Course Listing
Two-Year Christian Leadership Certificate
LBIR's 2-year Christian Leadership program focuses on evangelism, church planting and leading (or helping to lead) a congregation. In a total of four semesters, the program covers twenty topics, including surveys of the Old and New Testaments (and several biblical subgroups), Church history, hermeneutics, theology and doctrine, missions, pneumatology, missions and evangelism, leading in ministry, eschatology, Foursquare studies, church planting, church administration and much more. Our curriculum is rooted in the Pentecostal-evangelical tradition; our teaching methods and practices are guided by Scripture, based in the transformational power of Christian community and relationship.
The CLC program is twenty courses in 4 semesters (2 years).
Semester 1
BI-101 Survey of the Old Testament
Course Description: The goal is to provide a 30,000’ view of the thirty-nine books and the four divisions of the Old Testament, as understood in the established Christian-English tradition: Books of the Law, Books of History, Books of Wisdom & Poetry, and Books of Prophecy. Students learn how this collection of writings forms not only basis of God’s covenant with the Hebrews, but also a proper theological basis for the understanding of God’s covenants, purposes and character, culminating in God’s ultimate revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the Old Testament (Walton/Hill, 3rd Ed., ISBN 9780310493570) – Logos ($33.00)
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Recommended Texts
(optional): Jensen's Survey of the OldTestament (Jensen, ISBN 9780802443076) – Logos ($20.99)
BI-102 Survey of the New Testament
Course Description: Like BI-101, A Survey of the NT aims high, taking a sweeping, yet solid overview of all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. An analysis is given of the various methods of classification—literary, doctrinal, authorship, etc.—as well as the history, authorship, theology and doctrine of each book. We want to grasp of how and where the New Testament relates to the Old, as well as how it reveals the love of God for all mankind in the fulfillment of His greatest promise, Jesus Christ.
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Required Texts
Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary and Theological Survey, 1st ed. (Powell, ISBN 9781441257253) – Logos ($44.99)
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Recommended Texts
A Survey of the New Testament 5th ed. (Gundry, ISBN 9780310494751) – Logos ($33.59)
HS-101 History of the Early Church
Course Description: Gives a general history of the history of the first five centuries of the Church, including the players, including those who promulgated heresies—principally regarding Jesus Christ, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, sin, salvation and so on—and also those who refined the doctrinal positions, vis-à-vis creedal statements, that were used to refute them. Careful attention is also given to the growth and changes within the Church and Christendom, and their effect upon the political, religious and civic topography of the times.
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Required Texts
Church History, Volume 1: From Christ to Pre-Reformation (Ferguson, ISBN 9780310496878) – Logos ($25.19)
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Optional Texts
Chronological and Background Charts of Church History (Walton) (Walton, ISBN 9780310143581) – Logos ($22.99)
BI-150 Hermeneutics
Course Description: Scripture was inspired by God so that everyday people would understand it. However because it was written in another time—at least two millennia removed from our own—understanding its meaning can be challenging at best, near-impossible at worst. This course seeks to give the student an appreciation for the essentiality of biblical interpretation, as well as an overview of the tools used and the role they play in the application of Scripture to modern man, his civilization and society.
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Required Texts
How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth (4th edition; Fee, ISBN 9780310517849) – Logos ($12.59)
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Optional Texts
A Handbook of New Testament Exegesis (Blomberg) (Blomberg, ISBN 9781441250704) Logos - $29.99
TH-100 Theology I
Course Description: Theology, or the study of God, is more than just a topic; it is rather the formal expression of the revelation of God as recorded in Scripture. As such, it is also the foundation of faith, detailing man’s relation to God and God’s desire and design for mankind, both as a collective and as individuals. In order to properly approach theology, the student must learn to accept the sovereign authority of God and a respect for the inductive method of reasoning—allowing the text to speak rather than imposing our meaning upon it.
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Required Texts
Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, Revised & Updated (2 vols) (Duffield, Van Cleave, ISBN 9780998907406) – Logos ($19.99)
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Optional Texts
Study Guide: Foundations of Pentecostal Theology (2 vols.) (Duffield, Van Cleave, ISBN 9780998907413) – Logos ($7.99)
Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective (Menzies, ISBN 9780882433189) – Logos ($21.99)
Semester 2
MI-101 The Missional Church
Course Description: As Christendom’s mission derives from the purpose of Christ, the individual believer’s task must serve Jesus and His body here on earth. Thus the present course of study begins the process of uncovering the task and calling of the Church as expressed in Scripture in the context of service. Buzzwords are discussed, then replaced with appropriate biblical norms and teachings. Throughout, an emphasis is placed on the importance of an ontological mindset—allowing the gospel to drive everything we undertake—as the most effective way to accomplish our corporate calling in the light of the currently pervasive postmodern fabric.
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Required Texts
Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Keller, ISBN: 9780310499213) – Logos $29.99
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Optional Texts
The Ministry of the Missional Church: A Community Led by the Spirit (van Gelder, ISBN: 9781441200594) – Logos $11.40
TH-106 Pneumatology
Course Description: The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as “the forgotten member of the Trinity.” As such, the central aim of this subject is to reveal from Scripture the Holy Spirit’s purposes, importance and power. Further discussion regards His availability to the Church universal, every church individually and each believer—through the baptism of the Holy Spirit—as a means of evangelizing lost humanity. This course further seeks to explain how pneumatology, the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit, is closely related to, and naturally follows, the topic of the mission of the Church.
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Required Texts
The Holy Spirit: A Pentecostal Perspective (Palma) – Logos $19.99
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Optional Texts
The Holy Spirit in Mission: Prophetic Speech and Action in Christian Witness (Tyra, ISBN: 9780830869497) – Logos $11.99
BI-103 Old Testament Law & History
Course Description: The study of the seventeen books that make up the Old Testament’s divisions of Law and History begins with a discussion of authorship, audience, possible intent and historical setting, and how these hold keys to their interpretation and eventual application. Through an exploration of the different types of genre contained in the material—key to their authority, interpretation and eventual application—the student will ultimately learn that from Genesis to Esther, these writings are more than just dusty tomes that held meaning only for the ancient Hebrews. As God’s revelation of himself, they also reveal his grace and his desire to cooperate, or covenant, with humankind, then and now.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the Old Testament (Hill/Walton, ISBN: 9780310493570) – Logos $47.99
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Optional Texts
Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to its History and Message (Longman, ISBN: 9780310517443) – Logos $12.99
BI-104 Old Testament Poetry & Prophecy
Course Description: As with our other biblical surveys, each of the books of poetry and prophecy, also known as the Books of Wisdom, will be analyzed as to cultural setting, history, authorship and audience. Within this, the poetry genre will be considered as well, with special emphasis on learning to recognize and appreciate the numerous and unique types of structure used throughout. A proper understanding of the reasons behind the type of genre, and structure, used by the author, along with all the other specifics of a book’s origination, will help the student begin to “hear” what the author was trying to say, as well as what the Author (the Holy Spirit, as He Who inspired its writing) may be wanting to say even now.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the Old Testament (Hill/Walton, ISBN: 9780310493570) – Logos $47.99
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Optional Texts
Introducing the Old Testament: A Short Guide to its History and Message (Longman, ISBN: 9780310517443) – Logos $12.99
MI-104 Homiletics
Course Description: This course takes its cue from the old adage that “homiletics is the art of preaching.” Of course every art has its mechanics, and these are taught as the foundation of the delivery of any verbal message. These include a prior (to the extent possible) knowledge of the intended audience, a knowledge of the subject, careful outlining and preparation, and of course complete reliance on the Holy Spirit. A discussion of style and presentation is also included. At the end of the course, each student will have the opportunity to deliver a prepared sermon—15-20 minutes in length—to the rest of the class and others as may be invited to listen in.
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Required Texts
The Passion Driven Sermon: Changing the Way Pastors Preach and Congregations Listen (Shaddix, ISBN: 9781433676710) – Logos $12.99
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Optional Texts
Messages that Move: How to Give Bible Talks to Challenge and Inspire (Hawkins, ISBN: 9781908762979) – Logos $9.99
Semester 3
TH-105 Foundational Doctrines
Course Description: "Foundational" doctrines are understood as those which together form the heart of what is called “the Foursquare Gospel,” a term coined (at least in modern times) by Sister Aimee Semple MacPherson. The course covers these each in turn, and also discusses the scriptural and practical harmony that exists among them: Jesus our Savior; Jesus our Baptizer in the Holy Spirit; Jesus our Healer; and Jesus our Soon Coming King. In addition, a historical perspective of the core Foursquare beliefs is given, along with an analysis of the reliance, within the greater context of the Pentecostal tradition, upon the “immediacy” of the scriptural source and the theological commitment to the historical-grammatical method of interpretation.
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Required Texts
Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective (Horton/Menzies, ISBN: 9780882433189) – Logos $21.99
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Optional Texts
Jesus Before Pentecost (Wm. Atkinson, ISBN: 9781498233651) – Logos $15.40
MI-102 Leading in Ministry
Course Description: Leadership best practices, indeed the pattern for excellent leadership are said to find their roots in Christian thought. Taking that as a point of departure, modern concepts are described and considered in the runup to an in-depth study of servant-leadership, with Jesus being presented and studied as the perfect model thereof. Advanced concepts of Christian leadership are introduced, as are the essential qualities thereof, chiefly integrity and authenticity. Discussion is also given to learning how to recognize, work through and ultimately resolve problems in ways that fit the overall mission and objectives of ministry while honoring the precepts of the servant-leader model.
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Required Texts
Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge – 1st Ed. (Kouzes/Posner, ISBN: 9780787983376) – Logos $12.99
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Optional Texts
The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership that Matters (Mohler, ISBN: 9781441263681) – Logos $16.99
TH-109 Eschatology
Course Description: Few subjects hold the power to fascinate like the study of the end times; possibly even fewer are potentially as confusing. This survey looks to bring clarity, beginning with a review of the major evangelical positions regarding the rapture, the millennium, key Bible passages, methods of interpreting the Book of Revelation, and more. The study rounds out in a final analysis of the classic (Foursquare) pentecostal view. Throughout, eschatological arguments are analyzed in terms of their impact on the believer as well in the context of God’s covenantal promises.
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Required Texts
Eschatology: A Study of Things to Come: BSB Level 2 (Bicket, no ISBN) – Logos $22.99
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Optional Texts
The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Biblical Prophecy (Rhodes, ISBN: 9780736942638) – Logos $9.74
BI-105 NT History Books
Course Description: This course traces a profile of each of the New Testament gospels, presenting the traits, uniquenesses and characteristics of each along the way. In addition to being analyzed as to authorship, original audience, historical setting and message, all four gospel accounts are also considered as to their relative place, not only within the New Testament and the Bible as a whole, but also as contrasted against comparable writings of their time. The Book of Acts is also explored in similar manner, within the context of the Gospels, the New Testament and contemporary society.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the New Testament 5th Ed. (Gundry, ISBN: 9780310494751) – Logos $59.99
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Optional Texts
Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, 1st Ed. (Powell, ISBN: 9781441257253) – Logos $44.99
TH-107 The Foursquare Gospel
Course Description: This course charts the history of the Foursquare Church, beginning with its founding in 1923 by Aimee Semple MacPherson, all the way to the present-day organization represented in nearly nine million adherents and more than 150 nations worldwide. In passing, we study the movement’s primary doctrinal beliefs, and also its place in the greater picture of modern-day Pentecostalism, evangelicalism and Christianity in general.
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Required Texts
The Vine and the Branches – A History of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel (Van Cleave, ISBN: 9781621366645) – Logos $13.74
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Optional Texts
Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, Revised & Updated (2 vols) (Duffield, Van Cleave, ISBN 9780998907406) – Logos ($19.99)
Semester 4
MI-103 Church Planting
Course Description: Designed to articulate the practical aspects of planting a church in the postmodern age, this course deals with the theoretical side but doesn’t stop there, moving right into the nitty-gritty aspects of establishing a thriving congregation. Discussions are informational and principled, but at the same time practical and useful, dealing with “how” and “who,” even “where” more than the “why.” Specific topics covered include fund raising, advertising, assembling a staff, planning, evaluation and adapting, and much more. And yes, we’ll consider how to discover the best locality, too.
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Required Texts
Starting a New Church (Moore, ISBN: 9781441224255) – Logos, $11.40
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Optional Texts
Church Planting Is for Wimps: How God Uses Messed-up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary Things (McKinley, no ISBN) – Logos $6.99
MI-106 Church Administration
Course Description: Because church “management,” or administration, facilitates the ministry itself, there is no topic more relevant or elemental to church planting or church growth. At the same time, to keep a church running well is to manage it in the same way it was planted, with a similar mind-set, calling and purpose, and always involving members of a team, rather than individuals who operate apart from each other. In dealing with many details of “running” a church, this course explores the space between “admin” and “ministry,” and views each as an indivisible part of the other.
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Required Texts
Administry: The Nuts and Bolts of Church Administration (Tumblin, ISBN: 9781501837944) – Logos $11.39
Optional Texts
Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry (Tidwell, ISBN: 9780805431131) – Logos $13.99
BI-106 Pauline Epistles
Course Description: A birds-eye view of the thirteen letters attributed to Paul the Apostle—their provenance, audience, purpose, theology and historical context. This requires first taking a serious look at the apostle himself, analyzing the style he used, and related factors that brought his story and writing to life. Along with a discussion of the writing methods used (with a view toward canonical considerations), there is a discussion of each epistle’s placement within the greater context of the NT, as well as their place among similar writings of the period.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the New Testament 5th Ed. (Gundry, ISBN: 9780310494751) – Logos $44.99
Optional Texts
Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, 1st Ed. (Powell, ISBN: 9781441257253) – Logos $44.99
BI-107 General Epistles, Hebrews & Revelation
Course Description: This high-level survey of the last nine books of the New Testament (Hebrews-Revelation) begins with an analytical discussion of two primary approaches to interpretation, specifically the historical-critical and the canonical methods, before transitioning to an introductory review of each writing in turn. This course seeks to foster a love of the scriptures by providing the necessary tools for understanding them. Students will learn the connectedness of each work within the context of the overall NT and OT writings, as well as why each was unique in its time of origin, and remains so today.
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Required Texts
A Survey of the New Testament 5th Ed. (Gundry, ISBN: 9780310494751) – Logos $44.99
Optional Texts
Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, 1st Ed. (Powell, ISBN: 9781441257253) – Logos $44.99
MI-105 Leading Through Change
Course Description: As the course title implies, leadership comes down to not just learning to live with change, but actually using change to make the best possible progress toward an organization’s goals. Concepts studied include the inevitability of change and conflict, while also discovering, acknowledging and dealing with the dark side of our personality as leaders, and why that is important. The sources, behaviors and problems that are common in organizational conflict are presented not as sterile touchpoints, rather as organic aspects of ministry. Appropriate and effective solutions are derived from the Gospel’s own example of servant leadership.
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Required Texts
Mastering Conflict and Controversy (Dobson, no ISBN) – Logos $8.99
Optional Texts
Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: The Paradox of Personal Dysfunction, rev. ed. (McIntosh, ISBN: 9781441256508) – Logos $16.99