Renewal Christian Education

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)

Vision and Purpose

Whereas Renewal’s Sunday Worship services are chiefly for corporate worship (of which biblical preaching is a chief element), and Small Groups are chiefly for biblical application in a practicing Christian community, Renewal Christian Education is the educational arm of the church, seeking to nurture and equip our congregation with the Biblical, theological, and practical resources necessary to grow in (1) fellowship with God, (2) community with one another, and (3) service to our city and the world—so that our city and the world may be transformed by the Gospel through our church.

(1) Fellowship with God. Indispensable to personal gospel transformation and spiritual renewal is a growing knowledge of God and the gospel as revealed in Scripture (John 17:17; Rom. 10:2-4, 12:2; Eph. 4:20-24; Phi. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-10, 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:14-17). This ministry aims not to stock our people with more information, but to see Christ formed in them (Gal. 4:19) as they are renewed in knowledge after the image of their creator (Col. 3:10). Our Bible & Theology classes are designed to help raise—as the educational aspect of the church’s discipleship process—our people from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity (1 Co. 14:20; Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28, 4:12; Heb. 5:14), by teaching them to feed themselves with the Word of God. This process involves taking them from biblical illiteracy to a developing ability to handle rightly the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), that they may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). A humble growing knowledge of the Word and obedience to it leads to a truer, deeper spiritual growth.

(2) Community with one another. Not only do individual Christians grow to spiritual maturity through a growing knowledge of the truth, the church as a body grows to the full unity and maturity of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:12-14). In doing so, the church increasingly becomes the counter-cultural redemptive community reflecting the good news of the kingdom to a relationally broken world. Such corporate sanctification requires both the public (preaching and teaching) ministry of the Word and the private ministry of the Word between members (Eph. 4:15-16; Col. 3:15-16). A biblically maturing community is one where members speak the truth in love to one another, helping each other change according to the Gospel. Our Gospel Transformation courses are aimed to equip our members to minister to one another. This is also necessary training for elders, deacons, small group leaders, counselors, and other servants called to build up the church and shepherd her members.

(3) Service to our city and the world. The main purpose of biblical-theological education at Renewal is to spur our members to mission and to equip them for effective Kingdom service. Our purpose is to train our laypeople become good and faithful servants of the gospel in word and deed, out in the midst of a sinful, broken world that desperately needs a Redeemer. We aim to teach our people to be effective evangelists as witnesses in their workplaces and networks, as long-term and short-term missionaries overseas, and as urban workers of mercy. Believing in the redemptive renewal of the whole creation, we also seek to empower and train our church to be agents of gospel renewal in all vocations and areas of life—business, art, entertainment, government, health care, the life sciences, homemaking, journalism, academia, agriculture, and so on. Indeed, our vision at Renewal is to renew lives in Christ to comprehensively transform our city and the world.

RENEWAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CURRICULUM

As part of our vision to renew lives in Christ to transform our city and the world, we seek to equip each person with a well-rounded Christian education for a lifetime of holiness and ministry. We offer classes and seminars that present a gospel-centered worldview, emphasize the transformation of the entire person and apply the gospel to all of life. The classes are grouped into three disciplines: Bible & Theology, Gospel Transformation, and Mission & Ministry.

"Core" Curriculum

We highly recommend going through our “core” curriculum of seven classes. The “core” includes what we believe to be the minimum foundational education that every member should receive in order to be rooted and established in the Gospel and propelled out for the work of the Gospel. This may be accomplished at the quickest in a two-year span, as shown below. Whether you are committed long-term here at Renewal, preparing for the mission field, or with us just for a season, it is our prayer that through us you will be prepared to do the good work to which God is calling you.

The “core” curriculum consists of three Bible & Theology classes, two Gospel Transformation classes, and two Mission & Ministry classes, as denoted below. It is designed to help our people read and understand the Scriptures for themselves, both “along” the whole Bible (biblical theology) and “across” the whole Bible (systematic theology), as well as apply the Scriptures to the particular issues of their hearts and lives for transformation. The “core” also includes a few introductory missional components: an exploration of one’s spiritual gifts and passions for kingdom service, evangelism training, and exposure to missions and mercy ministry.

“CORE” CURRICULUM (2-year intensive track)

On top of our “core” curriculum, elective classes covering a wide range of topics (theology, counseling, ministry-specific training) will be offered in the coming semesters.

Class Cycles and Times

Each fall and each spring, we will offer Saturday Series classes (which meet for 2 five-hour sessions on Saturdays) and Sunday Series classes (which meet for 8 one-hour sessions on Sundays).

Saturday Series Classes (each class meets for 2 five-hour sessions)
     Time: 10:00am–3:00pm

Sunday Series Series (each class meets for 8 one-hour sessions)
     Time: 12:00pm–1:00pm or 2:00pm–3:00pm (session repeated)

List of Classes

BIBLE & THEOLOGY

Gospel Foundations Class (Core) – (offered as a Fall or Spring Saturday Series class)

Unlocking the Old Testament Story: Christ the Key (Core) – Fall Sunday Series only

Reading the New Testament For All Its Worth (Core) – Spring Sunday Series only

Possible Electives:
Unlocking the Old Testament Prophets and Wisdom Literature
The Book of Genesis
The Parables of Jesus
Pauline Epistles & Theology
The Book of Revelation

GOSPEL TRANSFORMATION

Gospel Transformation I: How People Change (Core) – Fall Saturday Series only

Gospel Transformation II: Helping People Change (Core) – Spring Saturday Series only

Possible Electives:
Overcoming Addictions
Building a Marriage That Lasts
Biblical Peacemaking
Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Financial Fitness

MISSION & MINISTRY

Renewal as a Way of Life: Spirituality of Soul, Work, and Leisure (Core) – Fall Sunday Series only

Being on God’s Mission: Doing Justice and Speaking Grace (Core) – Spring Sunday Series only

Possible Electives:
Faith @ Work
Urban Mission & Ministry
Theology of Christian Missions

Click HERE for more info and to register for a class.

(September 9, 2007)