The church should be all about its Lord Jesus, not its programs or leaders. Our leadership is always a plurality in order to display Christ as the constant presence, not a single pastor. Part of this value is to always be training up new leaders to join us, to eventually replace us, or to send out as pastors and missionaries.
In order to accomplish this effort we have begun the Redemption School of Theology: a two-year lay-person training program to equip potential leaders with the basic knowledge and skills for ministry leadership in and from Redemption City Church. The program is composed of seminary-style courses of 10-12 two-hour classes and deep readings in primary sources. Each course lasts an entire school semester with classes meeting alternating weeks. Through the four courses of Church History, Exegesis, Biblical Theology, and Preaching/Teaching we hope to equip the saints more fully for ministry leadership.
Christian History
The course will cover the history of Christianity from its inception to the English Civil War of the seventeenth century and the birth of the modern missionary movements. We will survey the major movements, doctrines, persons, and institutions that arose within the church and affected its development during this time. The emphasis will be the development of doctrinal understanding in the church as well as careful study of selected key individuals so that we may defend the faith and have our affections drawn to Christ.
Hermeneutics + Exegesis
The primary text of this course is the Bible. Our purpose in exegesis is to understand what the text says, what the author intended for us to understand. In this course we will walk through a particular book of the Bible learning how to follow the arguments, understand the context, and comprehend how each part contributes to the main idea of the book. We will engage various tools to accomplish these tasks including phrasing, arcing, word studies, genre analysis, and historical backgrounds. The goal of this course is to equip the student to study the Bible faithfully on their own and to share that work clearly with another.
Systematic Theology
“Herein lies the thought that the Christian religion does not exist merely in words, in a doctrine...it is a work of God, in word and fact, which was accomplished in the past, is being worked out in the present, and will be fulfilled in the future. The content of the Christian faith is not a scientific theory, nor a philosophical formula of an explanation of the world, but a recognition and confession of the wonderful works of God, which have been wrought through the ages, cover the whole world, and await their fulfillment in the new heaven and new earth, where righteousness dwells...
If the works of God are viewed by their own light, they naturally compel admiration and worship. Then we see that the Christian faith does not merely convey much to its own favor, but it also displays an internal beauty and, by its inherent truth and glory, commends itself to the consciences of humanity. Then we thank God, not that we must but that we may believe.
Then we realize, to some extent, what our faith gives to our thinking and living. And each in his own tongue, we begin again to declare the wonderful works of God.” —Herman Bavinck
Biblical Theology
The Bible is a story of God's redemptive work in Christ to restore what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Biblical Theology is more than just theology grounded in the Bible. It is a discipline of tracing the story's main themes and characters through this history of redemption in a way that finds their climax in Christ and their culmination in the New Creation. Each week we will cover topics such as temple, law, the people of God, exile and exodus, land, and even the canon of Scripture. This course will trace these major themes from Genesis to Revelation in order to not just ground our thinking in the text but to shape our minds to think along biblical pattern lines which all lead to Christ.
Apologetics + Worldview
Apologetics is the defense of the faith, giving a reason or defense for our Christian hope. Worldview is our faith applied to the world around us, examining various issues or loci from a decidedly Christian perspective. Studying these subjects together strengthens the Christian’s own faith, equips them to strengthen the faith of other Christians, and prepares them to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The students will learn how to apply the Lordship of Christ through every area of life and thought.
MISSIOLOGY
This course examines the missio dei - the mission of God - and its practical application for extending the rule and reign of God's kingdom across the earth. Drawing from the foundations of Christian history, systematic theology, and biblical theology, the class explores how the church is called to proclaim the good news of Christ's kingdom to all peoples.
From the beginning, God's plan has been to fill the earth with his image-bearers. Through the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, the church as the bride of Christ has been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation - to teach all nations. This course will equip students to understand God's global mission and their role as instruments of the Holy Spirit to see the earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
Preaching and Teaching
How will the world be saved unless we send preachers and teachers into the world? What good is our biblical knowledge if we keep it to ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for knowing how to find the main point? The preaching and teaching course will focus on transferring the main ideas of the text into modern applications and equipping the student to formulate an organized presentation of these ideas. A preacher and teacher must be able to show his work in a clear and simple manner while also taking the ideas from the text beyond filling our heads with knowledge to leading our hearers' hearts to see and savior the King to whom every text points.