CERTIFICATE IV IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES - 102

This course provides a sound foundation for Christian life and work. It will help Christians grow in their knowledge of God, understanding of their faith and ability to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. The course includes all the modules in the Certificate II in Christian Studies, but these are studied at greater depth and more written work is required. It can be completed in one year.

The course includes a broad range of encouraging biblically based studies relevant for personal Christian, church and community life. Students learn to apply biblical principles to daily life, explain Christian truths, and share the gospel in various settings.

General learning outcomes

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

(1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the biblical concepts underlying each of the modules completed;

(2) address questions and solve problems related to personal and church life and witness by the application of the knowledge and understanding gained in this course;

(3) find, collate and summarise information on a broad range of topics from a wide range of sources, and analyse and evaluate it in the light of biblical principles;

(4) apply a knowledge and understanding of the Bible in daily life;
(5) help others to understand the content of the Bible, including major doctrines and biblical principles of living; and

(6) exercise self-discipline in study and express knowledge, understanding and suggested applications in a clear, coherent and well-reasoned manner.

Specific learning outcomes

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

(1) apply biblical principles of Christian living to their lives [1101.2, 1207.2 and 1208.2];

(2) appreciate and discuss the value of different styles of Christian worship [1101.2];

(3) explain the messages of various Old Testament books, describe a number of Old Testament theological themes, recognise different types of writing in the Old Testament and explain the relevance of the Old Testament for today [1102.2];

(4) explain the nature of the New Testament and the different types of writing that it contains, describe the themes and content of various New Testament books and their cultural background, discuss a selected New Testament theme and apply New Testament principles to daily life [1103.2];

(5) discuss the doctrine of salvation, commenting on different understandings, explain the gospel to others clearly and with increasing confidence and show how the victory of Jesus Christ can be outworked in daily living [1104.2 and 1208.2];

(6) discuss the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and the nature and purpose of the fruit and gifts of the Spirit [1106.2];

(7) recognise and use spiritual gifts [1106.2];

(8) describe and appreciate various biblical, historical and contemporary models of the church and explain the importance of ministry gifts [1108.2];

(9) discuss various understandings of the sacraments and give biblical reasons for their own views [1108.2];

(10) understand and discuss the importance of some of the key events in Christian History and apply lessons from history to life today [1111.2];

(11) give biblical reasons for their belief in the humanity and the divinity of Christ, explain the significance of the person and work of Christ, and describe different understandings of the return of Christ [1205.2];

(12) apply biblical ethical principles [1207.2];

(13) describe the nature, sources and biblical foundations of theology [1209.2]; and

(14) explain a biblical understanding of the names, nature and attributes of God, discuss how this is relevant to life today and outline a working understanding of difficult issues such as those of theodicy [1209.2].

Course Outline

• 1101.2 Creative Living [4]
• 1102.2 Old Testament Introduction [4]
• 1103.2 New Testament Introduction [4]
• 1104.2 Evangelism [4]
• 1106.2 Ministry of the Holy Spirit [4]
• 1108.2 Church & Ministry [4]
• 1111.2 Introduction to Christian History [4]
• 1205.2 Christology [4]
• 1207.2 Ethics [2]
• 1208.2 Spiritual Warfare [2]
• 1209.2 Introduction to Theology [4]

Explanatory notes

1. The course comprises the above modules, which have a total weighting of 40 credit points. Credit point weightings are shown in parentheses.

2. All modules are taken at Tabor College's level 2.

3. A full-time student takes modules to the value of 20 credit points in each semester.

4. Normally, five "100" modules should be completed before any "200" modules are attempted.

5. Students may exit with a Certificate III in Christian Studies after successfully completing 20 credit points of the course, provided that module 1101.2 is included.