ABOUT THE EMPHASIS
Recovery Ministry Studies
Discover Your Calling in Recovery Ministry
Recovery Ministry is all about the care of souls. Walking alongside people as they find hope and healing for life’s deepest wounds. It is a calling to serve those struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups—whether from addiction, trauma, mental health, broken relationships, or spiritual disconnection.
This is not just a program; it’s a mission field. Through this powerful emphasis, you will be equipped with practical skills, biblical wisdom, and Christ-centered compassion to minister effectively to both individuals and communities in need.
Recovery Ministry leaders stand in the gap for people at their most vulnerable moments—bringing the message that God’s grace is greater than any past, pain, or pattern. By completing this emphasis, you’ll be prepared to shepherd others through their journey toward restoration and freedom in Christ.
Recovery Ministry Studies Overview
At Rockbridge, you can specialize in making a life-changing impact through our Recovery Ministry Emphasis—available in the Diploma Ministry Studies (DMS), Master of Ministry Leadership (MML), and Master of Divinity (MDIV) programs.
This powerful emphasis equips you with the tools to bring hope and healing to individuals and communities in need. You’ll complete:
- 15 credit hours (DMS) or 20 credit hours (MML & MDIV)
A minimum of one year of focused study - Transformational courses in Personal Counseling Skills, Leading Like Jesus, and Recovery Ministry
- Whether you’re preparing for full-time ministry, enhancing your leadership in your current role, or following a personal passion to serve, this emphasis gives you the knowledge and skills to lead with compassion and effectiveness.
Flexible Pathways:
- Enroll as part of your degree program and graduate with a specialized emphasis.
- Or, complete the emphasis requirements independently and earn an Award of Completion—perfect for ministry leaders seeking targeted training without committing to a full degree.
All courses in this emphasis are detailed in the DMS, MML, and MDIV Program Handbooks in our Catalog. Admission is required at the program level for which the courses are offered.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Recovery Ministry Studies
5 Courses – 15 Credit Hours (DMS) & 20 Credit Hours (MML & MDIV)
- Location: 100% Online. No travel is required.
- Delivery: Self-paced within an 8-week online course format with a professor.
- Length: 1 year to complete. 20 credit hours. Students take 5 courses. Each course is either 3 credit hours (DMS) each or 4 credit hours (MML or MDIV) each. Students may take longer or shorter to complete the program based on their schedules, family, church, and job responsibilities. Some students take more than one course per 8 weeks and finish sooner.
- Enrolling New Students: Apply and enroll at any time. New Courses start every 8 Weeks. – Apply Today at No Cost!
Recovery Ministry Studies Core - 5 Courses
In this Touchstone course, learners will examine their call to ministry, write a statement of calling, assess their competencies for ministry, develop learning objectives for their program of study, and enlist a mentor who will support their learning. The course will introduce the learner to the various facets of online learning.
*This course is required for all academic programs and must be taken before a learner can enroll in any other course.
Through this course, learners will understand the biblical and ministry foundations of a recovery ministry and will develop strategic approaches for either the launch or upgrade of a recovery program. The course will explore the addictive personality and how it is revealed in different ways, such as through chemical addiction, sexual addiction, relationship addiction, eating disorders, and religious addiction.
An introduction to the basics of pastoral counseling and spiritual guidance. The course examines fundamentals of counseling, the role of prayer and scripture in counseling, and when and how to make referrals to other caring professionals. Learners will use case studies and interactive techniques to develop their counseling skills
This course examines the principles and practices of leadership in Christian ministry. It will focus on the minister’s role as a servant leader, the qualities of a spiritual leader, and the variety of leadership styles required in ministry. Jesus’s leadership will be used as a leadership role model.
This course is a study of the leadership skills required to build effective ministry teams. The course examines the characteristics of high performance teams, clear common goals, diversity of roles in teams, effective team processes, how to build the team, the role of communication in team building, and pitfalls to avoid in team development.