Is Bible School Right for You?

Is Bible School Right for You? by Charles Fordham Founder, Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre Bible School & Conference Centre Copyright 2012 Charles Fordham

Introduction... 3 Why Attend Bible School?... 5 Getting Accepted at Bible School: The Basics... 6 What are Typical Students Like?... 7 Financing Bible School... 8 Budgeting and Expenses for Bible School... 8 Extra Expenses... 9 Health Insurance... 9 Bible School Curriculum and Course Activities... 9 Bible School Journals... 10 Study Projects... 10 Typical Courses... 11 The Christian Life... 11 Christian Relationships... 12 Bible Study Tools... 12 Missions... 13 Extracurricular Activities... 13 Outside of Class...... 13 Going to Church While at a Bible School... 14 Field Trips Exposure and Learning... 14 Life at Bible School... 14 Community... 14 Leadership... 15 Outreach... 16 How You Spend Your Time at Bible School... 16 Class Attendance at Bible School... 16 Free Time and Your Personal Life... 17 Outside Employment While at Bible School... 17 Other Options... 17 Studying Theology at College... 17 Online Bible Schools... 17 On-Campus Tours... 18 A Bible School Student's Snapshot... 18 An Invitation... a Challenge...... 20

Is Bible School Right for You? Introduction Bible School... not like traditional colleges at all! You may be religious, a church member and a Youth Sponsor and singing in the worship groups but you many never have had that vital rediscovery of the risen Lord Jesus Christ living in you to live through you what you could never live on your own...his Life. The Christian Life is Christ s Life! The best we can do for Him is high speed, well organized nothing! That is still not His Life...no matter how good and no matter how fast nor how well organized or how big and impressive! He, the Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself (John 5:19 and 30) I can of Myself do nothing. You may find that you too have been very busy for God...not at all necessarily ill intentioned...just committed and dedicated to live FOR God but no matter how much you try, you cannot live the Christian Life FOR Him! He is the only one Who can live the Christian Life...because as the Scripture says eternal life IS HIS Life! You may come to Bible School training and rediscover Christ as Life...not just Saviour Who forgives sins, but the One Who gives you the very Life you need to live through the daily pressures, the 24/7 worries like everyone can get, the power to overcome any temptation; the very SOURCE and SUBSTANCE of Life for every circumstance in every given situation! - In fact, He is not just enough. He is ALL you need and you will never need any more...yet you ll never have any less! It is all in Him. Go beyond imagining that! Come and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you in the pages of God s written Word (the Scriptures) -in both Old and New Testaments, the risen,

living Lord Jesus Christ Who is waiting to live His Life in and through you that others may come to believe in Him when they see and hear you! Wow! For those of you who have thought of yourself as a Christian, this is what I call a rediscovery of Christ -the One Who is more sung about than believed; more talked about than believed; more wished for than obeyed; more alluded to than taught from the Scriptures inspired by Him by Whom all the earth and heavenlies are held together (Col.1:16, 17) and by Whom they were also created... by the word of His mouth! If you have a passion for theology, forget it...come and learn of the One Who is more than text and more than stories and infinitely more than theories about who said what about what God has said...or did He even say it or do it too? Yes... come to Bible School and rediscover Who said it ; Who did it and Who will continue to do it! Do what?...do the things that only He can do if you let Him...in and through you! He is waging now to speak to you and to receive you as you study the written Word to come to the rediscovery of the Living Word...the Person of the Living Lord Jesus Christ. He it is Who did it and the One Who did it is STILL waiting to SAY and DO it all --- in and through you! Then, said Jesus the world will see and believe that Jesus Christ was the sent Son of God, when they see that we too...and YOU also love one another as He loved us! At Bible School there are people have been sent by God and equipped by Him to train men and women who are serious to learn not just memorize...what it means to believe in Him in letting God BE God in and through them! * This kind of Bible School is not merely a teaching programme. This is a training for fulltime Christian service REGARDLESS of your occupation! This is NOT professionalism in the pulpit for the church. This is the Lord Jesus Christ equipping you for full time Christian service in the occupation to which He sends you! It will not matter which occupation. It will matter who it is in that occupation to whom He sends you...where you make a living is where He wants to have an impact in the lives of those with, or under, or over whom you work?

* This is what true Bible School training is about! THIS IS for you. I hope you get that conviction! A training for the reality of the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit for living out clarity in the midst of confusion ; for leading convincingly in experience and in word not just with convincing mental gymnastics; yes, it is not about throwing your mind out of the window but submitting your mind, your emotions and your will in surrender to the One of Whom the Bible is all about. If Bible School is not about Him...then it is not about the Truth. Why Attend Bible School? College-aged people have a variety of reasons to attend. Some want to extend their high school experience, others are confused about how to spend their post-high school days, so default to attending college; others are looking for career training. But Bible School students should be following a different track altogether. These are people who have come to know God in a personal relationship; who want to strengthen that relationship with him through fellowship with Him as they are discipled in that direction: to follow Him as peremptory in this life; supreme over all other good options; King in His Kingdom; Lord over all other masters; Life in the face and midst of death and dying; resurrection from the dead! These will be the ones who want to engage in a lifetime devoted to serving God, to teaching others, to making a difference in this world in any marketplace...regardless of the occupation or university education they get after the Bible training is over! The training is comprehensive. It is NOT for a professional task but for coming to know Him Who is over all and in all and within us all who believe! - There is the equivalent of about 30 years of Sunday morning church teaching times...all wrapped up in 9 months (one year)! Imagine that! True and even slightly underestimated!

Is this what you wish for...or maybe even now you want to have? There is a Bible School for you! You can find it! No one knows every detail of the path they take!... let alone the future! Christ Himself is the Way, the Truth and the Life...therefore He will show you the way you should go (HIS promise) and will train you to know His voice in the Written Word -the Scriptures...that you may know the Living Word in daily living...the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! Traditional colleges simply can't offer the combination of concentration on Bible training and Community living that a one year *non-vocational Bible School can offer you! At Bible School, you will find an exceptionally diverse, international and caring group of leaders; a community of students strongly focused on knowing God, making Him known, studying and learning to meditate in and explain clearly the gospel that is actually the power of God to save anyone! (Romans 1:16) Getting Accepted at Bible School: The Basics Be sure to consider all application details, all deadlines etc. as you plan for Bible School. Your desire to attend, strong and clear. You will learn over time to grow in your understanding of relationship and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ as well as the community both local and at large. Often there is no specific deadline date for applying. However, it is widely accepted that sooner than later is going to save you from disappointment since all Bible Schools are not equal like what is offered as written here! Apply early and the Registrar will get you in touch as soon as possible with those who are planning and are excited about registering for this training!

This has been a big PLUS for many who keep in touch in strategic ways even before they actually meet on the campus and it is an exciting part of the growth that starts before people even arrive on scene! Amazing! In other words: don t wait until you arrive on Registration Day! Many spots are available for both male and female applicants. Once these are filled, a waiting list is set up. Acceptance at the Bible School for the next autumn intake usually starts in November or December of the previous year! So if you have not searched this out...do so ASAP. To have a maximum chance of enrolment, make sure that your completed application is received as early as possible. - in about June, the enrolment begins to solidify and students are often moved from the waitlist to full acceptance status at that time. If you are travelling from a different country to attend the Bible School, make sure you have the facts straight on obtaining visas, travel requirements, and your arrival and departure details. A Bible School Registrar is normally a very personal, informative and very kindly loving... helping you in many personal ways. Be in touch with the Registrar! - Don t forget, the Registrar of the Bible School also has a wide selection of personal resources in other colleagues on Staff at her disposal as a good staff group often work together as a close team! You are the point of interest in the Bible School! The priority is for you personally! What are Typical Students Like? Our Bible School students vary in ages every year. Most have recently finished high school, and about half are ages 17 to 19. Many, however are in their 20's, 30's, some in their 40's and some in their 70's!

Every year is unique in that there is great variety in age, nationality, culture, background, and so on. Home schooled? A Bible School of the type explained, certainly does accept home schooled students! Usually, the only requirement is that they are a specific age... in Canada this is often a minimum of 17 years at the beginning of September. Financing Bible School Budgeting and Expenses for Bible School Budgeting and financing are very important aspects of planning for any post-secondary education so please consider tuition costs, other typical expenses such as medical expenses, costs for toiletries and personal items while you are a student. We strongly encourage your careful consideration of the many aspects of finance. You want, after all, to have financial peace of mind during your studies. Consideration of the facts doesn t of course generate needed finance but it does help you to rest in Him Who WILL supply your needs and often times through the work of your own hands in this way and that...also through parents, caregivers, churches and friends...yes also through past students of the Bible School...not just to a general fund but for those struggling to get the needed amount put together. There should also be several payment system options. Inquire...it may surprise you as to how you will be walked through the process of what maybe to some look like a formidable total need! Speak to the Registrar about whether that the particular Bible School offers partial or *or full tax deductible amount to Canadians attending a Canadian Bible School.

Donations by Canadians to the student fund for the students needing funding also are tax deductible. Extra Expenses There are usually 2 to 4 Field Trips throughout the Bible School year. These each cost about $100 to $150. Students should budget $200 to $300 for books, usually due at Registration. At required reading/study books are usually sold to students at a discount through the campus store. - Students will also want to have a copy of the annual yearbook, which can run at about $20 to $40 per book. Health Insurance In British Columbia, all non-canadians can apply for BC Medical coverage. The cost is about $70 per month. There is a 3 month waiting period for non-canadians, but coverage is available for this period as well, at about the same price. It is normal for all students to be required to have medical insurance while studying at Bible School and documentation of plan coverage must be shown at Registration. Bible School Curriculum and Course Activities God has, throughout the books of the Bible revealed the Truth that is Christ Jesus Himself. Your teachers will lead you to think through the issues of life, challenging and helping you to relate with how He has given this Truth through all the different types of writings in the Old and New Testaments...all being a revelation of Himself and how we should and can live our lives here on earth through the total adequacy of His resurrection quality of His indwelling Life...as we LET Him be and do all that He wants to be and do in and through each one s life!

The curriculum at Bible School usually covers most of the Biblical books. Emphasis is on personal discovery and learning..not through story memorization, grades or exams and human certifications! Christ works through you, and in the measure to which He does this, He is successful in and through your life during the Bible School year. Now... this is not a matter that is subject to a grading mechanism! Bible School Journals Creating a Bible School Journal is often an integral part of the student's learning and study experience. It is normally a 4 to 6 page summary/compilation of the main points and explanations given by the teacher of that particular Bible book that week. Designated Staff then review these Journal submissions, so that every student personally accountable to a particular staff to be coached or/and for prayerful, further dialogue on any possibly misunderstood passages etc. The staff do not grade the Journals, as God favours our relationship with Him over any academic merit. Academic merit is legitimate in and of itself but in the process of God Himself giving revelation to clarify and to give understanding, the how would the learner legitimately accept the academic merit for what God Himself has done? * Journals help students to carefully think through the lectures. They are also and excellent tool to remember God s Word for recollection in future months and years. Study Projects Study Projects allow students to teach others in a small group, in a low pressure setting. Every 1 st year student receives training directly from a 2 nd year student and a staff; then to make a presentation about 2 to 3 weeks later to a small designated Home Group of about 12 other students and a staff member. God will speak to any student who exercises humility and has an open ear to His Word.

Typical Courses The following is a sprinkling of sample courses you may find at Bible School. Character of God Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Genesis through the Old Testament is mostly covered in the year, including the 5 Books of Moses (the Law ); the Prophets Major and Minor, the Poetry Books and Books of Knowledge and Wisdom ; the Psalms; Daniel and Ezekiel etc. Most of the New Testament are also covered, starting with a focus on the Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ, His Person and identity in how His Heavenly Father was glorified in working and speaking in and through Him. - Then the account of Acts in the early church, the Epistles as well as major doctrinal books such as Romans and Hebrews...then also the great book of Revelation...as it opens in the first of it s words introducing the great subject: The revelation of Jesus Christ and the things that are to shortly to take place! The Christian Life In this training course, the Christian character in Christ Who is Himself is the Christian Life... is explored throughout your Bible School training. - You will study Christ in the Law, in the Psalms as well as Proverbs; Christ in the Minor and Major Prophets; how to understand Prayer to Him and with Him Who is God over all yet being One Who listens intently to all; how to be free from contemporary worries of this age ; understanding and believing... in obedience through faith in Him Who is the Lord of Heaven by His Holy Spirit indwelling our humanity...what it means to let Divinity be explained in terms of our humanity! That of course brings man back to normality: normality from God s perspective in that He as God made man in His own image and likeness (Gen.1). Man stepped into independence from God (the first sin of man Gen.3) and on that day, man forfeited the

Life of God from his soul and thus spiritually died and thus brought death into this world! This is just as God had said it would surely happen! However, God provided a plan by which man could be once again re-instated to functionality...so that the Character of God could again be seen in the life of man. The presence of the Creator God in the soul of man is imperative to the image and likeness of God to be seen in the humanity of man! You will learn that incredibly good news that God sent His Son to earth to die, be crucified to pay the penalty of the sin of all mankind who would otherwise be forever lost in eternal death without Him. - He is only Life. Therefore the restoration of His Life to the soul of man would be the spiritual resurrection of anyone older or younger alike to be restored to normality. Normality as He as God had intended it to be: God in the man, which is Christ in the Christian...now making possible what until it happens to any individual, will be timelessly impossible. It s this simple: It s impossible to live a life one does not have *and pretending is a hard lot! No need to pretend...we train people to believe in Him Whom they discover in the Bible as they go through the Bible School training! Christian Relationships Looking at relationships using a Biblical view. God wants our relationships to succeed, and His plans include healthy and fruitful relationships. How important are families in His plan? Marriage? Being single? The scriptures include teaching on all these issues of Life and it will be part of the one year course! Bible Study Tools There are various tools available to study the bible, and various methods to use these tools. You will quickly and methodically learn to use study tools for your various projects and assignments too.

Missions Missions is both taught and discussed, with emphasis on cross-cultural aspects of this important work but most importantly of how Christ Himself is the Sender -not the human organizational agency. You will learn what is the role of missions in our modern global life? There are also amazing and unique opportunities structured for about as many students as who would be willing and interested to gain hands on experience in different cultures and sociological settings as these aspects can be: just amazing opportunities around the globe as well as closer to home! - Training and leadership on these teams is done by home staff who have been on various and many such mission trips in their years. Look for a Bible School which clearly proclaims Jesus Christ as Life, Saviour and Lord, through Bible teaching and through the training that is given for the transformation of a student s life...not merely to pass exams or get a job at the end of the training! It s not about a job but about rediscovering Life! Missions...short term as well as career terms can be arranged and supportively structured directly from a Bible School. Extracurricular Activities Outside of Class... What you learn outside of classroom should compliment what you learn inside. Your activities at Bible School do not begin and end in lectures! For a healthy Bible training, there should be Christian Community in which to live and equally of which to be a healthy, functional part! Recreational facilities include a wide selection of options like Waterfront; Outdoor Team Initiatives Courses; Low Elements Course; Sport Climbing Tower; Beach Volleyball Court; Frisbee Golf; a Gymnasium for sports such as volleyball, basketball, floor hockey etc; a *professional Fitness Room.

Going to Church While at a Bible School Many churches in local communities and towns provide options to be involved. Students should attend churches not of their familiarity. This will give maximum benefit to each student to not only be in a church different from what they re used to as one can gain a lot of appreciation for the wider body of Christ with which not many are familiar. Many people in local congregations will even provide a ride to church for willing students if the church is too far to conveniently walk from campus. Students who come with cars can, of course, select churches more distant from the campus. A list of churches is usually provided at Registration. Field Trips Exposure and Learning Bible Schools often organize trips to local Christian weekend conferences held in regional cities. These may involve many participants, and you may have a chance to serve as part of the organizing groups or ministry groups that offer these conferences. As well, students often have opportunities to speak with conference coordinators, talking with missionary representatives from all over, to get a good idea about how they, too, could get involved with this type of activity. Some of those conferences expose the students to a whole new world... right on their doorstep! Life at Bible School Community Bible School students are a varied lot! They range in age from eighteen to seventy, though, to be sure, most are at the lower end of that range.

Bible School students often come from the four corners of the earth, from various continents, including therefore distinctly different language and cultural settings! Students also come from different church denominations, but should all commonly worship Jesus Christ, so these differences provide us with the glory of diversity. Christ s Life in the Community is our vitality for learning at Bible School! - We learn as we live in community, and keep our head and our hearts on task... a hands-on learning-experience! Leadership The Bible School model of leadership should be through servanthood. Leadership by force, methodology, fear of grades, formula of any kind is not the leadership that the Lord Jesus taught nor demonstrated! At Bible School, you will learn to know Christ in the power of his indwelling Life; you will lead by influencing, not simply by holding a status or position. Daily experiences of Christian living, daily community sharing, daily study, daily meditation in God's word are all important to your learning process. If we are to learn the ways with which Christ shared with his disciples, guiding, loving, and nurturing, correcting, teaching principles of the Kingdom...not always giving them the end-picture of what s going to happen. We should be always ready to forgive, encourage, and pray for one another, then we need to go beyond a simple set of lectures on the Christian Life! Disciples can grow into leaders if they have a spirit of humility always seeking to put others as more important than themselves! This will play out in their lives in the mode of service, if they demonstrate their faith through example; if they obey God, thus being filled by his Spirit for that very purpose!

Outreach Many and varied outreaches are organized for students to join and of course, no credits are gained by involvement in any of these. They are effect in reaching youth and older alike...and are mostly hands on and practical though so are in direct contact with people who live in city life...such as street people and slum areas of cities and other focus areas of needy people. These ministries include walking the streets, relating and conversing with a variety of people. Local churches often need assistance, and Bible School students can be engaged as volunteers in these settings as well. Exciting times! How You Spend Your Time at Bible School Class Attendance at Bible School Bible Schools will expect students to be completely devoted to their lectures, study periods, and studies. Students should understand that a willing conformity to the programme on a daily basis is what allows the learning process to be successful and productive to each one! You will be expected to complete all courses...including arriving on the 1 st day of classes and departing on the final day of the training course. Most Bible Schools offer one-year programs. The semesters are set up to organize the course content, but not to offer a chance of separate enrolment for each semester. If there is not full enrolment in a September semester, or if a student must withdraw for health or other extenuating reasons, then there may be another student who is accepted at the beginning of the next start of a term. Usually, this cannot be predicted of course.

Free Time and Your Personal Life Usually there are several afternoons available for free time besides weekends which offer flexibility on personal options outside of the community of the Bible School. Ask your Bible School administrator for a sample weekly schedule. That is usually available online...on the Bible School s website. Outside Employment While at Bible School The course load is usually 100%, so with all of the activities involved in student life, there is no time for outside employment. Schools usually consider this a distraction to the purpose and focus of the program. Other Options Studying Theology at College To become a minister or pastor of a church, you will need to attend Seminary. There, you will study the Word of God but also many related subjects...in detail, so that you can delve into the deeper a church institution and operations, whether it is well-known or obscure. Seminaries are usually sponsored by various denominations, so for example to become a Baptist minister you may need to attend a Baptist Bible College, and so on. For many students, this level of commitment is not what they are after, and so they prefer the one-year typical Bible School program instead. Online Bible Schools You may also explore Bible School online options, if you need to pursue part-time studies, or wish to take classes simply out of your interests in the Bible. This way, you can keep your job and earn college credits at the same time. HOWEVER, you will not learn what you discover in online Bible School since there s no relational training in the system! Community-living is the context in which God has chosen to teach and train His children. The theory is not enough!

It s God s design that just studying scriptures is not the way to productivity and fulfillment in disciples everyday lives! Online Bible study is not training but it could be discovery. Learning however is putting into practice in our lives what we have discovered in our minds! On-Campus Tours If you are interested in attending a Bible School, think about attending a special school entry weekend or week-long "Taste & See." This will give you a chance to tour the campus, meet with school staff, students and other guests while things are in process and happening, and see what life there is like. It may not be enough to just read about it. Get a feel for it! A Bible School Student's Snapshot One of the one year students gave a comparison of what she now knew after a semester of Bible School... Her words are perceptive on many fronts. Read these thoughts and you will know how your mind could change too after a year of Bible School like she had! Now that I know the Truth is a Person not a concept or mere fact of information...it's hard to remember ever living without knowing this! I try to think back to before Bible School... why I even came? Thinking back, I'm pretty sure I wrote on my application that I wanted to know what I believed and why I believed it. - I wanted to make Christ the foundation of my life and make my faith my own!...not just a set of head-beliefs! At what point did it change from mere Bible stories to Living Truth? Trying to think back to what exactly I believed before I came, or at least what I thought...this is tricky but this is what I came up with: I believed in God, heaven and hell. I believed in Jesus, I believed in prayer, asking God for the things that I wanted. I believed the Bible was a book full of stories of other people

who also knew God. I believed in going to church on Sundays and praying before meals. I believed in a religion. I went to church meetings. Well, in coming to Bible School I got what I came for. That is, I know now what it is that I believe and I will explain. * I still believe in God but now. I believe He is all-powerful, all-knowing and allpresent. I still believe in heaven, but now, I believe it's about life on earth today, not just heaven one day! I still believe in Jesus, but now, I believe that He lives so that I can have life and the product of His life in me is love and joy, peace as well as patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness as well as gentleness and self-control! I still believe in prayer, but now I believe that more than telling God what I want, I need to listen to what He wants. I still believe in church, but now I believe that church isn't just on Sundays but everyday. Church is the Body of Christ, not a building or a meeting! I still believe in the Bible, but now I believe the Bible reveals God's character and that s found in the Person of Jesus Christ! I now believe God is faithful even when I am faithless. I believe God is good, always! I believe that God loves me and that His love is patient, kind, free of envy, boasting, arrogance, and rudeness. Therefore that is what He wants to live out in me that others may believe in Him as they see and experience these qualities of His Life through me! His love is not irritable nor resentful. It rejoices in the truth and bares all things...not just some things! His love never fails...his character never fails. * I believe He is transforming me increasingly into His image everyday. I believe that He is faithful to complete the good work which He started in me. * I believe that God is more than just enough for every moment!

I believe that God is all that I need. I believe that every moment is a choice to follow Him. I believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. I needed to be rescued from the absolute inability to be what I had been born again to become and yet He lives in me to be the capacity I need to experience that fulfilled in my life! I believe in Truth and I believe that the Truth can set every person free. Jesus Christ is that Truth that sets me free! He set me free from the futility, the complete emptiness and frustration of trying to live for Him a life that only He could live through me! I found the amazing miracle that He had always been waiting to do in and through me if only I would let Him! Now He does just that! I not only belong to Him but I walk with Him! That is my discovery of learning in the Christian Life in Bible School. Anything less than this is not the Truth. An Invitation... a Challenge... The Bible School leaders believe that every true Christian needs an uplifting, exemplary character. However, well beyond this is that some (not enough) Bible Schools believe that if all the student learns in Bible School is academic information and then only to see the Scriptures as stories of religious and spiritual heroes...then also how many are fallen heroes... the students will have thus missed the boat altogether! The Living, resurrected Lord Jesus Christ must be the revelation of the Scriptures or the Truth that is in Christ in God is not being revealed! If all that is taught is Example; Heroism; good examples and bad examples; stories of days long ago; then there is no dynamic to meet God s demands and all the Bible becomes totally illogical and totally unreasonable!

When the Truth is taught at a Bible School, it will be recognized as Truth when the teaching from the chore is that to have God back in the heart of man, it is to put Christ back in the Christian so that Christ in the Christian let s God s image be seen on the outside through the powerful working and total adequacy of the Lord Jesus Christ! This becomes dynamic and not simply religion! He is the Cause of His own effect; the origin of His own activity and the visible, tangible and audible expression of the glory of God which would not be seen in simply an academic teaching! There is nothing so boring as religion and yet nothing nearly so exciting as the Christian Life...that is...when Christ Himself is allowed to live His Life in and through the Christian who is being available to Him! We need not only to be cultivating these values in others but training others to know the Truth that is in Jesus Christ Who is risen from the dead to live in us to reveal His glory through us! To know that this is in God s Word, taught in the Bible School is the goal of the Bible as it s the goal of the God of the Bible! One of the best ways to help you decide whether Bible School is right for you is to attend a special sample week or weekend offers such a Taste & See a 1-week option that you can arrange to meet your schedule. These are easily arranged for you with a toll free call to the Bible School main office! Give them a call! Is Bible School right for you? You pray and make up your own mind! It could be for you a pivotal experience in life such as it has been to countless others who want more than mediocrity!