Theological Training Organisations teaching CCT

Demonstrating the scale and depth of Church and Community Transformation (CCT) through measuring the number of different theological training organisations (TTOs) who have 'caught the vision' of CCT and are subsequently committing to and resourcing a CCT process independently from Tearfund, as a result of catalytic envisioning or influencing from Tearfund or its partners and allies.

Definitions

Theological training organisation (TTO) refers to a Bible college, seminary, or theological school, university or institute which offers formal, informal or non-formal training. The TTO specialises in one or more of preparing students for Christian ministry, biblical studies, doctrinal or ecclesiastical theology or practical ministry.

See the "important comments" section below for a more detailed explanation of what we mean by formal, informal and non-formal training.

This indicator counts theological training organisations who are offering training on a CCT process in their curriculums and teachings.

How?

Country and sub-regional teams should monitor how many TTOs are teaching CCT as a result of their influencing work via their country strategies on Track. Partners can also contribute to this indicator via their projects on Track.

The Theology and Network Engagement Team (TNE) will monitor the TTOs that are teaching CCT as a result of their influencing work at the regional and global level, via its team strategy on Track. TNE will also report on TTOs teaching CCT as a result of our influence in countries where Tearfund does not have a country team presence. 

You can count TTOs teaching CCT as a result of your influence anywhere in the world. 

For this indicator, each TTO teaching CCT should ideally be named in the narrative description accompanying the update (or in a separate spreadsheet that is linked in the narrative), along with a brief description of how CCT is being embedded in the curriculum of the TTO, the curriculum content, and how Tearfund or its partners and allies contributed to this outcome. 

Evidence for this indicator can be collected through asking the theological training organisation’s  leadership and checking published course material. 

Who collects?

Country and sub-regional teams will collect this data every six months at the country / sub-regional level, with support from TNE and CCT advisors where appropriate. TNE will collect this data at regional and global level every six months. Partners can also contribute to this indicator via their projects on Track. 

TTOs who are teaching CCT can be counted towards this indicator not only if they offer formal training, but also if they offer non-formal or informal training.

‘Formal training’ refers to learning typically provided by an education or training institution which is structured (in terms of learning objectives, learning time or learning support) and leads to certification.

‘Non-formal training’ is structured but without the full apparatus of a school. Learning takes place through planned activities (in terms of learning objectives, learning time) where some form of learning support is present (for example, learner-teacher relationships). Church-based training (CBT) and other forms of Theological Education by Extension (TEE) would be considered non-formal training (see definitions below).

‘Informal training’ refers to learning from everyday life, which may have a formative effect, but is neither part of the formal educational programme the student is enrolled in, nor part of a non-formal educational set-up. TTOs that offer informal training focus on long-term mentorship schemes and continuous learning opportunities.

‘Theological Education by Extension (TEE)’ is a decentralised ministry-orientated form of theological education with an emphasis on the extension of access to theological training. It consists of tools for local churches to equip and empower all their members to grow in Christ and serve him actively. 

‘CBT (church-based training)’ is one example of this kind of non-formal theological training approach.