About CCS
The Centre for Christian Studies is a Canadian theological school grounded in the tradition of diakonia. We prepare people for ministries in the United Church of Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada, and offer lifelong learning for anyone who wants to deepen their faith-in-action. Our roots go back to the 1890s when the Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches founded schools in Toronto for women to study theology and be trained as deaconesses and missionaries. CCS continues to train and support leaders who emerge from the “edges” to engage in ministry that lives in the world, works with the world and transforms for wholeness. (See our Mission and Values)
CCS prepares leaders in ministry to:
- embrace God’s incarnation in humanity and the world
- embody God’s care and compassion for all
- empower others to use their gifts
- enable change toward justice
CCS students learn through
- integration of experience and academics
- intentional community-building
- personal growth and transformation
Our Graduates are Transforming the World.
CCS grads engage in transformative ministry.
With a grounding in social justice, grads work as leaders and advocates with those most often forgotten by society.
Our grads work in ministries throughout Canada, empowering people to develop their gifts and skills as congregation/parish leaders, mentors, community advocates, and care providers.
Motivated by deep compassion, grads care for people in the call to heal body and spirit.
CCS Roots
CCS has a long history with women’s education and service ministry, particularly within the Anglican and United Church traditions, going back to 1892.
CCS is always on the cutting edge – embracing inclusion, equality and liberation.
CCS Programs
CCS offers a diploma program in Diaconal Ministries, as well as certificate programs in spiritual care, social justice, or Christian education and worship. Individual courses and learning circles can be taken through our Continuing Studies program. (See Programs for more info.)
The CCS Learning Model
The Centre’s approach to education is inclusive and transformative. Foundational to the whole program are principles of adult learning which are shared and modeled. Key principles include:
- Adults are responsible for their own learning: Students are expected to set learning goals and name their own challenges in consultation and with the support of peers and staff; goals are named in areas like theory, theology, integration, behaviour in a group, personal growth and vocational discernment. Responsibility is not an individual thing however, students also share responsibility for the learning of the whole community, so must consider how their actions affect the learning of others
- Learning is a process of integration of experience with theory and theory with experience, sometimes called “Action – Reflection” experience that students bring is highly valued, and becomes content for reflection and wisdom, and, students are expected to test out new insights and ideas, to open themselves to being transformed in their action
- Learning happens best when the whole person is engaged in the learning process: intellect, emotion, spirit, body
- A typical classroom day includes active learning through role play, drama, small group discussion, shared leadership, silence, presentations, worship, symbol and reflection
- Trust and vulnerability often result from sharing the whole person, deepening the level of interaction and growth
- We are all learners and leaders
- Students share in leadership, working in small groups with resource people, to prepare and lead curriculum for their peers
- Staff participate in learning activities, share learning goals and assess their learning along with the students
The Centre is also committed to being transparent about power and sharing it as much as possible. We work at being consultative and including people in decision making. Assessment of learning includes input from self, peers and volunteers from the field setting, as well as staff.
As an institution we operate from a Liberation Theology perspective, inviting students, staff and volunteers to explore the ways in which they are oppressors and experience oppression. Students are exposed to theologies of liberation, including feminist theology, and are invited to consider God’s preferential option for the poor.
CCS is supported financially by
gifts from more than 350 individuals and groups
endowment funds
United Church of Canada