedule a virtual or in-person visit today.
