Berean School of Preaching

We are members of Christ’s body, charged with and committed to preaching the gospel to the lost and unreached, leading them to believe and obey the gospel, and to up building the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and the care of the needy saints.

CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is our Lord and Savior, the Head of His church.
Our purpose is to worship, serve and glorify our Lord in everything we do.
Every person has a soul that is valuable and precious, created and loved by God, and worthy of our love and the hope of eternal salvation.
We have been commissioned and commanded to preach the gospel to the lost and lead them to believe and obey the gospel plan of salvation.

Mission

Our work primarily involves preaching and teaching God’s Word and planting churches in our area that are patterned strictly after the New Testament church and which apply and adhere to sound biblical doctrine. We believe Christians need to grow in the knowledge and understanding of God, His Word, and His will for our lives. In order for members to grow into mature Christians and servants of our Lord, they must be well-trained in biblical principles and sound doctrine: Ephesians 4:12-13 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:”. The Church of Christ India Mission Work is committed to discipleship and strives to edify and build up each believer in faith, godliness, and love, motivating the whole body to perform good works and service towards God. And, as recorded in the scripture related to the Great Commission: Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things I that I have commanded you…” Thus, spreading the gospel, up-building and edifying His kingdom are the primary goals of our mission work. We believe the church is the hands and feet of Jesus in the world and it is our responsibility to continue His cause and work diligently to ensure that every soul is reached and taught the gospel truth.

The central aim of the ministry of Berean School of Preaching is to grow, develop, strengthen and serve the church in the state of Andhra Pradesh. As evangelism being our primary goal, we have a clear and ever- present challenge before us. There are many remote tribal villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh that lack a presence of the church of Christ. We are striving to solve this problem by working to plant churches in these areas and provide gospel preachers, well trained in sound biblical doctrine, to serve as full-time ministers. Indeed, the harvest truly is plentiful in our area, but the laborers are very few (Luke10:2).

A primary objective of our evangelistic efforts is to establish a preaching school in our area. The main purpose of the preaching school will be to train gospel preachers in sound biblical doctrine so they can effectively preach and teach the Gospel Truth to the lost, leading them to obey the gospel and be added to our Lord and Savior’s saved kingdom. The preaching school we will establish will be named the India Berean School of Preaching, hereafter referred to as the BSP.

MISSION STATEMENT

The primary purpose and mission of the BSP will be to train gospel preachers in sound biblical doctrine, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to preach the Word of Salvation to the lost, minister to congregations in the area, and to fulfill the Great Commission given to us by Christ, the Head of the church.

GOALS

To alleviate the shortage of churches of Christ and trained, qualified gospel preachers in the remote village areas of Andhra Pradesh;
To provide preaching students with quality instruction and training with an enduring loyalty to the Scriptures and firmly grounded and committed to doctrinal soundness;
To offer a well-rounded, in-depth program of studies in Bible and related subjects, preparing students to meet the responsibilities, challenges, opportunities, and problems they will most likely encounter as gospel preachers in our area;
To exalt the Bible as the inspired word of God, perfect and complete, without error or contradiction;
To place a strong emphasis upon textual study of the Bible to nurture and develop highly- trained preachers dedicated to preaching the full gospel of Christ and who accept the word of God as the final authority in matters of faith;
To provide opportunities for students to engage in evangelistic campaigns, ministry internships, lectureships, workshops, to enable them to gain real-world, practical experience during training; and
To expand our opportunities and abilities here in India to fulfill the Great Commission.

STUDENT ADMISSION

Students will be selected and admitted into the IBSP based upon an application and interview process. The BSP faculty will conduct an orientation meeting to discuss the purpose, program of study, and curriculum of the school with all interested persons. From those who attend this orientation meeting, prospective students who wish to apply for admission to the IBSP will be required to complete an application. After a review of the applications, the faculty members of the IBSP will select those to proceed to the interview process. This selection will be made based on information on the completed applications. Once the interviews have been conducted, the IBSP faculty will select five of the applicants to be admitted into the program. The faculty will seek and admit only those who are sincere in their

desire to be gospel preachers and their clear commitment to IBSP’s program of study. As most of the students cannot afford tuition costs, the IBSP will be tuition-free to all students. In addition, to help with living expenses while attending the IBSP, students will be paid a stipend of fifty dollars per month.

PROGRAM OF STUDY

The BSP preacher training program will consist of a two-year program of study and training for enrolled students. Throughout the two years of study and training, students will participate in courses of study that are scripturally-oriented and designed for the needs of preachers in the field. The Bible will be the heart and core of the instruction the school will provide. Our goal will be to commit God’s truth to

faithful men who, in turn, will be well-equipped and able to teach others. The program of study will give our students an excellent foundational knowledge of God’s Word and will be the keystone for sound Bible preaching. We will not only teach what the Bible says, but we will also teach what it means.

Students enrolled in the preacher training program at BSP will participate in Bible-based coursework and related activities for two years. The yearly course of study will be divided into three terms per year. The first term will begin in August and will conclude in December, while the second term will begin in January and will end in May. Coursework during the first and second term will focus on both textual and doctrinal courses designed to provide a solid foundation in the history and basic doctrines that underlie New Testament church faith, practices and beliefs. During the first and second terms, students will be required to spend at least 25 hours in assisting with various mission work activities with the Church of Christ India Mission Work. The third term will be conducted in the month of June or July of each academic year. This third term will provide practical opportunities for students to participate in real- world ministerial development activities such as evangelistic campaigns, visitation, and personal home Bible studies in the remote tribal villages and ministry internships, lectureships, and workshops in the area. This third term each year will focus on developing the students’ preaching skills in practical, field- based opportunities and in real-life situations.

Students at BSP will attend classes for six hours per day, three days per week during the first and second terms each year. This will total to 360 hours per term for first and second terms per year. Upon completion of the two-year program, students will have received and participated in over 1440 hours of Bible and preaching instruction, in addition to the many hours they will spend in mission work and practical activities to develop their ministry skills during the third term. Upon successful completion of the two-year program of study, students will be recognized at a graduation ceremony during which they will be awarded a Preaching Certificate from the BSP.

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CURRICULUM

The curriculum of the IBSP will be designed to give the preaching student a comprehensive knowledge of the whole counsel of God. God’s entire eternal purpose and plan are revealed in scripture. The whole gospel was prepared and predicted by the inspired writers of the 39 books of the Old Testament. This gospel is revealed, interpreted, and applied by our Lord through the Holy Spirit to the church and individual Christians in the 27 books of the New Testament. Thus, the Bible will be the principal

textbook and center of every course taught at the IBSP. Other reputable books and resources, as recommended by knowledgeable brethren, will also be used in instruction and training. The curriculum at IBSP will be very similar to the courses in the following list. This list may be modified through consultation with and recommendations from other brethren knowledgeable in preaching school curriculum.

BIBLE STUDIES

OLD TESTAMENT

Old Testament History I

Scope of the entire Old Testament, places, men, women and promises from God.

Old Testament History II

Continuation of the entire Old Testament, places, men, women and promises from God.

Minor Prophets

Textual study of the books dealing with the minor prophets.

Isaiah

Textual study of the book of Isaiah.

Daniel & Ezekiel

Textual study of the book of Daniel & Ezekiel.

Wisdom Literature

Textual study of the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Song of Solomon.

NEW TESTAMENT

Letters of John

Textual study of the books of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John.

Life & Teachings of Jesus I

Study of the book of Luke viewing the life and teachings of Jesus.

Life & Teachings of Jesus II

Continuation of Life & Teachings of Jesus I, covering the book of Matthew with emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount.

Acts of the Apostles

Textual study of the book of Acts.

I Corinthians

Textual study of the book of I Corinthians.

I& II Thessalonians / Philippians

Textual study of the books of Philippians and Thessalonians.

Galatians

Textual study of the book of Galatians.

IICorinthians

Textual study of the book of II Corinthians.

Ephesians / Colossians

Textual study of the books of Ephesians and Colossians.

I & II Peter / James

Textual study of the books of I & II Peter and James.

Hebrews

Textual study of the book of Hebrews.

Romans

Textual study of the book of Romans.

Gospel of John

Textual study of the book of John.

I & II Timothy / Titus

Textual study of the books of I & II Timothy and Titus.

Revelation

Textual study of the book of Revelation.

MINISTRY STUDIES

Evangelism

Teaches techniques of organization and delivery of a Biblical text.

Introduction to Ministry Studies

A course designed to help the student improve his/her study and research skills and to communicate more effectively.

Spiritual Disciplines

The study and the application of various biblical disciplines which will assure spiritual growth of the individual.

Christian Evidences

Study of historical and scientific proof of Biblical people, places, and events.

Church History & Doctrine

Survey of church history from pre-Christian background through the Reformation and Restoration Movements, to today.

PREACHING

Confident Preaching

Practical approach to confident, bold, enthusiastic, and sincere speaking by use of short, personal topics.

Interpretive Reading

Practical approach to reading scriptures effectively.

Topical Preaching

Research and presentation of select topics from scriptures.

Preaching from the Epistles

Emphasis placed on preaching from a short text and a series of sermons from one of the Epistles.

Special Events Preaching

Development and presentation of sermons for weddings, funerals, and instructor assistance in ministering at such times.

DOCTRINAL

Scheme of Redemption

A theological, doctrinal, and historical study of the Messianic seed prophecies from Genesis to the ascension.

Sacrificial System

A study of the Old Testament worship based on the Law of Moses and the concepts of sacrifice and atonement and they relate to New Testament doctrine.

Church of Christ Apologetics

A study of Christ’s church and doctrine, based on biblical scripture and principles as opposed to other religions and denominations.

EVALUATION

Students will be evaluated on an on-going basis using a variety of formal and informal assessments developed by the faculty of the BSP. Evaluation methods will include weekly and monthly informal assessments, mid-term, end-of-term, and year-end formal exams, performance on assignments/tasks within the classroom setting and in field-related work outside the classroom. Formal assessments (exams) will be administered at least four times per year: at the mid-term period of both first and second terms, and at the end of each term. Class attendance will be mandatory and expected from each student who commits to the two-year program of study. Classroom attendance will be recorded each day and a record of exam performance for each student will be kept and maintained at the IBSP.

Preaching School Building

The IBSP is housed at our own building is a centralized location in our area. This facility will contain the necessary space for classroom use as well as housing/meal preparation accommodations for the students. The BSP will provide housing and meals for the students during the twelve days of classroom instruction each month, however, students will be permitted to stay in the facility, if and when needed.