KING’S immersed in theology enriched by learning engaged with mission
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
welcome to KING’S
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
For over quarter of a century Salt & Light have been training up God’s people to love his word and engage in his world; we have a rich heritage of seeing lives transformed through great theology. More recently, in the UK, we have recognised that we are going to take hold of the vision that God has given us for planting churches, impacting regions and transforming society then we also need more leaders. We need the sort of leaders who love God and cherish his word, who understand how the story of scripture hangs together, how it changes lives and thrusts us out into God’s world with a zeal for mission. King’s School of Theology (KST) is a vital part of our vision; it’s a place where people can come to get theological training of the highest quality. It’s a place where you can immerse yourself in theological study and apply that learning in your own situation. It’s a place where your thinking will be challenged and shaped by both the staff and fellow students. We see that this course is a vital part of our training as we seek to prepare God’s people to pioneer, proclaim, transform – together!
Mark Mumford UK Team Leader
what
WILL CHARACTERISE KING’S SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY? We are looking to produce students who are -
IMMERSED IN THEOLOGY
Good theology is crucial to us as individuals and to the health of the church. It ignites our worship, transforms our relationships, and shapes our mission. King’s School of Theology is committed to helping students grapple with key theological themes and giving them the skills for a lifetime of study. Students will get the opportunity to look at core doctrines such as the nature and character of God and the person and work of Christ, as well as studying a number of Bible books in detail and getting an overview of church history. Teaching will be delivered by the best theologians from across our churches, as well as other invited specialists, taking students into areas of study that will deepen their understanding of God, his word, and his world.
ENRICHED BY LEARNING
Crucial to the success of this course will be the community coming together to help shape one another’s thinking. Theology isn’t just supposed to fill our heads with noble ideas that spill out in the odd sermon; it should shape us and our ministry, challenge us to think afresh about God’s world, give us a renewed vision for the kingdom, inspire faith, and spur us into action. For such a theology, we need each other. King’s School of Theology won’t just be a series of events where you come together for lectures, therefore. There will be a community of learners coming together for weekends, mentoring sessions, and also online. We want to see a vibrant learning community develop that encourages, provokes, and stirs one another to see the truths we absorb in lectures and personal study become transforming of our lives and ministry. We are looking for a genuinely open community that can challenge conventions, think critically, and ultimately live out of the freedom of God’s eternal word.
ENGAGED WITH MISSION
King’s School of Theology is a deliberately non-residential training programme in order to support those looking for high quality theological training whilst maintaining engagement with their local church and its mission. The theology taught through KST will then be applied back into the areas of ministry and mission that students are already working into in their local situation. There are also elements of the teaching that will help students in securing a good understanding of how the truths of Scripture can be applied to life in the 21st century. With teaching on the Kingdom of God, the mission of the church, other faiths, culture, and ethics there will be plenty to help students get a biblical perspective on the call to reach the lost, go to nations, plant churches, and engage with a wide range of issues in society.
how
DOES IT WORK? King’s School of Theology runs over 3 years, and to complete the course you will need to study all 21 modules over those 3 years. The teaching is delivered in a series of 5 weekend teaching blocks per year. OPENING RESIDENTIAL For the opening weekend of each year students will be together for a fully residential weekend at a conference centre. STANDARD WEEKENDS Three of the weekend teaching blocks will last from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (4.30pm) and will be based at a central regional church such as Derby or Oxford. A number of accommodation options are available for these weekends, including some availability of bed & breakfast with church families, or in local hotels and lodges where you can arrange to book and share a room with other students, or you can make your own arrangements. EXTENDED SPRING WEEKEND Each spring there will be an extended teaching block lasting from Friday evening to Tuesday afternoon, when two separate modules will be covered. This will be based in Oxford where you will be able to use
the facilities of King’s Theological College. Accommodation will be on the same basis as the standard teaching weekends. MENTORING KST is developing a mentoring programme to work alongside the main teaching blocks. The purpose of this mentoring relationship is to further challenge your thinking through the things that you have been learning and help you to turn the theory into practice by applying the teaching in your work, church, community, or mission project. ONLINE COMMUNITY KST will include an online learning community. This will be a place where students can submit assignments, engage with one another, chat, blog, tweet, form groups, discuss assignments, watch videos of teaching sessions, and more. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with these terms or the technology; we will be providing tutorials for all this as well. We believe we learn best when we learn with others, having our assumptions challenged, our thinking shaped, our faith sharpened; so we are committed to finding ways to support students to be part of a community that is learning together.
year 1
s d’s book, our tool Survey 1.1 The Bible – Go & New Testament t en am st Te d Ol e ur ct Pi g 1.2 The Bi Character of God 1.3 The Nature & rson of Christ 1.4 Christology: pe ork of Christ 1.5 Soteriology: w t 1.6 The Holy Spiri other faiths (T ) ith w ng 1.7 Engagi
year 2
2 – Beginnings 2.1 Genesis 1-11/1 Prophecy 2.2 Prophets and of Jesus Messiah Gospels – the life 2.3 The Synoptic and the message 2.4 Paul: the man 2.5 Romans Constantine y (I) From Christ to 2.6 Church Histor ) Western Culture (T 2.7 Engaging with
year 3
isdom literature 3.1 Psalms and W and Letters 3.2 John’s Gospel 3.3 Ecclesiology and Revival y (II) Reformation 3.4 Church Histor n io of God and miss 3.5 The Kingdom 3.6 Eschatology the Church (T ) 3.7 The mission of
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ATMOSPHERE A WORD FROM OUR PRINCIPAL
I can still remember arriving at Theological College (many years ago now!) with a mixture of excitement and apprehension: excitement at the thought of understanding God’s word better, apprehension as I wondered if I would understand all those theological terms and scholars’ ideas. Two things helped me; first, a bunch of deeply spiritual tutors who were passionately committed to the truth of God’s word, and who were unafraid of questions; second, a bunch of mates who challenged my thinking and who let me challenge theirs within the security of our friendship. I still cherish those two things, and both will play a key part in the life of King’s School of Theology. We will be looking to create an atmosphere that will inspire and enable you to pursue truth, where you will feel safe to ask questions and explore ideas without fear of being jumped on, and that will give you the tools to think Biblically for your life and mission ahead.
In the light of this, it is our aim that the atmosphere of KST should be -
SUPPORTIVE
Whatever level of theological understanding you are at, we will come alongside you, with your fellow-students, to push your understanding deeper. You will not be alone in your learning!
WORSHIPFUL
Spirit-led worship (rather than just singing songs) lies in the roots of our S&L family. This will be reflected in our times together, in the conviction that the best theology is done in the context of worship and dependence on God.
CHALLENGING
We will unashamedly challenge some cherished views, so that at the very least you understand why others hold a different view to you – and who knows, your own views may even change!
ACCOUNTABLE
Accountability also lies in our genes, and this will be reflected in your learning being monitored by assignments and followed up in regional mentoring meetings, where you will be kept accountable for your learning and how you apply it to life.
EQUIPPING
Your learning will be guided by some of the best theologians, Bible teachers, and practitioners in our S&L family, who have seen theology ‘work’ over the years. We want to play our part in producing a generation of Christians who are more than ‘proof-texters’ but who are deeply rooted in their understanding of the word of God and its application to life. If that’s what you want, why not come and join us!
LIZZIE GREEN KST PRINCIPAL
is
IT FOR YOU? That leaves the big question: “Is KST for me?” The answer is YES if -
YOU are passionate about God, hungry to understand more of his word, and long to see his eternal truths applied into every sphere of life and others finding life and freedom through understanding and applying God’s word into their lives. YOU already have a general understanding of the Bible and are looking to develop that knowledge and go deeper. YOU want to translate knowledge into action, staying engaged with your local church and its mission, and taking what you learn to help others. YOU have the support of your local pastor and leadership team. Commitment For this course to be worthwhile and for you to graduate feeling equipped theologically, KST will require a substantial commitment. Students will certainly be expected to (a) attend all teaching events; (b) participate in local mentoring (c) undertake assignments; and (d) participate actively in the online discussions and forums. We expect this to take around one evening per week (or equivalent).
your
QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Is it only for leaders-in-training? We are looking to train leaders as part of the 2020vision and this course is a key part of our S&L Level 2 leadership development training. However, we are not only looking to train future pastors, but leaders in a broader sense - leaders in mission, leaders in the marketplace, leaders in the community, as well as leaders in the church. Is it an academic course? It will be rigorous but it’s not just for academics. The learning will be appropriate to the needs of the students, and less academic students will be supported. How do I know if I am the right level for the course? This course is part of the S&L training framework, so we would expect you to have completed training or have experience equivalent to the preceding level (i.e. Level 1). That means that you will have an understanding of the nature of Christian leadership, you will have some experience of leading in a range of situations, and you will have a broad understanding of the Bible. What if cannot make one of the weekends? The teaching weekends and self-study will be supported by an online learning community and resources will be made available to ensure that students can catch-up any missed sessions. It will be an expectation of the students that any teaching blocks that they miss they will make up for in their own time. However, permission to miss a weekend’s teaching will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. What if I join in year 2 or 3 - will I be lagging behind? KST offers an annual intake and will support students to integrate into the course as quickly as possible. If you are joining in the second or third year of the cycle we will provide some resources in advance to bring you up to speed and each new intake will receive its own orientation programme. How much does it cost? We are trying to keep the costs to a minimum, making the course as accessible as possible to any students wishing to attend. The latest fees schedule is available from www.saltlight.org/kts What if I cannot afford the course fees? There is no bursary fund available from the course centrally. However we encourage local churches to help students with course costs, as part of their training partnership with you – though this is a matter for you to agree with them.
application PROCESS If you feel that KST is right for you, what happens next? • You will need to submit the application form and deposit, which must include a letter of reference and support from your church leader. • A member of the KST team will contact you to talk through your application. Sometimes an interview may be necessary. • You will be contacted again to inform you whether you have been accepted for a place on the course. If you are not accepted your deposit will be refunded. Application Request To obtain an application pack please download one from www.saltlight.org/kst or contact the office. Getting in touch If you have any queries or would like to talk further to a member of the KST team:
Lizzie Green Principal lizzieg@saltlight.org
King’s School of Theology, The King’s Centre, Oxford, OX2 0ES kst@saltlight.org www.saltlight.org/kst 01865 297440 Salt & Light is a UK registered charity 1071600 and a charitable company 3603373
John Gridley Administrator jgridley@saltlight.org