Programs

Foundational Year for the Track II Degree Programs

SBC’s one-year leadership program results in a Certificate of Biblical Studies. This track is designed to provide a solid foundation of Biblical, theological and applied ministry studies.
It is designed for those who want to immerse themselves in the focused study of God and His Word and want to give a year of their lives in determined pursuit of God—learning His Word, understanding His ways and experiencing His power.
During this year of foundational studies the student will focus on significant Bible exploration, and will discover the key features of spiritual giftedness and evangelism, be introduced to the heartbeat of God for world missions, and engage with the cardinal doctrines of the faith.
Students will also be motivated in Christian service and worship as they explore an overview of the Word of God, the ways of God and the Work of God, in and through the power of God.
During this year students will engage in the following areas of study with the following approximate minimum credit values:
 
Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

24 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

24 credits

Optional Foundational Year for the Track II Degree Programs

The successful completion of SBC’s one-year Supernatural School track results in a Certificate of Supernatural Discipleship. The vision of this program includes an emphasis in hands-on skills development, in addition to the Biblical foundation provided. A one-year commitment to the program is expected.
The supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are emphasized and practiced. Graduates are ready to be released for effective and empowered, transformational ministry in any arena of life. The goal is to raise up a community of world-changers who love Jesus, know how to take risks for the Gospel and are passionate to impact their generation.
In summary, the objectives for the Sonrise Supernatural School track are accomplished through: Biblical dynamics, character development, discipleship training, leadership skills, global vision, supernatural ministry, practical hands-on service, and relationship-building and mentoring.
The successful completion of the Sonrise Supernatural School program option provides the student with the basis to continue studies toward the pursuit of a Bible/Ministry degree at SBC.
During this year students will engage in the following areas of study with the following approximate minimum credit values:
 
Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

24 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

24 credits

Two-Year Degree Program

Providing the first half of the Bachelor of Practical Theology Degree Program SBC’s two-year program continues the direction of and builds upon the first year with more in-depth classes to provide students with two years of intense saturation in Bible along with rich studies in theology and global outreach. The second year also adds valuable emphasis in the areas of practical theology and leadership studies.

The ABS program provides the learner with significant opportunities to pursue God, His Word and His ways over a two-year period of dynamic engagement with Him. (The two-year ABS program comprises the first two years of the Bachelor of Practical Theology degree.)

Students, during their second year, will typically be offered studies with the approximate credit values:
Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

20 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

28 credits
Two-year totals 

Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

44 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

52 credits

Two-Year Transfer Degree Program

The Bachelor of Biblical Studies is the degree program designed for those students who come to SBC with a significant amount of qualifying academic transfer credit from an approved educational institution. For instance, if a matriculating student has earned an approved A.A. degree (or equivalent), that student may build the previous studies component into a bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies in as little as two additional years of study. It offers the same type of foundation of dynamic engagement with the Lord and His Word as does the ABS, but strategically combines those emphases with the accumulated educational background to create a unique convergence of disciplines.
Note: A Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree may also be earned by those transferring in substantial credits under the provisions of previous SBTS/SBC catalogs. In any case the minimum two-year program requirements listed below must be met. The BBS is excellent life preparation for those wanting to effectively live out Christ’s life in their homes, communities and in the marketplace.
As in the ABS degree program, the two-year transfer degree program provides students with courses in the following areas:

Two-year SBC totals

Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

44 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

52 credits

Including the transfer credits, the Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree requires a minimum of 186 total credits.

The Bachelor of Practical Theology degree program provides intensive studies in Bible and theology with an emphasis on the functional use and practical application of those truths. In general, these emphases are known as practical theology. The general provisions of the BPT as prescribed below provide the four-year student within essence, a double major—first in Biblical studies (the combination of Bible and Theology) then a second major in either Leadership Studies or Global Outreach. The intent of this degree is to provide focused professional training for vocational Christian service at home and abroad. In four years, the BPT provides minimum course work in the following areas:

Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

80 credits

Practical Theology/Leadership Studies, Global Outreach, General Studies

72 credits

Second major—completion credit requirements
▪ Global Outreach Major – 21 additional GO credits
▪ Leadership Studies Major – 18 additional PT/LS/GS credits
▪ Additional elective credits from BI/TH/PT/LS/GO/GS courses – 13 credits for the Global Outreach Major and 16 credits for the Leadership Studies Major.
▪ Internship or academic credits in the field of the second major – 6.
Leadership Studies Major

This concentration provides specialized, professional studies for the vocational leader in the setting of the local church or other Christian ministry endeavor. The Leadership Studies major is designed to provide dynamic, effective and spiritually sensitive training of the student interested in local church vocational ministries. Students will gain skills in practical theology and leadership such as disciple-making, preaching, teaching, counseling, admin-istration and leadership development.
SBC utilizes adjunct faculty who are vitally involved in productive Christian ministries and local churches to teach courses on church leadership and other practical theology courses. The student receives not only high quality academic impartation, but also experiences practical, beneficial and life- changing examples and role models in their teachers. SBC faculty members embrace and model what they teach. This is key to strategic practical theology and leadership training for 21st century Christian leadership development.
Courses designated as Practical Theology (PT) and Leadership Studies (LS) provide the basis for the concentration in Leadership Studies. All Track I students pursuing the Leadership Studies major must fulfill a practicum internship course relating to a church ministry or other vocational ministry field.
Global Outreach Major

This major provides specialized, professional studies for the vocational Christian worker primarily involved in cross-cultural evangelism, outreach and other ministry, either locally or globally. Designed to equip the student for effective, world¬wide harvest ministry, the student will be challenged and equipped theologically, biblically, philosophically and practically in the area of cross-cultural outreach and disciple-making. As is also true for the major in Leadership Studies, instructors with significant missions background and experience are involved in teaching courses in this field to maximize the student’s learning experience.
The Global Outreach major provides a variety of courses to help the student develop fundamental knowledge and skills for cross-cultural ministry. Courses in this major will expose the student to biblical and contemporary models for global disciple-making strategies. Emphasis is placed upon understanding the dynamic of communicating the Gospel cross-culturally.
Global Outreach students will also gain skills from practical application emphases in areas such as discipling, teaching, preaching, counseling, administration and leadership development.
Program courses for Global Outreach major are indicated in the catalog by the designation “GO”. All Track I students with this major must fulfill a practicum internship course related to a related ministry field. They will also be encouraged to take advantage of short-term cross-cultural opportunities for additional growth and development.

Prior Learning Experience Degree Program

Seattle Bible College is committed to doing its part to help produce healthy and successful synthesis of the academic, the experiential and the vocational to maximize effective Christian leadership development.
One way in which SBC encourages the desired synergism is by offering Prior Learning credit. The Bachelor of Applied Ministry degree provides an opportunity for students with significant and verifiable prior experiential learning and/or acquired vocational skills to have some or all of that life learning experience recognized and applied toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree, under the parameters of the Prior Learning policies and procedures. (A maximum of 63 quarter credits may be granted towards a Bachelor of Applied Ministry degree program under the PL 500 Credit for Prior Learning Experience designation.) Applicable learning and vocational training experience is not limited to but includes ministries such as approved intensive, discipleship and mentoring, and leadership development programs similar to “Master’s Commission.”
Fundamentally, this “applied” ministry degree intentionally combines SBC’s Bible-based academics—which some would term the theoretical, philosophical and theological nature of a Bible college—with a significant amount of “applied” knowledge gained by substantial experience in the field of ministry-related activity and productivity. (Some might term this type of experience as “immersion” training.)
A qualifying student matriculating into the Bachelor of Applied Ministry program will be advised as to which academic courses will best complement his/her experiential learning and/or vocational skill development, as well as meet the various academic field designation goals established in this catalog. This bachelor’s degree requires a total of 198 credits (in addition to applicable chapel credits) and also falls under the SBC academic transfer policies. SBC Internship requirements for Track I students apply as well.
Because SBC bachelor level degrees require at least one academic year (with a minimum of 45 quarter credits) to be completed with Seattle Bible College, the minimum Biblical Studies (BI and TH) component credits required for SBC’s one-year program must be met in the Bachelor of Applied Ministry program. These minimum requirements are as follows:

Biblical Studies (including Bible & Theology)

24 credits

The remaining 168 credits out of the 192 required for this Bachelor’s degree will be divided between the course designations listed below. This will be based upon each student’s Prior Learning evaluation (see below) as well as using the normative program expectations of the Bachelor of Practical Theology degree (exclusive of the concentration/major requirements) as a foundational guideline. In other words, these will be divided proportionally based on the standards of the Bachelor of Practical Theology degree program.
▪ Practical Theology/Leadership Studies
▪ Global Outreach
▪ General Studies
▪ Practical Ministry
For those B.App.M. students who must complete more than the minimum 48 credits to earn their degree, additional Biblical Studies component credits will also be required based on the normative program proportional expectations of the Bachelor of Practical Theology degree program, exclusive of the concentration/major requirements.
The student’s application materials for recognition of Prior Learning (PL) component credits, which are a fundamental part of this degree program, will be evaluated before the student begins classes at SBC. The qualifying student’s advanced standing will considered when course advisement is given. An individual course of study plan will be developed to enable the student to complete his/her studies at SBC in a timely manner. Every student’s requirements will not be the same because of the unique background of previous experience and learning that each B.App.M. student will possess. The student’s The PL credits will be formally applied and posted to the student’s transcript during the student’s final year at SBC prior to graduation.

Advancing Christian leaders to the next level

Cross-National Graduate School of Leadership is designed with the ministry practitioner in mind. CGSL connects students with a vision for their future together with experienced leaders with a passion for the Word, the Spirit and for equipping local and global change-agents.

CGSL offers a modular-intensive course format that is convenient for both the active student and the instructor who may be only available for days, not weeks at a time.
CGSL will cost you. While this graduate studies program is convenient and affordable, it is neither designed to be easy or gratis. There will be a significant investment of time and energy as well as a financial commitment on the part of the student. I believe it will be a worthwhile exchange.
Don’t settle for the status quo or for training that will not take you where God wants you to go. Take the challenge. Make the move in the right direction. Take the next step-step out in faith. Count the cost, and consider the rewards. He is faithful.

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Cor. 9:8 NKJV

Why CGSL?

• Biblically based.

• Theologically sound, with an emphasis in applied biblical theology.

• Evangelically centered.

• “Renewalist” in theology and practice (a composite term of both the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements). A student should expect his/her learning environment to be infused with “renewalist” foundations and emphases.

• Experienced and academically trained professors who are committed to excellence in dynamic impartation and hands-on integration.

• “Cross-National” in global perspective and cross-cultural dynamics, with a distinctive international flavor of both staff and students, training for local and intercontinental application.

• Convenient modular/intensive formats of 3 – 4 days of classroom instruction, designed for Christian leaders in ministry.

• Birthed out of an established undergraduate school in its sixth decade of developing Christian leaders for worldwide ministry.

Program Objectives for our Students

• Greater knowledge of and love for the Lord Jesus.

• Greater understanding of the Word of God.

• Greater relationship with the Holy Spirit.

• Greater humble obedience to the plans and purposes of the Father.

• Greater ability to “rightly divide” and apply the Word of truth.

• Greater level of a lifestyle of holiness and consecration.

• Greater empowerment and enablement to do the “greater works.”

• Greater acquisition of leadership tools.

• Greater skill development for practical effectiveness in local and international ministry.

• Greater ability to lead with the heart of a servant.

Purpose and Design

The Master of Renewal Servant-Leadership is a specialized ministry degree program created with purpose to equip servant-leaders for competent and effective practical global ministry that is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

• The program is committed to relate the unchanging principles of the Word of God with relevancy to people in today’s complex societies.

• The program focuses on building practical ministry acumen and ability that can be immediately applied to the student’s current spheres of influence.

• The program is centered on sound biblical and theological moorings within a “renewalist” environment that emphasizes the contemporary necessity for the presence, power and enablement of the Holy Spirit.

• The program requires the completion of a minimum of 54 quarter-hour credits that includes a culminating 6-credit integrative leadership project that applies acquired theory and academic knowledge to a specific ministry research setting.

• The program allows the student flexibility to pursue program offerings that provide the focus, specialized skills and preparation necessary for his/her particular calling.

• This ministry leadership program is designed for the Bible college or Christian college graduate. It values and takes into consideration the foundation of undergraduate biblical, theological and ministry leadership studies.

• A minimum prerequisite of 24 academic quarter-hour credits in biblical and theological studies is required for earning this biblically based, ministry-focused master’s degree. Any student otherwise qualifying for admission, who does not possess this minimum 24-credit requirement, may consider earning such qualifying credits through the undergraduate Biblical Studies program at Seattle Bible College or through 16 additional biblical and theological credits at Cross-National Graduate School of Leadership.

• Most courses are offered in convenient 4-credit modular-intensive formats, meeting over a three to four-day period—with the active ministry leader in mind.

The 54-credit hour program will embrace the following areas of learning:

Biblical, Theological studies – 12 – 16 credits (RBL)

Ministry, Practical Theology, Historical, Leadership Studies – 32 – 36 credits (RML)

Capstone Integrative Leadership Project – 6 credits This concluding research and application project relates acquired theory and academic knowledge to a specific ministry context.

CGSL courses are numbered as 600-series courses. Courses with dual number designations are offered for both undergraduate and graduate students with significantly higher expectations from the graduate level students. The Capstone Integrative Leadership Project is designated as either RBL 700 or RML 700.

RBL (Renewal Biblical Leadership) – Biblical, Theological Studies
RML (Renewal Ministry Leadership) – Ministry, Practical Theology, Historical, Leadership Studies

Graduate-level Certificate Option

The Graduate Certificate in Renewal Servant-Leadership is comprised of one-half of the required course credits of the Master of Renewal Servant-Leadership Degree (exclusive of the Capstone Integrative Leadership Project required of the Master degree-seeking student). It is offered to students who desire to complete an introduction to graduate study, but who may not wish to complete a graduate degree.

A qualifying student with the required undergraduate prerequisites of 24 academic credits in biblical and theological studies, may apply to receive the Graduate Certificate in Renewal Servant-Leadership (G.C.R.L.) after completing a minimum 24 academic credits in the M.R.L. program.

Any student otherwise qualifying for admission, who does not possess this minimum 24-credit requirement, may consider earning such qualifying credits through the undergraduate Biblical Studies program at Seattle Bible College or through 16 additional biblical and theological credits at Cross- National Graduate School of Leadership.

A minimum of 4 – 8 RBL credits must be completed in addition to 16 – 20 RML credits to qualify. If desired, the credits earned may be later applied toward the Master of Renewal Leadership degree program.

• Because the program allows the student flexibility to pursue program offerings that provide the focus, specialized skills and preparation necessary for his/her particular calling, the student may select (with administrative approval) from the same offering of courses as does the Graduate Degree student.

Program Particulars

ADMISSIONS

Graduate program applicants normally must have a baccalaureate degree (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution of higher learning. Applicants should have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.67 on a 4.0 scale.

A minimum prerequisite of 24 academic quarter-hour credits in biblical and theological studies is required for earning the Master of Renewal Servant-Leadership degree or the Graduate Certificate in Renewal Servant-Leadership. Any student otherwise qualifying for admission, who does not possess this minimum 24-credit requirement, may consider earning such qualifying credits through the undergraduate Biblical Studies program at Seattle Bible College or through 16 additional biblical and theological credits at Cross-National Graduate School of Leadership. In any case, the prerequisite credits must be earned by no later than the other requirements for graduation from CGSL.

Admission to CGSL depends on factors beyond the applicant’s previous academic history. Acceptance into a program of intensive Christian leadership study involves qualities of the whole person. Therefore, CGSL seeks students who are committed to Christ and who desire to live their lives consistent with the teachings of Scripture. It is expected that such students will be emotionally suited for Christian service, intellectually capable of rigorous academic discipline, sensitive to the needs of the total community, able to demonstrate personal integrity, and willing to grow spiritually as well as develop in leadership capability.

CGSL reserves the right to draw conclusions regarding the Christian profession of all applicants. The School also reserves the right to deny admission to any individual with a theological position or personal life-style not in accordance with biblical and ethical standards established and determined by the Word of God. The final authority for the definition of biblical and ethical matters lies with the CGSL leadership. All applicants must read, respect, and uphold the basic doctrinal statement and code of conduct of Seattle Bible College, Inc. Additionally, a CGSL student may expect to be asked to provide ongoing accounts of ministry involvement and leadership activities during the student’s course of study.