COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will delve into the multifaceted nature of church ministries, combining theological foundations with practical approaches to leadership, administration, and pastoral care. It aims to equip students with both academic understanding and hands-on strategies for effective ministry within diverse church contexts.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EACH CLASS
WCBCS designed each course syllabus exactly the same to benefit the student’s experience by helping them understand the expectations of each course. Only the content will change for each course.
STUDENT QUESTIONS: ALL class questions should be submitted via the form provided on the course page. Someone will typically respond to your request within 24-48 hours, if not sooner.
PROFESSOR CHAT ROOMS: Your professor will be available at regularly scheduled times in the WCBCS chat rooms. Please go to http://www.westcoastbible.org/resources/ to access the chat room.
COURSE COMPLETION TIME FRAME: Students are given a maximum time limit of 60 days to complete once they have opened their course. After 60 days, your course may be closed, and you must contact info@westcoastbible.org to possibly receive an extension.
SUBMISSIONS: Students will not be allowed to submit more than two full courses in any month for any reason. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in a 1-month temporary suspension of submission privileges. Repeat offenders will face a 3-month and then 6-month suspension.
GRADING: All assignments will be graded immediately upon the submission of the online assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to keep a printed copy of all scoring results in case there is a grading conflict. WCBCS will only keep results for up to 6 months. Any scoring discrepancies need to be noted within one week of the course being marked as completed or the grade will remain final on the student transcript.
FAILURE AND CHEATING POLICY: Any student who scores below 60 for the final course grade will fail and be required to take a new course. If you are unsure of the definition of cheating, please review the ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY on the main course page. You are responsible for following the policy guidelines.
Suggestions For Success
To succeed in your program at WCBCS, we encourage you to do the following:
Read your textbook and take notes. The goal of education is learning, not just passing a test. So, as you’re reading, be sure to take notes. There will come a day later on when you’re trying to remember a point, and if you take digital notes, you can easily access them in the future.
Don’t rush through your program. We understand the goal of every student is to complete your degree, but don’t try to do too much at any given time. If you do, you may burn out. Be consistent daily, and that consistency will eventually result in you healthily accomplishing your goals.
Use the free resources to complete your program. Grammalry.com is a tremendous resource that will help you write with excellence. Citationmachine.net will help ensure you are correctly citing written work. The WCBCS Library has excellent links to free resources to help you grow.
If you’re struggling, ask questions and get help. Sometimes, students struggle because they’re afraid to ask questions. We encourage you to email or call to get the help you need. We’re here to help!
Don’t Quit! There will be times throughout your program when you feel like quitting, but keep pressing on, and YOU WILL COMPLETE YOUR DEGREE!
Modules To Be Completed For This Course
MODULE #1: READING AND READING QUIZ ASSIGNMENTS (20% of final grade)
#1: Read the assigned chapters
#2: Take 10 multiple-choice quizzes following each day of assigned reading
MODULE #2: LECTURES AND QUIZZES EXAM (20% of final grade)
#1 Course Lectures
Before listening to the lectures, students are encouraged to download the Lecture Notes as a resource to assist them in filling in the blanks for the questions they will be tested on in the online Lectures Exam.
Questions will come directly from the lectures. After completing the lectures and filling in the notes, take the online test to submit and receive your test score.
#2 Additional Lecture Video Questions and Answers
Watch the assigned additional lectures and answer the following ten questions that correspond to each video:
Video #1: Knowledge: How would you briefly summarize this video and demonstrate its relevance to this course?
Video #2: Knowledge: What is the main point of this video, and how does it relate to a real-life ministry experience?
Video #3: Comprehension: How would you compare/contrast your knowledge regarding this video’s subject now to what you knew about this topic prior to watching it?
Video #4: Comprehension: What fact or idea stands out in this video as most relevant for your life or experience in ministry and why?
Video #5: Application: How would you apply the content from this video in a ministry setting of your choosing?
Video #6: Application: What approach would you use if you were presenting the content of this video to a church and why would your presentation be similar to or different than that of the presenter?
Video #7: Analysis: What is the direct relationship between the argument being made by the presenter and the Bible? Present a valid biblical argument and address whether biblical assertions were made in the video.
Video #8: Synthesis: What from this video can be used to improve your personal life or ministry assignment?
Video #9: Evaluation: From your personal experience and knowledge, how would you reinforce the information in this video to prove the point the author was making? Share a practical life example.
Video #10: Evaluation: How would you prove or disprove the presenter’s main point using resources found only in the Bible?
MODULE #3: CREATIVE PROJECT (10% of final grade)
PowerPoint or Google Slide Presentation
The Grading Rubric for this assignment is as follows:
Creativity (25%) – Is the project graphically appealing, and does it make catch the attention of the viewer?
Correctness (25%) – Are all words spelled correctly and is it free from grammatical issues.
Content – (50%) – Does the message conveyed in the project reflect the project prompt? Remember: Content matters most!
PROJECT PROMPT: Follow the directions on your course page.
MODULE #3: MID-COURSE EXAM (10% of final grade)
Students take a mid-term exam that will count 10% of their final grade.
MODULE #4: RESEARCH PAPER (15% of final grade)
LIBRARY NOTE: ALL RESEARCH ARTICLES SHOULD COME FROM A SITE LISTED ON THE WCBCS LIBRARY PAGE ONLY.
www.westcoastbible.org/library. We will allow outside sources to be used if they are CREDIBLE sources.
What are credible sources? Credible sources include peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, research think tanks, and professional organizations. Major newspapers and magazines provide reliable information thanks to their high publishing standards.
Per www.bestcolleges.com, reputable news sources require all content to be fact-checked before publication. Like the peer-review process, fact-checking puts more eyes on the information before it is shared, increasing accuracy and objectivity).
Research Paper Expectations:
You will write a 5-7 page paper that analyzes the article provided and requires the student to synthesize how to address the matter using a research argument, biblical argument, and personal argument. This paper will be double-spaced and requires 5-7 references. Papers may not have more than 20% of quotes, and all quotes must be set off with quotation marks and references.
See the WCBCS PAPER TEMPLATE for the exact formatting required.
PAPER STRUCTURE
Paragraph #1: Statement of the issue, with thesis statement of why you do or do not agree with the author’s position
Main Paragraphs 2-4: Research Argument, Biblical Argument, Personal Argument
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
NOTE: The best papers will have the maximum number of references and will follow the exact formatting on the template provided on the Module 4 page.
MODULE #5: READ AND RESPOND, BOOK REVIEW, and DISCUSSION BOARD (10% of final grade)
#1: Read the assigned magazine articles and take a quiz
#2: Discussion Board Post and Response
Write a discussion board post on the course discussion board page initially. You will also respond to another student. For specifics, please see this module.
Make your title as follows for the two assignments:
Discussion Board Initial Post – Your Name
Course Name
Professor Name
Discussion Board Response – Your Name
Course Name
Professor Name
Copy and paste the text from your initial post and response into the first assignment
#3: Write a Book Review
Will be no less than 500 words and no more than 600 words
INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH: Give complete bibliographical information at the top of the page (title, author, publisher, place of publication, date of publication, number of pages, and name of reviewer)
MAIN PARAGRAPH: Provide two reasons why you would recommend it and one suggestion for improving the book
CONCLUSION: Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences that summarize the content)
FINAL EXAM (15% of final grade)
At the end of Module 5, students will take a final exam that will count for 15% of the student’s final grade.