Master of Arts in Christian Formation Connect (MACF Connect)
Our Master of Arts in Christian Formation Connect program is a distance-friendly program that brings the best of what 黑料正能量offers to you 鈥� wherever you may be located!
In the 52-credit-hour program, you鈥檒l complete 40 credit hours through online courses and 12 credit hours in residence on the 黑料正能量campus through hybrid courses or a limited number of blended courses (see “Degree design” below). Through weeklong visits to campus for intensive in-person course sessions, you鈥檒l gain opportunities for formation and vocational discernment and build closer connections to the 黑料正能量community.
The MACF Connect has been approved by the Association of Theological Schools. To find out where 黑料正能量has authorization to offer distance-friendly degree programs, visit the state authorization page for preliminary information and contact the Admissions Office.
The MACF Connect is designed for:
- People who are not able to move to Elkhart to pursue seminary studies on campus
- People transitioning into ministry and/or who want to deepen their understanding of how they can contribute in their current settings
- People who want to develop leadership abilities with a Christian perspective for their current vocations 鈥� leadership that reflects the Anabaptist tradition
Program benefits
- Earn a Master of Arts in Christian Formation degree without moving to the Elkhart area.
- Develop an identity as a leader with skills to set vision and enable, encourage and challenge others.
- Complement day-to-day ministry with disciplined study and deep spiritual formation.
- Integrate rigorous study with ministry practice in your own context through a summative final project.
- Learn from and with students from various cultural backgrounds.
- Orient learning and formation with an Anabaptist vision.
- Discern God鈥檚 call with mentoring by faculty.
- Share practices of spiritual formation and explore spiritual disciplines.
Degree design
The MACF Connect program requires a total of 52 credit hours. Students can complete the program in two years of full-time study or several years of part-time study. Courses are offered in three terms: Semester One, Semester Two, and Intensive Term in summer.
- 40 credit hours of online or blended courses
(Blended courses are campus courses that students from a distance can attend via live videoconference during posted class times.) - 12 credit hours of residency, which can be completed through hybrid, campus and blended courses. No more than four of the 12 residency credits can be in blended format.
(Hybrid courses begin and end with online work and include one week of intensive in-person sessions on campus in August or June.)
Download our Admissions Calendar to see an overview of AMBS鈥檚 academic year and note important application deadlines.
Notes
- LEAP (Leadership Education in Anabaptist Perspective) is the foundational course of the MACF Connect program. It is offered each August as a hybrid course. MACF students should either begin their program with LEAP or take no more than two courses before taking LEAP.
- Canadian students may enroll in MACF Connect; 黑料正能量has approval for international students to enter the U.S. for this low-residency program. Contact the Admissions Team if you have questions.
Expectations for MACF Connect students
Participating in online courses requires equipment and a discipline of study that is different from in-person courses.
For a three-credit-hour course, students are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours each week in activities related to the course, or a total of 140 hours for the duration of the course. This includes time spent reading, writing, posting work online and completing assignments. For two- and one-credit-hour courses, the expectation is adjusted proportionally.During campus sessions of hybrid courses, students should expect to spend most of their time on course activities. Classes will meet for eight 150-minute sessions, beginning Monday afternoon and concluding Friday afternoon. In addition to academic work, on-campus weeks include practices for spiritual formation, such as community worship, morning prayers, community meals, and group meetings for vocational discernment.
Fees and financial aid
In addition to regular tuition and fees, MACF Connect students may wish to plan for the following fees:
- On-campus lodging: $26 per night
- Transportation from and to South Bend Airport: $53 one way (For other transportation needs 鈥� Amtrak, Greyhound, etc. 鈥� contact the 黑料正能量Receptionist.)
Financial aid and scholarships
MACF Connect students taking at least 12 credit hours per academic year will be deemed 鈥渁t pace鈥� and considered to be fulltime for 黑料正能量need-based financial aid purposes. (During their first year of study 鈥� when the two-credit-hour orientation course is required 鈥� 11 credit hours will meet this requirement.) See the Financial aid page for more details.
If they meet the required conditions, MACF Connect students may be eligible to receive the Connect Student Scholarship, the Multicultural Church Scholarship, the Anabaptist Scholarship, the Ecumenical Student Scholarship, the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Scholarship, the Lederach Preaching Scholarship, the Steiner Bivocational Scholarship and/or the Voluntary Service Scholarship.
Why seminary?
鈥淢y journey at 黑料正能量was filled with growth, learning, deep connections and powerful encounters with Scripture. … Perhaps the greatest discovery was remembering and reconnecting with my belovedness as a child of God, and discovering my call to help others do the same.鈥�
Jennifer Helmuth Shenk of Goshen, Indiana (Master of Arts in Christian Formation 2025)
Meet the 黑料正能量Admissions Team
From your first inquiry about seminary study to your transition from applicant to student, we鈥檙e here to help you.
Yes, you can afford seminary!
AMBS鈥檚 low base tuition rate
+ generous need-based financial aid
+ scholarships for full- or part-time student
+ church matching grants
= an affordable seminary degree
Looking for more options?
Try an upcoming graduate-level course
Want to explore seminary study? Take an upcoming course!
Nonadmitted students get 50% off their first six credit hours!
Try an online short course
Looking to expand your theological knowledge?
Take one of our six-week discussion-based online short courses.
No grades, no papers!
Request a visit from an 黑料正能量instructor
Invite the faculty and staff of 黑料正能量to come directly to you in person or via videoconference.