ASOM Course Description
The Arise School of Ministry focuses on three major areas: Biblical understanding, Ministerial leadership and Theological knowledge to help men and women to discover, cultivate and empower them to be great Christian leaders. The courses offered at ASOM are:
Bible Courses (10):
BIB 114 Christ in the Synoptic Gospels – An introductory study of our Lord’s life and times according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It examines the historical setting, His life between the Annunciation and the Ascension, and His message and method, including His parables and miracles. Organized around three themes—(1) the world, (2) the Man, and (3) the message—this introduction helps to fuse our understanding of His life and work with our commitment to live by the values He taught and demonstrated.
BIB 115 Acts The Holy Spirit at Work in Believer – A thorough study of the content, purposes, principles, and applications of Acts. The course emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in the early church and today. Attention is given to the geographical, numerical, cultural, and theological growth of the church from Jerusalem to Rome. The journeys of Paul are examined as the background for his epistles.
BIB 117 Prison Epistles – A practical study of the principles Paul wrote to the churches during his imprisonment. The concepts are presented in language that is easy to understand with explanations, illustrations, and applications that make the concepts helpful to students in both their personal lives and ministries.
BIB 121 Introduction to Hermeneutics: How to Interpret the Bible – An introductory course on the principles for interpreting Scripture. It summarizes the need for hermeneutical principles and explores the qualifications, tools, and goals of a biblical interpreter. This is followed by a historical survey of hermeneutics from early Jewish interpreters to the present. The course includes a unit on the general and specific principles for interpreting the Bible, a unit on genres, and a unit on applying the principles. Students develop skills by practicing the principles in the provided exercises.
BIB 212 New Testament Survey – A survey course giving the student background for understanding, teaching, and applying the principles of the New Testament. Key facts from each book of the New Testament are highlighted in a manner that can be used in preaching and teaching.
BIB 214 Old Testament Survey – A practical approach to the Old Testament that gives students material they can use in teaching and preaching. It covers significant details from every book in the Old Testament in an inspirational yet informative manner.
BIB 215 Romans: Justification by Faith – An in-depth study of the book of Romans. It focuses on Paul’s systematic explanation of the gospel to the Romans and offers insight into the doctrines of sin, salvation, and sanctification. Students will learn how union with Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit leads to spiritual growth.
BIB 313 Corinthian Correspondence – A study of 1 and 2 Corinthians, providing the student with truths for teaching and preaching as well as practical assistance in dealing with the issues facing today’s church. The student will learn how Paul instructed the Corinthians to deal with division and difficulty. By applying these same principles, the student will be prepared to deal with the challenges of ministry in the twenty-first century.
BIB 318 Pentateuch – A study of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with a practical approach that will provide preaching and teaching material. The Pentateuch forms the foundation on which the New Testament covenant is based and is an important study for anyone desiring to understand the entire Bible more completely.
BIB 322 Poetic Books – A study of the five books of poetry or wisdom: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. These books cover issues like suffering, parenting, and the fear of the Lord, teaching us how to live. The course is designed to help the student in his or her own walk with God and in ministering to others who need instruction.
Ministerial Courses (13):
MIN 123 The Local Church in Evangelism – The local church is the provenance of evangelism for reaching its community and the world. After a foundational, biblical theology of the Great Commission and the Holy Spirit’s role in evangelism, this course proposes a comprehensive and integrated approach to evangelism in the local church that avoids over compartmentalizing evangelism and discipleship. It focuses on a variety of evangelism methods, the evangelistic purpose of an organized fellowship of churches, and pastoral leadership in evangelism. The largest portion of the course is devoted to the evangelistic responsibility of all believers and practical biblical instruction about effective personal evangelism.
MIN 171 A Spirit Empowered Church – A biblical, comprehensive, and strategic plan requires the empowerment of the Spirit to produce spiritual fruit and a flourishing church. The strategic plan is based on Acts 2 and focuses on developing Spirit-empowered disciples who will be involved in the five functions found there: connect, grow, serve, go, and worship. Assessment tools are used to identify areas where changes are needed, and the strategic plan is used to focus on God’s vision for each local church.
MIN 181 Relationships and Ethics in Ministry – A biblical approach to the relationships that are important to the minister, both personally and professionally. It looks at temperament theory and its relevance to human relations. This course examines relationships and ethics in view of the minister’s personal growth, ministry challenges, people in the community, and other ministers.
MIN 191 Beginning Ministerial Internship – The first of three internships to be developed for the Ministerial Studies Diploma. Each internship requires the student to work with a local pastor to gain hands-on experience in various ministry activities. This course discusses the importance of a good attitude in ministry as well as many functions of ministry such as weddings and funerals. It also emphasizes servant leadership and the minister’s devotional life.
MIN 223 Introduction to Homiletics – A basic study of the principles of Christian preaching. The course emphasizes biblical exposition and covers practical matters such as the preparation of sermons, sources of materials, construction of sermon components, variety of sermon types, and delivery of sermons.
MIN 251 Effective Leadership – A biblical approach to the principles of leadership. This course applies those principles in the church setting, giving the student the practical skills needed to serve in a leadership role in the local church.
MIN 261 – Introduction to Assemblies of God Missions – An introductory course in the science of missions. It is a survey of the theology, history, and methods of Christian missions in general and within the Assemblies of God in particular. There is a special emphasis on recent developments, crucial issues, current trends, and missions as they are carried out through national and local churches.
MIN 281 Conflict Management for Church Leaders – A biblical approach to conflict resolution. This course offers a scriptural way to deal with the inevitable occasions when conflict arises, particularly in a church setting. It offers practical principles for resolving the conflict in a manner that is pleasing to God.
MIN 291 Intermediate Ministerial Internship – The second of three required internships for the Ministerial Studies Diploma. This course helps the student develop the right attitude for ministry. It examines characteristics to be avoided and tests to be passed in the life of a minister. It further focuses on public aspects of ministry, such as teaching, preaching, and leading meetings. The personal life of the minister, including time management and personal health, is also discussed.
MIN 325 Preaching in the Contemporary World – The purpose of this course is to help preachers present life-changing messages that connect with the world around them. The course focuses on presenting messages that are true, clear, interesting, and relevant. Students are challenged to present messages that are true to the intent and power of Scripture. The course also examines the postmodern culture and offers help in making messages relevant to the needs and concerns of this audience.
MIN 327 Church Administration, Finance, and Law – An introductory study of many principles, procedures, and techniques used in today’s business world as they apply to the local church and its leadership. Attention is given to organizing and staffing functions of the church, practical methods of raising money for the church’s expenses, keeping good records, and managing the church’s money, facilities, and equipment. It also gives students a practical understanding of the law in order to recognize and resolve legal questions confronting pastors and churches today.
MIN 381 Pastoral Ministry – An examination of pastoral ministry in three areas: preparation, responsibilities, and relationships. The unit on preparation focuses on a pastor’s qualifications, devotional life, and personal life. A unit on responsibilities analyzes preaching and teaching, worship, pastoral care, leading, training, forming cell groups, and special services. The final unit examines a pastor’s relationships with lay leaders, staff, work, and calling. This is a principle-centered study to lay a lifelong foundation for the pastoral ministry.
MIN 391 MIN 391 Advanced Ministerial Internship – The third of three required internships for the Ministerial Diploma. Building on the foundation of the previous two internship courses, this course focuses on three attributes of the heart of ministry, characteristics to be avoided, tests that must be passed in the life of the ministry, basic areas of pastoral counseling, and other skills needed to be a successful pastor.
Theological Courses (5):
THE 114 Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine – An examination of the four cardinal doctrines of the Assemblies of God: salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, healing, and the second coming of Christ. After an introductory unit on the importance of doctrine, there is a unit of study on each of the doctrines. This course is essential to further understanding the complete Pentecostal message as presented in other courses.
THE 142 Assembly of God History, Missions, and Governance – A study of the historical development of the Assemblies of God, the history of the missions movement in the Assemblies of God, and the ecclesiastical governance of the Fellowship. Attention is given to the General Council Constitution and Bylaws in relation to credentialed ministers, local churches, and district councils.
THE 211 Introduction to Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective – A study of historic Christian doctrines as expressed through Protestant and evangelical traditions. The course provides a complete study of the “Statement of Fundamental Truths” of The General Council of the Assemblies of God.
THE 245 Eschatology: A study of Things to Come – A biblical study of end-time events written from a Pentecostal perspective. The course studies the Rapture plus various views of the Tribulation and the Millennium. It provides excellent material for teaching and preaching on the second coming of Christ.
THE 311 Prayer and Worship – An overview of the biblical teaching on prayer and worship leads to practical considerations for cultivating intimacy with Christ in every aspect of life, from personal, private prayer to corporate celebration. Students will discover the joys and benefits of a dynamic prayer life and gain a fresh appreciation for the many ways in which the Holy Spirit makes prayer and worship both meaningful and powerful. An examination of some of the common challenges of prayer, such as learning to hear God’s voice, the problem of unanswered prayer, and what to do when it seems God is not speaking, is followed by practical insight for becoming more effective and fervent prayer warriors.