Ministry / Board meeting highlights #3: Bible institute progress

Board meeting highlights #3

Bible institute progress

316NOW's online Bible institute is the engine that drives our efforts to raise up Chinese Christian leaders to shepherd house churches. The curriculum provides in-depth courses in theology, books of the Bible, and pastoral practice (e.g., leading Bible studies, leading worship, and counseling).

The institute's study body totals 139 individuals. Twenty of those students are new this year.

Deaconess training

The board was particularly interested in a recent addition to the institute's curriculum: training deaconesses. An essential component to growing healthy house churches is well-trained women who assist the shepherds of those groups.

The course of study for deaconesses includes

• an overview of the ministry of a deaconess,

• exploration of the Bible's teaching on the Church and its ministry,

• a course on teaching Christian parents to use Scripture-based principles to raise their children,

• a course on caring spiritually for the sick and shut-in,

• a course on teaching parents to teach their children Biblical truths, and

• a course on organizing and implementing a ministry to other women.

316NOW is grateful to a team of Confessional Lutheran pastors and laywomen that has designed these courses and will teach them.