New Life Bible Institute

New Member Orientation (PR100), which is required before a new member can become actively involved in ministry, is designed to help each new member become fully acclimated to the life of their new church home.  The goal of New Member Orientation is to assist each new member to:

• Become familiar with the doctrine of New Life Church, its vision, mission and its organizational structure.
• Understand and accept the privileges and responsibilities of being a member of the Body of Christ,
• Go beyond church membership by becoming disciples who actively participate in ministry and in the life of the church, using their spiritual gifts and talents.

The New Life Bible Institute offers courses for new and mature believers to deepen their understanding of God, the Scriptures, and discipleship. NLBI courses are structured with a standard syllabus, follow a prescribed curriculum and use required texts and selected readings. Participants engage in interactive class discussions as well as complete required assignments.

Recognizing that believers are at different levels in their spiritual development and may therefore have unique needs, NLBI provides three categories of courses:

1.  Theological Courses- Theological (TH) courses are designed for mature believers who are seeking an in-depth understanding of God and the Holy Scriptures.
2. Spiritual Formation Courses- Spiritual Formation (SF) courses focus primarily on helping believers develop and grow spiritually.
3.  Practical Courses- Practical (PR) courses focus primarily on helping believers apply spiritual principles to daily living.

New Life is a church where members are challenged to actively live out their faith and spread that faith to others. Through more than 40 ministries, we provide quality and effective ministry services to the members of New Life Church and those in the surrounding community.

To ensure that each ministry at New Life is led by a mature believer who is ready to equip God’s people for growth, New Life provides a number of comprehensive training programs.

Ministers in Training

 The Ministers in Training (MIT) program is an invitation only course taught by Pastor Harris intended to primarily educate and prepare a minister to serve at New Life Church, and more broadly, to provide formalized biblical, theological, hermeneutical, and homiletical training to enhance the ministry of the minister. Course subjects include the discussion of “the call” to ministry, and how it should be developed and executed. Each minister is exposed to the technical disciplines of biblical hermeneutics and exegesis and encouraged to utilize them in personal study. The art of expositional preaching is taught in order to relay general practices for making sermons applicable to daily living. Lastly, ministers are instructed on proper etiquette and behavior, as expected from a minister at New Life Church.

Prepare to Lead

New Life has over 40 ministries where members are able to serve and work to achieve the mission of the church. The goal of Prepare to Lead is to promote excellence in ministry leadership. To that end, PtL targets two groups: 1) ministry leaders and 2) ministry leaders in training. The content of PtL focuses on three critical requirements for church leadership: 1) being called by God, 2) demonstrating Christ-like character, and 3) developing the knowledge, skills and competencies needed for church leadership.

PtL is designed specifically for ministry leaders and participation is not open to the general membership. Participants in PtL are selected by the Director of Ministries and are required to complete TR405 (Prepare to Lead). This course consists of nine, three-hour sessions spread over a period of six weeks. The content of the course focuses on 1) the importance of being authentic servant leaders, 2) the difference between leadership and management, 3) how to facilitate change, 4) how to manage people effectively, 5) how to communicate effectively, and 6) how to organize and plan events. Students explore these topics through assigned readings, in-class discussions, written assignments, and activities.

Teacher Training

 To ensure that New Life’s Christian Education Program is delivered by a cadre of mature believers, New Life provides a comprehensive Teacher Training Program. This program currently consists of two courses, Basic Teacher Training (TR410-A) and Advanced Teacher Training (TR410-B). To be eligible for enrollment in New Life’s Teacher Training Program, students must 1) be members of New Life Church, 2) possess the spiritual gift of teaching, and 3) fully embrace New Life’s vision, mission, core values, and statement of faith. Led by the Holy Spirit, NLBI teachers regard and use the Word of God as the absolute and final authority for instruction. Our teachers also understand that teaching is not just about imparting knowledge; it is also about living out the spiritual truths imparted.

Basic Teacher Training

 Basic Teacher Training (BTT) is a ten-week course that provides prospective teachers who possess the spiritual gift of teaching with a basic understanding of the philosophy of education and trains them in the importance of effective teaching strategies. Using Jesus as the example of a model teacher, students learn how to plan, present, and evaluate effective lessons.

 Advanced Teacher Training

 The second course in New Life’s Teacher Training Program is Advanced Teacher Training (ATT). This eight-week practicum provides students the opportunity to prepare and present lessons effectively. Under the mentorship and supervision of experienced teachers at New Life, students practice teaching in selected classrooms.

The reach of NLBI also extends to the teaching ministries of New Life Church, and often provides specialized training courses for teachers appropriate to their specific ministry. These specialized courses include, but are not limited to Toddler Town, Kidz Citi, and LifeGroups.