The Church needs equipped, faithful members.
Join the ministry institute to receive biblical instruction, ministry training, and worthwhile partnerships.
Apply HERE for an October 2025 cohort!
Monthly Cohort Meetings
The Ministry Institute meets, in person, once a month (typically on Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) at the CCF church building. These meetings include: In-depth teaching on the month’s topic, questions and answers, group discussion, and setup for the next month’s theme.
Reading and Writing
Monthly readings are a central part of the Ministry Institute. Throughout the cohort, several books will be read. Then, at cohort and sub-group meetings, the readings will be discussed. Further, there will be times when written responses will be a part of responding to the readings. The readings are divided into various themes. For planning purposes, you should plan on 200ish pages of reading per month (or about 25 pages per week).
Project
At the end of the Institute (typically April or May), each member of the cohort will teach or facilitate a 15-minute Bible lesson to several fellow cohort members (men to men and women to women). Following the teaching, fellow cohort members and instructors will provide valuable feedback. Teaching texts will be assigned several months in advance. Further, men who desire to do so may substitute the teaching project for a preaching project.
FAQs
Who leads the CCF Ministry Institute?
The CCF Institute is organized and directed by Pastor Erik. However, hands-on leadership for the Ministry Institute is the work of a variety of CCF elders and leaders..
How many are in an Institute Cohort?
Cohort size varies. However, if a cohort is deemed too large, CCF leaders may subdivide it into multiple cohorts.
What if I have to miss an Institute Meeting?
Life happens. Missing an Institute meeting is not unreasonable. However, given the small number of Institute meetings (8), if you miss more than one you may be asked to postpone your Institute work and pick up with the next cohort.
What is the goal of the Ministry Institute?
The goal of the Institute is not only to help every member walk faithfully as a disciple of Jesus Christ, but also to be prepared for service and, potentially, leadership in the local church (whether CCF or another church). The CCF Ministry Institute is designed to help prepare church and parachurch members to serve in many ways, some of which may be: Elder, Deacon, Deaconess, Small Group Leader, Sunday School Teacher, Women’s Bible Study Leader, Women’s Ministry Leader, Missionary, Biblical Counselor, and more.
How much does the CCF Ministry Institute cost?
The cost for the 8-month Leadership Institute is $50. This includes all books and materials you will need for the duration of the Institute.
How much time should I budget for the Ministry Institute?
While everyone is different, you should plan on spending between 2–3 hours each week. This number includes reading and writing time, cohort meetings, and other miscellaneous cohort work.
How does training women for ministry relate to the Bible's teaching that women should not teach or exercise authority over men in the church (1 Tim. 2)?
The Bible is clear that God’s design for the church is that it be led by qualified men. Accordingly, the role and office of the Pastor/Elder, as well as teaching in the church (in contexts where men are present) is biblically limited to men. At the same time, there are a vast number of ministry areas in the local church and beyond where both men and women can and should be encouraged to serve. Thus, the CCF Ministry Cohort seeks to equip both men and women to serve the church and the Kingdom. There will be some areas where serving (and therefore equipping) will look different between men and women (like preaching or teaching in mixed-gender settings for example). Yet, many of the serving (and thus equipping) areas in the church will look largely the same.