MSU School of Special Forces Missions advances the kingdom of heaven in the midst of serious crises, pushes students beyond their perceived limits, and prepares the leaders of tomorrow with extreme adventure.
Overview
MSU’s Special Forces Program (SF) is an intense training program designed to prepare students in spirit, soul, and body to prepare students to handle the greatest crises of all time, bring in the greatest harvest of all time, and advance the kingdom of Heaven on earth as never before.
The program’s ultimate goal is to produce believers with character, resilience, and grit equipped with the skills to bring real relief in crisis situations along with supernatural ministry.
Established in 2005 by Rick Joyner, this program was inspired by his association with the elite U.S. Delta Force and his desire to see the church raised up to a similar standard. The Special Forces Program is unique in the world of ministry schools because it combines classroom teaching along with hands-on, real-world, situational training.
In addition to experiencing the intense joy and challenge of high-impact ministry in the United States and around the world, SF graduates will be be well-prepared to be visionary leaders in their ministry or vocational field after their adventure with SF.
So, are you ready to leave timidity behind and be challenged, equipped, trained, and deployed to be part of the greatest kingdom advance of all time?
Do you have what it takes?
Are you ready to live “all in, all the time”? Are you dissatisfied with the boring, mundane life that society expects of you and long for something more?
If this sounds like what your spirit is calling out for, if you feel like you just read about what your life is missing, it may be time to enlist in SF!
SF Program Options
SF is available both as a fully accredited degree program from MorningStar University and as a “one year intensive” for those who want the thrill of advancing the kingdom and finding adventure in God before their next steps in life. View our “degrees and programs” tab above to learn more.
SF students complete regular coursework within MSU as half the of the credits towards their degree, while drawing the rest of the credits both from SF teaching, training, and deployments. (In the event of multiple deployments that cut into class time with multiple crises, students will receive academic credit in acknowledgement of the experiences and lessons learned from the field.)
We also feature SF weekend training intensives and special training events. These events are open to believers who are not enrolled at MSU but would like to join one deployment. (Training is required for those who deploy with us.) Information about these events will be made available through MSJN–MorningStar’s news network and central information hub during times of crisis (Click logo below to learn more about MSJN).
Sean Malone, director of Crisis Response International, has decades of experiences in disaster relief ministry. He and his CRI team bring a wealth of experience and battle-tested training modules both to the program and to every weekend intensive event. (Click logo below to learn more about CRI.)
What Can I Expect from SF?
Through this program, students are exposed to intense individual and team challenges, teaching and equipping, and physical fitness training (the kind of ‘zero-dark-thirty workouts’ that most military veterans are familiar with). This is supplemented with regular monthly intensives OR serious deployments depending on what is happening in the United States and around the world. Students may receive credit either for deployment or for an intensive each month, depending on how each month unfolds.
SF will also have a variety of outreaches, excursions, and disaster response deployments that will galvanize skill-sets and give one the honor of being part of a competent team.
Core SF Values
Our core SF values are summarized by the acronym S. A. T. S.
Spirit-led life – Radical obedience to God’s voice, recognizing the essentials of death to self in giving one’s all to God, yielding to the Spirit both in times of peace and times of turmoil, and developing the self-control to be faithful and growing in spiritual disciplines that keep us filled with the lightnings of God.
Adventure – We reject the conformity of the world and choose a lifestyle of kingdom adventure, wild and free, exploring nature and wilderness, building our confidence, overcoming challenges with resilience, expecting miracles in hopeless situations, and persevering trials with joy, knowing that we’re all in it together.
Training – skill acquisition, leadership & servanthood, standard-setting, mental/emotional/physical/spiritual growth, survival, extreme situations, crisis management, evangelism, cultural awareness.
Self-leadership – “When I became a man, I put childish things behind me…” (1 Cor. 13:11) We value healthy self-awareness, self-governance, situational awareness, crucifying soul and body to follow the Spirit even when it hurts, walking humbly, doing good, following the chain of command in authority structures, teachability, and humble servanthood.
Values – Teamwork, Confidence, Perseverance, Flexibility, Service, Honor, Integrity, Never Quit, Discipline, Leadership, Humility, All in all the time.
The Physical Demands of SF
Due to the physically demanding nature of this program and potential dangers associated with the training, students must be over 18 years of age to apply. They also must be able to undergo intense physical training.
This program involves challenging training in a variety of extreme situations. All students must be able and willing to participate and attempt all activities and excursions.
While you do not need to be a trained athlete to join this program, you must have a “never quit” resolve and a deep desire to overcome challenges and perceived limitations.
Just as wise military recruits may physically prepare even before going to Boot Camp / Basic Training, we strongly recommend that accepted applicants develop a physical training or workout program that will prepare them for the rigors of SF.
SELECTION
Students who choose SF as an MSU major will undergo an assessment and selection process held roughly two weeks after the fall semester begins (contact MSU office for details in August). Nicknamed “The 24”, it will include a twenty-four-hour period that measures SF candidates’ physical, mental, and emotional resolve.
At the beginning of the “24” students will be initially challenged to complete 50 push-ups in 2 minutes, 60 sit-ups in 2 minutes, run 3 miles under 27 minutes, and complete a 6-mile ruck in under 2.5 hours. The remainder of the Selection will be revealed upon completion of the initial challenge.
Once again, we recommend that students who desire to be part of the program start a regular fitness routine to be ready for Selection.
The SF program is designed for student growth; therefore the selection process is not “pass or fail” but is to determine those who desire to overcome obstacles, grow in character, and have the heart to be part of something great.
The end goal of the SF program is to develop a competent team of missionaries willing to go anywhere, anytime, without reservation to fulfill the Great Commission.
Those who don’t make selection or who feel at this point SF is not the right fit for them will have the opportunity to join another major at MSU.
We live in a culture of convenience, and those willing to pay the price are few and far between, but don’t count yourself out! Too often, we inventory our weaknesses and disqualify ourselves from the historic exploits God has prepared for us. We are all made to live and die for something, so if this is where you belong- where you want to be prepared for your purpose in life.
COST
MSU is committed to keeping all costs as low as possible for students. However, additional fees are required to cover the extra expenses involved with the Special Forces Program. Currently, the tuition cost for the SF major for full-time students is $1950, in addition to the MSU Core Classes tuition, which covers all expeditions (transportation, food, and equipment) during the school year and other adventures. This can be paid upfront for a discount or paid in installments throughout the year.
There are two kinds of missions trips with SF. First, there is a required 7-day missions trip in the spring semester. The costs of this trip are covered by the student and prices vary each year between $1700-$1900. The second kind of trip is a strategic deployment to a serious crisis. In most cases, this kind of deployment is partially or entirely covered by donors who support SF’s mission to bring serious relief and kingdom advancement. For this reason, SF students may be called upon to serve in multiple deployments while serving with SF.
EQUIPMENT
The Special Forces Program will provide all the necessary equipment, including high-quality backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, tents, water filters, cook gear, medical resources, and other essential items to students as part of their tuition. Students are not required to purchase any gear prior to starting the program.
Students may choose to bring and use any outdoor gear they already have, namely, hiking shoes, running shoes, and a ruck pack with a hydration system. Please refer to the program director for questions about equipment maintenance, sign-out, and turn-in.