Director of Christian Outreach (DCO) Program
The purpose of the Director of Christian Outreach certification program is to prepare students for professional Word and Service ministry as equippers of the Church to carry out God's mission to seek and save the lost throughout the world.
Individuals desiring to be certified to the public ministry as Director of Christian Outreach in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are prepared for full-time outreach service for the church. The primary function of the DCO is to stimulate, mobilize and support outreach efforts and educate and train people in evangelism and mission. A DCO works in either congregational-based outreach ministries (cross-culturally and same culture contexts) and in mission contexts in the United States and around the world. A DCO works in a team ministry setting under the supervision of a pastor or missionary and with members of a congregation, circuit, district or mission organization.
Academic Requirements
To be certified as a Director of Christian Outreach, the student completes the following academic requirements:
Course of Study
- General Education requirements
- Minor in Confessional Lutheranism
- Christian Outreach Major in either Parish/Cross cultural or Translation/Literacy.
Prerequisites:
For the Parish/Cross-cultural Track:
| COM205 |
Group Communication and Facilitation |
For Both Parish Cross/Cultural and Bible Translation/Literacy Track:
| RLG350 |
Religions of the World (fulfills GenEd Requirement) |
4 |
Required: (23 credits)
| THY280 |
Personal Witnessing |
2 |
| THY281 |
Principles of Christian Outreach |
4 |
| THY371 |
Mission of God |
4 |
| THY381 |
Congregational Outreach |
4 |
| THY382 |
Assimilation Ministries |
3 |
| THY473 |
Cross-cultural Outreach |
4 |
| THY495 |
All Within the Context of the Christian Gospel |
2 |
Track: (select one of the following)
Christian Outreach Major Track
| RLG350 |
Religions of the World |
4 |
| THY372 |
Life and Work on the Mission Field |
2 |
| THY461 |
Worship and Witness |
2 |
| THY480 |
Rural, Suburban, Urban Outreach |
3 |
| THY481 |
Christian Response: Religions of World |
2 |
Electives (6cr): Choose 6 credits from the following courses:
| RLG459 |
Studies in Religion and Society |
2 |
| PHI341 |
Major Systems in Philosophy |
4 |
| THY331 |
Seminar I Theology |
4 |
| THY409 |
Studies in Biblical Theology |
2 |
Parish/Cross Cultural Track (leads to DCO certification) (21 credits)
| DCO361 |
Intro to the Role of a DCO |
2 |
| PEA316 |
Leadership I |
4 |
| PEA401 |
Teaching the Faith Across theLifespan |
4 |
| THY366 |
Outreach Practicum-Parish |
2 |
| THY367 |
Outreach Practicum-Cross Cultural |
2 |
| THY461 |
Worship and Witness |
2 |
| THY480 |
Rural, Suburban, Urban Outreach |
3 |
| THY481 |
Christian Response: Religions of World |
2 |
Bible Translation/Literacy Track (leads to DCO Certification) (21-22 credits)
"L" courses from Summer Institute of Linguistics
| L450 |
Articulatory Phonetics |
2 |
| L452 |
Syntax and Morphology I |
4 |
| L470 |
Introduction to Sociolinguistics |
1 |
| L480 |
Second Language Acquisition |
2 |
| DCO361 |
Intro to the Role of a DCO |
2 |
| THY372 |
Life and Work on the Mission Field |
2 |
Emphasis (select one of the following emphasis):
Translation Courses (Choose 8 credits)
| GRK211 |
Beginning Greek I |
4 |
| GRK212 |
Beginning Greek II |
4 |
| HBR311 |
Biblical Hebrew I |
4 |
| HBR312 |
Biblical Hebrew II |
4 |
Literacy Courses (Choose 7-8 credits):
| COM309 |
Intercultural Communication |
4 |
| ENG290 |
Language and Society |
4 |
| ED366 |
Educational Psychology |
2 |
| ED340 |
Linguistics for Language Teachers |
4 |
| ED342 |
Teaching Literacy |
3 |
MINOR: Christian Outreach
22-24 credits
Required: 16 credits
| THY280 |
Personal Witnessing |
2 |
| THY281 |
Principles of Christian Outreach |
4 |
| THY371 |
Mission of God |
4 |
| THY381 |
Congregational Outreach |
4 |
| THY495 |
All Within Context of Christian Gospel |
2 |
Electives: 6-8 credits (choose 6-8 credits from the following courses):
| RLG350 |
Religions of the World |
4 |
| THY372 |
Life and Work on the Mission Field |
2 |
| THY382 |
Assimilation Ministries |
3 |
| THY461 |
Worship and Witness |
2 |
| THY473 |
Cross-cultural Outreach |
4 |
| THY480 |
Rural, Suburban, Urban Outreach |
3 |
| THY481 |
Christian Response to the Religions of World |
2 |
Internship
All students admitted to the program and desiring to be certified as DCOs must complete a full-time, supervised internship experience. This learning/service experience extends from 9-12 months and is normally taken after completion of the junior year. A student will normally be approved for an internship when s/he has:
- successfully completed the entrance interview.
- maintained a cumulative 2.50 GPA.
- successfully completed RLG203, RLG206, RLG303, and THY330, THY341, THY421.
- successfully completed THY281, THY366, THY367, THY371, and THY381, and an additional eight other credits from the major (a student intending to serve in a cross-cultural internship should also complete THY473, a student intending to serve in an overseas internship should complete THY372).
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