Curriculum

Introduction

This curriculum has been created for Training Leaders International (TLI) short-term trips and is intended for pastors and church leaders who hold positions in their own churches. It is primarily for pastors with limited theological training or for trained pastors who want to continue to upgrade their training. Many pastors are not well equipped for the work of ministry, and this curriculum is designed to meet that need. The TLI curriculum has four options, designed for three or four years (depending on the needs of the specific location), meeting three times a year for five days.

Accessible

Our curriculum is mobile, and allows us to take biblical and theological training to students where they are. Instead of pastors going to a school for training, we are bringing the school to the pastors. They will receive theological training without being required to leave their ministry setting. This model allows us to provide structured and systematic training to pastors, without much interruption to their routine of ministry.

Multiplication

It is the duty of the pastor to be equipped in order to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph 4:11-12). This curriculum seeks to prepare national leaders to reach their calling of preaching and teaching. Our goal is to practice 2 Timothy 2:2 where Paul says, “…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This curriculum targets groups of people (pastors and church leaders) already holding positions in their churches. We teach them so that they will turn around and teach others. As the students teach what they have learned, there is multiplication and solidification of the material in their own hearts. We teach a few who will in turn teach hundreds.

 Modular

We take a modular approach in our training of leaders. Generally, each workshop is taught for one week (5 days). This is an effective length of time for each workshop and it allows pastors to take the courses without being away from their churches on weekends. We will normally begin on Monday and end on Friday.

In the process of teaching our curriculum, pastors and church leaders will come together for intensive study of selected portions of the word of God. They will be taught skills for interpreting the Bible, hear examples of expository sermons, and prepare and preach sermons based on what they have learned and observed. They will be given feedback on their own preaching to help them know what they are doing right and what they need to work on. Over a period of three to four years, meeting three times a year, the learners will have gained enough knowledge and done enough practice to be able to more accurately interpret, preach and teach the Word of God. They will also be able to use what they have learned to train others.

Through out the duration of our curriculum, the learners will be helped to gain a better grasp of God’s word by being able to better observe, interpret and apply the Bible in their particular culture. There will also be a focus on their ability to communicate the word of God. They will learn how to more effectively take a text, develop it into a sermon, and communicate it in a way that is easily understood.

Structure

The TLI curriculum is structured in the following purposeful manner: core courses (composed of foundational courses and books of the Bible), and electives. The three foundational courses are Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology, and Attributes of God. Hermeneutics puts in place interpretive principles with a greater focus on the practice of observation, interpretation, and application; Biblical Theology helps the learners grasp the broader context of the Bible and how the whole Bible fits together. Attributes of God provides the opportunity to dig deep into God’s attributes and how he relates to us. After the foundational courses, the rest of the core courses are books of the Bible. The goal of book studies is to help the students interpret passages in context (historical and literary) as well as be able to prepare and preach expository sermons, making use of what they were taught in the first three foundational courses. 

Group Size

 The curriculum is designed for small groups of 12-15 people. TLI normally sends anywhere from 3-6 teachers to each location with each teacher teaching a group of 12-15 students. We want to encourage a teaching atmosphere where sharing and interaction is part of the process. Our teachers, in addition to teaching, will also be mentoring the students and helping them process the material. A group of 12-15 students will mean a more personal involvement with the students by the teacher.

Core Courses and Electives

TLI curriculum consists of core courses and electives. The core courses are those that make up the main frame of our curriculum. Electives are courses designed to supplement core courses. TLI will provide teachers for the core courses and the elective courses will be taught either by TLI teachers or qualified missionaries and pastors in each location. In locations where core courses and electives are taught, core courses will be taught in the morning and electives in the afternoon (except in options 1 and 3 (see below), where classes will be held in the evening.)

Bible Books Courses

Our approach in teaching books of the Bible is fourfold:

Overview

Each book study will have a minimum of 2 lectures on the content of the book. This lecture will address issues of historical and literary contexts of the particular book, the overall structure of the book, the message/theology of the particular book, and how it fits in God’s redemptive history. The reason for this is to make the students familiar with the book before delving into exegesis and preaching. We want them to see each porting in light of the whole book.

Set an Example

In this part of the workshop, we model expository preaching and teaching. In expository preaching, we ask three questions: (1) what did this passage mean to the original readers? (2) Given the differences in contexts (our own and that of the Bible), what are theological principles in the text that transcend cultures? (3) In light of the theological principles, how can the meaning of the passage be applied today? Students see these questions answered as the teacher demonstrates how to take a text and build an expository sermon.

Query the Text

In this section, we review hermeneutical principles (from the Hermeneutics course) and help the learners practice using them. The goal is to equip the learners so that they can discover the meaning of a passage for themselves and to explain it clearly to others. They will apply what they learned in Biblical theology to answer the question, “How does this passage relate to the rest of Scripture?” The course on Attributes of God will have prepared them to discover what the passage says about God.

Application

 The purpose of this part of the workshop is for students to apply what they observed in the demonstration of expository preaching, and use hermeneutical principles to prepare and preach expository messages. They will preach and receive feedback from their peers. We want to see the learners doing with effectiveness when they are done with the curriculum. Attention will be given to how the students make use of Hermeneutics, Biblical Theology, and Attributes of God courses in preparing messages. Are they able to properly interpret the passage? Are they able to connect the text with the overall message of Bible? Can they help people see more of who God is shown to be in that passage

Purpose

Our purpose in developing and using this curriculum is to develop national leadership for churches overseas, by providing them with a well-grounded theological curriculum. We want to make theological education accessible to people who desire theological training but cannot afford it. We want to see the national church leaders prepared and able to preach the Word of God with more accuracy, teach and preach the whole counsel of God, and train others how to preach and teach the Word of God. This will prepare the church to reach the unreached nations of their own countries. With this curriculum, pastors will be given the tools they need for proper Bible interpretation and for preaching and teaching. In brief, our purpose is to train trainers in accordance with 2 Timothy 2:2.

TLI Curriculum

Our curriculum consists of four training options. Each option and the courses taught in it are listed below.

Option One

Three years, three times a year, five days, three to four hours, evening classes. No electives.

Option Two

Three years, three times a year, five days, 6-8 hours a day. Includes electives.

 
Option Three

 Four years, three times a year, five days, 3-4, evening classes. No electives. 

Option Four

Four years, three times a year, five days, six to eight hours a day. Includes electives.