MTC has entered into a new partnership with Sioux Falls Seminary in South Dakota and their Kairos Project. Sioux Falls Seminary has created an educational approach that allows MTC students to continue to remain in their life and ministry context while completing a competency based, accredited, Master of Arts degree. The partnership with the Kairos Project allows MTC to train men and women within the Lutheran theological traditions and distinctives while receiving a graduate degree from the seminary. This partnership offers a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership or a Master of Arts (Bible and Theology) to students completing one of MTC’s tracks. Students who are enrolled in MTC’s Licensed Lay Deacon track (or another equivalent track) will use those courses plus additional Sioux Falls Seminary requirements to receive their degree. In addition to successfully completing MTC courses, students are required to master six Kairos Project outcome-based competencies while taking MTC courses. The goals and objectives of all MTC courses have been aligned with the Kairos Project’s six outcome-based competencies, so by successfully completing MTC courses, students begin to fulfill the six outcomes. In order to monitor competency in each of the six Kairos Project outcomes, students are required to engage with three seminary mentors – Faculty Mentor (assigned by seminary), Ministry Mentor (for MTC students, normally the Supervising or home pastors), and Personal Mentor (chosen by students) – who guide the students as they not only complete courses, but also engage in other activities, conversations, dialogue, and critical thinking required by the Kairos Project. The Master of Arts is granted when MTC courses are successfully completed and the three mentors agree the student has mastered the six outcome-based competencies. The cost for the degree is based on the length of time students take to finish an MTC track, normally between 18-24 months, and when the three mentors agree the Kairos Project outcomes have been mastered (normally the same time frame as the MTC track). Students are simultaneously enrolled in an MTC track and the Kairos Project. Each month students are enrolled in the Kairos Project, they are assessed $300. This is in addition to the cost of MTC courses. For more information about the Kairos Project, click this link, Sioux Falls Seminary – Kairos Project. To discuss this option in more detail, contact MTC’s Director, Paul Mueller at PaulWMueller@gmail.com or MTC’s Program Coordinator, Sonja Baumeister at MTC@MissionTrainingCenter.com.

Mission Training Center, as you may know, was based on the campus of Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Originally, MTC was its own 501(c)3, but found that maintaining that designation was often burdensome and cumbersome, taking MTC’s staff away from the important work it does—developing people to join God in His mission. With the invitation from CU-Portland to base its work out of their campus, that issue was solved. But as you may also know, CU-Portland was forced to close its doors earlier this year. That meant MTC was once again looking for a home. And it found one—in fact, it found two! Concordia University-Irvine has offered to be the fiduciary agent and home base for MTC. In the near future, MTC’s home address will be at CU-Irvine. MTC’s instructors will have adjunct faculty status through CU-Irvine. CU-Irvine’s business office will help MTC manage its financial responsibilities. It is a great partnership once again with a great Concordia University. But the second home is now found in MTC’s partnership with the three districts on the West coast—Northwest (NOW) District (where MTC was originally imagined and built), California-Nevada-Hawaii (CNH) District, and Pacific Southwest (PSW) District. These three districts work closely and wonderfully together to support MTC, encourage people in their districts to take advantage of MTC’s offerings, as well as encourage other districts in the LCMS to take advantage of the missional training offered through MTC. Other partnerships are emerging for MTC, but these two—the Tri-Districts and CU-Irvine—are the heartbeat of MTC’s ability to be a missionally robust training program for anyone in the church. MTC is deeply appreciative and grateful to the Tri-Districts and CU-Irvine for their generous support and willingness to become intimately involved in the missional training and development of mission-minded people in the church.