Are You Going to Exponential 2011?

Published on April 15, 2011

The Antioch School is a sponsor and will have an exhibit during Exponential 2011: On The Verge, a church planting conference in Orlando on April 26-29 in Orlando. You can see us at booth D9 located just inside the door of the Faith Hall Lobby. Look for these banners to find our exhibit.

At Exponential 2011 we are focusing our message around two key ideas:

4 Ways to Equip Everyone in Your Church

These 4 programs form an integrated strategy (or allow you to use parts of your choosing), using BILD materials and Antioch School Degree Programs to help church leaders establish everyone in their faith and train existing and emerging leaders.

Learn More »

4 Ways to Earn Degrees and Credit

Through the Antioch School, these are the 4 options that are available to earn academic degrees and credit for learning that is taking place in, for, and by church leaders.

Learn More »

Connect With Us During Exponential

If you will be at Exponential 2011, please drop us a line via email. We would love to have you stop by our booth and interact with us about the Antioch School and the programs mentioned above. We are looking forward to the new connections that will be made at Exponential this year and how the Antioch School can play a role in accelerating the church-planting efforts of churches across North America.

If you will not be there, but are interested, follow the Antioch School blog and/or follow Steve Kemp on twitter for reflections during the conference.

See you there (or online)!

Antioch School Testimonies: Rancho Community Church

Published on August 16, 2010

Antioch School Presentation @ RCC from BILD International on Vimeo.

Watch as Pastor Scott Treadway of Rancho Community Church in Temecula, CA interviews two members of their Antioch School Degree Program.

The Antioch School allowed his vision of the church being a training center that would prepare the next generation of church leaders for their church and a network of churches to be fulfilled more than 5 years ahead of his projections!

Their first cohort was a young group that will be the backbone of their church planting efforts. The second cohort (and more to come) are serving both emerging and existing leaders in the church, including elders and seminary graduates.

News & Opportunities: August 2010

Published on August 11, 2010

4 Ways to Offer Degrees and Credits

In our effort to enhance our service to partner churches, the Antioch School now offers 4 Ways to earn degrees and credit.

4 Ways to Earn Degrees and Credits:

Start a Degree Program
Start a Certificate of Ministry Program
Earn Credit for Individual Courses
Complete Your Degree

Launch Your Program This Fall

If you want to launch Antioch School degree programs this fall, but are not already certified to do so, you have several upcoming opportunities:

Hartford, CT – August 16-18
Ames, IA – September 13-15
Seattle, WA - September 27-29

If you are already certified (or cannot participate in a scheduled certification training), please call 515-292-9694 or email us to address how you can launch a program this fall.

eLuncheons, Webinars, and eTraining

Learn more about the Antioch School (or share it with others) by taking advantage of our daily eLuncheon introductions and weekly Webinar orientations.

eLuncheon-a 40-minute multimedia conversation that explains the basic features of the Antioch School.
Webinar-a 4-hour multimedia conversation that carefully explores the biblical and practical distinctives of the Antioch School.

Register for an eLuncheon or Webinar

We also offer ongoing training for our Certified Leaders and others using BILD resources.

eTraining–September 7-8, Old Testament Theology: The Law

Accreditation Announcement in Christianity Today

The accreditation of the Antioch School was announced in an ad on page 63 of the August 2010 issue of Christianity Today.

We were granted accreditation on June 4. This means that we are the first truly church-based and competency-based institution to receive accreditation by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

Benefits of Accreditation:

Third party assurance of the quality of the Antioch School. Although we are unique in many ways, we have been recognized for the quality of our programs and integrity of our operations.
Transfer credit and recognition of degrees by other academic institutions has been streamlined. Every school can decide for itself how it wants to recognize credit and degrees of other institutions. However, most rely on a book called Directory of Higher Education Institutions published by CHEA. The Antioch School will be listed in the next edition this fall.

The Antioch School is Accredited!

Published on June 10, 2010

DETC Shield The Accrediting Commission of DETC met on June 4-5, 2010 and granted accreditation to the Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development.

The Antioch School is the first truly church-based and competency-based academic institution to receive accreditation by an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). We are very proud of this accomplishment because DETC does not grant accreditation quickly or easily. Our process took several years that included extensive Self-Evaluation Reports, a thorough Curriculum Review, an intense Site Visit by a six-member team, and specific Progress Reports.

Accreditation means that the quality of the Antioch School’s degree programs has been affirmed by a rigorous peer review process of a respected, independent agency. The Antioch School will be listed in the next edition of the Directory of Accredited Post-Secondary Institutions published by CHEA. This will greatly facilitate transfer of credit and acceptance of prerequisite degrees by other academic institutions.

However, DETC accreditation is just the most recent form of affirmation of the quality of Antioch School programs. We have already been endorsed by leaders of churches, church planting movements, and church networks, as well as other high profile ministry leaders.

Please rejoice with us in the news of this great achievement.

Launch of Ongoing Certification e-Training

Published on November 17, 2008

If you were unable to participate in the ongoing certification at our International Summit in November, you can still maintain your certification by participating in at least one Leadership Series workshop and one Paradigm Transformation Project workshop per year through Ongoing Certification e-Training.

Ongoing Certification e-Training is a series of web-enabled conversations with Antioch School certified leaders about the design and use of core Leadership Series courses and the implementation of partner programs within the boundaries of the church-based paradigm. If you have a web-enabled computer, a mic-enabled headset, and availability between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. CST on the first Monday and Tuesday of any month, then you can participate in Ongoing Certification e-Training.

Beginning in December 2008, the following Ongoing Certification e-Training will be available to certified leaders:

December: Pauline Epistles
January: The Church Doing Theology in Culture (PTP-II)
February: Essentials of Sound Doctrine
March: The Church as Missions (PTP-III)
April: Leaders and the Early Church
May: The Church as a Hermeneutical Community (PTP-IV)
June: Interpreting the Word I
July: The Church as Christian Education (PTP-V)
August: Theology in Culture
September: The Law
October: Theology in Civilization

Certified leaders can register for any Ongoing Certification e-Training through our WebEx web conferencing center. Each e-Training will be limited in number and limited to registrants who commit to both 4-hour sessions on Monday and Tuesday at 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST. Each registrant will receive a set of PDF documents to read in preparation for the e-Training and will also be expected to acquire the actual course material in advance of sessions involving a Leadership Series course.

At the beginning of the e-Training, each registrant will be required to verify that their equipment is capable of seamless two-way voice communication. It is absolutely essential for each participant to use a fully functional headset, without exception! We recommend the Logitech Premium Notebook Headset or an equivalent.

For more information, please e-mail us or call our office at (515) 292-9694.

3 Easy Ways to Learn More

Published on September 17, 2008

We are pleased to announce the launch of 3 different tools that make it even easier for you to learn more about the Antioch School and help you introduce it to others. We have created several tools that allow us to come to you via web-conferencing.

E-Luncheons are 40-minute online versions of what we do when we come to specific locations to introduce the Antioch School to groups, often during a luncheon. Sorry, but there is no food served at an e-luncheon. Register for an e-luncheon.

Webinars are 4 hour online versions of our more comprehensive Antioch School introductory seminars. Like the e-luncheons, webinars are interactive, using online video segments and live interaction with Antioch School staff. Register for a Webinar.

E-Workshops are 1 hour online events for leaders of Antioch School programs addressing issues of general importance, such as Student Finance (what do you do when someone says he wants to enroll in the Antioch School, but can’t afford it right now?). These include presentations by Antioch School staff, but also shared wisdom from partners with first-hand experience with Antioch School programs in their churches. E-Workshops are intended exclusively for certified leaders of Antioch School partners. If you are a certified leader and aren’t getting invitations or if you have suggestions for e-workshops that would serve you, please contact us.

Low Tuition, High Impact

Published on September 15, 2008

Tuition is still low for the Antioch School. And it seems even lower when compared to traditional higher education. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported that the average cost of tuition and fees for private 4-year colleges is now $23,712 per year or $94,848 representing an increase of 6.7% (Almanac, Aug. 29, 2008, p. 29). Tuition for Antioch School programs remains at $4800 for those who are admitted during Fall 2008. This is only 5% of the national average.

On average, training with the Antioch School costs 80% less when compared with the cost of campus-based programs.

On average, training with the Antioch School costs 80% less when compared with the cost of campus-based programs.

Students in the Antioch School are not paying for ivy-covered walls on elaborate campuses or expensive faculty research unrelated to ministry. Much of the cost of education for Antioch School programs is built into its unique relationship with churches. Tuition primarily supports the mechanisms necessary to sustain assessment and validation of academic quality in order to ensure that Antioch School degrees are trustworthy. This includes costs associated with accreditation and other innovative assessment tools, such as the e-portfolio.

Further, Antioch School students don’t have to pay all their tuition up-front or at the beginning of each semester. Rather, they are able to pay $100/month for four years. If you don’t think you can afford the tuition, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

What is the real problem? Is it really a matter of finances or it financial priorities? Is it really that I’m fearful of the workload or academics? Am I really committed to church-based leadership development?
How might I find the money? Have I let the need be known to family and friends, particularly those who are keen to fund ministries such as mission trips? Have I pursued opportunities with my employer or in my community?
How could my church help? Do they know about my situation? Are they making it a matter of prayer? Are there funds in the church budget or privately with church members that could be used as a loan to get started?