The reality of sin and it's resulting turmoil causes human hearts, diverse communities and societies to make renewal and transformation a necessity in our world today. This department concerns itself with activities and programs that contribute towards community renewal and the realization of biblical "shalom" (peace).
The Department of Community Renewal works side by side with the School of Community Ministry (SCM) to ensure that experiential learning components are integrated into its various program offerings such as Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy, Health Services, Community Development, Social Work and Ministry and Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
The department supports the SCM mission to provide training for individuals who seek to restore hope to the masses. Since this hope includes striking a balance between sharing faith and demonstrating God’s love in service to the community, SEL’s Department of Community Renewal creates avenues for practical hands-on learning experiences and other experiential learning approaches that integrate faith with service.
Practical hands-on learning experiences provide the environment for students to make sense of theories and principles they have learned in their online classrooms in a real-world setting. Some of the experiential learning types that are employed are observation practice, participant observation practicum, action learning, action research, and missional clerkships or internships.
Depending upon program requirements, each SCM student is required to successfully complete one or more of the following experiential learning courses: observership, practicum, field instruction, internship, mentorship, capstone, portfolio, project, research and thesis courses.