At The Moody Church, we believe that the local church is the primary, God-ordained means by which to spread the Gospel and advance the kingdom of God. It is also the primary way we are nurtured and grow into maturity in the faith.

As Ephesians 4:11-14 says, “And he [Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

This being the case, we have created the Equipping Ministry in order to provide believers with the necessary tools to grow in their walk with the Lord. We also aim to build into the lives of our people the core biblical values that enable us all to view the Gospel as a worldview, or the lens through which we view all of life.

The goals of the Equipping Ministry are to equip our community:

• With a gospel–centered,  Kingdom oriented worldview.
• To live out the gospel norms wherever God has them planted.
• To engage their sphere of influence in a meaningful and articulate way that respects another’s point of view and is sensitive to another’s needs.
• To better identify, equip and train our people for leadership that they may lead in a Christ-centered, serving way that will serve as an example to follow and a position for which to strive.

We accomplish these goals through the offering of extensive teaching and training from a variety of skilled teachers and at multiple levels:

Level 1 consists of a core of required courses designed to help believers start down the road to deeper understanding and maturity. These courses will help students better understand the Bible and our faith, enable them to defend Christianity against difficult questions, and to share that faith with others. The completion of all Level 1 classes is required in order to move on to Levels 2 and 3.

Level 2, planned for Fall 2009, will be a rotating schedule of elective courses designed to deepen believers’ ability to grasp the faith, use their gifts, and share the Gospel. These courses will go into deeper detail on subjects such as the origins and trustworthiness of the Bible; the history of the Church and its doctrines; the beliefs of world religions and cults and how to respond to those beliefs with the truth of Christianity; and the biblical foundations, history, and principles of world missions, among others.

Level 3, planned for Fall 2010, is specifically aimed at the development of shepherding and ministry skills for those aspiring to leadership positions. The schedule could include such courses as Leadership Skills for Men / Leadership Skills for Women; Hermeneutics; Homiletics; and Counseling.

There is a fee of $20 for each class, which covers the costs of all textbooks and printed materials.

Completion requirements to receive credit for the class include an attendance record of 80% and completion of 75% of the reading and/or homework. Each class will have not only an academic component, but also a practical component that can be used in life and ministry, and so it is also expected that students be able to demonstrate a practical grasp of the material covered and a proficiency in the use of the subject matter.

In order to maximize the quality of the class for all participants, we have set specific limits in how many may attend each one. You may either register on-line or by phone.