BE 508

Judges, Kings, & Prophets: Every culture and society is shaped by the authority that governs it. In Scripture we see how Israel thrived and suffered depending on who was leading Israel's people. When Israel's leader was humble enough to listen to God's voice, things unfolded far better than when Israel's leader preferred to rule arbitrarily by his or her own discretion. This course introduces top leaders and advisors in Scripture such as Samson, Jeremiah and King David as well as Deborah, Huldah, and Queen Esther. It's a course that puts the spotlight, not on people, but rather on the marvel of God's good character and God's longing to help all people really live.

BE 523

Prophets and Whistleblowers: In some charismatic circles, the gift of prophecy is expressed only in the language of positivity. According to Jesus, prophets are not honored in their own family or hometown. Why do most prophets and whistleblowers end up being outcasts? This is a sobering course that draws heavily from the stories of prophets in both the Old and New Testament. It’s a course on moral courage, a set of lessons on practical wisdom, and a careful study of the faithfulness of God.

BE 550

Applying Scripture: This course is a practicum. It has to do with "practicing what we preach." It's a skill-based course in which students will practice reading Scripture from the vantage point of discipleship. It is meant to help students learn how to "handle the Word accurately" instead of falling into the trap of wrangling about words (II Timothy 2:14-15) and approaching Scripture with arrogance, not humility. It is an eye-opening course that trains students to use the "sword" of God's Word as a weapon against the spiritual forces of wickedness, and not presume to use it against people.

BE 551

New Testament Churches: From the book of Acts to the book of Revelation, the New Testament talks about churches. How did all the churches in the New Testament get started? Who founded the Christian church? What problems do New Testament churches have? How can there be one capital "C" Church? Why is Christianity so church-oriented? This course encourages students to raise questions about "church" as they read through the New Testament epistles. It's a course that helps students see how books in the New Testament interrelate.

BE 552

Rediscovering Scripture: Everyone can benefit from rediscovering Scripture. There is so much life and beauty in God's Word. For some, the need is to see that the Bible is not God, even though the Bible is God's Word. For others, the rediscovery lies in finding the Bible's hidden, higher intelligence. For yet others, the surprise may be that Scripture is actually current, not archaic, even though its manuscripts are ancient. For still others, the new finding may be that God speaks to God's people through God's Word. For still yet others, the joy may be in discovering that the Bible offers solace to those who have heard it spoken wildly out of context by abusers. In this course, first thing, students will be guided to ask questions. For wise inquiry leads the mind not only out of boredom, but also out of old patterns of wrong thinking.

BE 553

The Story of Scripture: There is no greater epic story filled with tragedy, love, and triumph than the Bible. From the narrative of Adam and Eve being subverted in paradise to the crucifixion of Jesus hanging innocent on a cross to the miracles of resurrection and utterly transformed lives, the Bible reveals the truth about the conflict we are in as we lumber and lurch through life with all its ecstasies and woes. This course introduces the suspenseful macro-story of the Old Testament and New Testament from Genesis to the Revelation. Because it is a course that makes Scripture come alive, it is a course that enlivens students as well.

BE 554

Worship Sets in Scripture: What if every segment of praise to God recorded in the Scriptures were to be seen as a worship set? How many worship sets does Scripture offer us? In this course students are charged to read the book of Psalms and survey all of Scripture, taking inventory of every worship set. This is a course that guides students to find out how real people in the Scriptures went from feeling overwhelmed to breaking out in spontaneous praise.

BE 607

Gospel Narratives: What is a story? What do all the stories in Scripture have in common? According to Martin Luther, every narrative in the Bible points to Christ. What is a narrative? What is a gospel narrative? What is the gospel? Is the gospel itself a story? Is the gospel “asking Jesus into your heart?” How can you learn to let gospel narratives, the Story of God, the Bible, impact your own story in more profound ways? This course is designed to open students' eyes to discern the real meaning of every Bible story with far more understanding and personal application.

BE 700

Intro to New Testament Greek: Every generation needs Christian leaders who can navigate the Greek New Testament. The New Testament was originally written in Greek, yet few English speakers know how to read it. If no one knows how to decipher it, then there is no one to make sure that it is being translated correctly. If you want to acquire skills that enable you to look up Greek words, examine the grammar of Bible verses, and have a general sense of the original language of the New Testament, this course is for you. The professor is a seasoned expert, and you'll get lots of time to ask questions, practice, and gasp with delight in what you see for yourself in God's Word.

BE 720

Philemon in Greek: If there is any book that scholars believe the apostle Paul wrote, it is Philemon. Philemon is one of the prison epistles (Paul wrote it while he was in jail), and it is especially fun to read because the original Greek entails more texture and nuance than our English translations. Students who can follow the Greek will see that while this New Testament book strikingly refers to men and women church leaders in the church of Colossae, more centrally it shows how respectful Paul was in his appeal to ask Philemon, a slaveowner, to release Onesimus, his slave. This is a Short Course with only 10 hours of class time.

BE 726

Jude in Greek: Twenty-five verses comprise the whole book of Jude. In this course, students get to analyze every line of Jude in its original Koine Greek language while pondering and absorbing its clarifying message. You don't have to be fluent in Greek to sign up for this course or to gain from all the insights provided by the professor; you can simply audit the class. But to benefit fully, you do need to be ready to be inspired by words of Scripture that speak to us today by helping us respond to hardship and loss with vision, endurance, and love.

BE 750

New Testament Greek Grammar: Learning Greek vocabulary is relatively easy. The real challenge in reading Greek lies in learning Greek grammar. Greek syntax refers to the relationship of words and phrases within sentences. The more students understand the syntactic structure of the writings in the New Testament, the more they can absorb and explain the life-changing message of the Bible. This course is designed as a follow-up to Intro to New Testament Greek that takes students to a new level of improving their reading skills. There will be weekly homework, in-depth reviews of introductory lessons, and steady, slow guidance from the professor.

BST 500

Interpreting Scripture I: The task of interpreting Scripture is foundational to doing responsible Christian theology. Biblical interpretation, often referred to as "biblical hermeneutics," is intellectual work that calls for honesty, not prejudice, from the interpreter. It also calls for knowledge of language, vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and more. It takes longer than eight weeks to learn hermeneutics. What this course does is introduce students to the discipline of reading the Old and New Testament with respect to genre, dialogue, and authorial intent.

BST 501

Interpreting Scripture II: This course builds directly upon the prerequisite course Interpreting Scripture I. In it, students are trained to handle the Word of God rightly by submitting to the authority of what it says on its own terms. Successful students learn how to analyze the grammar, interpret figures of speech,and parse whole paragraphs of selected passages in the Old and New Testament. The course involves the rigor of weekly homework, but also the joy that comes with doing the hard work of mining the treasures of Scripture. Right On Mission also offers Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew, and more advanced levels of Interpreting Scripture through our Specialty Courses.

BST 506

The Old Testament in the New Testament: Every New Testament writer quotes from, alludes to, or echoes the Old Testament. Yet many Christians are taught to disregard the Old Testament. Is the New Testament intended to replace the Old Testament? How much continuity does the Old Testament have with the New? In this course students examine the use of the Old Testament in selections from the Gospels, the letters of the Apostle Paul, and the book of Revelation. By studying what the writers say about the gradual unfolding of the panoramic picture of God’s involvement in history, students can discover how the epic plan of God from Genesis to Revelation is finally fulfilled in Jesus.

IC 600

Tech Savvy: In this digital world, it helps to have a little bit of tech savvy. Being able to intervene when technical difficulties arise can sometimes make all the difference. What swift research can a lay person do to solve common technological problems? In this course students will be acquainted with a variety of programs and apps and also be trained to provide basic technical support. This is an introductory course designed for non-IT students who want to operate technologically in their context and be more versatile in their service to their team.

IC 605

Starting a Business: It is one thing to start a business and another thing altogether to start a business that is successful. Most new businesses fail. What makes it difficult to establish a stable business that serves people? What particular wisdom do new business owners need as entrepreneurs? How do you scale a business? This course is a practicum in which students are requiredto produce a business plan for a business they are starting or intend to start someday. The course is taught by a business owner, not an academic.

IC 610

Knowledge Management: In any given organization, there is a large body of knowledge that pertains to how that organization works. But who in the organization has access to all that knowledge? Given the division of labor and all the workers who come and go in an organization, knowledge is often lost. How much time and money is wasted on account of organizations losing track not only of data, but of how data is internally preserved? This is a course designed for people who are serious about maximizing the impact of their team. It is also very relevant to anyone managing clients. It is strongly recommended for leaders, their assistants, business owners, and all board members.

IC 611

Efficient Management: On-the-job-training is perhaps the most common way that executive assistants learn their role. How much time is wasted though in the learning process? Who helps assistants save time? Assistants are so depended upon that they are often not invested in as much as they should be by their organizations or supervisors. This is a course that compensates for the usual lack of training that naturally gifted organizers and personal assistants typically have. It is a “learn the ropes” mentoring course designed for easing the work of those who ease the work of others.

IC 612

Scheduling & Calendaring: Being an Executive Assistant is like being a flight controller who coordinates incoming and outgoing planes. It takes conscientious planning in order to manage all the meetings that happen both sequentially and simultaneously. The best executive assistants can manage multiple schedules with accuracy and aplomb. In this course students will develop skills in using e-calendars and apps to coordinate numerous meetings, oversee a variety of different kinds of appointments, and save organizations money by maximizing other people's time.

IC 615

Productive Meetings: Leaders lead meetings, but few have the know-how to lead interesting meetings that advance the main cause of the group. What makes a good meeting interesting? How do leaders cultivate trust so that members of the meeting participate authentically and refuse to get caught up in political posturing? Is it possible to lead meetings that are efficient, yet life-changing? In this course students are required to envision meetings as being venues for sound arguments, not quarrels. It’s a course that explains the reason why leaders need to be emotionally mature. It's a course to help students become unusually effective at leading meetings.

IC 640

Coaching Skills: This is a Specialty Course for Christians who aspire to acquire specialized training or become a "mission coach" who helps clients live on mission with moral courage. Coaching skills are people skills. To coach at a missional level is to prod someone else to score by being true to Christ. Coaching skills are valuable for catalyzing change, establishing results, and elevating others to live on a higher plane of lasting impact. The course entails 40 hours of face to face class time along with directed field work.

IC 700

Public Relations: Public relations is a part of loving our neighbor. Being considerate and mindful of how we, as servants of the Lord, are coming across to others is critically important. It takes self-awareness, cultural savvy, and wisdom to "understand the times" to flourish in public relations whether that be with City Council or residents in the neighborhood or with a special interest group. Many times having good public relations can not only make it easier to solve problems, but to prevent problems in the first place. This is a basic course in relating and communicating with the public.

Knowledge courses are based upon the principle of Hosea 4:6: "My people are perishing for lack of knowledge because you have rejected knowledge!" Without God, academia transforms students into agnostics. This is a travesty. It is normal in public schools for students to be indoctrinated to believe unquestioningly that knowledge is inaccessible and unattainable. To know, to have knowledge (and not just muster opinions or manufacture beliefs or well up with emotions and feelings or generate personal values) is part of the dignity of being human. It is possible and necessary for people to have knowledge. Although the wrong kind of knowledge "puffs up" (I Corinthians 8:1), the right kind of knowledge guards society.

KC 500

Knowing Father God: A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us . . . No nation has ever risen above its idea of God.” In this course students engage deep questions, not only about God, but also about their own unspoken beliefs about God. The course is slated to begin in December for the purpose of giving students time to seize the opportunity to get a head start with their main assignment which is to write a theology-based, Repentance Plan for the coming year. Students will be guided theologically throughout the course to apply their learning about God to their relationship with God. This is the most foundational course at Right On Mission.

KC 501

God's Mission: This course is about God's relationship with humanity thematically revealed in Scripture, particularly with regard to the lawsuit motif found in the Gospel of John. In it, students explore the meaning and intensity of God’s mission as they seek to understand God’s lawsuit in light of the truth of the gospel. The purpose of this course is to help students see for themselves what God has set out to do, and to marvel at His brilliance, and to take such deep security in His plan that they find the moral courage to live on mission, even in the face of opposition.

KC 502

Developing a Christian Mind: It is sometimes said that a person has a good legal mind or a scientific mind. Likewise, references have been made to the American mind or African mind. Decades ago C.S. Lewis’ star student, Harry Blamires, famously lamented, “There is no longer a Christian mind.” What does it mean to have a Christian mind in light of all the disagreements and church denominations among believers? Is it possible for a Christian to have the mind of Christ? This graduate level course offers students a way to think more accurately and worshipfully about everything. It touches everyday matters in practical life, every academic discipline, and every theological topic.

KC 503

Incarnate God: This is a study of Jesus in which students are guided into a realm of understanding Who He is and what He accomplished through His life, death, resurrection, and session at the Right Hand of God. The teachings in this course are stunning. None of the material is new, but most of it is unfamiliar to believers, including church elders and pastors. The course is designed to be awe-inspiring, personally assuring, and highly instructive.

KC 504

Holy Spirit of Truth: This course is a graduate level study of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible says a lot about the Holy Spirit, yet many professing Christians are confused about Who the Spirit really is. In this course, students engage Scripture, church tradition, and God Himself in an effort to think more Christianly about the Third Person of the Trinity. Students will be guided to find out what it means to be born of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and baptized in the Spirit and also to understand the difference between grieving the Spirit, quenching the Spirit, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and praying in the Spirit or not. NOTE: This course serves as a prerequisite for the Suffering and Healing course.

KC 505

The Image of God: Although many Christians know that people are created in God’s image, few have any clarity as to what God’s image is. What does it mean to be human? Are some people superior to others by virtue of their gender or race? Do women bear God's image less than men do? Is it better to be a Jew than a Gentile? Was Jesus fully human? How can Jesus be God if He is the "Image of God", the "Son of God," the "Son of Man"? This course grapples with theological anthropology along with hard questions about identity politics, gender wars, critical race theory, abortion, robotics and disputes about what it means to be a "self."

KC 506

Theology of Money: This course is not a practicum; it is not about budgets or bookkeeping. It is, rather, a deep theological study of the difference between serving God and serving mammon. In it, students learn about currency, corporations, interest, debt, and the relevance of theology to economic systems. The course is designed for ministry leaders, board members, decision makers in business, stewards of bank accounts, and believers who seek financial integrity.

KC 507

Suffering & Healing: Life is painful. Yet most Christians are not taught to deal honestly and humbly with their pain. What does the Bible say about pain? Why is it so shocking and insulting to be visited by pain? How did Jesus deal with pain? What can we learn from a Suffering Savior ? What does Jesus' pain reveal about God? What does Jesus' miraculous healing ministry tell us about God? Does God work miracles of healing still today? In this course students will reckon with the reality of suffering and healing both. PRE-REQUISITE COURSE: Knowing Father God or Holy Spirit of Truth

MD 500

Faith Recovery: America is now post-Christian. Countless past churchgoers have given up on the Christian faith. Many feel demoralized, not only because Christian institutions have drifted off mission and imploded, but also because "Christian" leaders have personally betrayed them. Lots of people who want to be believers fear they can't be -- because the lens through which they look makes the Bible seem untrustworthy and Christianity seem politicized and biased against everybody, except White, heterosexual men. This course is designed for followers of Christ who long to see the Church rejuvenated. It explains in fresh ways how resilient truth is, even in a culture of irreverence.

MD 501

Workplace Apologetics: This is a course on pre-evangelism. It's an apologetics course that tackles perrennial questions such as, "How can God be good when there is so much suffering in the world?" and "What is the origin of evil?" as well as other questions that people say prevent them from following Christ. What does Wisdom say? Is it wise to think that God is greater than evil? Is it logical to affirm the Christian faith? What does it mean to think logically as opposed to illogically? Where is the place for logic in postmodernity? In this course students will dive into deep, disturbing questions that have vexed rebellious minds for centuries.

MD 505

Fulfilling The Great Commission: Evangelism today is on the wane in the United States, and the so-called "Great Commission" is under siege. In scholarly circles, it is argued that since the commandment to "make disciples" appears in the Bible only once and since conversion happens exclusively by a work of the Holy Spirit, there is no need for the Church to be evangelistic or send out missionaries anymore. This motivational course offers a biblical theology of evangelism that is designed to revive the fervor of God's people. Special emphasis is placed on how to introduce family members to the hope that is found in no one else, but Jesus.

MD 604

Secular Ideologies: Secular ideologies are irreligious ideas such as Darwinism, communism, atheism, and postmodernism. When secular ideologies permeate a culture, they seep into the minds of authentic Christ followers and distort the testimony of the Church. Secularism rejects all forms of religious faith and insists that public policy and public education be rid of all religious obligations. For centuries secularism was inconceivable--nearly everyone believed in the divine. Now we live in a secular age in which everything is said to be gray. This course examines the contours of a secular mind.

MD 610

Critics of the Bible: It is almost axiomatic that people trust the Bible when scholars trust the Bible. In today's society, so few scholars regard the Bible as authoritative that Scripture has no standing within the university as a legitimate source of truth. Doubt has been injected into the realm of public knowledge such that whole nations have unanchored themselves from the authority of Scripture and thereby lost their Judeo-Christian moorings. Famous critics, such as Voltaire and Spinoza, used their formidable intellects to ridicule the idea of the Bible's infallibility and divine inspiration. In this course students will become familiarized both with biblical criticism and with defenders of Scripture and be able to see for themselves why it still makes sense to take the Bible seriously and rely on the veracity of God's Word.

MAP 120

Accounting Practices: Whereas bookkeeping is a form of financial record-keeping, accounting is the practice of producing financial data to be used in decision-making and reports. Accounting is important because part of organizational stewardship lies in understanding the precise financial position of different economic entities. Since there are different ways of organizing and creating financial data, not all accounting practices are alike. In this course students will be challenged to discern the underlying values that drive different practices in accounting.

MAP 124

Microeconomics: Microeconomics is the study of resource allocation at the level of individual entities and persons. It has to do with how people's choices of using time,money, and energy, all work together inter-systematically. Anyone studying law or matters of justice needs to know about microeconomics because laws so often exist to steady economic action. This course alerts students to economic realities and the many implications of the triple correlation between economics, justice, and law. It's an introductory course, but one that can be taken at a college or graduate level.

MAP 160

Musical Arrangements: Music is exceedingly powerful. It can lift the human spirit or lure the naive astray. Even without lyrics, just music, just sounds, just rhythms, can alter the way a person feels and thinks. There is tremendous responsibility in doing the artful work of arranging music. It is sophisticated work that involves nonverbal interpretations and reconceptualizations of melodies, harmonies, bridges and refrains. To arrange is re-present. In this course students are shown ways to re-present existing compositions. This is a graduate level practicum, a music class for well developed musicians.

MAP 180

Analyzing Historical Claims: Legal education teaches that every fact must be examined, but often the real facts are not revealed. What methods of practical inquiry and research can be used to see if history is being honestly represented? Is it possible to discover what lies underneath the surface of mere claims? What if people's claims are really true? How can anyone know the difference between a false claim and a true one? In this course students will be taught to analyze claims in the light of reliable history.

MG 600

Moral Governance I: This entry-level course is for current and emerging board members. Its purpose is to teach board members how to govern nonprofits, including local churches. To govern an organization is to hold it in trust. Governance is distinguished from leadership. To govern Christianly is to call the entity upwards to the standards of Christ, so that every worker in it is guided and protected by good polices. When governance boards operate on the premise of self-preservation and institutional survival, they miss the opportunity to make the organization truly great. In this course, students learn why so many Christian boards unintentionally become dysfunctional. Assignments are optional.

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MG 650

Moral Governance II: Many board members are sacrificial givers who genuinely seek the best for their Christian organization. Few, however, are trained to use their governance power to influence the board itself. This advanced course teaches emerging and current board members how to play the sport called “governance.” Governance is a group activity. It involves group dynamics, corporate power, policies and laws, political pressures, financial challenges, and regular opportunities for doing good. Although most boards are notoriously dysfunctional, the best boards learn how to partner with the president/senior pastor to accomplish the extraordinary with integrity.

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MG 700

Moral Governance III: America’s nonprofits have long distinguished our country and made our nation great by mobilizing literally millions of unpaid volunteers to meet the needs of other human beings. Whereas for-profit businesses typically exist to make money; non-profit entities traditionally exist to change lives. In this training course for future and current board members, students are taught to think theologically about governance. Successful students learn how to tackle both the unglamorus side of board work with all its tedium and the strategic side of board work and all the exhilaration that comes with opportunities to cast vision, assemble teams, coordinate complex networks in effort to salt the earth and light the world.

ML 600

Civility and Incivility: There is an illness abroad in the land: cancel culture, Bulverism, confirmation bias, tribalism, violence and other societal ailments that are classic manifestations of incivility. If the sickness is incivility, the antidote is civility--the courtesy and respect to regard others as human beings. If due to primal fallenness people become savage, then due to divine redemption it is possible to be civil. Civility pumps the heart of civilization. In a crumbling civilization, civility gets buried under the avalanche that ensues from societal decay. In this course students will be given the opportunity to develop a disposition for civil discourse and intellectual hospitality.

ML 602

Organizational Culture: It has famously been said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." In other words, organizational culture trumps organizational strategy. Whatever the culture is will dominate. What are the basic elements of organizational culture? Who holds the power to transform a culture? In this course students will consider various aspects of human development and group dynamics as well as the cultural impact that internal policies have in light of people's underlying values.

ML 603

Risk Management: Risk management has to do with managing uncertainties. No risk exists unless there is a reasonable uncertainty. If a person jumps out of an airplane flying at 30,000 feet with no parachute, no risk is involved since the chances of death for that person are approximately 100%. Certainty makes risk a non-factor. Most of the time in life, however, uncertainties abound. In this course students will learn how to identify risks and assess them, so as to reduce the projected impact of future losses.

ML 604

Persuasive Speaking: Part of being a Christian entails communicating with others. For example, peaching is a central practice in Christianity, but the word preaching is seen by many as a pejorative term of judgment. "Don't preach at me," we say defensively. Good preaching is truth-telling without self-righteousness. In this course, students learn a method of speaking that works for preaching, negotiating, leading conversations and meetings, and also for doing fund development. The course focuses on the importance of non-presumptive language and speaking intelligibly and contextually. It is taught in a way that refreshes seasoned speakers, develops new preachers, and helps believers communicate more persuasively.

ML 610

Church & State: Church and State are two side by side top authorities within the United States. On account of the First Amendment, every American has the constitutional right to freedom of religion, yet all citizens are required also to submit public law. The Establishment Clause provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." What happens when the Supreme Court, not Congress, makes a law that prohibits the free exercise of religion? What happens when religion is corrupted? This is a course about authority in society, and it is targeted to board members of churches and nonprofits and those in the legal field.

ML 612

The American Legal System: The American legal profession is in crisis. It has become a legal system and no longer a justice system. Historically top lawyers were persons of prudence and practical wisdom; today they are technicians trained to win at any cost. Part of the problem is that society tends to see "judgment" as strictly negative; thus having good judgment is no longer the goal of most attorneys. In this course students will be apprised of the macro-trends that are gutting the legal profession of its soul. Students will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the American legal system and be challenged to do their part to reform it.

ML 615

Becoming a Lead Worshiper: Jesus said John the Baptist was the most humble man alive. John the Baptist is famous for saying, "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20). What if every worship leader in every Christian gathering were subtly to convey to the full congregation, "I am not the Christ"? How might such worship leaders dress? How might they pray? What spiritual preparation would each worship leader need if the goal of the worship service was to spark a flame of praise in every human heart to Jesus Christ alone? This is a specialty leadership course designed for maturing Christians who are gifted to lead worship in word and song.

ML 620

Entrepreneurial Leadership: Entrepreneurial leadership is a special kind of leadership. To start something from scratch, assemble a winning team, and tap into a market or create a brand new market is not at all the same as leading a well established organization. Entrepreneurs are quintessentially different from risk-avoidant managers and bureaucrats. Entrepreneurial leadership requires the unleashing of people's talents rather than limiting lower-ranked workers for the sake of hierarchical control. This is a course for students who have entrepreneurial bents and want to draw out the creativity in others who can help build new entities.

ML 630

Wisdom for Leadership: The wisest king in world history, King Solomon, said where there is much wisdom, there is much grief. Biblical wisdom is multi-faceted. There is the wisdom of fearing the Lord, the wisdom of right doctrine, the wisdom of technology and know-how, the wisdom of deep understanding, the wisdom of godly scheming, and more. In this course students will practice making decisions in light of what wisdom says, so they can make wise decisions in their leadership.

Pastoral Care For Adults - The word psychology literally means, "study of the soul." Yet ironically, psychology has been secularized to the point that it does not pertain to soul care. Psychologists instead are trained as scientists who deal clinically with mental health issues. In this course, students are taught from a biblical starting point to understand how psychology informs the art of pastoring people. The course is entry-level, designed to be either the first step or the only step that students take into the realm of being trained in pastoral counseling.

PC 500

Caring Foundations: Caring Foundations is an online course for anyone interested in learning more about pregnancy center ministry. This course will inform, engage, and inspire you to work for, volunteer at, support - or even help start - a local pregnancy center.

PC 501

Client Care Services: Client Care Essentials is crucial training for Executive Directors, Client/Patient Services Directors, and any pregnancy center staff who lead others in serving clients. Whether you are new to client care or a seasoned professional, this course will equip you for next-level ministry. The 12-week instructor-led class is offered multiple times during the year. You choose the best time of year to enroll, and then you complete the coursework on your schedule!

PC 502

Client Marketing Essentials: Client Marketing Essentials teaches you the fundamentals of reaching new clients at their point of need in a 6 week online course. With the ability to complete the course at your own pace within the six-week schedule, you will walk away with the skills you need to effectively market to the women and men in your community considering abortion.

PC 503

Connecting Conversations Instructor: Empower your team members to build powerful connections with their clients by expressing empathy and demonstrating the authenticity and respect that foster trust. If you feel that your center is struggling to reach clients who are at-risk for abortion , this training is for you. Through the six-week course, you will develop the practical skills needed to coach clients facing difficult pregnancy decisions.

PC 504

Making Life Disciples: The courts can make abortion illegal but only God through his church can make abortion unthinkable. Yet, according to data from The Guttmacher Institute, 54% of women who have abortions identify as Christians. And our research found that 2 in 5 women who have abortions were attending church at least once a month at the time of their first abortion. Adapted from Care Net’s decades of pregnancy center ministry experience, Making Life Disciples is a ministry on-ramp that your church will use to reach women and men facing unplanned pregnancies. It’s a practical ministry response to the abortion crisis that equips your church to lead with credibility and love.

PC 505

Digital Fundraising DNA: Recent events have made online fundraising more important than ever. Did you know that nearly 20% of small non-profits' revenue comes from online sources? Is your pregnancy center keeping up with this trend? Built on their experience growing Care Net's digital fundraising over 150% in just the last three years, Vincent DiCaro and Ardee Coolidge will guide you (virtually, along with their friend, Mr. Optimize) through this practical, hands-on, data-driven course to boost your online fundraising efforts.

PW 500

How To Read A Book: This surprisingly helpful course is for faculty, students, writers, and professionals in various fields who want to read more efficiently and effectively. It's for readers who feel embarrassed about how hard it is for them to plow through a text, and for people who desire to sharpen their ability to learn, and also for academics whose reading assignments are heavy and overwhelming. It's a course about the art of reading comprehension and entering into the joy of intimate intellectual interactions.

PW 505

Writing for Publication: In today’s world, writers need two main things: 1) Well articulated good content; 2) A platform from which to get found. In this course students are resourced with ways to generate fresh content, present that content creatively in written form. and also offered practical tips for marketing their book. Students will be familiarized with the publishing world and guided as they think about which publisher to sign on with and whether or not to self-publish. They will also be taught how to think theologically about any imaginable topic including the act of writing itself.

PW 520

How to Write a Sentence: There is a lot more to writing a sentence than one might think. Constructing sentences is an art. Ernest Hemingway said, "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." It's not easy to write true statements. Nor is it easy to construct complete sentences that feature elegant phrases and aptly chosen words. Many students are so accustomed to reading required textbooks that are poorly written that they are unable to recognize a strong, sturdy sentence. Writing a sentence is not the same as transferring vocal speech onto a page. Writing is related to reading. Whoever can read a good sentence can learn to write one.

PW 524

Writing Professional Letters & Reports: Whether you are training to become a professional, an entrepreneur, an executive, or an executive assistant, this is a course that has predictable, practical relevance to your expected future work. It is not easy to write letters that are clear and to-the-point, yet also personable and warm, or to write reports that are clear and concise, yet also complete. In this course students will practice writing professional letters and reports, so as to be ready when they hired to do so.

PW 525

Writing a Book Proposal: In order to get a book published, most authors are first required to write a book proposal. There is no standard book proposal in the industry today. Different publishing companies have their own book proposal templates, and most of these companies only receive proposals from book agents rather than from authors directly. It is thus all the more important for an author to produce an excellent book proposal that stands out enough for a publisher to risk purchasing the author's manuscript. This course is for students who want to sketch a book proposal and prepare it for submission.

PW 580

Writing Articles: Many authors launch their writing careers by writing articles. What are the components of an excellent article? What makes certain articles especially engaging to readers? How much verbal artistry is needed in a feature article? How much content should writers convey? In this course students will be challenged to think of compelling ways to put their knowledge into words. Students will also be coached and supported in their attempts to produce a published piece.

PW 600

How To Write A Book: This course is a practicum, a learning laboratory. It's a venue in which to make progress toward finishing a full draft of your unpublished volume. Very little reading is required because the course is designed to help writers turn their scribbled up pages into a well structured manuscript. The course is much more like bootcamp than a lecture series. Every session features a guided opportunity to produce better sentences and paragraphs. Whether you're starting with nothing but a vague idea or a foggy set of musings or an unpublished manuscript that needs to be reworked, this course is for you. Students gain from the teaching and enlightening exercises and also from the group dynamic. The course is hard, but heartening; challenging, but life-changing. If you're serious about writing a book, this course might be the catalyst for getting your work published. Such has happened before with other students.

PW 610

Editing Skills: Editors are to writers what coaches are to athletes. Good editors make good writing even better. To edit is to declutter. Editing amounts to bringing clarity and superior form to writing. In this course students will develop editing skills by applying rules of editing, rephrasing ill-stated sentences, and restructuring convoluted paragraphs.

PW 700

The Power of Words: Is there truly any power in words? Or are words just words? What's the difference between a word and a mere syllable or mere sound? Is it reasonable to believe that words can steer the course of world history? This is a course about words, and about power, and it is filled with deep theology that has enormous practical relevance to each day. Words are loaded with theology and theological implications. In a sense, words are what organize the world.

SA 500

Astronomy and Design: This course will introduce students to the key concepts in astronomy and physics that will allow them to appreciate these advances and effectively use them to make the case for astronomical design. A practical emphasis will be placed on using insights from astronomy and physics for apologetics and evangelism. Students who have a limited background in science will be targeted, but those students with advanced degrees in physics and astronomy will also find this course of interest.

SA 501

World Religions and Science: The course covers the following major areas of study:

1. Survey of core beliefs of world religions;

2. Exploration of the ways religions use modern science to justify their worldview;

3. Consideration of the similarities and differences between Christianity and other world religions;

4. Investigation into the philosophical implications of religious pluralism;

5. Survey of different ways of testing religious worldviews;

6. Consideration of a strategy for dialoguing with non-Christians about religious ideas.

SA 502

Creation and the Bible: This course surveys the biblical material related to creation, including the historic doctrine of general and special revelation. Students are also exposed to a variety of Christian interpretations to Genesis 1 and encouraged to form an integrated, coherent interpretation of the biblical and scientific data. The second half of the course explores theological and scientific questions concerning the age of the earth (such as radiometric dating techniques and global flood theory).

SA 503

Creation vs. Evolution: Students are exposed to the old-earth creation model and encouraged to form an integrated coherent interpretation of the scientific data. The result will be an examination of the evolutionary paradigm as it relates to the origin of life, the fossil record, and the origin of humanity.

SD 505

Knowing Yourself: Where in the Bible does it say to know yourself? What happens when Christians (including those who have positional authority) lack self-knowledge? John Calvin famously wrote: "Nearly all the wisdom which we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern." In this course, students will be challenged and supported in their quest to become more discerning and self-aware, so they can become more Christ-like.

SD 600

Spiritual Direction I: In this age of feelings first, spiritual direction offers a gentle way to lead people to God and recognize His love in their life journey. At its best, spiritual direction is a deeply pastoral form of shepherding sheep by feeding them God's Word obliquely through merciful questions and affirmations. In this introductory course, students are taught how to observe God’s Presence and activity in the life of someone else. Successful students learn to ask open-ended questions and look at personal circumstances through the lens of Scripture and disciplined faith.

SD 601

Spiritual Direction II: Spiritual direction is a method for helping people to develop their relationship with God. In order for that to happen, a spiritual directee must “feel safe” enough to risk within the context of engaging with a spiritual director. With that, spiritual directors must be mature enough to remain self-differentiated in order to be patient with the spiritual direction process. In this course students meet with a spiritual director as they learn firsthand about the structure of building trust, facing truth, taking responsibility for themselves as they guide directees to do the same as both of them together receive from God. In addition, students develop foundational skills such as practicing contemplative spiritual disciplines, attentive listening and facilitated stillness, and also that of generating gentle, fruitful questions.

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SD 602

Spiritual Direction III: This advanced course is a Specialty Course designed to give students training as spiritual directors. In this lab-like practicum, students practice being hospitable so as to make space in themselves to be able to listen to God on behalf of others. Students are supervised pastorally as spiritual practitioners who carry themselves relationally in a prayerful listening posture. Whereas academic disciplines are typically grounded only in traditional knowledge, spiritual direction, by contrast, is knowledge confirmed in Scripture, yet received in a moment of honest surrender to God. Each student in this course receives weekly supervision and practice being a spiritual director.

Prerequisites include: Spiritual Direction I, Spiritual Direction II, Effective Listening, Knowing Father God, Knowing Yourself, Secular Ideologies, and Holy Spirit of Truth.

SD 604

Secular Ideologies: Secular ideologies are irreligious ideas such as Darwinism, communism, atheism, and postmodernism. When secular ideologies permeate a culture, they seep into the minds of authentic Christ followers and distort the testimony of the Church. Secularism rejects all forms of religious faith and insists that public policy and public education be rid of all religious obligations. For centuries secularism was inconceivable--nearly everyone believed in the divine. Now we live in a secular age in which everything is said to be gray. This course examines the contours of a secular mind.

TTH 502

Knowing How to Know: Given all the mistakes in intellectual history, how can anyone be sure of what they think they know? One day we hear from science that eggs are bad for you; another day we hear that eggs are good for you. Is there even such a thing as true knowledge? Top secular universities teach students to believe that people can't "know." By contrast, God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). What is knowledge? King Solomon said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). If you want to get grounded in truth that teaches you how to learn and engage the right kind of doubt, then come to this epistemology course.

TTH 515

Theology in Art: If theology is the study of the revelation of God, then in what sense is theology the study of art? Is theology itself an art? How can art be used to teach people timeless truths about God? This is a course for all kinds of artists including dancers, actors, singers, musicians, sculptors, painters, hairdressers, make-up artists, architects, and the like. In this course students will be taught to think theologically about art.

TTH 521

Events in Church History: Church history is so vast that it can only be studied partially. Still it’s helpful to consider famous moments in church history and grasp the overall picture of how one set of events led to the next. In this course students will be required to sketch a timeline and narrate the macro-story of the church in the book of Acts up to today. They will also be expected to articulate the significance of definitive events that shaped the very form of Christianity. The purpose of this course is to give students a sense of context that enables them to think historically, so they can think theologically.

TTH 525

Ancient Church History: This course reaches back to the very beginning of the church, even into the New Testament book of Acts. In it students will learn how the church got started and how heretics providentially catalyzed the church to take pains to establish right doctrine. Students will find out about the Council of Chalcedon and other famous meetings and debates. The purpose of the course is to show Christ followers how brilliant Christian doctrine truly is. As British writer, Dorothy Sayers, famously put it, "The drama is in the doctrine."

TTH 530

Unfolding Church History: The Bible reveals that history is unfolding and heading toward the Second Coming of Christ. History is going somewhere. Why then should Christians study what has already passed? Why does church history even matter? Why does God tell His people to remember? What happens when Christians fail to take the time to remember? Why is it important to recall how orthodox doctrine came to be? This is a course on church history and the history of biblical interpretation based on a theology of remembrance.

TTH 550

Philosophy & Faith: Philosophy is literally "the love of wisdom." What is wisdom? According to the Scriptures, wisdom is multi-faceted. There is the wisdom of fearing the Lord, the wisdom of right doctrine, the wisdom of technology and know-how, the wisdom of understanding the ways of nature, the wisdom of godly scheming, and more. Philosophically speaking, there are yet other facets of wisdom such as Platonism, Aristotelianism, rationalism, skepticism, relativism, utilitarianism, and common sense realism. In this course students compare and contrast philosophical systems with biblical views of wisdom and consider how philosophy informs theology.

TTH 600

Moral Principles: In this age of corporatism and managerial technocrats, deliberative thinking has become a rare discipline. Very few decision-makers resolve to take time to ponder deeply in order to ensure what is best and right. This is a course that teaches people to think long-term with benevolence towards others. It deals with presuppositions, underlying worldviews, and the ethics and morality of leaders at the decision-making table.

TTH 603

Science & Scripture: Is it possible to be intellectually honest at a scientific level and believe in the authority of Scripture? How does scientific truth accord with biblical truth? How can a person take seriously the so-called "God-inspired" Scriptures since history shows so clearly that science, at given points, has corrected church tradition? How does the biblical notion of a cosmos created by God square with the idea of evolution? How can an educated person today believe in miracles? In this course students will be prodded to examine conflicting claims of "truth" and think reasonably about both science and Scripture.

TTH 620

Controversial Issues in Theology: Theological issues are inherently controversial. Whether the debate is over freewill and predestination, men and women in the church, the existence and nature of hell, the meaning of justification, the reliability of Scripture, the problem of evil, the extent of God's power and foreknowledge, or the process of sanctification, regardless of the issue, complexities abound. Simultaneously, however, very satisfying theological insights are available too. In this course students tackle a variety of issues. But the primary purpose is to help students see how different theological premises lead to different theological conclusions.

TTH 631

Liturgy & Sacraments: There are three essential practices that historically have defined what constitutes a real church. One of those three practices is the proper administration of the sacraments. This course is a study of the meaning of the sacraments and the purpose of having liturgy for the full congregation to engage. It is an exercise in practical theology. In it students will learn why it is critical to be reverent when baptizing new believers and serving the Lord's Supper to Christ's Bride.

TTH 700

Theology in Evangelism: Everyone has a theology, even if they do not believe God exists. This course teaches students how to engage non-Christians and nominal Christians alike in theological conversations that are genuine exchanges and not pre-packaged formulas for evangelism. This course is for anyone who takes seriously Jesus' mandate for us to go into the world and make disciples.

TTH 710

Headship in the Church: Society is embroiled in a version of identity politics that elevates women and scapegoats men. Imbalances of power have recently given way to cultural convulsions that have literally redefined what it means to be male and female. Gender wars have broadened and over time given way to gender ideology and critical race theory. Genderism, feminism, racism have all become big issues in the church. Meanwhile, most churches are overlooking the doctrine that deals with relationships at a theological level. Headship is part of the gospel. Headship is about right relationships. Headship sets Christianity apart from every other religion in the world. In this extended course, students study the practicality of the most undeveloped principle of ecclesiology: headship!

TTH 712

Jesus in a Post-Christian Culture: Who is Jesus? Was Jesus a real rabbi in Israel, or is Jesus of Nazareth merely a religious icon in the Christian faith? Was Jesus a sinner? Did Jesus have a girlfriend or a lover? If Jesus was the "Son" of God, then how was He really God? Is it true, as some scholars say, that Jesus only "became" the Christ after He became a legend? In this entry-level course students will encounter the Jesus in Scripture by reading the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament as well as parts of the book of Revelation. Students will be challenged in our post-Christian culture to consider for themselves if Jesus is worth following and even dying for.

TTH 715

Theological Song-Writing: Many churchgoers learn theology not from sermons, but from songs. What worship songs are theologically rich? Which are theologically erroneous? How much responsibility do Christian songwriters have when they write songs for believers to sing in praise to God? This is a special theology course designed for worship leaders. It is also for Christian songwriters and poets.

TTH 800

The Problem of Evil: How can God at once be all-powerful and all-loving given all the pain and evil in this world? God is the Ultimate Mystery. Yet God reveals far more than most churches ever teach regarding the spiritual battle that is raging. Supernatural evil is a biblical phenomenon found all over Scripture. Much is going on in the unseen realm that sheds light on the epic, cosmic story playing out under the direction of Yahweh. If you’re interested to learn about God’s holiness and greatness in the context and juxtaposition of spiritual rebellion, then join us in this study to see what the Bible says.

Wisdom courses, likewise, are based on biblical principles: "The beginning of wisdom is, acquire wisdom! And with all your acquiring, get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7) Wisdom is the source of practical discipline, beautiful art, and enduring hope. Wisdom understands timing and propriety and sound judgment. Without wisdom, we are left with foolishness. In this age of information, misinformation and disinformation, wisdom provides discernment for decision making and prudence for proceeding with awareness.

WC 500

Moral Authority: We live in an age of a leadership crisis in which there is no consensus on what moral authority is. Even in the church and in Christian organizations, few positional leaders understand or wield moral authority. Perhaps the reason why we have a lack of moral authority is because we are not training people to live as moral leaders. Moral leaders are good shepherds, not hirelings. They are humble enough to take ownership of problems that they themselves did not cause. They are not afraid to do what is right—to the contrary, they're afraid to do what is wrong. Moral leaders fear the Lord. In this course, students will be given the opportunity to develop as moral leaders by thinking Christianly about authority and gaining wisdom in how to relate respectfully to all authority figures in light of the authority of God.

WC 501

Get Right On Mission: How effective could you be if you streamlined all your resources to help you stay on mission? Do you know what your unique mission is? In this course students will be taught how to think theologically about the practical implications of their life mission statement. Students will be closely guided in setting up for themselves specific, strategic ways to manage their assets, time and energy. This is a paradigm-changing course that gives students the opportunity to transform their personal stewardship of themselves. To begin, each student is required to book an appointment to get a life mission statement from Right On Mission.

WC 502

Effective Listening: One of the most intriguing commandments is Jesus’ admonition, “Be careful how you listen.” Can you imagine what Jesus was like when He was listening? How satisfying do you think it was for people to share their thoughts and feelings with Him? Scholarly research shows that 70% of the job for successful CEOs is effective listening. Yet most Christian leaders are taught to be good speakers, not excellent listeners. This course is a practicum in which students are taught to think theologically about listening as they practice paying attention with more humility and joy.

WC 503

Moral Courage: This foundational course is designed to help believers live on mission with moral courage. It provides a venue for students to find the will to do what God says is right. Inspirational stories will be featured in depth with Joseph, Esther, and Mordecai from the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament serving as role models. Students will be challenged by startling, ethical questions that illuminate the difference between ceremonial purity and morality, unholy protests and Christ-like anger, rebellion and spiritual war, and self-serving presumption versus self-giving love.

WC 504

Emotional Maturity: Emotional maturity has to do with the human challenge of expressing honest feelings in a way that honors God. It pertains to the paradox of being able to adjust in order to remain emotionally stable. Many professing Christians are undeveloped emotionally; they have not been taught to pay attention to how they relate at an emotional level. In this course students get to engage in self-assessment, reflect deeply on Jesus' maturity, and practice sharing honestly in a way that is relationally constructive. In short, this is a course that teaches adult learners how to love.

WC 505

Pause to Think & Pray: While most professing Christians are aware of the importance of prayer, few prioritize prayer at the group level. Bypassing prayer or saying perfunctory prayers is not the same thing as truly praying. This required course is designed to help students develop habits of praying while taking the responsibility to pause and think. We ask ourselves, "What was I thinking?" after doing something regrettable. Thinking is so basic, yet too often we neglect to engage and renew our minds, especially when we assume that we have no other choice but to submit to cultural forces or maintain the status quo. The opportunity cost for failing to think critically and for failing to slow down enough to pause might be the highest price that decisionmakers pay. This course is a practicum; the assignments are all meant to help participants gain skills as well as more understanding and conviction.

WC 506

Cultural Maturity: Every civilization has cultural aspects to it that are peculiar, not universal. But how easy it is for people to overlook these peculiarities and instead see their particular culture as normative. This course challenges students to pay attention to their own culture and consider how cultural values and cultural expectations shape relationships and decision-making. Students in this course are required to examine the underlying of various cultures and compare them to the principles and truths of Scripture. The goal of the course is for Right On Mission students to become culturally mature.

WC 507

Conflict Resolution: Not all conflicts are the same: Some are healthy disagreements that lead to superior solutions, and some are selfish quarrels that degenerate into violent wars. No one can experience real intimacy without acknowledging conflict and learning how to resolve it. In this course, students will be challenged to become more self-aware. This is a heavy content course, but primarily it's a practicum meant to develop the character and relational skills of people who profess to follow Christ.

RLab

Research Discernment Lab: This is a course in basic research skills and information literacy to teach students how to find sources and discern whether those sources are legitimate. Research skills are needed in many jobs and certainly for being a good student who is developing a Christian mind. Almost anyone can google a subject or read articles in Wikipedia, but it takes training to be able to exercise the skills to do responsible research and not promote bogus claims. Due diligence--checking the facts--is needed for discovering truth.