Adelphia Bible School

ADELPHIA

27850 Retreat Kanaskat RD SE
Ravensdale, WA 98051

425.432.4293

2011-2012 Curriculum
Term	Week	Dates	Class	*Teacher*
Fall	1	October 10-14	Christian Doctrine	Rev. Sean Post
			We often need timely reminders of what we already know. Success in our faith is not only from maturing in truth but in being able to recall truth and defend it in critical moments. (2 Peter 1:12-15) Our goal in this class is to affirm the doctrinal essentials of our faith so that you can more deeply appreciate and more confidently communicate them. Our hope is that as we talk through these rich doctrines it will incite you to worship and gratefulness as well as grow your confidence for your ability to share these truths with those new to the faith or outside the faith. Plan on discussing concepts like: the goodness of God despite the presence of sin in the world, the heart of the gospel, the Triune nature of God, the resurrection of Jesus, man as both image of God and utterly sinful, and more.

Term	Week	Dates	*Class*	*Teacher*
Fall	2	October 17 - 21	Evangelism	Rev. John Czech
			When most people hear the word evangelism they conjure up thoughts of regurgitating long lists of memorized information to a non interested non believer. When the other person asks a question that wasn’t part of their memorized repertoire the “evangelist” is left stunned and at a loss for words. Hitting a wall and feeling defeated the formerly enthusiastic believer vows to “never do that again” leaving outreach to those gifted evangelists. Sound familiar? Why would God command us to do something that most of us hate to do and fail when we try? Perhaps we are not doing “it” the way He intended. Come learn Jesus’ way of “Reaching the Lost”. You will find a rhythm and peace that fits who you are and what He desires. “Follow me (Jesus said) and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:19

Term	*Week*	*Dates*	*Class*	*Teacher*
Fall	3	October 24-28	Ephesians: The Real Christian Life	Rev. Larry Adams
			The Book of Ephesians is a book about the real Christian life. Chapters 1-3 define what a real Christian is. Chapters 4-6 define how a real Christian lives. Paul writes both theologically and practically. This week we will look more closely at how understanding who we are in Christ helps us to know how to live for Christ. Jesus lived, died, and rose again and now sits in Heaven at the right hand of God. He is coming again to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the present time He lives in each of us who have been born-again. We are now to live as His visible presence in the world. Paul’s letter not only shows how to do that, but also, provides the right motivation.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Fall	4	Oct 31- Nov 4	First & Second Timothy	Rev. Pen Cook
			We will be exploring Paul’s final words to his servant Timothy and what these incredible works mean to us today. These two books are full of pastoral insight, doctrinal defense, cutting exhortation and much wisdom. The implications these two books have on contemporary Christianity and especially Bible believeing churches are exceedingly vast. As personal addresses from Paul to his “true son in the faith”, these books are deep and rich in their language, theology and importance. We will wrestle with questions like, “Who can lead in the church?”, “How do we deal with false teachers?”, and “Where did the Bible come from?” and more.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Fall	5	November 7-11	Joshua: Claiming The Inheritance	Dr. Mark Wagner
			The book of Joshua chronicles a new generation who are seeking to follow God and claim the inheritance he promised. It is a book about leadership, obedience, and the provision of God. Moses is gone and now it is time for Joshua and a younger generation to enter the land God has promised. The Book of Joshua is the gateway book to the rest of the Old Testament. Its lessons are fresh for each new generation who would follow God fully.

Term	*Week*	*Dates*	*Class*	*Teacher*
Fall	6	November 14-18	Church History	Rev. Steve Welling
			The study of Church history can sound a bit dry and dusty. However, as you study the stories of key individuals and the decisive turning points in the history of Christianity you discover an extraordinary variety of people fully alive and devoted to Jesus. In a plain-language approach to history we will meet the people who have gone before us and the obstacles that they overcame, in order that the Gospel would be heard.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Fall	7	Nov 28 - Dec 4	Jesus in Luke & John: The Man & The Mission	Rev. Ken Needham
			Approaching the Gospel of John we will focus on the identity of Jesus as the Son of God (eagle) SENT from heaven. We shall look at His mission as an "outsider" coming in under the orders of His sending Father. We shall explore the terms and objectives of that mission, the equipment provided, the opportunities and challenges that presented themselves. Throughout the study we shall bear in mind that we are also Sent by Jesus under exactly the same terms..."As the Father sent me, so I send you." When we come to look at Luke's version, we find that Luke's focus is on Jesus the man. He shows us Jesus as a man living among men. Jesus has enormous compassion for the poor and underprivileged. Often putting his life at risk, we see the cut and thrust of His discussions with the Pharisees and His way of deflating the arrogant and self-sufficient. There will be some in depth look at the parables, to rediscover the explosive nature of their content. Telling people they have to "be nice and love each other" does not result in crucifixion! The goal of this class: To come to a deeper understanding of the privilege of being a Christian and the joy and responsibility of offering our lives to Jesus through whom He will display His glory to the world.

Term	*Week*	*Dates*	*Class*	*Teacher*
Fall	8	December 5-9	Good News: The Core Message of Jesus	Dr. Jan Hettinga
			The gospel message of Jesus is the single most important part of the New Testament. Romans 1:16 insists that "it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." So, what exactly is the gospel and how is its enormous power released? This class is designed to help you understand the gospel not just believe it. It will challenge some of your existing conceptions and strengthen others. You will discover clarity and focus in what Jesus called His gospel of the Kingdom. The purpose of the class is to prepare each student for a lifetime of witness and mission with a powerful gospel that is as close to the original as possible.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	1	Jan 2-6	Disciple Making	Rev. Mark Moder
			Many churches and youth groups are great at attracting a crowd. The problem is that Jesus didn't call us to create attendees; He called us to make disciples. But even in smaller churches, many mistakenly believe that simply attending more services will make people grow. It's not true. So how are disciples made? We'll explore the biblical model of disciple-making; and learn how you can be a disciple-maker too.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	2	Jan 9-13	Purity & Relationships	Rev. Brian & Elisabeth Aaby
			Everything changed the moment Adam and Eve reached for the fruit: a perfect relationship with God and others was broken. However, God is a God of redemption. Restoration in all relationships is possible because of Jesus. In this course we’ll develop a biblical approach to all sorts of relationships and tackle perceptions and misconceptions surrounding purity, dating and marriage.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	3	Jan 16-20	Doctrine of Money	Rev Ron Blomberg
			We will be exploring the overarching theme of stewardship, as presented in the Old and New Testament. The outcome of this exploration will provide a framework for understanding the "life of the steward" in the kingdom of God. We will also explore the application of these principles on raising funds for missions and ministry. The outcome of this exploration will provide a set of activities that insure that fundraising reaches the heart of the donor. We will further explore the idea of "creative" stewardship. The outcome of this exploration will provide a method whereby the Christian leader can address total life stewardship. Finally, we will explore the major opportunities for creating a culture of generosity within the church. The outcome of this exploration will allow questions, and objections to be answered.

*Term*	*Week*	*Dates*	*Class*	*Teacher*
Winter	4	Jan 23-27	Mission Of The Church	Rev. Dave Devries
			“God's church falters from exhaustion because Christians erroneously think that God has given them a mission to perform in the world. Rather, the God of mission has given his church to the world." (Tim Dearborn) God is a missionary God and He has sent the Church to participate in His mission of reconciling the world to Himself. Just as Jesus was sent to seek and to save what was lost, so the Church is sent to seek and to save what was lost and to make disciples who make disciples. In this course you will discover how to align your life with God's mission in the world - being sent with the gospel together in community with other Christians to visibly and incarnationally display and proclaim who Jesus is to those in the culture around you and make disciplemakers.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	5	Jan 30 - Feb 3	Malachi	Rev. John Nagle
			2500 years ago the people of God were struggling with the same sorts of "life issues" that His people struggle with today. God's prophet Malachi speaks with boldness & clarity on God's love for us; what it means to genuinely honor God; discerning the difference between true & false spiritual leaders; God's plan for choosing a marriage partner; keeping your marriage healthy & happy; divorce; holiness & social justice; overcoming wrongful pride; hearing God; the future of our planet. We'll "unpack" this little & last book of the Old Testament. As we do, we'll hear the Holy Spirit calling us to get real with God & fall in love with Him all over again! We'll sense the heart of God in a deeper way that will allow Him to settle in our hearts at a deeper level.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	6	Feb 6-10	Hermeneutics	Rev. Craig Miller
			In this class students will discuss principles for arriving at a biblical author's intended meaning and understanding how to apply this meaning to their own context.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	7	Feb 13-17	Worldview Week Monday Christian Worldview with Dr. Christian Overman Tuesday Cults with Dr. Karl Payne Wednesday "Dating the World" with International Bible Teacher, Lawrence Jensen Thursday "World Seen" Presentation by Ray Lubeck and Multnomah University team.	Various

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Winter	8	Feb 20-24	First & Second Peter	Rev. Steve Michiels
			Both 1^st and 2^nd Peter address the theme of developing character in the midst of a coming apostasy. Peter is trying to encourage believers who are facing some very difficult trials, as indeed he was facing with his own imminent martyrdom. Peter has grown in wisdom and stature – let’s study and learn from someone who has gained a “godly” wisdom about the Kingdom of God.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Spring	1	Mar 5-9	Progress of Redemption	Rev. Chris Thomas
			A study of God’s unfolding program of redemption amongst men throughout the ages, from creation until the fulfillment of His purposes on earth. The course will knit together all the familiar historical events, the drama of conflicts and the prophetic passages into a comprehensive and cohesive flow representing God’s unfolding plan during time.

*Term*	*Week*	*Dates*	*Class*	*Teacher*
Spring	2	Mar 12-16	Eschatology - "Live Like You Are Leaving"	Rev. Pen Cook
			In this course, students will learn the purposes, the dangers, and the certainties of eschatology. Several topics will be discussed such as the distinction between Israel and the Church, the rapture, the judgment seat of Christ, the tribulation, the millennium, and the afterlife (death, heaven, hell, and the eternal state). The goal of this course is not just to inform the mind but to transform the heart.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Spring	3	Mar 19-23	Spiritual Formations: Rhythms & Practices	Rev. Nate Hettinga
			You can’t be a disciple without learning discipline. But discipline without direction is drudgery. Our goal is to grow in our love for Jesus! This course will cover ancient spiritual rhythms and allow for time to practice each. Topics include: silence & solitude, worship, fasting, simplicity & sacrifice, service, prayer & meditation, study & learning.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Spring	4	Mar 26-30	Nehemiah: Lessons on Leadership	Rev. Derek Nelson
			Defining or describing an effective leader, especially a leader in the kingdom of God, is not an easy task. Effective leadership has many variables and styles. Some would say that leaders are born as leaders, while others would say they are made. But the most important point is - what does God have to say about leadership? It seems that few of us are extraordinarily “gifted” or “natural” leaders. Most of us in our hearts want to lead but find many weaknesses, struggles, or pressures that push us away from leading. But even a gifted leader needs much more than natural ability to lead the people of God. He must be a spiritual leader. Nehemiah was that man—an ordinary man with an extraordinarily spiritual ability to lead others. His heart, character, example, motivational skills, humility, love for righteousness, hatred for wickedness, courage, prayer, hard work and other qualities are all part of his stand-out ability to lead very effectively. He is a Biblical model of godly leadership that we can imitate in the home, at work and in the church. God desires for us to be biblically competent servant leaders who by His grace and strength will make a marked difference in our homes, churches, community and around the world. In our time together, we will look at the importance of godly character, humility and exceptional leadership. Together, we will explore effective leadership principles gleaned from the life and experiences of Nehemiah.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Spring	5	April 2-6	Acts	Rev. Ralph Gustafson
			The Book of Acts is a dynamic historical account of God's involvement in establishing His church. It contains many fascinating and life-changing stories of God's love, power, and grace at work in people's lives. Together we will explore the lives of many people you may already know like Paul and we will meet a number of lesser known people in Acts who are a significant part of the story of Christ's Body, the Church. Acts not only teaches us about the past it also teaches us about the primary task of the church and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling the mission of the church. As we study Acts together we will see God's power in action and learn how a small band of followers became a world-changing movement.

Term	Week	Dates	Class	Teacher
Spring	6	April 9-13	Learning from Dead Kings & Queens	Dr. Jan Hettinga
			Leadership development is a popular focus for educators today. The Bible is rich in leadership lore. Approximately one-third of the Bible is dedicated to the era of human leadership that involved the 39 kings and 1 queen of Israel and Judah. Why would God use that much valuable space in scripture on these human leaders? Dr. Jan will unpack the incredible leadership secrets that God's Spirit has hidden in these amazing historical stories. The Old Testament will come alive with relevant leadership principles that still work effectively today. You will come away from this class with a fresh appreciation for the timeless practical truth of God's Word.

Term	Week	Dates	Class
Spring	7-8	April 16-27	Domestic & International Mission Ventures