Ladies Bible Institute

Course Description

Ladies Bible Institute is a two year, in-depth Bible study course designed to instruct women in the knowledge of Christ and His Word for the purpose of equipping them to minister within the local church body, particularly in the area of discipleship.  The course includes five main topics of study:  Old Testament/New Testament Survey, Theology, Hermeneutics, Ecclesiology, and Discipleship.

Module Descriptions

OT/NT Survey – This module provides a broad overview of the entire Bible including themes of each book of the Bible.  Students will discover how each book fits into the overall theme of Scripture.  They will learn to identify God’s plan for the redemption of mankind through the sacrifice of His son as it is described throughout the entirety of His Word.  To deepen their understanding of the Word, students will write a 3-4 page research paper on an Old Testament book of their choice.  This is a prerequisite class to Systematic Theology.

Systematic Theology – The theology module introduces a wide array of doctrinal themes found throughout Scripture.  It builds on the broad foundation of biblical knowledge gained in OT/NT Survey and aims to provide a core knowledge of theology for the purpose of preparing women to better serve and minister within the local church body.  Students will write one 3-4 page paper during this module.

Hermeneutics – This “how to study the Bible” module presents a practical, systematic approach to in-depth Bible study.  Students will learn to draw out the correct interpretation of a passage through the use of literal, historical, grammatical and contextual study.  During this module students will prepare a Bible lesson to be presented in class.

Ecclesiology – The study of the church includes various aspects of the biblical purpose and function of a healthy church body.  In this module students will study topics such as:  the purpose of the church, women’s role in the church, hospitality, missions, service, and the biblical mandate to practice the “one another’s.”  There will be opportunities to practically apply what is being taught.

Discipleship – This module equips women to practically apply the instruction of Titus 2 (older women teaching younger women) into their lives. Students will be introduced to the basics of biblical counseling for the purpose of coming alongside other women to encourage and mentor them from Scripture.  The module includes a practical layout of resources and provides instruction for various discipleship situations.  With oversight provided by the instructor, each student will begin to practice what they are learning by discipling another woman using Partners.

Personal Improvement Project (PIP)

Each student will choose an area of sin in their life to commit to work on during the length of the course.  Instruction and guidance will be provided for each student as they learn to “counsel” their own hearts according to the truths of Scripture.  To complete the PIP, each student will turn in a 4-5 page paper detailing the progress they have made during the project.

Commitment

Women who desire to enroll in LBI will be required to make a commitment to complete the class.  Each module builds on each other, so enrollment is only accepted a the beginning of the course.  Faithful class attendance is required with the exception of 3 absences per semester.  Classes will meet on Monday evenings.

Weekly homework includes reading from various textbooks, Scripture reading, quizzes, Scripture memorization and PIP journal submissions.  Students should be prepared to designate 6-7 hours per week toward their studies.