two year programs

Our Approach Discipling The head, heart, and hands

Head

FBEP offers a wide range of classes in theology, philosophy, history, literature, science, music, mathematics, education, and communication.

Heart

FB disciples the hearts of students and volunteers through mentoring. Each volunteer and student is assigned to a mentoring group led by FB staff members.

Hands

In Apprenticing, guided experience rounds out instruction. In the apprenticing experience, students spend time observing, hearing, and then practicing.

Our Approach
Our Vision

Core Curriculum

The core curriculum for our two-year programs is comprised of learning experiences which enable students to love, know, and serve God, their church communities, and the world. These experiences provide space and guidance for students to pursue spiritual, relational, and intellectual growth with humility and service.

We aim to offer a core curriculum that is distinctly Anabaptist and devoted to the joy of learning for the love of God. We do this by:

  1. Integrating Bible throughout the core. Courses such as Christian Biblical Survey introduce Bible study methods and major themes of the Bible. Other courses, such as Introduction to Human Understanding, Life in New Creation, Worldviews, and Ethics, are grounded by biblical study.
  2. Practicing communication in a variety of contexts. Students regularly engage in written and verbal communication in small groups, formal presentation, informal discussion, and many kinds of written assignments.
  3. Including seminar in the core. Seminars involve everyone through discussion, questioning, and small group activity. We offer seminars in philosophy, Bible and Theology, Art and Literature, Science, as well as Discipleship and Leadership.
  4. Exercising charity and critical reasoning. Students are encouraged to understand what an author (or fellow student!) intends to communicate. After that, they respond.
  5. Cultivating personal leadership. Students regularly contribute to their own learning and assume responsibility.
  6. Remaining small by design. We enable the above – enabling students to form community, paying attention to them, emphasizing teaching over credential – by remaining small.

All students enrolled in our two-year program complete the following core curriculum requirements.

Year 1

1

Fall Semester

English Composition (3)

Christian Biblical Survey (3)

World History (3)

Seminar: A Christian Vision of Learning (1)

Choir (1)

Mentoring (2)

Spring Semester

Principles of Science (3)

Making of the Modern World (3)

Introduction to Human Understanding (3)

Seminar (1)

Choir (1)

Mentoring (2)

Year 2

2

Fall Semester

Introduction to Literature (3)

Life in New Creation (3)

Worldviews (3)

Seminar (1)

Choir (1)

Mentoring (2)

Spring Semester

Public Speaking (3)

Anabaptist Life & Thought (3)

Ethics (3)

Seminar: Capstone (1)

Choir (1)

Mentoring (2)

Tracks Of Study At Faith Builders Training Institute

Faith Builders seeks to orient and equip people for a lifetime of serving God and the church. One of the ways we do this is by focusing our two-year programs of study on the various callings of our students.

While our core curriculum aims to produce servants of the church who are sensitive, thoughtful, and responsive to their role in God’s work, our three tracks cultivate capacities related to teaching, Christian ministry, or further post-secondary education. Each of these tracks includes our holistic head-heart-hands approach to form the whole person.

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Teacher Apprenticing

What’s the Teacher Apprenticing Program?

For those developing as teachers, Faith Builders offers the two-year Teacher Apprenticing Program (TAP). This track is designed to accommodate the introductory level needs of students planning to teach in Anabaptist, mission, or other church schools. Students in the Teacher Apprenticing Program can select from three concentrations: 1) Elementary, 2) Secondary, or 3) Administration. A concentration in TAP indicates the area of apprenticing rather than a concentration in coursework.

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Track COmpletion Sheet

Year 1

1

Fall Semester

Introduction to Teaching with Practicum (5)*

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Teaching Practicum (1)

Principles of Science Lab (1)

(consider Math Elective)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Summer Term

Foundations of Education (3)

Electives

Apprenticing is a three-week term in the middle of the Fall Semester.

Year 2

2

Fall Semester

Development of Teaching with Practicum (5)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Current Issues in Education (1)

Math Elective (3)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Winter Term

Internship (6)

Note: This track of study requires a total of 80 hours.

Christian Ministries

What’s the Christian Ministries Track of Study?

The Christian Ministries track is designed to prepare students to serve with zeal and vision at home or across the world. In addition to our core curriculum, Christian Ministries students gain capacity in reading and teaching the Bible, crossing cultural boundaries, and identifying and responding to needs. In their second year, students intern with an existing ministry to gain practical experience in a focused area of ministry. Students in Christian Ministries share the apprenticing experience with students in General Studies.

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Track Completion Sheet

Year 1

1

Fall Semester

Introduction to Servanthood (3)*

Reading and Teaching the Bible (3)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Introduction to Servanthood Practicum (1)

Reading and Teaching the Bible Practicum (1)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Winter Term

Electives (6)

*Introduction to Servanthood culminates in a focused, three-week immersion in service projects in Guys Mills and students’ home communities. During the spring practicum, students serve in a variety of ways during campus chapel services.

Year 2

2

Fall Semester

Intentional Servanthood (3)

Cross-Cultural Communication (4)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Congregational Church Life (1)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Summer Term

Internship (6)

General Studies

What’s the General Studies Track of Study?

The General Studies track is designed for those students who want to prepare for further education in a college or university. The track is designed to help students navigate the educational and relational challenges of college with proficiency and Christian faith. This Two Year Program track requires a number of specialized educational experiences which prepare students for college or university training. Students in General Studies share the apprenticing experience with students in Christian Ministries.
Numerous colleges accept work done at Faith Builders as credits in their program. To learn more about this possibility, see Transferring Credits.

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Track Completion Sheet

Year 1

1

Fall Semester

Introduction to Servanthood (3)*

Reading and Teaching the Bible (3)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Introduction to Servanthood Practicum (1)

Reading and Teaching the Bible Practicum (1)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Winter Term

Electives (6)

*Introduction to Servanthood culminates in a focused, three-week immersion in service projects in Guys Mills and students’ home communities. During the spring practicum, students serve in a variety of ways during campus chapel services.

Year 2

2

Fall Semester

Intentional Servanthood (3)

Cross-Cultural Communication (4)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Spring Semester

Congregational Church Life (1)

Core Curriculum Requirements (13)

Summer Term

Internship (6)