Old Testament:

This course presents the story of Christianity with an emphasis on the content of the Old Testament centered around the following five key questions:

• What is up with the Bible? Here we look at what the Bible is and where it came from, focusing on its trustworthiness and reliability.
• Who is Jesus Christ? Here we focus on the redemptive Mission of God that isr evealed in scripture in the person of Jesus Christ.
• What does Jesus Christ offer? Here we will focus on the so called “I AM” statements of Jesus Christ found in the gospel of John. The themes of hope, relationship, identity, salvation, and truth will be emphasized.
• Where did Jesus Christ come from? Here we will take the bulk of the class to explore the overall narrative of the Old Testament that points us toward the arrival of Jesus Christ in the 1st century. Among the main content and historical and cultural background of the Old Testament the following themes will be emphasized: God as Creator (creation is ‘good’, humanity made in God’s image, stewardship of creation, God’s sovereignty, the covenant community, etc.); humanity as fallen from grace (the effects of sin in the world, the human struggle toward a relationship with God, the human tendency toward idolatry, sin and death, etc.); God as deliverer (the Exodus, social justice, etc.);God as judge (the exile, the nations, etc.); redemptive history (the coming Savior) and future hope
• How do we respond to Jesus Christ? Here we will focus on the themes of invitation, trust, and yieldedness.

Discipleship:

Application and teacher recommendation required. Bible 9 Discipleship is a semester course designed to dig into the book of Genesis. This course will expose our students to key events in Scripture that shaped the remainder of history, such as creation, the fall, the flood, and the Abrahamic covenant, along with certain themes such as God, blessing, and faith. A focus within the discipleship class is to teach our students to embrace the interpretive perspective of the biblical authors for life (i.e., discipleship).

In pursuing discipleship, this part of the class focuses on discussions relating to the development of Christian living skills and character qualities. Individual giftedness, personal/life experiences, the Bible as a life-giving resource, and personal ministry goals are discussed and evaluated. These discipleship groups are designed to promote self-examination, growth in Christian character qualities, love for others, and increased ability in encouraging and motivating others toward deeper devotion to God, and a more effective ministry to others.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth look at the life, death, and resurrection of Christ through the gospel of Mark, understanding His role in the overarching narrative of scripture and history of redemption. Students will study his teachings and ministry years in light of his Jewish cultural context of 1st century Palestine and examine how it can be applied in today’s world and their own lives. This also course provides theological and thematic discussions on the following topics:

• God’s triune nature
• Why trust the Bible?
• Fulfillment of messianic prophecies in Christ
• Christ's divine and human nature
• The role of the Holy Spirit and the church as new living temples of God
• What it means to have a God-given identity

Bible Leadership:

Application and teacher recommendation required. The purpose of this class is to train students to engage their faith in a deeper way while serving in a ministry role on campus. In class, students learn to engage different spiritual practices (prayer, scripture, meditation, etc.) as well as study various New Testament scriptures as a class community. For the practicum part of the course, students learn to tell their story, give a devotion, and mentor middle school students through purposeful partnership with the MS chapel program.

Living the Story:

The purpose of this class is to help integrate a student's knowledge of Old and New Testament Bible in order to form a working and meaningful theology for everyday life. We study questions like "Who or What is God", and "Who or What am I". We also ask the "so what" questions as we explore biblical relationships with both ourselves and others. Sprinkled throughout the course are opportunities to learn and practice the art and science of interpreting the Bible well in our 21st century culture.

Discipleship:

Application and teacher recommendation required. Bible 11 Discipleship focuses on what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Students will spend the first several weeks discussing and practicing the disciplines of spiritual growth through prayer, Scripture, worship, abiding in Christ, simplicity, meditation, and solitude. As this foundation is established, they will move into practical ways of using that growth to serve the world, navigate personal relationships, combat sin, and become salt and light in today’s culture.

• Understand and internalize the concepts of discipleship and the Kingdom of God
• Learn Jesus’s basic teachings on discipleship
• Learn how to put Jesus’s teachings into practice
• Develop several spiritual disciplines that develop Christ-likeness in the life of the student
• Be able to think more deeply and become salt and light
• Develop an “inner life” of prayer and introspection

Christian Worldview Seminar aims to encourage students to think seriously about their own philosophy of life and to learn how to articulate it and live by it. The course is a full-year course and is organized around three central questions: Who am I? Who is God? Who is my neighbor? Students will encounter the essential beliefs of the Christian faith as presented in Scripture. They will become familiar and conversant with other major religious worldviews like Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. They will also encounter non-religious worldviews like naturalism, nihilism, and existentialism. At the end of the course, students will formulate a statement of their own worldview