You can know!
Lately I’ve had this feeling that God was calling me to….do….something.
But what exactly? I’ve know that I am supposed to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” but what do I do? And how do I respond?
Can anyone just tell me?!
I found out
I had the same questions. And through 222LS I found out it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.
For more than 2000 years Jesus has been calling people to serve him and to see life as he sees it.
Am I called by God to do this? I wondered and doubted at times, and honestly, sometime I still do. Everyone has questions that are answered by studying God’s word and ways.
I did, and I’m glad. Here is where you find the path….
222LS offers a fully accredited Master of Arts in Christian Leadership
If you have looked at other seminaries websites then you will notice ours is out of the ordinary. It is because we specialize in working with you in finding what God is calling you to do and equip you to do it.
Traditionally seminaries put the emphasis on “academics” and spend the bulk of educational time (80-90%) developing these book-based studies and lectures.
We have top notch “academics” too, but we approach them differently. In real life ministry most everyone spends the bulk of their time with people; planning with them, encouraging them, meeting with them, counseling them, and otherwise “leading them to do the work of the ministry.” In our education we choose to help students apply their real-life character, content (academics) and craft (skills) in real life ministry experiences.
This is the reason we put “Leadership” in our name: We want our students to be able to initiate ministry, train others, disciple others, and apply the Gospel everywhere and in everything.
We walk with you in discovering what it is that God is calling you to do.
You will join a group of people with similar thoughts, questions, and explorations. There will be classes, but they will be somewhat different than any other classes you have experienced.
The goal is not to have you pass tests, get grades (we don’t have any), or even make it through in a regulated period of time. We do education differently.
If you work with us, here is what we would do together.
Each student (you) will be entering advanced discipleship with 3 experienced Christian ministry mentors who will interact with you about what you are learning and thinking.
You will be in a cohort with others, reading books, listening to discussions, you will be finding your own voice along with others. Additionally you will be learning how to interact in the community with the greater goal of reaching that community and the greater world for Christ.
222LS offers a fully accredited Master of Arts in Christian Leadership
If you have looked at other seminaries websites then you will notice ours is out of the ordinary. It is because we specialize in working with you in finding what God is calling you to do and equip you to do it.
Traditionally seminaries put the emphasis on “academics” and spend the bulk of educational time (80-90%) developing these book-based studies and lectures.
We have top notch “academics” too, but we approach them differently. In real life ministry most everyone spends the bulk of their time with people; planning with them, encouraging them, meeting with them, counseling them, and otherwise “leading them to do the work of the ministry.” In our education we choose to help students apply their real-life character, content (academics) and craft (skills) in real life ministry experiences.
This is the reason we put “Leadership” in our name: We want our students to be able to initiate ministry, train others, disciple others, and apply the Gospel everywhere and in everything.
We walk with you in discovering what it is that God is calling you to do.
You will join a group of people with similar thoughts, questions, and explorations. There will be classes, but they will be somewhat different than any other classes you have experienced.
The goal is not to have you pass tests, get grades (we don’t have any), or even make it through in a regulated period of time. We do education differently.
If you work with us, here is what we would do together.
Each student (you) will be entering advanced discipleship with 3 experienced Christian ministry mentors who will interact with you about what you are learning and thinking.
You will be in a cohort with others, reading books, listening to discussions, you will be finding your own voice along with others. Additionally you will be learning how to interact in the community with the greater goal of reaching that community and the greater world for Christ.
At 222LS we do Competency Based Theological Education (CBTE) accredited by the Association of Theological Schools through the CBTE department of Calvin Theological Seminary.
We use Competency Based Theological Education (CBTE). This is different than the education you have experienced. Most “regular” education is centered around an instructor lecturing on subjects for a semester, assigning reading, homework, and then testing so you receive a grade and move on (hopefully).
That is not how CBTE works
You literally cannot fail courses unless you choose to. We work with every student toward being Competent in each of the 8 courses, no matter how long it takes. (Bonus: In CBTE you can demonstrate your competency early if you want, in the first week, weeks, or month, and you will receive credit for the entire course.) Even if it takes 2 years to become competent in the course, you still receive credit for the course. We don’t look at the time frame, or the grades, we look for competence. You show us that you are competent in the course when you are ready to show us. So, no pressure. You will have three trained mentors who will work with you to help attain and show that competency in each course.
More about Competency Based Education - Click Here
So how would this education work for me?
Do I need to show up to class every day or week?
What if I don’t live nearby?
You can join from where you live. We have students from around the country who join with us on Zoom, Meet, or other ways.
And you can join in person if you are near one of our regional locations (future).
In CBTE education there are markers and measurements.
We have three measuring sticks in assessing competency.
And here is what they are:
Indicators of Competency:
⦁ Character
We want to hear and see how God is working in your life, or how you are changing and maturing. God is interested in who you are and who you are becoming more than just being assigned a letter grade.
How has this course affected your life?
⦁ Content
No one knows the Bible from birth, or church history, or theology, so this knowledge must be acquired. We walk each student through an in-depth familiarity with the academic content. Tell us about what you have learned on this subject, why it is important, and what must be known about this subject?
⦁ Craft
What do you do with your academic content and your character? In what practical ministry ways can you share it? How do you work with others? How do you lead a church, or a ministry, or a disciple?
How do you run a youth group, or an education ministry, or a counseling or care group, or serve the neighborhood?
Skills need to be acquired, and we walk with you to gain the experiences and practices you need to be effective in real life situations. What skills have you gained and how can you show us?
Learning Experiences:
Each course has ministry assignments or projects that each student experiences. These take a wide variety of forms.
You may be assigned an area to study so that you can assess the spiritual temperature of the people who live there. You may be assigned to interview community members. You may write a paper, watch certain videos, or make videos for others, or teach a subject, or start a temporary or permanent ministry, or speak, or lead youth, and the list goes on and on.
Each Learning Indicator is connected to promoting your competency. Your mentors and instructors are available for help and guidance.
⦁ Mentors
In each of these areas; Character, Content, and Craft you will receive input and counsel from your own personal mentors. One is the Faculty mentor and this person is a seminary faculty member. The second is a Local Mentor, someone with practical ministry experience who is from your area and works with you on applying what you are learning. And the third is the Academic mentor who oversees your whole education and works with you and the other mentors to make it a success.
⦁ More on CBTE Education
Our CBTE education is different from much of the education you have received in life. The entirety of the actual education is in your hands from Day 1 for you to look at and to plan ahead on.
Every student receives the complete 2 year (39 credits) syllabus broken into our 8 courses. You can see the details of every course, video, talk, reading, and Learning Experience posted on the CANVAS Learning Management System. We also have online meetings, called cohorts, where we interact with what you have read or watched, discuss the questions people have, and talk about application. It is about what YOU are observing and learning and not relying on a lecture to tell you everything.
We don’t normally do standard lectures, but we may on occasion. Each course starts with a description of the Indicators of Competency in the course, in other words, what would a competent person know or be able to do with this information. There are Learning Activities for application and experience that also assist in gaining Competency.
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO
Join Us
How you can join us:
Click here to Apply
https://calvinseminary.edu/empower/
Our Partner in this education is Calvin Theological Seminary, Founded in 1876 and in partnership with CTS they provide our accreditation and Faculty Mentors.
Our Distinctives:
We emphasize – Discipleship and Multiplication
Leading in Ministry
Christ Centered Hermeneutics
Church & Ministry Connectedness
Thoughtfully Engaging Culture
Our 222LS leaders:
Scott Vander Ploeg, director of Multiply Ministries and Sunlight Community Church
Greg Hauenstein, Executive Director
Jary Reed, Theological Director
Our Plan
JOIN US!
You will see online that in most accredited 2-year Christian MA programs cost around $19,000 or more. At 222LS we do a monthly subscription plan that comes out to be around $4,400, or less, over two years, depending on the time it takes you to be fully competent. We think that you having $15,000 in your pocket, with no student loan (or a very small one), is better.