Human Growth and Development

This overview of human development in the physical, mental, social and spiritual domains, provides an explanation and theory of how faith, morality, ethics and integrated personal character develops from prenatal to young adulthood. Emphasis is placed on training Christian workers and ministers to discover and heal the soul injury and wounds encountered through abuse, neglect, and other non-normative traumas.  Practical application is made in the teaching and training of the local church and school.

 

Educational Psychology

The focus of Ed Psych is on a scientific approach to educational issues of how people learn and how we should teach. The purpose is to discover what good teachers practice based on understanding learners temperament and learning style. Students discover methods to manage the classroom environment for learning; deal with misbehavior and techniques to help children having learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD, Autism, etc.

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The Ministry and Mission of a Chaplain

The ideal starting point for any students exploring a call to active ministry outside the walls of the established church but with church support and recognition is chaplaincy. In this dedicated course, attention is given to reaching people in the community who are experiencing trauma, crisis, suffering and loss. Students explore the history and foundation as well as the biblical basis for chaplains ministry while they learn how to accountably minister spiritual care and empowerment to individuals in unique non-church situations. Like Jesus, they use practical ministry in order to make evangelism and soul-winning possible.

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Theories of Personality

This course approaches the study of temperaments and personality using both Bible and modern psychological theory. Students receive an overview of individual differences and explore questions such as: What is personality in the biblical aspect of man? How does human personality have meaning? What is its origin or source? How does it develop and change across the life span, from childhood to mature adult? How do we measure personality and what do the results predict about us? What are the natural and spiritual implications of personality? Students learn terminology, precepts, concepts and theories used to describe personality in order to understand oneself, likeness and difference and how God molds and unfolds individuals from the womb for His glory

 

Old Testament Prophets

This course provides an introductory overview of the major writing prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Their prophecies pertain to three prophetic programs revealed in Scripture and provide an outline for the study of Israel and Judah, the nations, and the church. Students become familiar with prophetic history, declarations and gain perspective of role and functions of the Old Testament, particularly in the times of the Jews.

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Honoring Gods Word

Honoring God’s Word focuses on modern attitudes toward use of God’s Word – The Holy Bible.  We review causes of defection from basic doctrinal truth and denial of authority as seen in failure to accept and/or adhere to Bible teaching as the absolute guide for belief and practice. Misuse of the Bible arises from poor study habits, lack of training, and faulty exegesis of Scripture.  This often results in fads and novel, extrabiblical interpretations that shame the workman. The purpose of “Honoring…“ is to show how we must relate all teaching and Bible study to God’s design and purpose, the Whole Counsel of God. Only when we honor the Word will we experience communion and spirituality that produces godliness and changed lives according to the standards of Scripture rather than personal bias or private agendas.

 

 

Christian Ethics

A study of Christian ethics helps to meet ALI goals for excellence as we 1) consider doctrinal foundations which support and give rise to sound ethics; 2) discover concepts of ministry on which ethics are taught and caught, and 3) establish a biblical worldview that promotes ethical decisions on which a Christian lifestyle can be implemented.

The Christian Ethics course includes a review of three areas of ethics: a) the cradle of ethics in the Law of Moses and practices of ethics in the Old Testament; b) ethics taught and practiced by Jesus in the Gospels, particularly as taught in the Sermon on the Mount, and c) Pauline ethics taught in his epistles.

Ethics helps us prepare for spiritual leadership as ministers in God’s church. Without God-centered ethics no leader is worthy to imitate or to follow.