from Pastor Samuel Olumoyegun, Serving Overseer/Lead Pastor, Dayspring Chapel, Grays and Campus Coordinator, Christ Redeemer Bible College, London
Dear Transformation Thurrock,
I am wondering whether you could help our ministry to advertise this PDF e-flyer (click on the link to the left). Our local church has just been accredited as a study centre for Theological & Ministerial Studies at the Associate Diploma Level. We are so excited about this development, as it has been my passion and desire to see something like manifest in our community.
This Bible College has been launched to serve local churches and their leaders with the aim of helping to provide ministerial and theological training to those currently in ministy and would like to take their studies further, or those in other leadership positions in the church or even God-seekers who will like to deepen and widen their knowledge of God’s Word and to help develop their skills to become effective Christians in this 21st century.
The first batch of students will resume lectures on the last Saturday of January 2016. Please find below the letter I sent to local pastors in Thurrock, inviting them to help us spread this great news among their people.
The days upon us now calls for the need to better prepare and equip ourselves to be able to represent Jesus Christ in the public square and be ready to give an answer to as many as would ask for the reasons (apologetics) of the hope that lies within us without becoming offended at their many questions.
Kind Regards.
Rev. Samuel Olumoyegun
Serving Overseer/Lead Pastor, Dayspring Chapel, Grays
Campus Coordinator, Christ Redeemer Bible College, London
(An interdenominational College)
Dear Servant of God,
Blessed be the tie that binds us together in the love of God. I trust that the work of God is prospering in your hand.
I will like to share with you a vision that I have carried in my heart for years and now is unfolding before my eyes. It has been my long-standing dream that the church I pastor will have the opportunity to create an avenue to offer theological and ministerial training or even be a signpost for those who long and desire for professional training in ministry.
By God’s mercy and grace, a greater and effective door of ministry in this regard has just opened to us and I am happy to announce to your that our local church has entered into partnership with Christ Redeemer College, London, UK, currently validated by Middlesex University, to have us become a Satelite Campus of their College in Essex area, where various ministry-related courses can be offered. I had the oportunity of passing through this great institution some years ago before proceeding for my continous ministerial education in a higher institution here in the UK. I can tell you that the lecturers in this college are first class. They are of good quality and studying under them has absolutely transformed my life and ministry in a positive way.
It is my pleasure to humbly ask you to please help us to advertise this college among your leaders, assistant Pastors, department leaders, ministers-in-training, God-seekers and even head pastors to take advantage of this opportunity
As opposed to the information provided in the previous advertisement, the college will now start in January 2016 and for those who complete their studies, will be graduating at the CRC graduation ceremony that takes place October of every year. This means, the course will run for 10 months, withs students attending classes one Saturday a month.
The course itself will cost £850.00, with each student paying £150.00 deposit at the commencement of the course, with the opportunity to spread the remaining amount over 7 months.
Some of the Modules on offer at the Associate Diploma in Christian Ministry include Basic Bible Doctrines, Homiletics (The Art of Preaching), The Bible (Biblical Theology-OT & NT Overview), Scriptures in Context (Hermeneutics), Christian Counselling, Church History, Ministry to Young People, Christian Leadership, Church Planting and Prayer & Spiritual Warfare.
There will be a bonus Module free of charge on Pastoral Ministry/Theology for those in actual ministry or those who feel called to pastoral ministry.
Please permit me to highlight some of the benefits that potential students are sure to experience as a result of their participation in this training:
One of the key advantages of a Bible college education lies in the fact that the graduates are more mature and experienced. The time spent pursuing in pursuing this ministerial and theological studies not only enable potential students to grow in knowledge and wisdom, but in maturity. This will have a critical impact on their future ministry. Additionally, the individual pursuing the ministry as a career may discover that becoming a pastor or pulpit minister isn’t for him after all.
In all that we do our passion as a ministry is to become a blessing where people are afforded the opportunity to be the best possible ministers of the Gospel that they can be. In a world where society, the Church and ministry are changing rapidly, our vision is to train ministers who can think biblically, creatively, flexibly and theologically about mission, church practice and engaging with culture.This has been my passion for years.
The ministerial theological and pastoral training on offer at Grays Campus of Christ Redeemer College, Essex, is designed to give our students the framework and tools they need to be leaders in the context of today’s Church. Our students leave as leaders who are able to reflect on pastoral situations, think scripturally about them, and as leaders who have been stretched in learning about others, themselves and the Lord.
Second, and more obviously, a Bible college education will force students to delve more deeply into God’s Word and the study of theology. Their experience in the classroom exposes them to more and diverse insights and ideas that they otherwise may not have ever known. Correspondingly, it enables them to further develop for themselves their own positions regarding certain key doctrines of faith. This will prepare them to better confront controversial issues such as baptism, predestination, suffering, evolution, and the like.
By becoming more steeped in the Word and more assured of their beliefs, the students’ faith and commitment are strengthened. In other words, students become more confident of their faith, enabling them to better deal with the sometimes difficult issues they will invariably face in the church.
Third, in many Bible colleges, students become familiar with others outside their particular faith or denomination. This allows the students to see those ideas and beliefs that differ from theirs and provides a whole new perspective. Such experiences will enable the students to better adapt to relating with those of various religious communities.
Bible colleges also offer advantages to those who may not be considering a career in the ministry, but want to become more knowledgeable of the Scriptures as well as their particular faith. Some Bible college students enroll simply to learn more about how to better incorporate their faith into their workplace, especially those pursuing careers as counselors or teachers. Then again, many students attend Bible colleges to learn more about the Bible itself.
Also, the Bible college will provide a great environment to learn. Though Bible colleges teach subjects such as theology and church history, as well as the Bible itself, they provide the students with the skills to dig into certain dimensions of spiritual growth and development that may be unknown to them. Such an educational experience and environment provides the student with the opportunities to realize a whole new and greater perception of the things of God. This, in turn, enables the student to develop new sense of growth and maturity not only personally and socially but, more importantly, spiritually.
Last, but not the least, the College will enhance the performance of leaders serving under their Pastors as they ministry attitudes become underpinned by the knowledge they gain from their studies. Graduates will come to see and understand the nuts and bolts of ministry and the skills and attitudes needed to serve in ministry. These can only bring peace to the heart of the Senior Pastor.
Beloved, the entire Campus team are willing and ready to serve you in every way we can and to stand by your side on your journey of ministry.
We hope we can count on your support too in helping to communicate this information to your leaders and members and to get them to register.
We will also welcome those who want to experience a taster module on the last Saturday in January, 2016, to enable them decide whether the course is the right one for them. More details to follow.
It is also important to mention that we are getting a lot of enquiries as we speak and people are starting t register. We will therefore encourage those who want to join us to register their interest as soon as possible.
Yours in the Service of the King of kings.
Kind Regards.
Rev. Samuel Olumoyegun
The Campus Coordinator.