Practical learning

hands on training!

Ministry outreach

Putting the classroom theory into practice is the goal of the ministry outreach. A few hours per week are given to some form of outreach: local evangelism activities, a kids club, visiting people in a refugee centre, meeting international students, helping a local church, or evangelizing in a shopping area or among the prostitutes in the town of Nijmegen.

There are very few evangelical churches in this part of the Netherlands and there is very little vital spiritual life. It is an area for missionary work, offering enough scope for a missionary training college!

Practical work

All students participate in small practical daily duties and one half day of practical work per week. These practical activities help to keep student fees as low as possible. They are carried out in teams and help to develop team work, leadership skills, and working together with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Special ‘learn a skill’ days, about once a month, also enable students to try out, learn or teach some practical skill for mission work. This can vary from making a power point presentation to brick laying.

Mission placements

Cornerstone emphasizes that missionary training must include hands on experience in addition to theory.

First year students go out in April in teams of three or more to do a three week placement in a cross cultural situation. Most placements involve travelling to another country. The learning experiences include team work, preparation and functioning in another culture, reporting and debriefing.

Second year students do an individual or family six week internship beginning in March in a place of their own choice. Much of what has been learned can be put into practice and tested in an actual mission situation. Internship also often helps the student in determining his or her future ministry and field of service.