Ben's Seminary Training

Hello friends & family,

As most of you know, I've been engaged in vocational worship ministry since 2008, using music to help draw people into closer relationship with God.  It's been incredibly fulfilling to use my musical passion and skills for the benefit of the church, and it's made me so grateful for the musical training I recieved in college. That education strengthened and equipped me for the varied demands of worship ministry.

I hope to spend the rest of my life engaged in ministry to the local church, whether that's as a worship minister or in another capacity.  And although I feel well equipped to handle the musical challenges I will tackle, I feel underdeveloped in other ways, ways which I believe are vital to being fully effective as a minister.  

I'd like to be better equipped as a student of the Bible, so I can interpret it with greater confidence, and hopefully  live in more complete submission to it's authority.  I'd like to develop a more thorough understanding of worship, and of how music is intended to be used to help us worship God.  I'd like to study spiritual formation and discipleship ministries, so that I can become a more committed follower of Jesus, and help others become so too.   After a lot of research, thought and prayer, I've determined that engaging in seminary training is a wise next step for me to take.

I plan to take a full-time courseload through Liberty University Online's Rawlings School of Divinity this Fall.  My goal is to earn a Master of Art in Religion (MAR) degree; however, upon completion of this degree I may go on to pursue a Master of Divinity, should it become clear that the study of Biblical languages would provide me with essential preparation for future ministry.  

My current fundraising goal is set at the cost of earning the MAR degree. My goal is to gain this training without going into debt.  I would be sincerely grateful for your investment in my development as a minister, and I hope that the lives of many others will be greatly enriched because of your investment in me.

Thanks so much for reading about this goal, and for your prayer and/or financial support.  It means so much to me!

Sincerely,
Ben