The Spiritual Gifts Program is a one-year program that is designed to meet the ministry needs of the local church by empowering its believers to identify, develop, and strengthen their God-given gifts within the ministry. The program aims to help the local church achieve widespread participation in ministry through operation and use of the various spiritual gifts “for the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Eph. 4:12

The Spiritual Gifts program has two components. The first component consists of four months of classroom instruction in foundation courses, after which students will complete the second component consisting of up to eight months of hands-on application of their spiritual gift(s). During this latter phase, students will learn to perfect their gifts by actually doing them. Students will be able to enroll in one of two tracks, each track consisting of different spiritual gifts.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS PROGRAM COURSES
Foundation Courses

1. Introduction to the Old and New Testaments – This course will introduce students to the history and messages of the Old and New Testaments and will consider the Bible’s impact on our society and on people of other cultures.
2. Understanding Spiritual Gifts – This course defines and provides a general understanding of spiritual gifts, answers frequent questions about the gifts, and offers insight into how the gifts operated in biblical times and how they are in operation today.
3. Church History – This course offers an overview of the historical development and advancement of Christianity from the time of Jesus Christ to present day, and examines the influence on the church of times, cultures, and events.

Track One

1. Empowering the Local Church Through Service-Oriented Gifts - This course emphasizes the God-given, service-oriented gifts and examines why these gifts to the body of Christ are necessary. Students will study the many forms of these “action,” or hands-on service gifts, including, but not limited to, giving, helps, hospitality, mercy, and service. Students will learn the distinct orientation and goal of the gifts as they apply them in the local church and the community.
2. The Gifts of Exhortation and Intercessory Prayer – This course focuses on the special abilities God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to minister words of comfort, consolation, counsel, and prayer to members of the body.
3. Rotating Seminar Series – The rotating seminar series will focus on a variety of spiritual gifts not covered in another Track One course. The gift emphasized in the rotating seminar series will change annually but will begin with the Gift of Praise and Worship.