Course content
Every week at The Equip Course we will have 5 elements to our time together, reflecting keys aspects of what is needed for gospel ministry. Within each element modules will be taught by different local teachers, all of whom are thoroughly committed to the truth of the Bible and have a track record of faithful gospel ministry.
1. Morning Thoughts & Prayer
At the start of a busy day it is important to remember that all that we are about to learn and do is in total reliance on the Spirit and in the light of who we are in Christ. Hence, we start every day with a short talk from the Bible and a time of prayer. This is an important and integral part of the course.
2. Getting into the book
Over the two years we will look at a number of Bible books to a deeper level than we usually can at church. As we think about the big themes, structure, logical flow and unique biblical contribution of each book, our hope is that we might not only gain a fresh appreciation for what God is saying in THIS particular book, but also get a sense for how you might teach it and other books of a similar genre. In the first year we will be looking at Philippians, Jonah, Psalms and others.
The Bible doesn’t merely govern what we teach, but also how we teach. For this reason, we give a good amount of time on the course to thinking through the character traits and core convictions which are necessary for anyone in Christian ministry. We also spend some time thinking about the practicalities of ministry to different groups within our churches and wider society (e.g. to young people, to people of other faiths or none).
4. Getting into the Bible
In order to be able to teach the Bible responsibly and to be able to engage with people’s pastoral and apologetic questions, it can be so helpful to have a sense of the big picture of the Bible. In Getting into the Bible every week we are trying to get to grips with the unfolding story of the Bible or a central doctrine of the Christian faith. As we do this we are always thinking about how these massive biblical and theological realities impact our conversations with Christians, and those who are not yet Christians. We look at themes like The Temple and Gathering, and doctrines like Sin and Union with Christ
5. Principles of Teaching
As we teach God’s Word, we need to be faithfully listening to what God has really said in his Word and we also need to carefully think about how to communicate what God has said, so that it can be rightly understood and powerfully applied in people’s lives today.
In the Principles of Teaching session, we think about what makes a good talk, what makes a good Bible study and we get practice of doing both, in small groups. After our talk or Bible study we have the chance to receive feedback from a gifted and experienced gospel worker.
