EQUIP
Develop teaching and training to support ministers and Sunday school teachers.
The ETR is developing a minister support teaching program (curriculum). The goal of this curriculum is to provide teaching, offer training and support, and facilitate discussion between elders, ministers, and their wives. Sunday school teachers will also be invited to participate in this curriculum over time. You can see an overview of the curriculum as well as a description of current course offerings below.
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This program seeks to foster and support a humble, Spirit-led ministry well-equipped to serve the church in its pursuit of accurate, informed, and fruitful understandings of the Bible.
"I really enjoyed meeting with the other couples all across the United States. It helped our church connections feel closer, even though some of us are separated by many miles."
Minister Support Curriculum
Core Doctrine and Beliefs
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Intro to Core Biblical Doctrines (forthcoming 2026)
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*Forthcoming:
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Discipline
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Church
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Scripture
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Last Things
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Baptism
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Communion
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The Bible
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Biblical Languages - Greek I & II, Hebrew I & II
Engaging Church and Community
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Intro to Engaging Church and Community (regional events)
(In conjunction with ACCFS and HarvestCall)


Spiritual Maturity
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Intro to Spiritual Maturity (forthcoming 2026)
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(In conjunction with ACCFS and 360 Wellness)


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This course is the introduction to the Apostolic Christian Minister Support Program. Its purpose is to provide ministers with faith, hope, and love as they engage in the ministry and is designed to bring us together in community.​
Courses currently available
Introduction to the Ministry
The objective of this course is to equip and encourage those who are newer to the Apostolic Christian Church ministry. Elders and newer ministers study together principles of ministry conveyed in Paul’s letters to Timothy and discuss how those principles are lived out in the Apostolic Christian Church. Mentoring and relationship building are special focuses of this course.
Time commitment:
Course length: 4 week course.
Class time: 1.5 hour class discussion once per week remotely as well as an in-person half-day meeting in the Midwest during the 3rd week of class. Wives are encouraged to attend the in-person meeting if possible. A remote option is available for this in-person meeting.
Work outside of class: 2-3 hours per week of reading, homework, and discussions with others.
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If you were put in the pulpit ministry in the past 12 months, you will be invited to join one of the new minister sessions. Please contact Bonnie Rocke (etr@apostolicchristian.org) if you have questions.
"The highlight was the in-person meeting of week 3! I really enjoyed meeting the other ministers in person and having open conversation about our own questions we submitted regarding our roles as new ministers. I especially appreciated the wisdom, advice and experience shared by our elders."
"I felt the study of Timothy was very appropriate for our situation as new ministers. I really appreciated the Zoom meetings, the in-person meeting, and the transparency of the elders!"
Category: Engaging the Church and Community
Introduction to Engaging the Church and Community
The objective of this course is to lay a foundation for ministers and wives in regard to the work of the ministry that is conducted off the pulpit. At the beginning of this day-long event, the ETR will lay out the Narrative Arc of the Church throughout the Scriptures. HarvestCall and ACCFS will then provide a series of teachings and discussion in such areas as Evangelism, Church Establishment, Ethics, Discipleship, Counseling, and others. This content will focus on implications for ministers and wives in their roles. This event is meant to be conducted in-person with time built in for relationship building and growing together as pulpits.
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Time commitment:
Course length: 1 day course.
Class time: ~ 8 hours of teaching, discussion, and interaction time set up to be attended in-person on a Saturday.
Work outside of class: 2-3 hours of pre-work in preparation for the weekend. In addition, optional, but encouraged follow-up discussion sessions will be conducted on key topics from the weekend.
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Locations/Dates: As required - contact us for more information.
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These weekend courses are structured to be regional events for nearby pulpits to take together. The host church will be working with the ETR to send out invitations closer to the event. Please contact Bonnie Rocke (etr@apostolicchristian.org) if you have questions.
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Core Counseling Skills for Ministers
The objective of this course, facilitated by ACCFS, is to motivate, inform and equip ministers and their wives in the area of pastoral counseling. The lessons cover the counselor's mindset & skillset, as well as how to encourage and help people. The course includes individual learning from videos, podcasts, and articles, as well as facilitated group discussions over homework questions.
Time commitment:
Course Length: 4 week course.
Class time: 1 hour scheduled class discussion once per week
Self-paced instruction and personal reflection: 2 hours per week
Dates:
Sessions of Core Counseling Skills will be coordinated when enough ministers sign up who express interest.
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Registration:
This class is open to any elder/minister and elder/minister’s wife. If you are interested in participating in this course, please register using the button below. You will be able to further indicate which time-frames work best for you on the registration form. Once we have enough interest in this course, we will reach out for further scheduling.
Prerequisite: None
Participant limit per session: 15
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* This course can also be taken by a pre-arranged group of ministers/wives (i.e. – a church pulpit can choose to take it together on their own time-frame). If you have a group of ministers/wives with which you would like to take the course, please register your group at this link. You will be assigned an ETR facilitator for the course.
"I thought this was a great "introduction" course. It gave a basic overview of the mindset and skillset."
"Every lesson had an "aha" moment for me and I was able to see the application with past experiences."
Category: History of the Christian Church and Thought
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Intro to Christian History and Thought
This course introduces the primary types of history explored in the “History and Christian Thought” theme: history in the Bible; history of the Bible; and the history of the Church after the Bible. Additionally, it seeks to ground ministers in a healthy understanding of what history is, how God uses history in the Bible, and how we can research and use history well in our ministries. Course content includes videos, Bible study, short history projects, and group discussion..
Time commitment:
Course length: 3 week course.
Class time: 1 hour class discussion once per week
Work outside of class: 2-3 hours per week of homework.
Dates:
Sessions of Intro to the Christian History and Thought will be coordinated when enough ministers sign up who express interest.
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Registration:
This class is open to any elder/minister and elder/minister's wife. If you are interested in participating in this course, please register using the button below. You will be able to further indicate which time-frames work best for you on the registration form. Once we have enough interest in this course, we will reach out for further scheduling.
Prerequisite: None
Participant limit per session: 15
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* This course can also be taken by a pre-arranged group of ministers/wives (i.e. – a church pulpit can choose to take it together on their own timeframe). If you have a group of ministers/wives with which you would like to take the course, please register your group at this link. You will be assigned an ETR facilitator for the course.
Category: The Bible
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Intro to Bible
In this course several elders consider three key questions concerning the Bible: 1) What is the Bible? 2) Why study the Bible? and 3) How can we study the Bible? This course is the Introduction course to the theme “The Bible,” which seeks to support ministers as they grow in their understanding of the Word of God. Course content includes reading, videos, Bible study projects based on study concepts, and group discussion. To see a more detailed outline of the course content, please click here.
Time commitment:
Course length: 3 week course.
Class time: 1.5 hour class discussion once per week
Work outside of class: 3-4 hours per week of homework.
​Registration:
This class is open to any elder/minister and elder/minister's wife. If you are interested in participating in this course, please register using the button below. You will be able to further indicate which session(s) works best for you on the registration form.
Prerequisite: None
Participant limit per session: 15
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* This course can also be taken by a pre-arranged group of ministers/wives (i.e. – a church pulpit can choose to take it together on their own timeframe). If you have a group of ministers/wives with which you would like to take the course, please register your group at this link. You will be assigned an ETR facilitator for the course.
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Biblical Text to Teaching
The purpose of this 8-week course is to establish a small group of lay ministers who can support each other in Bible study, and to introduce them to methods and resources for biblical interpretation, in order that they might be equipped to preach and teach the message of Scripture (prepared and unprepared).
Time commitment:
Course length: 8 week course.
Class time: 1.5 hour class discussion once per week
Work outside of class: 2-3 hours per week of homework.
Dates:
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Sessions of Text to Teaching will be coordinated when enough ministers sign up who express interest.
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Registration:
This class is open to any elder/minister. If you are interested in participating in this course, please register using the button below. You will be able to further indicate which time-frames work best for you on the registration form. Once we have enough interest in this course, we will reach out for further scheduling.
Prerequisite: None
Participant limit per session: 12
"Phrasing greatly helps me notice passages that I skimmed over due to familiarity. It helps me see that there is no throw-away wording in Scripture. Every bit of the Bible has a purpose—the Bible is so beautiful and powerful!"
"I am SO thankful that I took the class. I have been devouring scripture and study ever since...Sincere thanks."