Peer Ministry :: Peer Ministry Facilitator Training

What is Peer Ministry Certification?

Peer Ministry Certification is a way of recognizing, celebrating, honoring, and encouraging participants who have trained, used their training in ministry, and upheld a high set of standards. Certification encourages a person's lifelong understanding of God's calling.

Certification is awarded from the National Peer Ministry Training Center, which is part of the Youth and Family Institute. This certification has been developed in cooperation with General Colin Powell's, America's Promise.

Why Is Peer Ministry Certification Important?

Four words necessary for guiding successful High School ministry:

Give - Them - A - Purpose.

We are in the midst of raising the bar for High School Ministry. Peer Ministers deal daily in their schools, their families, churches and communities with relationships. In the midst of these relationships, Peer Ministers have the ministry tools to listen, guide, pray, support, and refer. Peer Ministers become the models of faith and values for others. Peer Ministers become the enthusiastic, caring team that breathes life into church programs.

Peer Ministry Certification is a path in which youth explore and sense a lifelong call in ministry. Peer Ministers recognize their call as an attitude of caring in the midst of all life circumstances. Peer Ministers are encouraged to journey on to become camp counselors, missionaries, pastors, youth and family ministers, and wonderful volunteers.

Peer Ministry Certification is a way for the church to say, "We need you!" It is a way to say, "You are important enough to include you in ministry, to give you quality training, to give you purposeful responsibilities."

Peer Ministry training and certification will do the following...

Further participant's path of calling for significant ministry and service.
Train participants in skills to help guide and support others through tough life issues.
Give participants purpose and value for lasting church involvement.
Create goals leading to personal satisfaction, higher self-worth, and positive recognition.
Cultivate an enthusiastic leadership team that invites and welcomes others.
Furnish participants with referral resources, when help is needed.
Strengthen communication skills, which enhance family relationships.
Develop positive faith and values that are an example to others.

Who Can Be Certified In Peer Ministry?

High School Youth who use the skills in daily life and/or become mentors and/or are part of a leadership team for a youth program at their church.
College Youth who use the skills on campus to keep a pulse on student life offering care for individuals in the midst of life's situations and/or are part of a campus ministry leadership team.
Camp Counselors who use the skills as they participate and lead youth at summer camps.
Adults of All Ages who use the skills as they participate with youth ministry programs.

What happens after I send the application?

Students' papers will be sent out to one of our Peer Ministry Advisory Board members, who these readers will read the student's reflection and write a note of congratulations back to the student.

The Institute staff will print a certificate and a letter of recommendation for each participant. These will be returned to the facilitator.

Your checklist and the student's paper will be kept on file. We request permission from participants for quotes and stories that can be used to help others understand Peer Ministry.

Names that will accompany the letter of recommendation with statements:

-General Colin Powell
Chairman of America's Promise

-Tony Compolo Th.D.
Professor of Sociology, Eastern College

-Barbara Varenhorst Ph.D.
Leading Pioneer in Peer Programming

-Echelon: Lowell Michelson, Todd Miller, John Simhauser, Lloyd Garrelts
Popular Christian Music Ministry

-Paul Hill
Director of Center for Youth Ministries

-Peter Benson
President of Search Institute

-Dr. Roland Martinson
Luther Seminary, St Paul, MN

-Bishop Howard E. Wennes
ELCA, Grand Canyon Synod

-Pastor Rick Schowalter
Executive Director of Southwest Youth Ministry Certification Network

What happens after Certification?

Peer Ministry Certification is designed to bolster a participant's sense of ministry. For many, the experiences gained working on this Certification will lead to a continued desire to grow in faith and service.

"The gifts God gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-3

Individual churches, campus ministries and camps and church schools may set their own guidelines according to their ministry needs, encouraging continued ministry.

This training may apply towards specific ministry areas. Examples may include programs such as:

Youth Encounter's Junior Counselor training
Faith Inkubator's Confirmation programs
Good News Bearers
TEC weekend
Small group ministry program
Youth Leadership

Future ministry paths may also be encouraged such as...

Youth and Family Ministry Major at Augsburg College
Camp counseling
Youth Encounter Music Ministry Teams
Campus Ministry Programs
Ministry Degrees
Further Certification Programs
Seminary