Introducing VLI
Do you want a piece of the kingdom action? Are you
curious about your playing position in the Kingdom? You need to be
trained to act like a leader, think like a scholar and love like the
Lord. In the first ten years of the Vineyard movement, leaders trained
in different church systems were gathered who recognized that God had
prepared their hearts to resonate with the Vineyard value system. It
soon became clear that Vineyard needed to train its own emerging leaders
and develop its own farm system. By this time Vineyard's philosophy of
education and training had become clear.
Vineyard's philosophy of education keeps our
experience out ahead of our theory: to integrate our understanding with
our experience after we have been practicing ministry. Therefore, our
approach to training must consist of more than academic lectures in a
classroom, over the web or through a book. It must integrate hands-on
training, ministry experience, spiritual formation, with academic
understanding.
VLI was created to integrate these components with a
commitment to no compromise in excellence of biblical-theological,
ministerial and spiritual-formational training. The
instructors are experienced pastors, recognized theologians
committed to Vineyard-style ministry and experts in the fields that they
teach.
VLI was designed to give enough training in ministry
and theology to those whom God has called to lead ministries to be
successful. Some will desire further academic and practical training
after establishing a successful ministry. This is as it should be since
we need to be lifetime learners; and God will extend our learning beyond
any particular training system. Therefore, VLI offers a
two-year (seven quarter) program of training requiring approximately
20 hours of study and involvement in ministry per week.
A typical schedule includes classes on one weeknight,
one weekly
mentoring session of 2-3 hours with a pastor or ministry
coordinator, serving or leading a small group weekly, two weekend
intensives each quarter (entailing 10 hours of instruction), a practical
leadership project where the student teams up with others to execute
a ministry event (12-15 hours spread out over the quarter), serving your
church as required and regular Bible study. This schedule allows
students to be employed full-time or part-time. VLI will require some
time sacrifice. It is rare for anyone to have 20 free hours a week to do
VLI without some sacrifice or rearranging of his or her schedule.
Conventional Bible College or seminary education
typically requires students to leave their home church to go to their
school for a period of years. After graduation students find that they
no longer fit back into their home church context or they connect with
another church in another part of the country. This is often hard for
the church that loses its best upcoming leaders and for the students who
lose their primary relationships.
We believe the best environment for training is the
home field where students are in relationship with their pastors, other
believers and their community. This training not only brings growth to
the students but it strengthens their church and enables it to expand
its ministries and to plant new churches.
Our Vision
The vision of the Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI)
is to produce mature, passionate, and knowledgeable, experienced
Christians who will:
This vision requires students to commit significant
time, energy and resources to obtain the classroom knowledge, hands-on
ministry experience and personal growth needed to attain the desired
competencies.
What
is VLI?
Vineyard Leadership Institute is a two year program
that offers serious courses in biblical studies and theology taught by
professors qualified and experienced to teach at university and graduate
levels. Our practical courses in interpreting scripture, church
planting, leadership, preaching and teaching, power ministry,
counseling, spirituality, etc. are distinctive, cutting-edge, and
empowering.
Why VLI?
We have a mandate from Jesus to disciple the nations.
This means we evangelize, plant, and pastor churches; and we raise up
other workers and leaders to do the ministry of the Kingdom of God. How
and where will these emerging leaders be trained? The track record of
traditional theological institutions that are abstracted from the life
of the local church has not been good. However, at the Vineyard
Leadership Institute we can train students practically, spiritually, and
academically for the ministry in the context of the local church. In
this way, students get hands-on ministry training, mentoring from a
pastoral staff, and excellent biblical-theological instruction.
Financial Information
Tuition for the 2002-3 and the 2003-4 academic years
is $2,100. This covers the entire 7-quarter program. The payment
schedule is: $300.00 due at registration and the $100.00/month for the
subsequent 18 months till tuition is paid. The estimated cost of books
and shipping per quarter is $100.
Application Procedure
