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Missionary Training School FAQs by GFM

What does the tuition include? The cost of the school includes books and tuition as well as housing (rent, utilities, internet). All students are in charge of their own food and transportation. The cost does not include the degree transfer fee for students desiring to obtain their bible degree from Covenant Theological Seminary. Single students living in our housing pay $650/month.

What is the average age and class size? We have had students from 17-55 years old and normally have about 8-12 students each semester per location. There is usually a blend of singles, couples, and families.

Can couples and families come to the school? Absolutely! We have had many families come in the past to get trained for the mission field. We ask couples and families to rent their own apartment and take care of all of their own expenses during the program and then we charge $300 if one spouse goes through the program and $500 if both spouses attend. Students that want the Bible degree pay an additional transfer fee.

What do families do at the school? Often times, the head of the household is dedicated full-time to the school/ministry while the wife focuses on homeschooling the children and gets involved in as much ministry as possible (teaching English, kid's ministry, reading books, auditing classes, etc.). Some families choose to put kids in the local public or private schools so that both spouses can attend the missionary training school. We highly recommend that wives come through the program as well, but we are flexible and try to be very sensitive to the balance between ministry and family.

What is the living situation? All of our students live in community in a very multi-cultural apartment complex. Our neighbors are Burmese, Nepali, Iraqi, Sudanese, etc. We have rented several apartments for the singles and they come furnished very basically with beds, dressers, tables, and chairs. Singles will usually share an apartment with one to five other people. Families will be in charge of renting their own apartment in the complex and provide all of their own furniture.

Is it safe? We are ministering in an innercity context and a very diverse neighborhood. None of our students or staff have had any incidents, but there are risks involved just as there are in any mission field. Our staff members live in these areas with small children, so we are comfortable with our surroundings but we do encourage people to minister in groups, not be out after dark, be aware of your surroundings, etc.

What should I do about insurance? Many younger students are still able to fall under their parents insurance since they are still considered full-time students. We highly recommend having at least a catastrophic policy in case of emergency.

Can I work during the school? Between classes and practical hands-on experience, the school takes up about 45 hours per week which would leave very little time for other work. If you are looking for a way to work and get missionary training at the same time, check out our missionary apprenticeships.

How do I pay for the school? We highly recommend that all of our students raise support by asking for contributions from friends, family, and churches. While this is a missionary training program, supporters can rest assured that you will be doing legitimate cross-cultural ministry among unreached people groups as you will be reaching out to Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists with the love of Christ.

Do you have financial aid available? Unfortunately, we do not have any type of scholarships. Everyone in our organization raises their own support and we do not have extra finances available to offer any type of financial assistance.

Do you accept international students? We will take any student that can take care of all of their own expenses and get all of the necessary paperwork and visas to come to the United States for our programs. We cannot offer any assistance with immigration or embassy issues.

What do students do after they graduate? Some people stay on staff with us and others go serve overseas. We have partnerships with several missions organization and can help with placement based on your passions, gifts, and calling. Others go back and serve in their local church, get more education, or work secularly.

Are the Bible degrees accredited? Check with Covenant Theological Seminary concerning accreditation. All students should confirm with the institution where credits will be transferred to make sure that they are accepted. You can also check out our complete information page concerning the Bible degrees.

Can I come visit the school? We highly recommend that people come and check things out in person. This gives students a chance to meet our staff, see our ministry context, get some pictures so they can cast vision with people back home, etc. Just give us a heads up of when you would like to come and we'll have a guest room ready for you. Weekdays work best so that you can sit in on a class and then hit the streets with some of our students and staff to get a taste of ministry.

Can people come and visit me during the school? Definitely! We would love for your friends and family to come down and sit in on class or visit the people that you are ministering to so that they can catch the vision as well. We usually have some guest rooms available or they can stay in your apartment.