Small Groups or Bible Studies are a staple of a local church. Local volunteers often fill these leadership roles at the local church. Christian Leaders Institute has designed a program of study that brings free ministry training to Christian Leaders. This program includes 26 credits of ministry training.
Steps to be ordained as a Small Group Minister
- Enroll at Christian Leaders Institute and complete the Getting Started Class: Scholar Orientation
- Complete the Deacon Minister Ordination program (10 credits)
- Take additional Ministry Training (20 Credits)
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- Ministry 101 (3 Credits)
- Old Testament Survey (3 Credits)
- New Testament Survey (3 Credits)
- People Smart for Ministry (3 credits)
- Church and Ministry (3 credits)
- Developing House Churches (3 Credits)
- Deacon Minister Ordination (1 Credit)
- Ordained Small Group Minister Class (1 Credit)
Total Credits: 20 Additional Credits
- Take the Ordained Small Group Minister Class (1 credit) and order your updated ordination credentials. – Ordained Small Group Minister (1 Credit)
This one-credit hour class is for those leading small groups or Bible Studies. The dynamics of this course are centered around leading small groups at local churches. Your studies will focus on three areas. The first is Biblical content. The second is relationships and group dynamics. The third is communication.
As an Ordained Small Group Minister, your training will be for the following roles:
Small-Group Minister
House Church Minister
Bible Study Leader
Sunday School Teacher
Cell Group Leader
Developing MicroSchools
Developing MicroSchools Course
✨ Equipping Christian Educators to Build Faith-Centered Learning Communities
The Developing Senior High MicroSchools Course empowers Christian educators, parents, and ministry leaders to launch or strengthen small, relational schools that integrate faith, discipleship, and academic excellence.
Rooted in a biblical vision of creation, fall, and redemption, this course helps participants reimagine education as ministry—where teaching becomes soul formation and every classroom becomes a place of worship and transformation.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
Throughout this three-module course, you’ll explore the philosophy, structure, and mission of MicroSchools as a model for transforming Christian education worldwide.
You’ll learn:
The definition, mission, and types of Christian MicroSchools.
The role, qualifications, and ordination pathway of a MicroSchool Minister.
How to identify and serve various high school niches—from homeschool hybrids and dual enrollment to classical, vocational, and outdoor models.
Step-by-step guidance for starting and sustaining a MicroSchool: identity development, governance, partnerships, and avoiding common pitfalls.
The Christian philosophy of education, connecting every subject to God’s created order and redemptive plan.
Strategies for teaching diverse learners, maintaining classroom order, and integrating technology wisely.
How to ensure academic credibility, assessment integrity, and family engagement.
The process of registering a Soul Center with the Christian Leaders Alliance to make your MicroSchool an officially recognized ministry hub.
🕊 Ministry Pathway
This course is a core requirement for ordination as a MicroSchool Minister through the Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA).
Graduates are equipped to:
✅ Register a Soul Center—a recognized ministry hub where learning and discipleship meet.
✅ Lead MicroSchools, discipleship communities, or local ministry classrooms.
✅ Integrate Christian Leaders Institute’s free dual-enrollment courses for high school students.
Through practical training, theological depth, and Ministry Sciences reflection, students gain the tools to build MicroSchools that multiply Christian leaders and transform education into a movement of faith, freedom, and formation.
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” — Matthew 18:5 (WEB)
📊 Grading Scale
Students are evaluated through quizzes and assignments based on a standard grading scale. A score of 93–100% earns an A, reflecting excellent performance, while scores below 60% result in no course credit. To successfully complete the course, you must maintain a minimum average of 60%. Each quiz or activity contributes to your overall progress, helping you assess your understanding as you grow in knowledge and ministry readiness.
⏳ Course Deadline
You have 180 days to complete the course.
All assignments must be submitted before the deadline.
If the deadline is missed, you will be automatically unenrolled and coursework removed.
To receive credit, you will need to restart and retake the course.
🧭 Final Feedback Quiz
At the end of the course, you’ll be invited to complete a feedback quiz. As you study and watch the lectures, please take note of any suggestions or improvements that can help future students.
Your feedback helps us continually improve this ordination training experience for Christian educators worldwide.
🙌 Why This Course Matters
The future of Christian education depends on faithful, called leaders who see the classroom as a mission field.
A MicroSchool Minister is more than an instructor—they are a shepherd of souls, shaping hearts and minds for God’s Kingdom.
Through this program, you’ll be equipped to teach, disciple, and lead with excellence—building Christ-centered learning environments that reflect the truth, beauty, and goodness of God.
🙌 Enroll in this Journey Today
Whether you teach in a home MicroSchool, a church-based classroom, or a hybrid model, this program gives you the training and ordination to lead with joy and purpose.
Step into your calling to raise up the next generation of faithful, wise Christian leaders—men and women grounded in truth, shaped by love, and sent with purpose.
👉 Enroll today through Christian Leaders Institute and begin your journey toward MicroSchool Minister Ordination with the Christian Leaders Alliance.
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Developing MicroSchools
Developing MicroSchools Course ✨ Equipping Christian Educators to Build Faith-Centered Learning Communities The Developing Senior High MicroSchools Course empowers Christian educators, parents, and ministry leaders to launch or strengthen small, relational schools that integrate faith, discipleship, and academic excellence. Rooted in a biblical vision of creation, fall, and redemption, this course helps participants reimagine education […]
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MicroSchool Minister Ordination
MicroSchool Minister Ordination Capstone Course ✨ Calling & Vision A MicroSchool Minister is both educator and spiritual mentor—forming students into wise, faith-driven leaders within small, Christ-centered learning communities. This capstone course at Christian Leaders Institute equips you to integrate theology, education, and pastoral care—so every lesson becomes an act of ministry. 📚 Program Overview The […]
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Ordination Steps
Ordination Steps: The Journey of Calling and Confirmation at Christian Leaders Alliance Ordination is more than a ceremony—it’s a journey. Long before credentials are issued or hands are laid, the Holy Spirit awakens faith, stirs love, and plants a seed of service. The Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA) ordination pathway honors that sacred process through seven […]
MicroSchool Minister Ordination
MicroSchool Minister Ordination Capstone Course
✨ Calling & Vision
A MicroSchool Minister is both educator and spiritual mentor—forming students into wise, faith-driven leaders within small, Christ-centered learning communities.
This capstone course at Christian Leaders Institute equips you to integrate theology, education, and pastoral care—so every lesson becomes an act of ministry.
📚 Program Overview
The MicroSchool Minister Ordination Pathway blends theology, leadership, and academic excellence to prepare you for MicroSchool ministry. You’ll be trained to:
Disciple youth with a biblical worldview.
Engage families through Christ-centered education.
Teach with clarity and confidence in both academic and spiritual formation.
This program empowers leaders to bring faith, learning, and mentorship together—reviving the ancient call to teach God’s truth in every sphere of life.
🪜 Steps to Ordination
Enroll and complete the required ministry courses.
Submit local endorsements verifying faith and character.
Update your CLI student profile and order your official credentials.
Join a commissioning service—either online or local.
(Optional) Register your MicroSchool or Soul Center with the Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA).
📀 Courses You’ll Complete
Each course prepares you for ministry in both the classroom and the community:
Wedding Officiant Skills — Prepare couples for covenant marriage.
Youth Ministry Leadership — Shepherd students toward spiritual growth.
Romance Officiant Skills — Teach biblical purity and relational wisdom.
Theology & Academic Literacy — Build confidence in doctrine, reading, and writing.
Developing MicroSchools — Start or strengthen a Christ-centered MicroSchool.
Officiating Chaplain Skills — Provide pastoral care to students and families.
🎯 Outcomes
Graduates of the MicroSchool Minister Ordination Pathway are equipped to:
✅ Receive ordination and clergy credentials through the Christian Leaders Alliance.
✅ Serve as MicroSchool teachers, ministers, or chaplains.
✅ Officiate weddings and family ceremonies with biblical depth.
✅ Lead with excellence in education, care, and discipleship.
Your ordination confirms both your educational and spiritual calling—to teach truth, guide souls, and build communities of faith and learning.
💡 Ministry Sciences Reflection
The Teaching Minister embodies the fusion of truth, relationship, and practice—turning teaching into worship and mentorship into soul care.
Every lesson becomes an encounter with Christ. Every classroom becomes a sacred space of transformation.
This is the heart of Ministry Sciences—where faith and formation meet.
🙌 Enroll in this Journey Today
Whether you teach in a home MicroSchool, a church-based classroom, or a hybrid model, this program gives you the training and ordination to lead with joy and purpose.
Step into your calling to raise up the next generation of faithful, wise Christian leaders—men and women grounded in truth, shaped by love, and sent with purpose.
👉 Enroll today through Christian Leaders Institute and begin your journey toward MicroSchool Minister Ordination with the Christian Leaders Alliance.
-
Developing MicroSchools
Developing MicroSchools Course ✨ Equipping Christian Educators to Build Faith-Centered Learning Communities The Developing Senior High MicroSchools Course empowers Christian educators, parents, and ministry leaders to launch or strengthen small, relational schools that integrate faith, discipleship, and academic excellence. Rooted in a biblical vision of creation, fall, and redemption, this course helps participants reimagine education […]
-
MicroSchool Minister Ordination
MicroSchool Minister Ordination Capstone Course ✨ Calling & Vision A MicroSchool Minister is both educator and spiritual mentor—forming students into wise, faith-driven leaders within small, Christ-centered learning communities. This capstone course at Christian Leaders Institute equips you to integrate theology, education, and pastoral care—so every lesson becomes an act of ministry. 📚 Program Overview The […]
-
Ordination Steps
Ordination Steps: The Journey of Calling and Confirmation at Christian Leaders Alliance Ordination is more than a ceremony—it’s a journey. Long before credentials are issued or hands are laid, the Holy Spirit awakens faith, stirs love, and plants a seed of service. The Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA) ordination pathway honors that sacred process through seven […]
Ordination Steps
Ordination Steps: The Journey of Calling and Confirmation at Christian Leaders Alliance
Ordination is more than a ceremony—it’s a journey. Long before credentials are issued or hands are laid, the Holy Spirit awakens faith, stirs love, and plants a seed of service. The Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA) ordination pathway honors that sacred process through seven biblically grounded ordination steps that integrate learning, formation, accountability, and practical ministry.
At CLA, calling is both inward and outward:
Inward—the Spirit’s witness in the heart.
Outward—the Church’s recognition and commissioning.
These two dimensions protect the balance between divine initiative and human humility. Ordination is never self-appointed; it is Spirit-called, community-affirmed, and mission-sent.
🥾 Step 1: Walking the Path of a Believer
Every ordination story starts with new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Believers begin to pray, read Scripture, and obey—writing the first pages of their testimony. That testimony becomes a minister’s first sermon: a lived witness to the gospel’s power (Revelation 12:11).
Purpose of this step: Establish a daily rhythm of prayer, Scripture, and obedience; begin articulating your story of grace.
🥾 Step 2: Walking as a Disciple
Belief begins the journey; discipleship forms the life (Romans 12:1–2). At CLA, discipleship is described through the Seven Connections of Love—a lifelong rhythm of talking with God and listening through Scripture in every sphere: self, marriage/close friend, family, small group/friends, church, Kingdom, and the unreached world.
Purpose of this step: Integrate faith into relationships and responsibilities; grow in steady, fruitful obedience.
🥾 Step 3: Walking as a Catechumen
As disciples mature, they enter intentional ministry discernment: “Lord, how do You want to use my life?” CLA revives the ancient catechumenate—a distinct stage of learning and testing. After completing the Multiplying Christian Leaders course at the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI), you are recognized as a Catechumen in the CLA Directory and begin a study-based pathway toward ordination.
Purpose of this step: Clarify internal calling and seek external affirmation through study, prayer, and mentoring.
🥾 Step 4: Training for Ministry Roles
Calling must be cultivated. Through CLI, Catechumens study Bible & theology, pursue spiritual formation, and develop practical ministry skills (2 Timothy 2:15). Training is for volunteers, bi-vocational ministers, and full-time leaders alike—because all ministry is sacred.
Purpose of this step: Build competence in Word, character, and practice; align gifting with real ministry needs.
🥾 Step 5: Ordination — Affirming the Call
Ordination is where personal readiness meets public recognition. CLA holds together the inner call of the Spirit and the external call of the Church (Acts 13:2–3). Endorsements—personal, pastoral, and ministerial—serve as community witnesses that a candidate has been tested, observed, and affirmed.
Purpose of this step: Allow the Body of Christ to say, “We see God’s work in you, and we entrust you to serve in His name.”
🥾 Step 6: Credentials and Local Commissioning
Ordination reaches visible completion when a leader receives credentials and is commissioned locally. CLA credentials (ID card, certificate, letter of good standing, and role-specific tools) represent identity and accountability; commissioning (often in a church or Soul Center) is the Church’s blessing and sending (Acts 14:23).
Purpose of this step: Link global recognition with local belonging; step into service under prayer and oversight.
🥾 Step 7: Faithful Service and Ongoing Growth
Ordination is a beginning, not an ending. Leaders serve as officiants, ministers, chaplains, or coaches; some volunteer, others serve bi-vocationally or full-time. What matters is faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2). CLI offers continuing education so ministers can deepen and multiply their impact (1 Timothy 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:2).
Purpose of this step: Serve with humility and courage; keep learning; raise up new leaders.
🛤️ Where These Ordination Steps Can Lead
From Catechumen onward, your path can branch into recognized roles, such as:
Officiant Roles: Wedding, Funeral, Ministry Officiant
Minister Roles: Field Minister, Licensed Minister, Ordained Minister, Minister of the Word
Chaplain Roles: Officiating, Ministry, or Kingdom Chaplain
Coaching Roles: Ministry Coach, Identity Coach, Relationship Coach
Each role builds on the foundation you begin as a Catechumen.
🚶🏻♀️ Ready to Walk the Ordination Steps?
Your journey begins with one faithful step: study, pray, and prepare.
📖 Enroll in CLI’s Multiplying Christian Leaders course to begin your Catechumen stage.
✝️ Pursue endorsements, formation, and service.
🌍 Join a growing movement of Christian leaders advancing the gospel in homes, churches, and communities worldwide.
Prayer of the ordained servant: “Here I am, Lord. Use me, teach me, send me.”
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Developing MicroSchools
Developing MicroSchools Course ✨ Equipping Christian Educators to Build Faith-Centered Learning Communities The Developing Senior High MicroSchools Course empowers Christian educators, parents, and ministry leaders to launch or strengthen small, relational schools that integrate faith, discipleship, and academic excellence. Rooted in a biblical vision of creation, fall, and redemption, this course helps participants reimagine education […]
-
MicroSchool Minister Ordination
MicroSchool Minister Ordination Capstone Course ✨ Calling & Vision A MicroSchool Minister is both educator and spiritual mentor—forming students into wise, faith-driven leaders within small, Christ-centered learning communities. This capstone course at Christian Leaders Institute equips you to integrate theology, education, and pastoral care—so every lesson becomes an act of ministry. 📚 Program Overview The […]
-
Ordination Steps
Ordination Steps: The Journey of Calling and Confirmation at Christian Leaders Alliance Ordination is more than a ceremony—it’s a journey. Long before credentials are issued or hands are laid, the Holy Spirit awakens faith, stirs love, and plants a seed of service. The Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA) ordination pathway honors that sacred process through seven […]
✔️ Explore More Resources
Suggested Readings:
Ordination Paths at Christian Leaders Alliance – Explore all ordination roles available through CLA.
What Is the Christian Leaders Alliance? – Learn how CLA equips and ordains leaders through global partnerships.
Soul Centers: Ministry Starts Here – Discover how leaders create local ministry hubs through CLA.
Christian Leaders Alliance Directory – View the global network of ordained leaders.
Check Out the Christian Leaders Store:
Everything to Equip Our Multiplying Christian Leaders
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the Difference Between Christian Leaders Institute and Christian Leaders Alliance?
How Do I Become Ordained at Christian Leaders Alliance?
Next Steps in Your Ministry Journey:
Learn About CLI Programs – Discover college-level, ministry-focused courses that deepen your growth.
Enroll in the Multiplying Christian Leaders Course – Start your study-based ministry journey today.
From Christian Leaders Institute:
Free Ministry Training at Christian Leaders Institute – Begin learning ministry, theology, and leadership with over 150 free courses recognized by the Christian Leaders Alliance.
Recommended External Reading:
For those who want to explore how ordination has been understood across the global Church, this ecumenical resource from the World Council of Churches offers a rich theological overview of ministry and its historical foundations:
Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry
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