Practical Theology

Jean-Philippe Bru is Professor of Practical Theology at Faculté Jean Calvin (current occupant of the James Montgomery Boice Chair of Practical Theology, named after the late long-time pastor of Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church, author, broadcaster, and Trustee of The Huguenot Fellowship.)

Jean-Philippe has graciously provided information (below) on the courses which comprise the study of Practical Theology at FJC. It’s wonderful that the training not only includes a deep understanding of God’s Word in the tradition of the Reformation, but also with strong emphasis on it’s practical application to ministry.

Please consider partnering with us in supporting Faculté Jean Calvin and it’s important mission of training pastors, missionaries, and lay-workers to serve Christ in the French-speaking world.

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Bachelor’s Degree (Licence)

TP101 – Principles and Practice of Christian Preaching

This course introduces the theological foundations and practical skills of Christian preaching. Students will explore the nature of biblical proclamation, sermon preparation, structure, and delivery, with attention to faithfulness to Scripture and pastoral sensitivity to the congregation.

TP102 – Spiritual Disciplines and the Means of Grace

This course examines the classic spiritual disciplines as means by which God nurtures spiritual growth. Emphasis is placed on Scripture, prayer, sacraments, and communal practices, integrating theological reflection with personal and ministerial application.

TP103 – Theology and Practice of the Spiritual Life

This course provides a theological framework for understanding Christian spirituality. Students will explore biblical, historical, and pastoral perspectives on spiritual formation, holiness, suffering, and perseverance in the Christian life.

TP104 – Gospel-Centered Conflict Resolution

This course addresses the nature of conflict in personal, ecclesial, and ministry contexts. Students will learn to approach conflict through the lens of the gospel, emphasizing reconciliation, forgiveness, truth, and redemptive peacemaking.

TP105 – Foundations of Christian Teaching

This course focuses on the theology and practice of Christian education. Students will examine biblical models of transmission of faith, pedagogical principles, and strategies for nurturing mature disciples within the church.

TP106 – Theology and Practice of Christian Worship

This course explores the biblical and theological foundations of Christian worship. Students will study the elements, forms, and historical development of worship, with practical reflection on planning and leading services that are God-centered and edifying.

TP107 – Pastoral Theology and Church Care

This course introduces core aspects of pastoral theology, focusing on shepherding, oversight, and care within the local church. Topics include pastoral identity, leadership, spiritual oversight, and caring for individuals and the congregation as a whole.

TP108 – Pastoral Care and Counseling

This course provides an introduction to pastoral care and basic counseling skills. Students will learn to listen well, offer biblically grounded guidance, and provide spiritual support in situations of suffering, crisis, and personal struggle.

TP109 – Biblical and Theological Perspectives on Church Growth

This course examines church growth from biblical and theological perspectives. Students will assess models of growth, mission, and evangelism, with critical reflection on faithfulness, health, and maturity in the life of the church.

Master’s Degree

TP201 – Theology and Practice of Church Revitalization

This course explores theological principles and practical strategies for the renewal of declining or struggling churches. Students will analyze spiritual, cultural, and organizational factors affecting church vitality and develop biblically grounded revitalization approaches.

TP202 – Advanced Pastoral Counseling

This course builds on foundational pastoral care skills, focusing on more complex counseling situations. Students will engage ethical issues, relational dynamics, and integrative approaches that combine theological depth with pastoral wisdom.

TP203 – Theology and Practice of Church Planting

This course examines the biblical, theological, and missional foundations of church planting. Students will explore contextualization, leadership development, and practical models for establishing new congregations faithful to the gospel and responsive to their context.

Conf'Théo

On November 6th, the Faculté Jean Calvin launched a new series of evening lectures: the Conf’Théo, gatherings designed to offer an accessible exploration of biblical, theological, and apologetic themes. This first evening focused on the theme: How Jesus succeeded where Adam failed. Through a biblical journey, from Adam’s calling to Christ’s perfect obedience, we rediscovered the Gospel as the story of a world recreated by the last Adam. The recording of the lecture is available on the Faculty’s YouTube channel.

Around one hundred people were present: students, alumni, friends of the Faculté, pastors, and members of churches from the Aix-en-Provence and Marseille area, as well as from Nîmes and Anduze!

The evening continued with a lively and engaging question-and-answer session, followed by a wonderful, convivial buffet prepared in the student residence and served by FJC students and other members of the residence. A wonderful opportunity to reflect on faith, nurture the Churches, and build bridges between the Faculté and the Churches.

We are already looking forward to the next Theological Conference, which will take place on January 22, 2026. Richard Conrad, lecturer at the FJC, will address the question: Are the texts of the New Testament reliable? This will be another opportunity to explore together the foundations of our faith and to encourage the life of our Churches.

May our Lord bless these gatherings!

Pierre-Sovann Chauny,
Professor of Systematic Theology
Faculté Jean Calvin

Pastors Faithfully Serving in France

Each year the pastors of the Evangelical Reformed Church of France gather for a time of professional development, fellowship and encouragement. 

Every two or three years, the spouses and children join for a family retreat.   https://www.unepref.com/   

The theme this year was 'Caring Communication'- in the Family and Church". The children piggy-backed on the theme,  learning about James 3, as well as how Jesus used the power of words in His own caring communication.  

It was a logistical feat to coordinate housing and food for 105 people, as well as spaces for the children at the Christian camp tucked away in the beauty of the Cévennes mountains.  

The vast majority of pastors in the UNEPREF are graduates of Faculté Jean Calvin.  

Friends, this is the fruit of our labors in the Huguenot Fellowship.  Would you please join us in supporting these faithful servants through your prayers and financial support? www.huguenotfellowship.org

Would you pray for these pastors as they serve in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and villages in the Cévennes and Pyrenees mountains, as well as military, hospital and airport chaplaincy?

Pray for :

- refreshment in their own devotional times and abiding in the Lord's presence;

- protection over their marriages and families;

- resilience and discernment in preaching Gospel Hope in the hard soil of the secular French context;

- unity and strength for the denominational leaders as they juggle local church responsibilities as well as the broader vision of growth for the denomination;

- financial needs and strengthening of churches as so many local congregations are unable to pay a full-time pastor;

- God to raise up more pastors to fill the many churches without a full- time pastor.  

The Huguenot Fellowship is privileged to support Faculté Jean Calvin as it trains pastors to serve in the French Church.  Join us! 

Faculté Jean Calvin Videos

Faculté Jean Calvin has several dozen edifying videos posted on YouTube. Although these are in French, it’s now possible to read the closed caption subtitles in English.

To check this out:

Click here, then select a video and click on it to start it playing.

If an ad appears, let it play until the “Skip” button appears to the right, then click on it.

FJC’s video will start, but put it on pause by clicking on the “II” button on the bottom left corner of the window. (Your cursor will need to hover over the window for it to appear.)

Next click on the CC button toward the bottom right side of the window. (A red line will then appear under it.)

Next, click on the gear-shaped button just to the right of the CC button.

A drop-down menu will appear, click on Subtitles/CC.

A new drop-down menu will appear, click on Auto-Translate.

A new drop-down menu will appear, scroll down and click on English.

Click on the Play Button (>) on the bottom left side of the window and begin reading the subtitltes in English.

At this point, you may wish to silence the audio to more easily focus on reading. And, since reading is normally faster rate than listening, you may wish to click on that gear-shaped button again, click on Playback Speed and increase it to suit your comfort level.

YouTube’s auto-translate does a remarkably good job, much improved from earlier versions on other apps and platforms. Some words, such as uncommon proper nouns, may not be spelled correctly.

Auto-dubbing is in the works and may be available in months, not years.

We hope this advancement in technology will enhance your understanding and appreciation for the Faculté Jean Calvin, as it trains dedicated students to serve the Lord in the French-speaking world.

Your faithful support is needed now more than ever with the growing demand for biblically well-trained pastors, missionaries, and lay-workers in France and beyond. Thank you!

Nicolas Fines Interview

Nicolas Fines Ruth Ann Leduc

Huguenot Fellowship Trustee Ruth Ann Leduc talks with Nicolas Fines who is in his final year of Master's studies at the Faculté Jean Calvin seminary in Aix-en-Provence, France.   Coming from a family of pastors, what a blessing to hear about Nicolas' own spiritual journey and his "embracing his heritage", leading him to pursue theological studies. 

To view the interview click here.

He highlights three prayer requests:

- Patience - A calling to ministry comes with such passion and a desire to move forward in the Lord's work. Students in theology need patience to fully benefit from this time of study and all that the Lord wants to teach them.

- French denomination UNEPREF https://www.unepref.com/ - The majority of pastors in the Evangelical Reformed denomination did their pastoral training at Faculté Jean Calvin. Pray for revitalization of the French church, encouragement for its pastors and wisdom for its leaders.

- Healthy balance for pastors in their marriages and family life. Juggling family needs and personal life with the demands of ministry is always a challenge.

Would you please join us at the Huguenot Fellowship in supporting Faculté Jean Calvin and students like Nicolas? May the Lord raise up many more Nicolas to advance the work of His Kingdom in France.

Faculté Jean Calvin Update

Thank you very much for your continued and gracious support for the Faculté Jean Calvin in Aix-en-Provence through The Huguenot Fellowship.  It is loving support like yours that sustains FJC, its faculty and students, and by extension the furtherance of the Gospel in the French-speaking world.

Regarding FJC, we are pleased to report that there are presently about 75 students in the Bachelor/Master of Divinity program, i.e., the first 3 years of theological studies.  Of these nearly 90% are in the distance learning program, attending courses remotely.  In this regard FJC is making very good use of modern computer and internet technology.  While FJC would naturally prefer that all students study "in person," that is not possible for many of them, and we have observed that such distance learning can be very effective.  This is especially true when the students are highly motivated like those at FJC.

 In addition, FJC presently has 40 students in its formal Master/Master of Divinity program, i.e., years 4 and 5 of theological studies.  Most of them are "on campus" students, meaning that they come to Aix-en-Provence for 5 intensive sessions at FJC every year.  FJC is also very pleased to have 5 Ph.D. students at this time.

 Moreover, FJC presently has approximately 60 "à la carte" students, students who take one or more particular courses without entering into a degree program.  In fact, FJC has partnerships in French-speaking Africa where about 20 students follow FJC courses.

 It may interest you to know that the on-campus students are typically younger, ranging from 18 to 30 years of age, while the other groups of students tend to fall in the 25 - 50 age bracket.

 We also want you to know where and how FJC students enter into ministry.  After their studies, graduates from Faculté Jean Calvin pursue a diversity of callings. At least half are called to pastor a church, serving churches from the whole evangelical spectrum. In doing so, they serve the Body of Christ and not just one denomination. Most of them serve in France because the need is very great. In fact, the National Council of French Evangelicals calls for 1000 pastors to be trained in the next 10 years... and only to replace pastors retiring.

 Our FJC graduates are also very passionate about church planting and renewal. They also put in practice their apologetic skills (apologetics is a distinct feature of Faculté Jean Calvin). Some graduates have been called by the Lord to serve in positions of great responsibility in the French evangelical world. They also serve evangelical ministries in publishing, Christian education, emergency relief, and many other evangelical non-governmental organizations. More importantly, they are all involved in their local churches and participate in God's mission to proclaim the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.

 We thank you for your interest and your continued support.  If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. (hello@huguenotfellowship.org)

 Most sincerely in Christ,

 Brian Wunder
Donor Relations Committee
The Huguenot Fellowship

Year-end Stock Giving

Year-end is fast approaching!

The S&P 500 is up nearly 30% from a year ago, representing a significant gain in many portfolios. If you are an investor, please consider giving a gift of stock to the Huguenot Fellowship. By donating appreciated securities, you avoid paying tax on associated unrealized capital gains—more money for advancing the kingdom of Christ in the French-speaking world!

If you prefer, you can use a donor-advised fund for making a stock donation.

If you would like to donate stock, download our stock donation form by clicking here.

Thank you!

We Value Your Feedback

We Value Your Feedback

As we celebrate Advent and the birth of Christ, we reflect on the incredible work God is doing through Huguenot Fellowship. Together, we are equipping future ministers, missionaries, and lay-workers at the Faculté Jean Calvin Seminary to spread the gospel across the French-speaking world.

To continue this mission, we need your input. Our board is eager to hear how we can better serve and communicate with you. Your feedback will help shape our plans for the future.

Please take a short survey and share your thoughts. The board will review the results before Christmas, so we ask for your responses by December 20.

Click here to take the survey: huguenotfellowship.org/survey

Thank you for being a part of our community in this important work.

Blessings,

The Huguenot Fellowship Team