Foothills Bible Church

• Current Classes

The Pauline Epistles class begins February 2nd. The Early Church class begins February 5.  Register in the church Lobby between services beginning Sunday, January 14. You may also stop by the church office M-F 8-5 to register.

The Pauline Epistles: Strategies for Establishing Churches

Course Objective

To determine the key biblical principles ofr strengthening/establishing a local church and its members as well as to develop strategies for implementation of these principles. Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• Gain a greater understanding of Paul's concept of establishing churches, discerning between what is merely cultural for his day and what is supra-cultural and normative ofr all time;
• Gain a greater understanding of how the church fits into the overall plan and eternal purposes of God;
• Gain a greater understanding of a unified, biblical philosophy to guide the ministry of a local church;
• Design a contemporary model for strengthening/establishing local churches in the twenty-first century including procedures consistent with Paul's ministry and the concept of the church as an extended spiritual family.

Course Units

Unit 1:   Paul's Concept of Establishing
Unit 2:   What is a Local Church?
Unit 3:   The Church as a Hosehold of God
Unit 4:   Guidelines fro the Household of God
Unit 5:   Establishing Churches in the Twenty-First Century

Preaching, Teaching and Worship in the Early Church

Course Objective

This study will help you develop the ability to preach and teach within the five sermonic forms of the early church. Specifically, this means that each person in this study will:

• Gain a basic understanding of the teaching forms of the Early Church and the importance of each of the forms for the maturing and multiplying of strong churches worldwide;
• Develop a basic approach to preparing and delivering sermons around these teaching forms;
• Understand the importance of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and their integration into the life of the church in its worship;
• Consider the place of the Lord's Supper in the early church and its implications for the church gathered today;
• Integrate culturally appropriate forms of preaching, teaching and creative worship into contemporary church meetings.

Course Units

Unit 1: Preaching and Teaching in the New Testament
Unit 2: Forms of Preaching and Teaching in the Early Church
Unit 3: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Unit 4: The Worship Meeting and the Lord's Supper
Unit 5: Designing Culturally Appropriate Meetings and Messages

ACTS: Keys to the Establishment and Expansion of the First Century Church

Course Objective

This class will help you identify the fundamental biblical principles that are to guide the mission of the church and its role in missions as observed in Acts, with a view to thinking through their implications for missions today. Specifically, this means that each person is this class will:

• Gain an understanding of the establishment and expansion of the first-century church and the timeless supra-cultrual biblical principles for continuing this work in the twenty-first century;
• Determine a biblical definition of "missionary" and "missionary work";
• Identify the core elements of Paul's missionary strategy and think through their implications for making disciples and multiplying churches today;
• Understand and begin to personally pursue the kind of qualifications necessary for those who sense God's call to assist Him in building His church including the needed training to develop those qualities.

Course Units

Unit 1:   Keys from Acts
Unit 2:   The Role of the Local Church in Fulfilling the Great Commission
Unit 3:   The Core Model: The Pauline Strategy
Unit 4:   Networking, Organizations, and the Local Church
Unit 5:   Designing a Missions Strategy for a Local Church

Shepherding, Counseling, and the Early Church

Course Objective

This study will help you build a comprehensive shepherding strategy for a church that is rooted in the traditional pastoral care paradigm drawn from the Scriptures in  contrast to the secular psychological care paradigm of contemporary culture. Specifically, this means that each person in this study will:

      · Develop an understanding of the pastoral care practiced in the early church;
      · Formulate a clear perspective of the gospel and the work of the Spirit in our lives;
      · Examine the contemporary practice of integrating psychology and theology and assess its legitimacy;
      · Lay necessary foundations for skillfully handling the Scriptures in counseling;
      · Critique the contemporary emergence of a new Christian profession—Christian psychologists and psychiatrists
      · Design a contemporary pastoral care strategy consistent with the Scriptures.

Course Units

Unit 1: Rethinking the Goal: Counseling as an Establishing Process
Unit 2: Establishing in the Gospel: The Foundation of all Counseling
Unit 3: The Integration of Psychology and Theology: Another Gospel?
Unit 4: Christian Psychologists and Psychiatrists: Another Authority?
Unit 5: Designing a Pastoral Care Strategy

Interpreting the Word I: Principles and Procedures

Course Objective

To gain the skills and insight for identifying the author's intention for writing as it is expressed in the biblical text as the determinant of meaning, then out of that meaning, determining the significance of the text for today. Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• Develop a conviction of the importance of handling the Word accurately;
• Gain a basic grasp of the discipline of hermeneutics so as to be equipped with foundational principles essential in interpreting and validating the text as well as translating its relevancy to the 21st Century;
• Gain a basic grasp of the discipline of exegesis as well as a basic proficiency level which demonstrates one's ability to accurately handle the Scriptures;
• Gain an understanding of and proficiency in many of the recent contributions to the process of interpreting the Word, paying special attention to cross cultural interpretation and application of the Scriptures.

Course Schedule:

 Not currently being offered.

Cost for marterials: $65

Understanding the Essentials of Sound Doctrine

Course Objective

To design a contemporary statement of faith built upon the core truthsof the apostles preaching and teaching that will serve to strengthen believers and churches in the faith as well as protect them from error and false teachers. Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• Gain an clearer understanding of the apostles' peaching and teaching as well as the importance of every believer becoming solidly established in this body of truth;
• Gain a greater appreciation for the historical efforts of the church to proclaim and defend the faith through the development of its creeds, manuals, confeccsions and catechisms;
• Create a contemporary statement of faith framed by the apostles preaching and teaching and designed in such a way as to not only guard sound doctrine but serve as a tool pass it on in ways that will strengthen the church and its members in the faith.

Course Units

Unit 1:   The Apostolic Deposit of Sound Doctrine
Unit 2:   Preserving the Apostolic Faith in the Early Churches
Unit 3:   Preserving the Apostolic Faith through the Centuries
Unit 4:   Preserving the Apostolic Faith in contemporary Culture
Unit 5:   Building an Apostolic Belief Framework in Culture

Leaders and the Early Church

Course Objective

To bring leadership training back to the center of the local church in a way that will empower churches to participate in the expansion of the gospel with the same vision and effectiveness as the first church at Antioch. Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• Develop a basic understanding of the leadership of the Early Church with all of its complexities, focusing specifically on the work of ministers of the gospel and that of elders and deacons, and how their work is complementary in nature.
• Rediscover the Antioch tradition of the Early church, which lasted over five centuries, and design a model for how to build this tradition back into our churches, as we seek to have similar impact globally for the expansion of the gospel in the 21st century
• Design an effective multi-level leadership development strategy for our churches, which is truly built upon the foundatio of the New Testament and which will carry the Antioch vision, of turning the world upside down.

Course Units

Unit 1:   New Testament Church Leadership
Unit 2:   The Work of Ministers of the Gospel
Unit 3:   The Work of Elders and Deacons
Unit 4:   Rediscovering the Antioch Tradition
Unit 5:   Developing Leaders in the 21st Century

Covenants, Unity of Scripture and Biblical Worldview

Course Objective

To gain an understanding of the central message of the Scriptures as a basis for developing a worldview that is consistent with God's plan and purposes. Specifically, this means that each person studing the course would:

• Develop an approach to studying the whole counsel of God as well as discovering and outlining its central message;
• Summarize the central message of the Bible, including its key historical movements, in the form of a statement, chart or graph;
• Identifying the basic issues concerning the tension between the Old and New Testaments, studying the basic lines of continuity and discontinuity between the Testiments;
• Translate the central message of the Bible into a "worldview manifesto" which can serve as a guilde for our lives, bringing our life direction and goals into harmony with God's purposes.

Course Units

Unit 1: Approaching the Bible
Unit 2: Threading It Together: The Unfolding Promise
Unit 3: Peaks and Divisions: The Covenants
Unit 4: Issues of Continuity and Discontinuity
Unit 5: Constructing a Biblical Worldview

Course Schedule:

Thursdays 6:30-7:45 a.m.
June 9 - August 18
Evergreen

Sundays 11:00-12:15 p.m.
June 12-August 21
SHED B-2

Cost: $65

Course Objective

This study will help you develop convictions concerning the necessity of every believer embracing sound doctrine through the   habits that must undergird life and ministry and their role in the lifelong pursuit of purity and wisdom. Specifically, this means that each person in this study will:

• Understand the root causes and effects of the present day separation and fragmentation that has taken place within and between the “devotional life” and serious theological studies;
• Identify the personal disciplines necessary for increasing soundly in the faith as individuals and as churches;
• Appropriate the core habits of the heart that spiritual leaders must maintain in order to progress in the Scriptures in a sound manner;
• Sharpen reading skills and develop a guide for a lifelong reading program;
• Design a strategy for corporate, family and individual habits to be practiced.

Course Units

Unit 1: The Crisis of Piety:   A Disintegration of Life and Truth
Unit 2: Godly Discipline:  Integrating Life and Truth
Unit 3: Habits of Study:  Developing a Lifelong Strategy
Unit 4: Building a Comprehensive Reading and Study Program
Unit 5: Habits in the Churches:  Building a Community Strategy

This class is a part of the First Principles Series, which teaches the essential skills for being a lifelong student of the Word.

Course Units:

Session 1: Acts: Unfolding the Great Commission
Session 2: The Establishment of the Church in Jerusalem
Session 3: The Establishment of the Church in Judea and Samaria
Session 4: The Establishment of the Church Worldwide:
                  Building a Strong Base for Worldwise Expansion
Session 5: The Establishment of the Church Worldwide:
                  Existence of a Core Missionary Strategy
Session 6: The Establishment of the Church Worldwide:
                  Founding and Strengthening Strategic Churches
Session 7: The Establishment of the Church Worldwide:
                  Focusing on the Goal
Session 8: The Centrality of the Local Church in God's Plan

Teaching the Apostles' Teaching

We read in the Bible that from the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost they were "devoted to the apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:24). In our day, while we still need to defend and proclaim the apostles' preaching - the gospel, there is some confusion about understanding it, it is difficult to be established in it ourselves, let along assist others in learning it.

Teaching the Apostles' Teaching is a six week study designed to not only assist you in discovering afresh the apostles' teaching, but equip you to be able to pass it on to others. The study will equip you specifically to teach the First Principles Series, an excellent study for use in Home Bible Studies and other small groups, or one on one with others, including your own teenage son or daughter. But in a broader sense it will equip you to teach others in ways that will maximize their learning.

This class runs for six weeks.

Course Objectives

The overall objective of this course is to develop a biblical perspective of life and ministry as the guiding force for standing firm in the ministry, skillfully and resolutely addressing the problems and problem people within the chruch.  Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• Study Paul's letters to the Corinthian church and his instructions to Timothy and Titus to gain insight into a "realistic" perspective of ministry
• Formulate a description of the ministry and perspectives one should have of the minsitry based on the study of Paul's Corinthian and Pastoral letters
• Examine personal ministry attitudes and perspectives, and test these against Paul's description of the ministry and a minister, in order to reshape personal perspectives around his teaching and example
• Make specific commitments and strategies related to personal perspective in ministry which will be a guide for long-term development and involvement in the church and its mission in the world

Course Units

Unit 1: Paul and the Corinthians: A Realistic Look at Ministry
Unit 2: Developing a "Realistic" Perspective of Ministry
Unit 3: Evaluating Methods, Motives and Expectations for Ministry
Unit 4: Handling Conflicts, Personal Attacks and Fears with Integrity
Unit 5: Assessing Your Ministry:  Commitments and Strategies

Cost of materials is $65

The Character of a Leader

Course Objective

The overall objective of this course is to understand the biblical idea of qualified leadership and to determine the fundamental biblical guidelines for character formation in leaders and the household of God. Specifically, this means that each person studying the course would:

• develop a conviction as to the reason for and the benefit of mature character as motivation for pursuing these character qualities personally, as a family, and as a church;
• gain a clear understanding into the chracter qualities required of mature leaders and of mature men and women within the church, and how these qualities relate to the roles and functions of men and women within the church;
• perform personal evaluations and design plans for developing and/or strengthening character qualities that would enhance overall growth and character development;
• be able to help other leaders and/or members of the church design a plan for long-term spiritual growth and character development as they pursue their responsibilities within the church community.

Course Units

Unit 1:   The Battle
Unit 2:   Character of Leaders
Unit 3:   Character of the Rest of God's Household
Unit 4:   Discipline for the Purpose of Godliness
Unit 5:   Urging Others Toward Godliness