You may use any evidence that you have created in order to demonstrate this or any other competency.

This first competency is focused on understanding the New Testament biblical theology of apostolic preaching and teaching that is expressed initially in Acts and the Pauline Epistles. Although the competency refers explicitly to five “forms of the Early Church” (evangelistic, catechetical, expository, prophetic, and festal), these are categories that are more fully developed in Unit 2 that will build on the apostolic preaching (Kerygma) and teaching (Didache) that is the focus of Unit 1 in this course and of the Essentials of Sound Doctrinecourse as a whole.

All three projects that are associated with Unit 1 relate directly to this competency. The examples in the project guides are intended to provide general direction. They are not developed enough to fully satisfy Bachelors level or Masters level competency in the Antioch School. The second and third projects lack the “substantive” criteria that is required for the Bachelors level and all three projects lack the “resourced” and “implemented” criteria that are required for the Masters level. Many learners satisfy the “resourced” criteria by creating a Life Development Reading Summary for some or all of the theological readings that are associated with Unit 1. 

None of the project descriptions or examples for Unit 1 emphasize the “implemented” criteria. However, the rest of the course builds on the biblical ideas of Unit 1 and includes projects that invite comparison and assessment of the first century and contemporary preaching and teaching. Therefore, some later projects that invite such comparisons or the creation of sermonic material or church events based on the apostolic preaching and teaching can be used to satisfy the “implemented” criteria related to this competency.

Unit 2 emphasizes the five “forms of the Early Church” (evangelistic, catechetical, expository, prophetic, and festal) and a practical process for preparing preaching or teaching material and events that are based on them. The learner is not required to completely agree with this taxonomy in order to receive credit from the Antioch School. However, you should demonstrate a solid understanding of the categories even if you organize the data differently. If you do organize the data differently, then you should also make a persuasive case for doing so.

The first project in Unit 2 can be used to satisfy the first half of the competency (“understanding the five preaching forms”) and the second and third projects can be used to satisfy the second part of the competency (“a basic approach to preparing sermons around the five forms…”). However, the second project should not be confused with the first project. The first project focuses on a broader framework of five forms. The second project focuses on the more specific conventions, methods, or styles that can be used within any of the five forms. The third project should integrate the conclusions of first two projects into a practical process.

The fourth project in Unit 2 can be used to satisfy the “implemented” criteria if it includes a sermon series from each of the five forms and if there is evidence that each of these series were created using the process that was created in the third project.

Again, the examples in the project guides and models are intended to provide general direction. They are not developed enough to fully satisfy Bachelors level or Masters level competency in the Antioch School. They are basic outlines that lack the “substantive” criteria that is required for the Bachelors level as well as the “resourced” and “implemented” criteria that is required for the Masters level. Many learners satisfy the “resourced” criteria by creating a Life Development Reading Summary for some or all of the theological readings that are associated with Unit 2.

Most learners draw heavily on their work on Unit 3 projects to demonstrate this competency. The three parts of the competency relate directly to the three projects associated with Unit 3. The three projects focus on the initial outline and two expansions of a mini-theology of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

A “mini-theology” is a whole biblical idea that includes its foundational principles and practical implications expressed clearly enough for the church to understand and effectively use in life and ministry. The project example is the beginning of such a “mini-theology” of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. However, the project example, like all other project examples in the BILD Leadership Series courses, should not be uncritically adopted or reproduced. The learners should articulate their own understanding of the biblical idea and provide substantial evidence of its validity.

The project example is “substantive” enough for Bachelors level credit in the Antioch School. However, it is not yet “resourced” nor “implemented” even though it has footnotes and implications spelled out. The resourced criteria means that the course material such as the theological readings in the course itself are referenced in the project. The footnotes in the project example do not reference any of the readings in the course itself. The implemented criteria means that the learner’s conclusions are actually used to either assess past or present experience(s) or to plan future experience(s). The implications in the project example are general and not yet applied to any specific situation.

Most learners draw heavily on their work on Unit 4 projects to demonstrate this competency. Specifically, the first project of “a mini-theology of the Lord’s Supper” is essential to demonstrate this competency. Yet, since the Lord’s Supper probably included some expression of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in the early church, the mini-theology from Unit 3 can be included here too. Also, since the Lord’s Supper probably included some catechetical elements in the early church, the primary projects from Unit 1 and Unit 2 can be included here as well. This is the focus of the fifth project in Unit 4 “a one-page annotated summary of the catechetical elements of the Lord’s Supper.”

The first and fifth projects in Unit 4 can be used to demonstrate the principles that sit at the base of the competency. Any or all of the four remaining projects in Unit 4 can be used to demonstrate that the learner has integrated the competency into contemporary church gatherings. These also can satisfy the “implementation” criteria.

The project example is intended only to provide general direction. It is not developed enough to fully satisfy Bachelors level or Masters level competency in the Antioch School.

Most learners draw heavily on their work on Unit 5 projects to demonstrate this competency. Specifically, the second, third, and fifth projects are essential to demonstrate this competency. Each BILD Leadership Series course is designed to lead learners through the process of doing fresh biblical theology that results in practical strategy of ministry. The focus in Units 1-4 is doing fresh biblical theology. The focus of Unit 5 is developing a practical strategy of church ministry based on the learner’s work in Units 1-4. The second, third, and fifth projects in Unit 5 of the Preaching course are designed to draw upon the learner’s conclusions regarding preaching and teaching (Units 1-2), music and the arts (Unit 3), and the Lord’s Supper (Unit 4) into an integrated church meeting strategy that is solidly based on the New Testament principles and is relevant for contemporary church establishment and expansion.

The remaining projects in Unit 5 (first, fourth, and sixth) relate to deconstructing Western forms of meeting, preaching, and worshipping respectively that may be blocking a return to the New Testament paradigm. These projects can be used to satisfy criteria such as “substantive,” “implemented,” and/or “critical” in the Student Competency Assessment Guide.

The project example has been intentionally left sparse so that the learners are encouraged to draw their own conclusions based on their own convictions that will impact their own ministry context and effectiveness. The included outline is intended to allow maximum flexibility in deconstructing contemporary message/meeting paradigms and reconstructing them based on the way of Christ and His apostles. Some learners may be frustrated by the brevity of the project example. But, the work that they have completed in the earlier sections of the Preaching course should be able to be easily brought forward to fill-in the outline.