Founded in 2019, the Center for Continuing Education at Yale Divinity School provides opportunities and resources for churches, clergy, and laity to foster the knowledge and love of God in their communities. Under the leadership of Joel Baden, director, and Kelly Morrissey, managing director, the center makes available the theological resources of YDS—events, lectures, programs, instructional resources, publications, and more—to enable and enrich ministry and lay learning. The center offers programming around leadership development and church nonprofit administration as well as three primary programs: Yale Bible Study, Yale Youth Ministry Institute, and Summer Study at Yale Divinity School. Additionally, Yale Divinity School offers introductory and public lectures online. Information about those lectures, as well as information on Yale University Open Courses and Coursera courses, can be found in the Learning Beyond the Walls section of the center’s website at https://divinity.yale.edu/continuing-education.

Yale Bible Study

The Yale Bible Study is a rich and comprehensive program that encourages biblical scholarship, engaged discussion, and theological reflection, tailored especially for small-group Bible study. Prominent Yale faculty help make the scriptures come alive, and detailed study guides provide in-depth content to spark and deepen discussion. Created in 2007 in partnership with the Congregational Church of New Canaan, the Yale Bible Study program has produced online resources for thirty individual or small group Bible studies and offers live online studies each semester with faculty. Launched in November 2021, our podcast, Chapter, Verse, and Season: A Lectionary Podcast, features faculty discussing one of the appointed lectionary texts each week. It can be found on our website or on various podcast platforms. Resources can be found at https://yalebiblestudy.org.

Yale Youth Ministry Institute

The Yale Youth Ministry Institute’s mission is to promote adolescent faith and flourishing in a diverse and changing world by conducting scholarship, equipping leaders, and resourcing youth ministries in and beyond Christian churches. Created in 2013 as part of the Adolescent Faith and Flourishing program at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, YMI has undertaken numerous projects including a monthly online lunch lab series; on-campus programming; development of over fifty essays, monographs, and companion curricula by YDS professors and scholars from around the world; and development of online training materials, curricula, and other resources for those working with youth. Resources can be found at https://yaleyouthministryinstitute.org. The Yale Divinity School Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership will launch in September 2024. Information can be found at https://divinity.yale.edu/continuing-education/certificate-program.

Summer Study at Yale Divinity School

Each June, people from around the country and the globe gather to study with Yale Divinity School faculty. Summer Study—a weeklong, online program—features distinguished faculty teaching laypersons and clergy in small classes on varied topics in religion, designed to enlighten and enrich. Participants receive a Yale Certificate of Participation at the end of the course week, and courses can count toward continuing education requirements for some clergy.