Real Life Preparation Through Real World Partnerships

Students in JBU’s graduate ministry and counseling programs not only benefit from the classroom knowledge they gain but also from the practical application of that knowledge made possible through several partnerships shared between JBU and other organizations. One such partnership was created in 2005 when JBU joined
forces with Kanakuk Kamps as a result of a meeting between Dr. Chip Pollard and Joe White, president of Kanakuk Kamps. During that meeting, the two men discussed creating a new type of graduate degree.

JBU Partners with the Kanakuk Institute

Since 2005, the partnership between Kanakuk and JBU has grown in focus and success. Over 100 students have earned a master’s degree through the program, which combines the classroom and ministry setting of the Kanakuk Institute (KI) and the academic contributions of JBU faculty. The partnership enables students to earn a Master of Arts in Ministry degree in just two years. Students spend the first year at Kanakuk’s K-Kauai campus in Branson and the second year finishing one of six emphases, including biblical studies, youth ministry, leadership and ethics, pastoral counseling, international community development or higher education. They also have the option of earning an MBA in Leadership and Ethics. Most emphasis courses are available online.

According to Ministry Program Director Dr. Dan Lambert, “This partnership is unique in that it combines community living, intense discipleship, great teaching, and practical application.” Students spend eight months in KI, where they sit under teachers from a variety of colleges, churches, and ministries learning about many aspects of Scripture and theology. Students apply what they learn through serving in one of several ministries in the Branson area working with children and youth.

In addition to this, students enroll in a total of 12 hours of JBU graduate classes focusing on Christian spirituality, healthy relationships, discipleship and evangelism, and communication skills. Most students finish the degree in the following year by completing their chosen emphasis with four online courses. The majority of the KI/JBU students have been counselors at one of Kanakuk’s many camps and have graduated from a state university. “Through those experiences, they have decided to spend a year at KI to learn more about God’s word and his will for their lives. Many will follow a call to full-time ministry,” says Dr. Lambert.

JBU’s CARE Clinic Partners with Local Organizations

While ministry students are applying what they learn by serving in a variety of ministry capacities, counseling students are putting their knowledge to work in various counseling settings, thanks to partnerships between JBU’s CARE Clinic and several area organizations.

According to Dr. Ryan Martin, JBU’s CARE Clinic Director, “From the moment the first CARE Clinic in Siloam Springs opened, it was the graduate counseling department’s goal to provide JBU master’s level counseling students in the final stages of their counseling program a place to grow and learn as well as to serve the
Kingdom of God. We also understand the struggles of individuals and families across our area and feel called to offer a Real Life Preparation Through Real World Partnerships wide range of services to our communities at an affordable cost.”

With this mission in mind, the CARE Clinic system of care has expanded over the past year from three sites in Siloam Springs, Rogers and Ft. Smith, to seven sites allowing easier access for people in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley to find a place of comfort and help along their journey. New sites now include Samaritan House and the Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers, First Baptist Church in Springdale, and LifeSource in Fayetteville.

With JBU’s recent growth, the CARE Clinics are even more committed to providing affordable counseling to those in need, and are able to provide more graduate counseling students with opportunities for practical application. “The world we live in is full of hurt, frustration, trials and tribulations. However, at the CARE Clinics we realize that God has given us all a path of hope and new life,” says Dr. Martin.

Mindy Hunt is the marketing project manager for JBU’s Graduate School.

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