Are you preparing to serve overseas with the International Mission Board?

Do you still need to fulfill your education requirements?

We have a program designed just for you!

At $25 a class, you can’t pass up this opportunity! 

Please look at the information below and email us at womenslife@sebts.edu if you have any questions.

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Announcing a new International Missions program 

through the 

Biblical Women’s Institute

The BWI now offers a Certificate in 

Women’s Studies 

with International Missions.

If you have a heart for missions and plan on serving over-seas this program is built specifically for you. The program can be completed in 2-3 years. The program meets the IMB requirements for spouses.

Course Requirements

2 courses – Old Testament Survey 1 & 2

2 courses – New Testament Survey 1 & 2

2 courses – Biblical or Systematic Theology

      WST0130 Christian Doctrine

      WST0250 Biblical Theology of Womanhood

2 courses – Elective courses

     BWI offers several elective courses that will benefit women who are preparing to go overseas. For example, 

     courses such as Preparing for Missions, Introduction to Missions, Church Planting I and/or II, Women and 

     Evangelism, Spiritual Disciplines, Counseling Women, and Biblical Foundations for the Minister’s Wife.

For more information, please contact the Women’s Life Office 

(919) 761-2340 

womenslife@sebts.edu 

www.sebts.edu

Ladies, the new semester starts NEXT WEEK!  Have you registered for your BWI classes? Check out the list of course descriptions below if you are still trying to decide what to take.  But HURRY!  Time is running out and classes are filling up!

What is your favorite class that you've taken so far? Let us know in the comments!

Thursday in chapel, we will be honoring the incredible ladies who completed one of the four BWI tracks this semester. Join us as we congratulate them!

Spring classes for the Biblical Women's Institute are now available, too! Be sure to check out the course list below and register today.

Spring 2014 Course Descriptions

Term 3: January 20^th  through March 13^th

WST0130: Christian Doctrine

Carrie Gilliam, Saturday, February 15^th & Saturday, March 8^th 8am-5pm

This class is designed to introduce the student to the broad concepts of systematic theology. This will be accomplished through weekly required reading in the text book, and through weekly lectures designed to provide a summary of the general areas of systematic theology. Also offered online.

WST0400: Church Planting I  

Dr. George Robinson, Thursday Afternoons, 3:30-6:20pm

This course is a basic orientation to the biblical, theological, sociological, and practical dimensions of starting new churches.

WST0310:  Counseling Women

Kathy King, Tuesday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

This course will examine life’s problems and solutions through a biblical worldview while addressing specific women’s issues. The class will help the student to understand the nature and importance of “biblical counseling” and how it is distinct from all other counseling. The student will also become familiar with biblical counseling resources that are available.

WST0120: New Testament Survey I

Dave Kerr, Thursday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

Together, New Testament 1 & 2 are designed to be an overview of the books of the New Testament. NT 1 will serve as an introduction to the Second Temple period, the New Testament world, the four gospels, and the life of Christ. Also offered online.

WST0210:  Old Testament Book Study

Zach Mullis, Thursday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

This will be a study of the book of Jonah.

WST0230: Women and Evangelism 

Debbie Stephenson, Saturday February 8^th & Saturday February 22^nd 8am-5pm

This course will prepare women to share their faith with other women. The apologetics part of the course is designed to assist women heading to the mission field by helping them learn how to evangelize people from other worldviews and religions. The majority of our time together in the apologetics portion will focus on covering apologetics in general.

Also offered online.

WST0520:  Worldviews:  Apologetics & Philosophy

Rion Bell, Tuesday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

This course is designed to equip the Christian with fundamental knowledge of a range of worldviews and religions. The goal of the course is to gain conversational ability with some basic Christian doctrine, as well as that of other worldviews, keeping the aim of evangelism in view.

Term 4: March 17^th through May 9^th

WST0410: Church Planting II

Dr. George Robinson, Thursday Afternoons, 3:30-6:20pm

This course is a continuation of Church Planting I.

WST0260: Family Life

Dr. Daniel Akin, Friday, April 4^th 6-9pm & Saturday, April 5^th 9am-12pm

This course will help students understand Biblical standards for marriage and how to apply these standards in their own marriage and family life.

WST0370:  Intro to Biblical Languages

Instructor to be determined, Tuesday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

This course is designed to provide an overview of language, concentrating on the biblical languages of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. The course will compare and contrast the biblical languages to English with a focus on understanding basic linguistic ideas such as grammar, syntax, style, genre, and others. The course will also address issues in translation and introduce students to tools for study in the original languages.

WST0550:  Living on a Limited Income

Instructor to be determined, Thursday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

WST0160:  Ministering to Women in the Local Church

Chris Adams/Denise O’Donoghue, Saturday, March 22^nd 8am-5pm and Saturday, April 26^th 8am-5pm

This course is designed to provide you with an overview of God’s design and purpose for women’s ministries in the local church as demonstrated throughout Scripture.  Both Old and New Testament teachings will form the basis for our study models. Application will be made to the church setting, and will be practical in nature. Class sessions will include lectures on the theology of women’s ministry as well as providing ideas and plans for women’s ministry.

Also offered online.

WST0122: New Testament Survey II

Dave Kerr, Thursday Evenings, 7pm-9pm

Together, New Testament 1 & 2 are designed to be an overview of the books of the New Testament. NT 2 is a continuation of WST0120 and includes the biblical history of the Apostolic period, Apostolic epistolary literature, and the Apocalypse.

Also offered online.

About Me

Hi!  I’m Jill Barbour and I’m a student in the Master’s of Arts degree in Christian Studies at SEBTS.  I am currently in my 4^th year of part-time studies.  I live in Clayton, NC with my two children, Luke, 21, and Emme, 10, and my supportive husband, Rusty.  We have been married almost 27 years. Our oldest son, Wes, got married to a beautiful woman, Allison, this summer; they live in Chicago. 

This is not my first master’s degree!  I received my Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing from ECU and several years later, I received my Master’s in Nursing from UNC-Chapel Hill.  So why in the world would I want to return to college for another degree? Have you ever studied the Bible or listened to a sermon and knew that there was far more that you wanted to know?   Or heard of a missionary and wish that was you? I had never envisioned going back to school again and yet, I realized that God was calling me to an opportunity to study under great teachers at SEBTS.  

We have been members of Baptist Center Church in Clayton for over 40 years.  Baptist Center is a small church with only one paid pastor on staff.  The opportunities for service are abundant.  I have enjoyed working in all areas of the church but the same area that called me to my career as a women’s health nurse practitioner was the same area of ministry that I was being called to in the church: women’s ministry.   

While many of the degrees interested me- women’s studies, biblical counseling, etc- I decided to go with Christian Studies.  I liked the broad nature of the degree.  Since obtaining this degree more than likely will not change my career, I wanted the broadest education that I could receive.  My desire is to increase my knowledge so that I can better serve others in the local church.  I don’t know if there is a specific order of classes that is best but I began with Old Testament 1 with Dr. McKenzie.  It was truly a life altering class! He taught me how to properly view the Old Testament.  The OT went from a book of interesting yet disconnected stories to a beautiful grand narrative of God redeeming the world to Himself through His Son. 

I can honestly say that all of the professors I have had have been incredible examples of men who love the Lord and want to help each of us to grow in our depth of understanding of Scripture.  They live the lives that they teach.  Hermeneutics with Dr. McKinion was an incredible class that taught me how to read and understand Scripture and see the interconnectedness like never before.  I have used so much of what I have learned already in my local church.  I think I practically taught my entire hermeneutics class to our Wednesday night Bible Study group.  My Sunday School class could teach Genesis to anyone after we studied it for almost six months! 

Is school easy with a family and a busy job?  NO!!  Do I want to give up at times?  Yes!!  But I keep hanging on because of the value of what I am learning!  I don’t want to miss out on a single class.  I’m not sure how this might change my future, but do know that it is giving me a direct application within the local church every single week and for that I am very grateful!

About Me

Hello! My name is Bailey Shoemaker, and I am in my third semester here at Southeastern. Originally from Mississippi, I moved to Raleigh a little over a year ago to attend seminary. Currently, I work as a graphic designer and I am pursuing an MDiv in International Church Planting. Life is crazy and awesome, but I am just taking it one day at a time, loving people and enjoying this season of learning. I am a member of the Summit Church, which is my family, and love seeing what God is doing!

I originally felt led to go Seminary in early college when God began fostering a deep love for the Scriptures in my heart; as I read more, I just needed to understand the context and the history behind the passage.  As I continued on in college, I really started to see some type of international missions as a part of my future.  God used time that I spent hanging out with a lot of international students and an opportunity to spend several summers overseas to radically change my view of the world and ministry.

To make a long story short, seminary was not what I expected.  The material didn’t just affect me academically, but spiritually as well, penetrating deep into my soul, provoking questions that I did not know the answer to.  It was quite difficult, but oh so good!  God shook me upside down that first year, challenging and refining me as questions emerged about who I was and what I believed.  I struggled a lot to figure out why God brought me here, even though I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was supposed to be here.  I slowly started to realize that my focus was too limited.  I had one idea of what I should do and how I should get there.  Throughout the last year, God has broken me and shaped in me new ways, and given me a renewed sense of joy!  He has opened my heart to a variety of ministries.  

Don’t get me wrong; I still love international missions, but in a beautiful way, God has released my grip on what I think my life should look like, and transformed my perspective into an open-minded one.  Oh, it has been a rough year wrestling with who am I and coming back to the amazing truth of my identity anchored in Christ, strengthened now with a better understanding of His gospel and dependency on Him, but I would never trade it for the world!

I am still in the same degree program, but as I tell most people, I am pretty much just winging it!  Who knows where God will lead, but I am so privileged to be a part of his perfect plan, and know that whether I end up in a hut in Africa, an ESL center in Chicago, or a coffee shop in Ukraine, He is so good!   

Southeastern has been such an amazing source of growth and theological richness.  I am so thankful for each of the professors here that have brought a new challenge and perspective of the elements of the gospel.  I am so excited to continue to sharpen my understanding of the Scriptures, grow in my knowledge of theology, and ultimately just learn as much as I can during this season.  I am so grateful for the opportunity, and we shall see what lies ahead!

BWI Term 2 will start  Tuesday October 15, 2013!

If you are not yet a BWI student, 

please fill out the application 

here 

in order to register for classes this term.

What classes are you interested in? 

Comment below to let us know! 

ABOUT ME

My name is Denae Gold, I am in my second year here at Southeastern Seminary and I can’t think of a better place to be pursuing the Lord’s calling on my life.  I attend The Summit Church in Raleigh, and I am a part-time staff member with CRU High School while I am completing my degree.

When I visited Southeastern my first question was, “Is it possible to complete a double degree, one being a Master of Divinity in Youth Ministry and the other a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling?”  With great excitement the answer was, “We can make it work.”  There began my journey of completing two different masters degrees at the same time.

The Lord has grown in my heart an incredible passion to see teenagers come to know Jesus and be on fire for proclaiming His glory among the nations.  While the Lord began to grow my heart for teenagers, He was also breaking my heart for them as well.  Today’s teenager is often faced with the realities of broken homes, drugs, alcohol, and the list goes on.  The more teens I meet, more the reality of deep hurt and pain becomes evident.  Because of this daunting reality, the Lord opened my eyes and gave me a desire to pursue a degree in biblical counseling along with my youth ministry degree.

As I sought the Lord in prayer about the decision to take on the task of two degrees and the calling that was before me, the Lord reminded me that this task was not about me.  This task was about the students I would one day come across and their desperate need of heart change that only comes from the transforming work of the Gospel.  It was at this point that the Lord reminded me that He would equip me with everything I would need to complete His will.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Ultimately I am joining Him on a mission He has already begun.

I feel a desire to become equipped to handle the turbulent situations that often enter the life of a teenager with the biblical truths that are presented in Scripture.  My desire in completing both the MDiv and MA is to help teenagers look through the lens of the Gospel when facing the realities of life.  I want them to be so captured by the glory of Jesus that they rest in the truth that their identity is a beloved child of God.

About Me

My name is Melissa Garcia, and I am in my fourth semester at Southeastern.  I am working full time for Hope Services as an Intensive-in-home therapist while I pursue an MA in the Philosophy of Religion.  I attend First Baptist Church of Durham and look forward to graduating soon.

“What made you choose this degree?”

Initially, I was in the apologetics degree program, but after my first year at SEBTS, I switched over to the Master of Arts in the Philosophy of Religion program.  This is a fairly new program, and I am one of the first to enter.  I may even be the first female?!  

Because of the range of questions that people have asked me about Christianity while sharing the gospel with them, I have always been fascinated by apologetics.  While serving as a journeyman, that fascination was intensified.  For that reason, I started the apologetics program, but during my first year I realized that my philosophical and theological questions were not being answered to my satisfaction.  

When I first heard about Philosophy of Religion, I originally thought that it would be too daunting of a task to study without any background in philosophy.  However, after learning more about the requirements of the degree program from Dr. Little, I was encouraged to pursue the degree, since it was aimed toward providing the answers to precisely the questions that captivated me.

“How do you want to use this degree when you finish?”

To be quite honest, I have not decided if I will pursue a PhD in Philosophy of Religion or not, but I wholeheartedly believe that I will use what I have learned from this degree for the rest of my life.  This degree program has helped me learn how to think more clearly and how to provide a better defense for the Gospel.

“How have some of the courses that you have taken benefited you already?”

When people first learn that I study philosophy, they give me the most grievous looks!  And then they proceed to provide a defense for exactly why they would and could never study philosophy.  So, like any good philosophy student, I take that time to show them their logical fallacies.  (Kidding!)  I do, however, tell them why I chose to study philosophy!  

Although philosophical arguments may seem abstract to most people, the truth is that once you follow philosophical views out to their logical conclusions, there truly are real life applications.  I think that we don’t often realize how philosophical issues permeate all aspects of our lives.  Additionally, the responses I am able to supply to people who try to undermine my beliefs shows just how philosophy has already benefited me! 

“Is there any advice you would give to students who are thinking of pursing this degree?”

I would urge them to make a game plan when they first enter the program.  It is easy to overlook a class that is being offered and then have to wait another year before it is offered again.  Also, do not be afraid to contact your major professor; he is there to help you.  Oh, and we need more girls in this program!  

If nothing else, I recommend that everyone take Critical Thinking and Argumentation as well as Philosophical Theology!  Those have been two of my favorite classes and possibly the ones that have equipped me the most for the sake of the kingdom.

About Me 

Hi! I'm Hope Hoge and I am a student in the Biblical Women's Institute here at Southeastern. I am 24 years old and I have been married to the most Godly man I know for almost 2 years now! I am from Alabama where I finished college with a degree in Elementary Education. I was a kindergarten teacher for one year until we moved here to North Carolina last August! I now work as a nanny for the sweetest 2-year-old little boy and most adorable 4-month-old little girl! We are covenant members at Imago Dei Church. My husband is here getting an M.Div in International Church Planting and we hope to be serving on the field by May of 2015! While we are in the process of getting to that goal, we enjoy leading a local outreach ministry here in Wake Forest. We love the Lord and we are trying to be obedient to Him, which is what brought us here to SEBTS!

When my husband and I moved to North Carolina, I was planning to take seminary classes at night while working during the day.  Yet after doing our budget and realizing that I would be working until 6pm through the week I was not sure how I could work, take classes, take care of my home, make time for my husband, friends, etc. I found out shortly after moving here that in order to go overseas, as the spouse, I had to take 4 seminary classes or obtain a certificate through the Biblical Women's Institute (BWI). After doing some research I found that the BWI just announced a new International Missions Program that offered a Certificate in Women's Studies with International Missions, which requires 8 half-semester classes.  After visiting with the ladies in the Women's Life Office I found out more about the Biblical Women’s Institute (BWI), which offers non-degree certificates to women in the community.  The certificates can be completed through night and weekend classes for ladies at an affordable price. I thought this had to be too good to be true! I was completely wrong!!

 I decided to try out the free class that Dr. Akin and his wife teach, Biblical Foundations for the Minister's Wife. (For more information on this class, please click here.) I am not sure what I was expecting, but I left the first night of class with a complete overview of Theology. I was overwhelmed with new and exciting information that I had never taken the time to learn or study. Dr. Akin did not cut the ladies any slack. He taught the class just like he was teaching a seminary class, which was very encouraging to me. I came home explaining to my husband things like "How our Bible came to us and the necessity of theology." Immediately, I realized that these classes were a true gift from God! There were other guest speakers throughout Dr. Akin and his wife’s class who spoke on topics such as orphan care, human-trafficking, hospitality, counseling women, marriage, raising children, the Great Commission, evangelism, and much more.

Since then, I have taken Old Testament I and II, which has helped me so much in my daily quiet time. For example, I enjoy reading the Old Testament, but I sometimes struggle wondering how to apply it to my life and how it relates to Jesus. One of my professors challenged our class to read Psalms as if we had never read it before and walked us through the steps of reading as if we are trying to find how each passage of scripture points to Jesus. This has been a great application to me for my Bible reading.

When I finish my degree, my husband and I will be selling all of our belongings and packing what we need to serve overseas for 3 years. The Biblical Women's Institute has played an important role in my life to help make this possible. If I were to give advice to someone who was thinking of pursuing a certificate through this program, I would definitely say go for it! If you have children or a busy schedule like me, but you are interested in learning more about the Bible and being challenged in your faith then this is definitely a great option for you. The classes are offered in half-semester terms, so you can take one class for three months and another class for the next three months. Weekend classes are also available.  For weekend classes, most of the work is done at home, but you still get the opportunity to meet with your professor on campus two Saturdays for 8 hours to hear the lectures, do hands-on learning, and have a time to ask questions.

The classes are very informative and cover a lot of information, but usually require a smaller workload than a full semester seminary course. I am so thankful for the BWI, which allows me to save money, work, and obtain a higher education that will prepare me for the mission field and facilitate spiritual growth in my life and in my walk with the Lord. I have been blessed to be able to learn, prepare for the mission field, meet some amazing ladies, and be a part of a truly wonderful program that was designed for women just like me. I have learned so much already in my short time taking classes.

Last week, we mentioned that our Wednesday blog posts for the month of August would be written by students focusing on the degree programs they’re in.  We thought it might be helpful to our new students to hear from our returning girls on what it’s like to be in these programs.  Our first feature is written by Catherine Blinson, one of our C@SE girls! Let’s see what Catherine has to say about being in the Christian Studies program:

So, Catherine, tell us what it’s like in your degree program?

My degree is a BA in Christian Studies and a minor in student ministry. My hope is to be prepared enough so that in whatever I do, I can help equip students to minister to others through the Gospel. Each class I take demonstrates multiple ways to evangelize to those around me.  Through the example of my professors, the guest worship leaders, pastors, and missionaries that speak in my classes, and the encouragement of my fellow classmates, I am constantly encouraged to live a life of evangelism, loving those around me.

What made you choose this degree?

I love to work with kids!  Young or old, it doesn’t make a difference; I love seeing the light bulb turn on when they finally “get” something we’ve been working on.  My desire is to take what I learn in this degree and use it to serve kids and students in various ways like discipling and mentoring.  I felt like this degree would well equip me to work with and connect with students and encourage them to grow in Christ.

How do you want to use this degree when you finish?

My plan is to step into some type of established ministry program. My heart is to serve, love, and connect with others. Whether that is in student ministry or kid’s ministry, my desire is to become a leader in their life and to ultimately help them grow closer to Him.

How have some of the courses that I have taken benefited me already?

The courses here at Southeastern are very challenging but are also super helpful. Every day, it seems like I am telling someone about my class or how the Lord convicted me during one of my classes. They are full of eye opening material and will often challenge your beliefs and thoughts on different topics.  My leadership course was very helpful. In that class, we had the opportunity to work on a project as a team with people we did not know. We had to outline and prepare what our ideal ministry within the church would be and then work together to come up with what it would look like and consist of. It was challenging to work together and agree with what our ministry would look like!

Is there any advice or any helpful tips that you would give to students who are thinking of pursuing this degree?

Continue to seek His guidance and wisdom as you pray through pursuing this degree.  Also, make sure you take time out of your schedule to get ministry experience on a weekly basis - it will change your life.

Catherine Blinson loves her Father, the outdoors, photography, and missions. She is a senior at the college of Southeastern and is apart of the Connection Point Ministry Team here on campus. She attends Open Door Baptist Church in Raleigh. You can check out her personal blog here: www.catblinson.wordpress.com

As we all gear up for school to start again, we wanted to spend some time digging in to the degree programs offered at SEBTS. And who better to tell you about what each degree program is like than the students themselves? 

Over the coming weeks, our guest bloggers will be current SEBTS students in the various degree programs throughout the school. They will share what life is really like for them as they pursue God's calling on their lives through study and preparation here at Southeastern.

They will answer questions like, "What made you choose this degree?" and "How do you plan to use your degree when you finish?" We hope that their posts will give new insight to both current and potential students about all that Southeastern has to offer our ladies. The first post will be up next Wednesday. 

Happy reading! 

Our second giveaway of the week . . . Be sure to look for the winner to be posted tomorrow!

Don’t forget to cite your sources; you're almost there!

Welcome to our first giveaway post! Exam week is tough on everybody: students, families, Waffle House employees who have to deal with sleep-deprived students . . . As you strive to finish well, we wanted you to have one less meal to consider. If you are a female and a student or an immediate family member of a student, please enter the giveaway below! Winner will be posted tomorrow.

Tips for a successful exam week:

Step 1: Study

Step 2: Enter giveaway

step 3: take a break on us!

step 4: Ace exam