limitlesselim.co.uk/academy
For many young people, faith in God no longer makes sense in their secular culture. Though many churches are engaging with young people and transforming lives, the national trend suggests that young people are increasingly disconnecting from both the Church and faith. How can we help to reverse this trend?
The Limitless Academy will prepare you to engage with the challenges and opportunities this creates. Our BA (Hons) Applied Theology in Youth Ministry course, run in partnership with Regents Theological College, explores the disciplines of youth ministry to empower you into ministry with young people. Ollie and Tim explain what's involved.
The course combines teaching, mentoring, and experiential learning from both practical and academic perspectives. As the only way to ‘learn’ youth ministry is by serving young people, during each year of the course you will undertake a professional practice placement in a context of your choice.
This youth ministry track will enhance both your biblical and theological knowledge, as well as your professional skills, enabling you to practically minister specifically in a youth context, grounded in a developing life with God.
The three S’s of Youth ministry (Salvation, Spiritual Experience and Sexuality), pose the greatest challenge to best professional practice. The module looks at how to engage with them safely by balancing the practical and the spiritual.
Culture and Context maps the cultural shift in the UK around faith and belief and searches for insights within contemporary youth culture as to how faith might make sense in young people’s lives.
This module analyses the big questions of youth ministry. Why do we practice youth ministry and how does it fit within the wider ministry of the Church? We’ll develop a personal youth ministry philosophy and explore innovation within the contemporary UK context.
This module analyses the theological importance of the adolescent journey and the crisis moments of suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and mental well-being to understand how we can walk alongside young people as they form faith.
“Whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant” (Matthew 20:26). This module analyses leadership theory and thinking in light of the demands of the Christian leader, as she seeks to stay open to God and influence those around her.
This module analyses educational theory, practical group work, storytelling and preaching for the purpose of changing young people’s lives by leading them into transformation.
Our classic community-based approach to studying on a full-time basis, whilst living on campus in the college’s spectacularly situated halls-of-residence in the Malvern Hills.
Students study 6 modules each year, as they work towards their degree, with focused lecture weeks supported by tutorials, seminars and self-learning, within the college’s comprehensive spiritual environment.
Students have the opportunity to undertake placements and/or serve in local churches as their studies progress.
Students are usually based in an agreed local church context, often working as a Minister in Training (MIT), paid youth worker, intern or volunteer for up to 15 hours a week. They are also full-time students of Regents Theological College, studying from that home setting for the remainder of the week.
Students study 6 modules a year and visit the College campus in Malvern for 6 separate one-week lecture weeks every year for the face-to-face taught elements of the course. This is supported by tutorials and seminars delivered via online platforms.
Context-based student’s gain valuable experiential learning in being able to directly apply the practical aspects of their studies with involvement in their church or workplace as they progress as well as bringing practice-based questions and reflections into the classroom.
Identical to full-time context-based learning, except students visit the Regents campus 2 or 3 times a year to study the core modules at half pace, with each level taking two years to complete, and 6 years in all.
Students typically need to commit 12-15 hours of study per week, and the courses can be taken alongside a full or part-time ministry, their on-going career, and/or work commitments.
As part of the degree, there is a placement module at each level of study where students work with churches and Christian organisations as well as schools and other community youth services to apply the knowledge and skills learnt in the classroom.
This gives students professional youth work experience and enables them to gain crucial professional and transferable skills by engaging with young people in these various contexts.
Students also attend Limitless Leaders and have the opportunity to serve on the team at Limitless Festival and other Limitless events.
The degree prepares students for faith-based youth ministry within churches and parachurch organisations. Thanks to our partnership with Limitless after finishing their degree many students end up working for Limitless and Elim as Youth Ministers and Youth Workers. Students also go onto work with other Christian denominations as Youth Ministers and workers.
The degree is also applicable to the following careers:
Youth Track Course Leader and Performing Arts Track tutor
Ollie has always been captured by the life, creativity and humanity in both the arts and theology and he’ll share this passion with anyone who will listen. In 2009 this passion led him to study at Regents to further explore Theology and Performing Arts, gaining a BA (Hons). He went on to complete an MA in Contemporary Theatre Practices at the University of Worcester whilst working with a number of professional Christian theatre companies across the UK, and leading youth theatres and community outreach projects for the University of Worcester and various churches and charities.
He’s currently the volunteer youth leader at St Pauls Church in Worcester, serves with Limitless and works closely with 4Front Theatre as one of their trustees. His life’s aim is to make at least one person laugh every day.
His research interests are in practical theology, anthropology, contemporary culture’s impact on discipleship as well as contemporary performance and theatre that has a social impact.
Specialist Youth Track Lecturer
Tim Alford is the National Director of Limitless, a Youth Ministry Specialist Lecturer at Regents Theological College, and a volunteer youth leader at The Source Church. Tim is passionate about equipping leaders and communicating the gospel, having spoken at conferences, churches, schools and events all over the world.
He is an enthusiastic if average runner, a frustrated supporter of Arsenal, and has on more than one occasion been to the cinema in Star Wars fancy dress. Tim lives in Malvern with his wife Jen, and two kids, Tobijah and Aria.
His research interests are youth culture, leadership and youth and children’s leadership and Pentecostal worship and ministry with young people.
Regents Theological College is an approved academic partner of University of Chester. The BA in Applied Theology - Youth Ministry track is validated by University of Chester and students who successfully complete the programme will be eligible for a University of Chester award.
If you are under 21 years of age, the entry requirements are GCSE English at C grade or above (or equivalent), and two A levels. If you are over 21, the requirement is GCSE English at C grade or above (or equivalent), and with the discretion of Regents Theological College.
Since it is a requirement of our BA Applied Theology undergraduate course for students to undertake a placement, Regents requires an enhanced DBS check to be undertaken for which a fee is payable. Your guarantee of a place at Regents Theological College remains provisional pending receipt of a satisfactory DBS. These conditions remain in place irrespective of whether you have enrolled or commenced studies. Regents may withdraw the offer of a place or terminate studies if information comes to light that may have a bearing on your suitability to work with Children or Vulnerable Adults or you fail to meet the necessary suitability requirements for admission. While most matters will not automatically preclude an applicant from commencing study, Regents reserves the right to withdraw the offer of a place to anyone who fails to provide a satisfactory DBS check. Regents is only able to accept previous DBS checks where the check has been done through Elim as an employee check, and where the applicant has subscribed to the update service.
For course fees, please visit the Regents Theological College fees page.
You can apply online, find out about the admissions process, email or call the Regents Theological College team.
We look forward to you joining the Limitless Academy, seeing you learn and grow in youth ministry at Regents Theological College through academic study and practical youth ministry placement.