LINC Bible InstituteAcademic Catalog

- Training followers of Christ for ministry today -

www.linchouston.org/linc-bible-institute.html

Welcome from the Director!

Greetings in Christ! I am so excited to join you on your educational journey in Biblical studies, doctrine, missions, community development and ministry leadership. For me, there is no greater way to serve the church than to offer opportunities for followers of Christ to grow deeper in their understanding of God’s Word and his mission in the world. Having taught and trained Christian individuals on five continents and served the church in seven countries I am one to believe that God does amazing works through his people no matter the context! Here in our Houston, Texas setting we are blessed to see how the Lord works through a variety of individuals from multiple cultures. I, and the faculty of LBI, want to help you minister in your particular context to the people of your culture and beyond!

As director of the LINC Bible Institute (LBI) I am proud to announce some small changes to the program for the 2011-2012 academic year. After noting the successes of the past and looking for ways to improve our course offerings to better fit the needs of students and the local mission of the church, Rev. David Kim (LINC Mission Director) and I sat down to outline LBI’s core courses. Our core courses match our mission and core values:

Our Mission:To make disciples of new converts, equip disciples as harvest workers and empower leaders to make disciples for on-going missions in the name of

Jesus Christ.

Our Core Values:Above all else, LBI strives to be...

Christological - Biblical - Missional - Multi Cultural

With these in mind we developed our new core curriculum within five categories: Biblical study, doctrinal study, mission development, leadership development and community development. These core areas of study will better equip students and leaders for ministry leadership in an increasingly diverse and skeptical cultural

landscape for mission. Please refer to our course descriptions in this catalog for more in-depth information regarding each core course, seminar and workshop offered by LBI.

I hope you enjoy LBI’s course offerings and find our curriculum stimulating, challenging and helpful in your service to Christ’s church. Please know that I am always available for questions, comments and suggestions. May God’s unimaginable peace be yours in Christ Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit!

In Him,

Ken Chitwood

LBI Director

Ken Chitwood - LBI Director/LINC Vicar

Ken started serving LBI as director in September 2010. Ken received his BA in Christian Education

Leadership and Theological Studies from Concordia University Irvine, CA in 2007 and currently is

studying for his MA in Theology and Culture as part of the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center at Concordia

University Irvine, CA. Ken has taught theology, world religions and Biblical studies in seven countries on

five different continents. He served as adjunct faculty at Laidlaw College in New Zealand (formerly Bible

College of New Zealand) and is a published author with works featured in both secular and religious

publications. Ken enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, long distance running, hiking, bird

watching, spending time with friends, reading, blogging and writing.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”

- 2 Timothy 2:15

LINC Houston Information:

LINC (Lutheran Inner-City Network Coalition) began in Houston in 2002 as a missionary

collaboration among metro area congregations. Since then, scores of new missions and

evangelistic ministries have started in many languages. LINC’s mission is to plant, nurture and

equip groups of new believers among our culturally unique communities. LBI and its partner

organization, Instituto Biblico LINC (IBL) are key partners in this mission!

LBI Introduction and Description:

Introduction

We may ask, “Where are the workers for the harvest?” The truth is, they are sitting in our church

pews and in our communities. Often, the greatest barrier between them and ministry leadership

is the availability of quality training. LBI meets that need!

The LINC BIble Institute (LBI) is the answer to a great need in the Houston area. Small group

leaders, ministry leaders and growing Christians are in need of regularly offered and local education on Scripture and ministry.

Description

LBI is a three-year program that teaches basic theology and practical ministry at a cost of $100

per course. LBI students are leaders in their congregations, new disciples and possibly future

pastors, church workers or missionaries. Students will be trained to study and teach the Bible as

well as reach out to their community with the Gospel.

LBI’s mission is to make disciples of new converts, equip disciples as harvest workers and empower leaders to make disciples for on-going missions in the name of Jesus

Christ.

And above all else, LBI strives to be...

Christological - Biblical - Missional - Multi Cultural

History of LBI:

The LINC Bible Institute (LBI) was founded in 2007 as a way for LINC to meet the needs of local

missional churches seeking a new way to train rising leaders in their congregations. LBI has

always believed in people and the power of God to enable them to be indispensable assets to

carry out the Great Commission of Christ. To that end, LBI strived to offer quality courses for the

sake of “glocal” mission here in Houston. For the first three years Rev. Mark Junkans, Rev.

David Kim and Rev. Charles Wokoma worked tirelessly towards that goal. Classes were often

held at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston. Now, as we look to the future we will continue to

value God’s people and look to what Christ is doing for his mission!

LBI Academic Policies, Rules, Regulations and Procedures:

Admission Criteria

LBI admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges,

programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does

not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, disability, national and ethnic origin in

administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarships and other school-

administered programs.

LBI stresses sound scholarship, yet realizes that academic achievement is not the sole end in

life. It stresses social interaction in its community, yet realizes that individual worth is not always

capable of expression in group-oriented terms. Therefore, each applicant will be given careful

individual consideration and no one criterion can be identified in advance as the most crucial

single factor. Thus, the following admission criteria are flexible guidelines used by the admission

committee for the benefit of the student to measure and determine the potential for successful

completion of a certificate. Factors evaluated in the decision include: academic preparation,

scholastic aptitude, recommendations, Christian character, motivation, leadership potential and

the ability to benefit from and contribute to the goals and mission of LBI. LBI reserves the right

to deny admission to any applicant. Space limitations may also affect the total number of

applicants admitted in a given year.

Admission Requirements

LBI desires to pursue a high level of Christian academic pursuit. In that spirit we ask that all

potential students fill out a LBI application and turn it in at least two full weeks before the

beginning of any new semester/seminar/workshop. If a student turns in an application after this,

or during quarter/semester, they must receive direct permission from the LBI Director in order to

enroll for the class. Appeal forms are available on-line.

At that time the applicant will also be required to submit two letters of recommendation, one

from a pastor and one to speak to the applicant’s character and educational ability. Furthermore,

all applicants will be interviewed before they are accepted to the program.

Admission Status (Certificate [full time/part time], Single Course Credit, Audit)

Upon completion of the application process the applicant will be accepted on the basis of their

desired end goal. If they are seeking to complete a full certificate they will be enrolled as a

certificate student and expected to complete the full course of study, barring any outside

circumstances.

A certificate student can be enrolled either full time or part time. Full time students are expected

to complete two courses per semester, one workshop a semester and one summer seminar.

Part time students are expected to complete one course per semester, two workshops a year

and one summer seminar.

For students seeking single course credit they will only be enrolled for that one class and will be

given a certificate at the culmination of that said course.

Audit students who are already accepted need not apply again, they simply need to talk to the

faculty in charge of that course. However, if a student wishes to audit the course they must

apply to LBI as they will be required to pay for the course although they will not be required to

complete any homework or assignments. Audit students will receive audit credit only for their

course and it cannot count towards a future certificate with LBI or any other institution of higher

learning. No certificate will be granted to an audit student.

Tuition

The following is a break down of tuition based on admission status:

Core Course Day Seminar Workshop

Full Time Certificate Student

Part Time Certificate Student

Single Course Student

Audit

$100 $5-50 $25-100

$100 $5-50 $25-100

$100 $5-50 $25-100

$75 $5-50 $25-100

All tuition and fees are due and payable as stated on the bill for each quarter or before each

workshop/seminar, this date will always be before the beginning date of the course, workshop or

seminar. Tuition and fees may be paid directly to the following:

LINC Houstonre: LINC Bible Institute tuition

161 West Rd. Houston, TX 77037

Failure to pay fees by the established deadlines may cause the student to be dropped from ALL

classes.

Students who are past due in any debt to LBI will have a financial hold placed on their account.

They are not permitted to register for any course, workshop or seminar until the hold is

released. A financial hold precludes students from receiving LBI services, including: registration,

dropping or adding classes, grades, transcript requests, certificates or graduation.

No records, official or unofficial, will be issued for a student who has an outstanding student

account balance. Failure to pay past-due balances will result in the account being turned over to

a collection agency. When LBI is forced to turn the account to collections, the student shall be

responsible for all additional costs of collection including attorney fees and costs. In the event of

court action to enforce this agreement, the student shall be responsible for paying all court costs

and fees, including attorney fees and costs.

Financial Aid

Students who wish to receive financial aid from LBI must apply for it at least two weeks before

the beginning of any course, workshop or seminar. Financial aid is open to all full time or part

time certificate students, but may not be available for all applicants. Audit students and

individuals taking a single course are not eligible for scholarships. Every student will be

considered for financial aid based on their need, achievement and standing with LBI. There are,

at this time, no standing grants or scholarships and the amount of scholarships is based on a

quarter to quarter basis. Money is available, however at this time it is limited so be sure to apply

promptly!

There is no loan or payment plan system in place at LBI and if a student does not receive a

scholarship they are expected to pay for their tuition in full at the time it is due.

Refund Policy

Refunds of tuition paid will only be granted to those that cancel their enrollment in a class,

workshop or seminar at least 24 hours before that course, workshop or seminar begins.

Otherwise, if a student drops the class, workshop or seminar in the midst of the program they

may submit a letter of refund appeal to the LBI Director. The LBI Director will review the appeal

and decide whether or not a refund is appropriate and what percent shall be refunded. Typically,

full refunds will be given to students who drop a course before it begins. Otherwise, refunds will

be given on a percentage basis determined by how many classes the student attended in the

course. After the half-way mark of a course the student should not expect a refund unless their

circumstance proves particularly difficult to overcome.

Student Conduct

The faculty and staff of LBI expect that all students will exhibit personal evidence of

development in all aspects of their lives. Assistance in promoting such growth is provided

through academic programs, co-curricular activities and individual consultation involving regular

evaluation.

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner in all aspects of their

daily living. Students are present on campus by privilege accorded annually to those who

contribute to the achievement of the objectives of LBI and not by right. At the discretion of the

administration, a student may be dismissed from school for serious misconduct. For further

details on student conduct, student records and disciplinary matters, please contact the director

of LBI.

Student Records

Pursuant to federal law, all student records, including evaluations, certificates, letters and

descriptions of individual students are open to review by the student to whom they pertain.

Student records are the property of LBI and will be kept in a secure location. Should any student

believe records maintained with LBI to be inaccurate or unjust, that student is entitled to prepare

a disclaimer or a reply to that student’s record. One copy of such a disclaimer will be stapled to

each copy of the student record.

Officers of the federal and state government and representatives of accreditation agencies may

have legal access to these files, as well as LINC, LBI and LC-MS officials who are required to

perform duties which necessitate having access to these files. No official is permitted to make

any use of the information contained in personal files other than what is required by that official’s

normal duties.

Academic Honesty

LBI expects all members of its community to act with responsibility. LBI is dedicated to the

transmission of knowledge and the free inquiry after truth and strives to maintain the highest

standards of academic honesty and seeks to heed the commands for honesty found in the

Scriptures.

Academic honesty includes faithful diligence on behalf of all the faculty, staff and students of

LBI. Plagiarism: LBI seeks to empower students for independent learning, resourcefulness,

clear thinking and perception. All submitted work and activities should be genuine reflections of

individual achievement from which the student can derive personal satisfaction and a sense of

accomplishment. Plagiarism and cheating subvert these goals and will not be accepted at LBI.

Academic Probation and Disqualification

A student having a trimester grade point average (GPA) below 2.0 will be placed on probation

for the following semester. Any student whose GPA has fallen below 2.0 for two (2) semesters

and whose institutional cumulative GPA is below 2.0 will be academically disqualified as a

certificate student. A student who earns a GPA of less than 1.0 in a semester will be dismissed

immediately. Subsequent reinstatement may be granted by appeal to the LBI director alone.

Each student is allowed one (1) academic appeal.

Class Attendance

The serious student will naturally take full advantage of the learning opportunities for which he

or she has already paid. With that said, students are required to attend at least 80% of the

course, workshop or seminar in order to receive credit (that means for a course of ten classes

the student is expected to attend eight to receive credit, for a ten hour workshop, eight hours

need to be attended etc.). Of course, audit students are exempt from this policy and may

choose to utilize their course as much as they would like. For refund information please refer to

the Refund Policy section of this document.

Course Changes and Withdrawals

A student may add a course to their schedule if, and only if, there has only been one class

missed. After the second week of classes a course cannot be added. Even after the first week

the student must talk to the LBI director and the faculty responsible for that course to deem if

entrance into the course is feasible. If a student wishes to drop a course it must be done in due

time and is subject to no refund for the student. Withdrawal from a course will never result in a

failing grade if the course is dropped before the fifth class in a quarter. Any other dropped

courses after this date will result in a withdrawal fail for the student. Please refer to the Refund

Policy section of this document for more information.

Retaking a Course

Selected courses—usually those dealing with the development of a skill rather than with the

assimilation of information—may be repeated for credit. All other classes may not be repeated

for credit, but may be repeated for purposes of raising the grade. In such cases, both grades are

entered on the transcript, but only the higher grade is used in computation of the cumulative

grade point average (GPA). Students can only retake a course if they receive a grade of “D” or

lower. Please discuss with the LBI director if you plan on retaking a course for credit.

Grading System

The grade point average (GPA) at LBI is computed on a 4-point scale and determined on the

basis of the scale below. Specific grading requirements for each course will vary greatly and the

letter grades cannot be defined here other than in a general manner.

Grade Mark Level Grade Points

A Excellent 4.0

A - 3.7

B + 3.3

B Good 3.0

B - 2.7

C + 2.3

C Average 2.0

C - 1.7

D + 1.3

D Barely Passing 1.0

D - 0.7

F Fail 0.0

Au Audit Assigned to students who took the class for no credit and solely for the benefit of

education without the requirement of any

homework, assignments or exams.

Grade Mark Level Grade Points

I Incomplete Assigned when a student has not finished all

necessary coursework for the successful completion of a course. Incomplete

courses must be resolved within 4 weeks of the courseʼs end with the

faculty responsible for the course. Otherwise, the student will not receive credit for the course.

IP In Progress Assigned during the course of a semester.

P Passing Assigned when grades for a course are given on a

pass/fail basis.

F Fail Assigned when grades for a course are given on a

pass/fail basis.

W Withdrawal Assigned when a student withdraws from a class

within the first five weeks.

W-F Withdrawal-Fail Assigned when a student drops a class after the five

week mark.

It is the student’s responsibility to bring any error in grades to the attention of the instructor

within one (1) quarter following the issued grade. Grade changes are made only because of

computation or recording errors and must be corrected no later than the last day of classes of

the next full semester. Submission of extra work after a semester is completed will be permitted

only when a grade of “Incomplete” was assigned. Late assignments must be turned in within two

weeks of the due date or they are not eligible for credit.

Reasonable Accommodations

Students who desire “reasonable accommodations” due to a disability should provide requests

and verification during the application process.

Student Rights and Privacy

Each student of LBI has a right to:

1. review the official educational records, files, documents and other materials which contain

information directly related to him/her, and

2. challenge such records that are inaccurate, misleading or otherwise inappropriate. It is the

policy of LBI that unless excluded by state or federal law, no record, files, documents, materials

or personally identifiable information contained therein shall be released to any individual,

agency or organization without the express written consent of the student/alumnus.

Any student desiring to review his/her official educational records should contact LBI director to

determine procedures for such review.

While LBI does not provide general directory services, it may by law, under special

circumstances, release the following information about a student: name, address, telephone

number, date and place of birth, major field of study, class schedule, participation in officially

recognized activities, dates of attendance, degree and awards received, and the most recent

previous public or private school of attendance. Any student who does not wish such information

to be released about his/her participation or status should notify the LBI director, in writing, at

the beginning of each trimester. LBI is required to comply with all federal regulations governed

by the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act (FERPA).

LBI Certificate Program Description:

What is the certificate program? The LBI certificate program is a three-year course of study

that culminates in the student receiving a full LBI certificate. It is meant for both lay leaders and

potential professional church workers. For lay leaders it will give them basic training for ministry

leadership. For future church workers it will provide a solid foundation and elicit a strong

recommendation for future ministry leadership training at a theological institution meant for

commissioned or ordained church workers.

Is it accredited? At this time LBI is not accredited and any certificate conferred is not

recognized at accredited institutions.

What does this bridge into? With that said, LBI’s certificate can be helpful to students who

hope to bridge into further theological training. Any student that completes a full LBI certificate

has many opportunities to use this foundation in the future as they complete formal theological

and ministerial studies.

The Core Courses and Specific Tracts:

LBI identified five core areas for ministry development, they are:

Biblical Study

Doctrinal Study

Missional Development

Leadership Development

Community Development

All of LBI’s courses are centered around these five tracks and they form the core of what we

teach and how we train ministry leaders. Read the course descriptions below for more specific

examples of how these core areas flesh out.

LBI Certificate Program Academic Calendar:

In Spring 2011 LBI will “re-launch” with a semester of course offerings highlighting some of the best training LBI has to offer. This will be a special semester with unique term dates.

+The Spring 2011 first quarter will begin Tuesday, January 25 and conclude Tuesday, March 29. The course on offer will be Discipleship and Mission taught by Rev. David Kim Tuesdays from 7-9pm. The tentative location for this course is at Iglesia Luterana San Pedro (San Pedro Lutheran Church) at 1501 Houston Ave., Houston, TX 77007. Verification of time and location will be given to students enrolled in the course.

+The Spring 2011 will also feature a Weekend Workshop on Christian Education and Sunday School in a Mission Congregation, March 12. This workshop will be taught by various leaders in Christian education with a diverse background with various ethnic communities. The workshop will be held at Pilgrim Lutheran Church 8601 Chimney Rock Road Houston, TX 77096.

+Following the first quarter and the weekend workshop we will offer the 2011 Spring second quarter course from April 12 - June 14. The course will be World Religions taught by Ken Chitwood, who will invite various religious experts to help teach. The course will be held Tuesdays from 7-9pm. The tentative location for this course is at Iglesia Luterana San Pedro (San Pedro Lutheran Church) at 1501 Houston Ave., Houston, TX 77007. Verification of time and location will be given to students enrolled in the course.

Spring 2011 Course 1 (Jan.-March)

Course 2(April - June)

Weekend Workshop(March 12)

Discipleship and Mission

World Religions Christian Education in a Mission Setting

2011-2012 Academic Year

2011-2012 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

Core Classes NT Survey Christian Doctrine I

Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Mission and Evangelism

Workshop Cross-Cultural MissionCross-Cultural Mission Church Planting BasicsChurch Planting BasicsSummer Seminar: Integral Missions

For the 2011-2012 academic year core classes will be on Tuesday nights from 7pm-9pm at San Pedro Lutheran Church in Downtown Houston. Workshop and seminar

locations will vary and will be announced as pertinent. Dates and location will be confirmed following enrollment.

Quarter 1 August 23 - October 11

Workshop 1 October 22Quarter 2

November 1 - December 20Quarter 3

January 17 - March 6 Workshop 2

March 17Quarter 4

March 20 - May 15 (with a break on April 3 for Holy Week)Summer Seminar

July 6-8

Looking ahead...

2012-2013 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

Core Classes Gospel Communication

Mission Perspectives

OT Survey Christian Doctrine II

Workshop Christ in the Old TestamentChrist in the Old Testament Complete LeadershipComplete Leadership

Summer Seminar: The Book of Acts

2013-2014 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4

Core Classes Biblical Interpretation for Ministry

Discipleship Life

Ministry to Families

World Religions

Workshop Non-Profit ManagementNon-Profit Management Practicum in Ministry LeadershipPracticum in Ministry Leadership

Summer Seminar: Integral Missions

Course Policies:

Each course will consist of 10 two-hour class sessions with one hour of outside study or work

required per semester course, for a total of 30 credit hours. No more than 500 pages of reading

will be assigned per semester course, but whatever reading or assignments are given the

student is expected to complete for a satisfactory grade.

LBI will cover the costs of the text(s), notebook, notepaper and pen for students who pay full

tuition.

LBI requires 10 students to constitute a course. Without 10 students enrolled LBI cannot justify

offering a course, even if it is on the schedule. At this time LBI limits the class size to 30

students per course.

Core Course Information:

Biblical Theology

LBI203 - Old Testament Survey

This course introduces students to the literature, history, setting and message of the 39

books of the Old Testament with emphasis on its overarching scope and how each book and its

contents fits into the whole narrative of both the Old Testament and the entirety of Scripture.

LBI101 - New Testament Survey

This course introduces students to the literature, history, setting and message of the 27

books of the New Testament with emphasis on its overarching scope and how each book and its

contents fits into the whole narrative of both the NewTestament and the entirety of Scripture.

LBI301 - Introduction to Biblical Interpretation for Ministry

Students engaged in ministry need a foundational understanding of hermeneutics

(biblical interpretation). This course introduces students to basic biblical hermeneutic principles

and gives them opportunities to apply them to specific texts with their ministry in mind.

Doctrine

LBI102 - Christian Doctrine I

This course, in conjunction with Christian Doctrine II, covers the basics of Christian belief

and doctrine. In this initial course students overview Christian belief concerning God the

Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier with emphasis on the revelation of God as a Trinitarian event.

Historically this course covers the confessions of the Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasian creeds.

D102 - Christian Doctrine II

This course, in conjunction with Christian Doctrine II, covers the basics of Christian belief

and doctrine. In this second course students will study confessional understandings of faith,

justification, sanctification, resurrection and eternal life. This course will also discuss the

concepts of Word and Sacrament ministry, Law and Gospel Theology, Two Kingdom Theology

and the “Solas” of the Reformation.

D201 - Discipleship and Mission

This course takes the doctrine of the church and discusses it specifically in terms of

sanctification, vocation and the Christian life in mission. Students will learn how believing in

Jesus Christ means not only believing things about God, but following Jesus Christ in faith and

through mission.

Ministry Leadership

L101 - Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Part of ministry leadership is knowing how to seek out, evaluate and lead others to new

opportunities for mission. This course will cover how to gather resources for new ventures,

establish a budget, relate all ventures to the new ministry, identify potential leaders, how to

develop a work plan and lead others to build up various projects for the sake of the Body of

Christ.

L201 - Gospel Communication

This course will cover the basics of effective Gospel communication in a variety of forms

whether that be preaching, evangelism, small group leadership, personal conversation or Bible

study. Students will learn basic homiletic, educational and relational principles for compelling

Christian proclamation.

L202 - Ministry to Families

Ministry to families is of paramount importance in churches and missions today. Through

this course students will study pertinent family issues, discuss family dynamics and evaluate

various family ministry models in order to better develop their own method of family ministry to

meet the needs of families in our communities.

Missions

M101 - Mission and Evangelism

The focus of this course will be on Biblical and theological principles for pursuing the

Great Commission both locally and globally. Students will explore what God has to say about

mission and evangelism, investigate various theological foundations for mission and

hypothesize various ways to engage in Biblically sound and theologically motivated mission.

M201 - Mission Perspective

Whereas Mission and Evangelism covers mission from a Biblical and theological

framework Mission Perspective looks at the history of the Christian church as the history of

Christian mission. From the spread of the Word in the Book of Acts to modern mission in urban

centers across the world the history of Christian will be surveyed for the benefit of students

involved in mission today.

M202 - World Religions

This course is a general survey of eight major religions active in the world today. The

course will tackle how society and individuals are affected by religion, how religion influences

cross-cultural worldviews and how Christians can better understand, and interact with, people of

other faith.

Weekend Workshop Information:

Biblical Theology

Christ in the Old Testament (B204)

Seeking to understand how the Old Testament relates to Christ and his mission, this

course will cover Old Testament prophecy and typology as it speaks to the reality of God’s

mission in the person of Jesus Christ.

Leadership Development

Three-Sixty Leadership (L102)

This course will serve as an exploration of complete three-sixty degree leadership in

both a vertical and horizontal direction. Students will become versed in what it means to be a

“complete leader” and come out of this course with a fresh understanding of leadership to all

people and through the power of our Triune God.

Practicum in Ministry Leadership (L203)

This course will consist of a semester’s worth of practical ministry requirements where

students will get the opportunity to practically apply a lot of the theory they learned in the

classroom through LBI’s course of study. The class will culminate with a one day workshop

provided for students and leaders to process the semester of practical involvement in ministry

and mission.

Mission Development

Cross-Cultural Missions (M102)

This course invites students to understand cross-cultural missions as an exciting

opportunity to see Christ at work in our multi-ethnic communities. Students will explore the

basics of culture, how Christ and culture relate and how we can best minister cross-culturally in

an increasingly diverse cultural milieu.

Church Planting Basics (M203)

Building on the Leadership and Entrepreneurship course students will be led through the

basic steps involved in starting a new ministry/mission or planting a new church. This course will

include a panel of church planters to help guide the discussion.

Community Development

Non-Profit Management (CD201)

Many of our church leaders today are expected to not only lead the church or the

mission in its Gospel proclamation but also in its Left Hand Kingdom administration. With that in

mind this course will dig into the necessities of managing a non-profit organization for the sake

of the church’s mission to our communities.

Seminar Information:

Integral Missions (CD101)

This seminar will lead churches and church leaders through what it means to engage in

integral and holistic mission in our local communities. Students will be challenged to think

outside the box in order to identify, start up and administer integral missions that involve Word

and Sacrament ministry as well as community development initiatives.

Book of Acts (B203)

This seminar will be a one-day in-depth study of the Book of Acts. Students will better

understand the progression of Acts and appreciate this early church history as a narrative of the

power of the Holy Spirit at work in the church and its leaders for the sake of mission.

Faculty Information:

The faculty of LBI consist of ordained Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) pastors,

professional and commissioned church workers of the LCMS (professors, DCEs, deacons,

deaconesses, missionaries) and LINC Houston ministry leaders. At times the faculty may confer

to individuals with expertise in particular areas of study. All LBI faculty are required to either

possess, or be in the process of attaining, a graduate degree in theological, ministerial or

doctrinal study.

LBI faculty are expected to apply for their positions and will be subjected to an interview

and yearly review. All LBI faculty will be remunerated for their time and effort in teaching a

course. In order to receive full payment they are required to teach and lead at least six (6) of

their ten classes in each semester course. LBI faculty are responsible for covering any classes

they cannot attend with a substitute or with appropriate assignments fulfilling time requirements

for the course. LBI faculty are expected to grade class assignments and record student grades

in a timely manner. All assignments are to be returned to students within two weeks of being

turned in and final grades are due three weeks after a course is complete.

LBI faculty will be granted an honorarium for their services. This amount is determined at

the start of a quarter and a contract will be signed between LBI and the course faculty. The

amount of the honorarium will depend on the number of classes that the faculty is able to attend

and lead and will be decided on a course by course basis.

More information for, and on, LBI faculty, including forms, biographies and contact

information, can be found at LBI’s website.

Disclaimer

The information in this catalog at the time of publishing is accurate and comprehensive covering

all aspects of LBI policy and course information. If you have any questions, comments or

suggestions for LBI please contact the director, Ken Chitwood, at ken@linchouston.org or (281)

598-8976 or visit our webpage: www.linchouston.org/linc-bible-institute.html.