Philosophy of Education

Editor’s Note: The following blog post is the philosophy of education at FLBCS. This board-developed document has guided our program execution, integrity, and quality since 2013. This is our “why” behind our approach to Christian Higher Education.

The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary, in fellowship with the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, are committed to lifting up the standard of God’s infallible and inerrant Word, the Scriptures. The Bible College and Seminary are without reservation:

Conservative. In teaching the Word of God, the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary employs the historical-grammatical method of interpretation with the presupposition of faith in the internal testimony of Scripture regarding its complete veracity. The Bible College and Seminary believes in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments.

Confessional. They subscribe without reservation to the ancient ecumenical creeds (Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian) and the sixteenth-century documents of the Lutheran Reformation (Luther’s Small Catechism and the Unaltered Augsburg Confession). The Bible College and Seminary regards these creeds and confessions as faithful expositions of the truths of Scripture and seeks to foster in students a fuller understanding and appreciation of the distinctives of orthodox Lutheranism.

Congregational. In consonance with the Word of God, the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary affirms the local church as “the right form of the Kingdom of God on earth,” and aims to equip students for effective service in and through local congregations through classroom instruction and practical training. It is in dependence on the Holy Spirit’s work through the Means of Grace – Word and Sacraments – that the teaching and equipping of students at the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary is carried forward.

The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary equips and teaches students in dependence on the Holy Spirit’s work through the Means of Grace. The classes concentrate on the exposition and application of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through which God saves and sanctifies by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. One important application of the Gospel is love for one another, with the result that graduates display an obvious love for the congregation.

The Bible College and Seminary seek to achieve academic excellence in their students. This is an important purpose in the Bible College and Seminary program outcomes. However, the goals in training at the Bible College and Seminary are not complete with mere intellectual understanding of the doctrines and practices of God’s Word, the Lutheran Confessions and AFLC distinctives. The Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary are intent on seeing that the personal life of each graduate is conformed more and more to the image of Christ; informed, motivated and empowered by the Holy Spirit through faithful application of the Law and the Gospel. Homes, congregations, and the world need godly spiritual leaders. This passion drives the Word-centered emphasis of both the Bible College and Seminary. Both formal and informal instruction encourages students to deepen their personal devotional life and express their faith through   active participation in local congregations, which provide opportunities for spiritual nourishment, worship and service.

Adopted by BOT, 1/21/2013; Updated and approved by the BOT on 6/13/2017

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