FAQs
Is SfD right for me?
SfD is open to men and women, committed to their local church, who know and love the Lord Jesus as their personal saviour and who wish to develop their gifts in ministry.
It is an evangelical school bringing together students from different denominations who share that love for Jesus and trust in the Bible as the word of God
The question we would really like to ask you is not how old you are (though you need to be 18+), or how much you know (though you need to have read and agreed with our statement of faith!), but whether you feel God is calling you to Christian ministry.
You may not yet be entirely sure of that calling, this is a year to test that.
You may not be sure whether that is a calling to full time ministry, pastoral leadership, overseas mission, youth work, or to simply minister in some new way in the secular world, that is all ok!
Is this for gap-year students?
SfD is aimed at all ages and backgrounds. It may appeal to someone taking a gap year but it will also be relevant to older adults wishing to develop their ability to serve in ministry. You may need to renegotiate your working hours to fit the study in but this could be a useful way for you to consider your own future. Even someone reaching early retirement may find this helpful as a year to improve their skills and consider a new chapter of ministry before retirement. So no, it isn't just for gap year students!
I'm not involved in a church right now, does that matter?
It matters a great deal. Please don't apply unless you are committed to a Church where you have already had some opportunity to serve. Right now, your priority in discipleship is to find a church family that you consider home, to come under the care of godly leaders, and to give in a local church setting. These are your priorities for discipleship.
Participants in the School for Discipleship are expected to be practising what they learn in a local church. The church should have evangelical commitment, such as those belonging to the Wessex Gospel Partnership. Notice that they are of different denominations (Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, etc) but share a common commitment to the Gospel. Some of these churches have a formal system of membership and some will not, but either way, we will want to know that you are committed to the life of the church and that the leaders recognise that the School for Discipleship is appropriate for you.
If this is not your situation then we would encourage you to find a church where you feel at home and where you can serve. Test your sense of calling to ministry in a church first, before you begin the School for Discipleship.
What kind of Theology will I study?
The content of the School for Discipleship is Evangelical Theology and will cover various areas like Bible overview, Christian Doctrine, Church History and Church planting.
The School for Discipleship teaches classic, evangelical theology – do take a look at our statement of faith to see in more detail what we believe. Evangelical theology emphasises the need for personal faith in Christ for salvation and belief in the infallibility and authority of the Bible.
Evangelical theology found great expression during the time of the Reformation in the works of Martin Luther and John Calvin. Other notable evangelicals we will learn from include Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, John Wesley, John Stott, F. F. Bruce, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Wayne Grudem. However, we can also learn from many faithful Christians from long before the Reformation who help us understand the Bible, such as Tertullian, Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.
Evangelical Theology includes diversity of views over matters like the relationship of faith and science, spiritual gifts, and the role of women in ministry. Expect to be stretched and challenged in what you believe but don’t be surprised that we teach on the basis of a clear commitment to the authority of the Bible over all we believe.
Will I have to read a lot of books?
No, but we hope you will want to. There will be many recommended books along with other resources (videos, handouts, podcasts). The core text is obviously the Bible and some selected books will be required reading. But we will also encourage you read carefully selected extracts and to listen to podcast material.
Don’t be discouraged if you found school difficult! There are many reasons why you may have found study and reading a challenge. But if you love the Bible and want to serve God you will find a fresh motivation to read and learn.
Do I get a qualification?
The one year internship will be recognised as a valuable experience by many churches and ministries. However, there will be no formal qualification and it will not count towards a degree or other academic qualification. If you want a qualification then there are many alternative courses, including online, which will offer you that award.
Can you help me cover the cost?
We have done our best to offer the course as cost effectively as possible. The SFD Study programme is £600 and the full intern programme is £1500. You are welcome to pay termly (3x£200 for the study programme) which may be more helpful for you.
There are limited bursaries available for the Intern programme with Lansdowne Church. If you are from another Church and wish to participate in the Study Programme while giving more time to minister in your home church then why not talk to the leadership about whether they could help you financially? They may be able to cover the costs of the study programme as they benefit from the time you can give to them.
Will it matter if I can’t make all the sessions?
Yes, please consider carefully the commitment you would be making for one year. There are three 11 week terms of teaching during which you may take on responsibilities in a local church. Outside of term time you may be involved in Christmas and Easter activities in your church. While there will be time for holidays you will need to carefully manage these around your commitment to the SfD programme.
Obviously there are unexpected circumstances and sickness. We will do our best to accommodate missed sessions with recordings and similar but it will be your responsibility to keep up with the programme!
What is the Wessex Gospel Partnership?
Lansdowne Church in Bournemouth has established SfD and will be working with its own interns to serve at Lansdowne and develop a church plant at our site in Woodbury Avenue, near Castlepoint.
However, we want to offer the training more widely to other churches in the region. One such network is the Wessex Gospel Partnership. WGP is a network of over twenty churches spread across the Dorset and Hampshire region. As we share the same evangelical convictions it makes sense to partner in training.
The WGP teaching will also be delivered at our base in Woodbury Avenue. There will be alternate week Monday evening classes and some Saturday morning teaching. We would expect those on the Intern programme to join in with the WGP teaching. There will also be a sharing of teaching staff. The teaching on SfD will avoid repeating the WGP content so there will be little repetition.
However, many will want to do only the WGP track particularly as an evening class may be more suitable and others will only choose to do the SGP study programme. So while it is a partnership there will be no requirement to do all that is on offer during the week.
Can I study online?
The School for Discipleship runs in person at our location in Bournemouth, if you would like to access some of our content from a distance, then take a look at our Bible College in a Box.
This will provide some theological content that can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
More details coming soon.
