When someone wants a job, they do all they can to learn what’s required. Whether you are a plumber or a doctor, the people you work with want you to know what you are doing! When you put time into learning the Bible, you value the skill involved in understanding all of the complexities that it teaches – and the skill involved in imparting biblical truths to others.
Ultimately, the people you share the good news with will hopefully share it with others – maybe even many others, as church leaders – so it’s important for them to receive good teaching from you from the very beginning.
Bible College is worth investing your time and money into if you are going to have an effective long term ministry, but not every Bible College is the same! Here are some things to consider as you decide where and how to do Bible College.
Places where Bible College degrees don’t look great on the CV
Are you potentially going to work in a country that doesn’t allow people to be missionaries and wouldn’t appreciate having someone with a Bible College degree coming in as a foreign worker? In that case, it is well worth considering working while you study. This could be part-time college and part-time work. It means you may miss out on some of the fun, non-compulsory aspects of Bible College. However, working while you study will enable you to have something to put on your CV for that period other than Bible College.
Colleges that offer mission-related subjects
Does the Bible College you are considering include mission or cross-cultural subjects? It is important that you learn about contextualisation (ie: how to apply the Bible into another culture in a way that is meaningful for them.) This is a very particular and important skill for cross-cultural workers to have if you are going to have a deep impact.
Professional development
Will your role require you to upgrade your qualifications at some stage? For example, if you hope to train future church leaders or teach at a Bible College overseas, you will need a degree that can lead to a Masters, with the potential for doing further research or study.
Colleges you can attend online
There are now many online and distance education options for study. If you choose one of these options, check to see who it is accredited with. Will those qualifications be accepted elsewhere? How are they regarded in your field of service? Has it been recommended to you by someone you trust?
Colleges with denominational and agency affiliations
Denominational colleges may be highly recommended by your pastor or church but may not have a strong mission focus. A mission-focused college is one that teaches a range of mission subjects and provides cross-cultural opportunities. A college that focuses people towards ordination may not provide such a broad exposure to different types of ministry options.
Next steps
Check out the options for Bible College in your city or online – and ask lots of questions!
See if you can find people who can tell you about the five areas above.
