AIM Distance Education Courses: Courses

Preaching is far, far more than constructing a three-point message, and a sermon is so much more than anecdotes, stories, and personal sharing. Expository sermons have punch and the full authority of the word of God. Without careful exposition, sermons are easily forgotten by the congregation; the preacher does not cause the word of Christ to dwell richly in the congregation (Colossians 3:16). Robinson, Stott, Goldsworthy, and Edwards (through their books) will be some of our instructors. Indeed, biblical preaching has a powerful impact (Matthew 7:28-29)!

The goal: to learn the expository method of how to teach the scriptures, moving from the typical approach to embracing the historical critical method.

What many of us were never taught… Exegesis and hermeneutics—interpreting what a N.T. passage meant to those to whom it was written, and making a proper application to our situation today—are vital areas of theological training. There are units on exegesis of the Synoptic Gospels, Parables, Acts, Epistles, Revelation, and more. 20 useful passages and several books will be studied, including Gordon Fee’s How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth.

The goal: to overhaul how the scriptures are explored (respecting context) and learning how to read the NT genre by genre.

Major denominational doctrines will be examined—Catholicism, Calvinism, premillennialism, evangelicalism, and different views on baptism, for example—as well as such sects as Mormonism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Further, the major world religions will be introduced: Islam (900 million adherents), Hinduism (800 million adherents), Buddhism (300 million adherents)—so much of the world is living in darkness and clinging to error. As Jonah lamented, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

A serious look at the major religions of the world, including their scriptures.

40 useful Bible passages will be learned.

Field trip: visit to Mosque / Temple.

Goal: To learn the importance of worldview apologetics in “pre-evangelism,” and begin to implement new strategies for connecting with outsiders.

According to 1 Timothy 3, how we build our own family is how we tend to build the church family. This course covers everything the Bible teaches about parenting, marriage, and family. How to keep our priorities straight despite the heavy pressures of ministry. A vital subject—and one we ignore at our peril. Goal: to ensure that family focus receives the priority it must have if leaders are to build healthy churches.

Christian Counseling is a much neglected discipline. And yet everyone looks to church leaders for guidance and counsel. This means that the leader must be well equipped and prudent —especially in this day and age. Study the classical personality types (choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic). Also learn the ABCs of pastoral counseling—when to advise and when to refer, working with professionals when necessary. Learn about Family Systems and other invaluable approaches. This short course aims to equip us to equip the body of Christ
to be “competent to counsel.” When is a condition a medical matter, and when is the issue “unrepented sin”? Should we ever advise church members to come off their medication?

What should we do when the thin line between responsibility and victimization seems tenuous at best? Learn from Drs. Mike and Mary Shapiro, clinical psychologists with extensive experience in counseling and forensic psychology. Counseling is not an option; it is a crucial area of ministerial training. The goal: to come to view persons, in the context of counseling and evangelism, as whole persons—spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

As one wise person said, “Those who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat them.” There is so much to learn from two millennia of church history—a valuable course indeed. Includes sections on the early church, Patristics, Restoration Movement, Crossroads/Campus Ministry, ICOC, and more. 20 church history dates will be learned.

The goal: To develop a broad grasp of church history century by century, as well as understanding the Restoration Movement and its children, including the Crossroads and Boston movements.