Testimonials of the Effectiveness of CIMS
The following are ministers who completed the Church of God’s CIMS (Certificate in Ministerial Studies) program recently, who share how beneficial the studies were for their ministry.
Edgar Foster, a pastor in New Ellenton, South Carolina, writes:
Back in 1970, my wife, Andrea, and I began full-time ministry as teenage evangelists in Illinois. Throughout all the years that followed, I have sought to study and avail myself of every opportunity I could for advancement in ministerial knowledge while continuing full time in the ministry.
I have longed for practical studies that not only would enhance my skills and knowledge, but also enable me to continue studying without leaving my full-time ministry. At one time, I took a one-year sabbatical to return to Bible college. While pastoring, I have attended community college, and I have always taken part in extension courses, conferences, and seminars.
The CIMS program was an answer to prayer. Don Bennett came to introduce the program to the ministers in my area in the fall of 2005. I immediately enrolled in classes and also began a School of Ministry extension at the church where I was pastoring.
The information in the CIMS courses is immediately applicable to pastoral situations and filled with practical, useable information.
I have virtually taken the program one course at a time on the Internet and finished the program in May 2009.
Thank you for the opportunity given to me by the School of Ministry and the Church of God to take part in this excellent study program. I am also grateful for the financial assistance that helped make it possible.
I am spreading the word about the CIMS program to anyone who will listen.
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Rodney Paul Strickland, a minister in Eastern North Carolina, writes:
The opportunity to attend a college or seminary required finances which were difficult for me to meet, due to my obligations to my family. The School of Ministry gave me a nontraditional training curriculum that provided me the opportunity to receive in-depth ministerial training in a personal setting. The Certificate In Ministerial Studies (CIMS) provided me with an affordable church-based theological education that will be instrumental in preparing me for a lifetime of ministry. This school exposes its students to many different ministries and gives them the opportunity to explore and learn as much as they desire. The elite instructors of the program are divinely equipped with the spiritual knowledge and experience to teach effectively.
Attending the School of Ministry is by far one of the greatest investments I have ever made. I would highly recommend the School of Ministry CIMS program to anyone interested in gathering in-depth, foundational ministerial studies related to themselves and to whomever they will be ministering.
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Karen Sistrunk, a minister in Mississippi who completed both the MIP and CIMS program this year, writes:
After 25 years, our “new” journey began. Through prayer and fasting, we received a confirmation for this road to preparation—beginning the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP). Within this program are arrangements of well-outlined courses of study, with both Biblical and practical ways to enhance your relationship with God and with others. The MIP instructors, who conduct the seminars, including review of some of the Certificate In Ministerial Studies (CIMS) courses, are men and women of God who have been in the trenches, who train and equip individuals for ministry. The courses deliver an in-depth study of the Word of God and practical applications for ministry. The CIMS courses can also be taken online, which further allows individuals to work at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home, at any given time.
The courses in the CIMS program not only prepare you through the Word, but also in other areas; such as, Understanding Yourself and Others, Knowing Your Church, Leading with Integrity, Helping People In Crisis, Caring for People in Need and others such as, Ministering to Culturally Diverse Populations.
Even though we felt uncertainty about our abilities, we began to study the CIMS course outlines. It was then we noticed that the courses were set up to allow us to individualize our study through an organized approach of reading and studying the material on a weekly basis. As we began to “dig in,” we noticed that the structure of how the courses were situated, allowed us to work in our own time frames and at our own pace, which also allowed us much needed “together” time, as we studied and watched the DVDs together.
I can certainly tell you, that the MIP and the CIMS programs have much better prepared us for our Kingdom destiny, in this world in which we are currently facing, to be “effective” ministers in these last days. We have learned, “the message stays the same, though the methods may change.”
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Chris Norris, a pastor in Dublin, Georgia, writes:
I am honored to have the opportunity to share my MIP and educational experience with you. I have to admit, when I was first told about the requirements to be a Church of God pastor, I was hesitant about the MIP program. I was one of those who thought that if God had called me, then that was all I needed. As my wife and I went through the MIP, I still wondered, at times, why I was required to learn some of the things that were taught. Once I began pastoring (halfway through MIP), I began to see how beneficial the program really was. My whole perspective changed. Once I had finished the MIP, I was motivated to continue taking the CIMS courses. I am now enrolled in Patten, seeking my degree in church administration. I can tell you that continuing my education was the best choice I could have made for my ministry. The sermons that I preach have a greater depth, I have improved as a church leader, and even my personal endeavors have been strengthened. I would love the opportunity to share my experience with anyone. I was very pessimistic, but now I am reaping the results of the positive reinforcement that comes through education.
Financial aid is available for credentialed Church of God ministers. For information about the financial aid and the Certificate In Ministerial Studies (CIMS) program, call 877.344.0488 or visit the Web site at www.ministerialtraining.org.
Chris Norris, right, is presented his CIMS by General Overseer Raymond F. Culpepper.
