30 week Bible School @ Geraldine

Capernwray Crossing 
Curriculum 
Practical Christian Service 
Ministry Trips 
Camp 

Capernwray Crossing

The Capernwray Crossing Bible School is based at our centre at Geraldine on the South Island. The course is a 30 week programme and runs from September to May (click here for current course dates). There is a four week break over the Christmas period, with a further 2 week break during April, during which time students are required to leave campus. 

Geraldine is a beautiful town and students love being involved in the community there. Just a few miles from 'Middle Earth' the landscape is often breathtaking!

Capernwray Crossing has accomodation available for 18 student beds. Student accomodation is arranged in rooms containing between 2 - 6 students (all of same gender). Rooms contain bunk-beds and have seperate ensuite facilities.

We also run a 20 week (can extend to 40 week) course at our Monavale centre. Click here for details.
 
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Curriculum

"Bible Training and Preparation for Christian Service"

The Bible School program at Capernwray Crossing is designed to move students towards knowing the indwelling person of the risen Lord Jesus Christ through the careful teaching, study, and application of God's Word, in order to prepare them for enjoyable Christian living and effective service.

We desire that students fully receive the revelation that 'Christ is our Life' (Gal. 2:20, Col. 1:27; 3:4).

Because the living Lord Jesus wants us to KNOW Him (Phil. 3:10), and since He is revealed in the Scriptures (John 5:39), we therefore place high emphasis on finding Him there. This is where He speaks to us today! We want students to grow and mature in the Word of God, so that they gain a practical working knowledge of it and the ability to express and articulate it.

How is this accomplished? Over the course of 30 weeks, the curriculum is designed to take students through the Old Testament in a chronological fashion, with most individual New Testament books being taught simultaneously throughout. This helps students grasp the big picture of God's plan more clearly, and make more sense of where we fit in it today.

Personal study, assignments, parallel reading, and tests are also a significant part of the programme and complement the material presented in the lectures.

The curriculum also covers some related topical series such as:

* Apologetics * Evangelism * Missions * World Religions
* How to form a Biblical Worldview * Ministry Skills

** Special note: Sometimes classes are on surprise overnight 'road trips' or on adventure hikes up mountains into the middle of nowhere! **

Resident teachers and guest speakers from around the world come to teach a curriculum devoted to surveying the Scriptures in order that students may know Christ in His fullness. The guest speakers are either members of the International Torchbearer Staff or are other experienced Christian leaders who draw from a rich personal relationship with Jesus Christ as they share God's Word from a fresh and dynamic perspective.

Because the class size is smaller, the program allows students to interact more closely with teachers and with fellow students in classes. Students will be encouraged and challenged in these courses and will be given personal counsel in their studies for practical application.

A Bible School Certificate is awarded to students fulfilling course requirements. A transcript can be issued upon request at the completion of the course. 

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Practical Christian Service 

Much emphasis is placed on the practical outworking of one's personal faith in Christ and therefore our weekly ministry programme is a vital part of the course and offers the most unique training experience. On that basis, there are weekly youth oriented ministries and activities where they will be trained, challenged, and stretched as they share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world around them. Each student will be in approximately 3-4 different ministries per week, making a real impact in real lives!! 

Students are assigned to ministries according to the need, and their gifts and abilities. These ministries provide a wide range of experience from teaching prepared Bible lessons, to sharing a testimony, to engaging with children, or simply by ‘hanging out' with the youth. There are classes set aside for ministry prep.

These ministries provide opportunities for students to give away and apply the Truth they are learning, as well as gain experience in teaching and leading small groups, so that they may "go and make disciples" themselves.

Practical Ministry Skills are also taught and evaluated such as:

*  Learning how to prepare and write a Bible Study
*  Learning how to lead others in a Bible Study
*  Learning how to witness and explain your faith naturally with others
*  Learning how to lead another person to receive Christ
*  Learning how to give a clear personal testimony in various situations 
 
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Ministry Trips

In each semester there will be a week-long ministry trip to some town or city on the South Island! In this exciting and sometimes unpredictable week we work with various ministries and churches. This week could involve doing anything from street evangelism to assisting with youth groups and events or drop-in centres, from practical service in homeless shelters to helping in crisis pregnancy programmes. These places will expose students to other forms of ministry and provide a hands-on platform for them to put their faith into practice.

Another very exciting aspect involves visiting places of worship for different faiths and world religions. Students will be able to talk directly to the representatives of these different faiths and learn first hand what their faith or religion is about, what they believe and why. Students may also be challenged to articulate their own failth and share the hope that is within them.

These ministry trips uniquely offer a balanced mix of ministries in combining the service-oriented ministry for the practically minded with the apologetic type ministry for those who need to be mentally stimulated. These trips develop not just the heart and the soul, but also the mind in accordance with God's Word, so that no matter what type of person you are there's a challenge for you as you minister to a variety of levels of society.  

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Camp

Another unique aspect of the ministry programme is completing a Term Project as a team. This project integrates spiritual and personal development in the students life by giving them the opportunity to plan and lead a high school weekend camp! The purpose of the camp is to creatively introduce and communicate the person of Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Life to the youth through fun, Bible teaching, and His witness in our life.

Being guided by the staff, students will learn all the aspects of a camp and write a Christ-centered programme. They will decide the theme for the camp, choose the games and activities, make the schedule, write the cabin devotions and even chapel messages. Then they will lead and execute their programme.

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