|
|
Missions Bible Course
|
|
Questions about doing the studies.
Questions About South East Asia Mission Teams and The DCI Trust
Tips For Doing The Course On Your Computer
About Groups That Study Together / Your Own Training School
Try Control + F to search the
page for a keyword
This course
was written and provided by The DCI Trust, England
Questions About Doing The Studies
When can I begin?
Right now, if you haven't already. If you are taking the course as a group, start this week if you haven't already started!
How many lessons should I do a week?
We are very flexible as we want you to work at a pace that is comfortable for you, not for us. There are some who can do three lessons a week, but that is very difficult. The course is equivalent to a year in Bible College... Two lessons a week is the usual pace. One lesson a week is the minimum if you want to keep up your interest in the course. It is rare that someone will finish if they can't manage to do a lesson a week. We recommend two lessons a week. We are not into legalism, but we believe in goals. Please set a goal if you haven't, as your tutor will be asking you what your goal is.
How soon should I send in my homework and reports?
Send them as soon as you complete them. Do not wait until you have several done, as this overloads your tutor and hinders you from getting timely feedback. Your tutor may offer you a higher grade for corrections or additional work. You need this information right away. So send in your completed lessons immediately.
Do I have to do the lessons in order?
You are provided with the lessons in modules, and you need to complete each module before you start the next. You may do the lessons in any order within the modules, but we recommend that you follow the lesson in order.
What is a good way to study each lesson ?
We suggest that you first take a moment to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your study of this lesson. None of us are so smart and wise that we can grasp spis ritual truths without His help. Please get in the habit of praying a lot whenever your read, study, or meditate on God's Word. Each lesson also contains an area called "Spend A Minute To Change The World" which lists a people group to pray for. Please take just a minute at the beginning of your lesson to ask God to do something great among this people group.
Then you will want to look over the two or three pages of the lesson, taking note of the content and subject. Notice the homework and practical assignment. These may not make too much sense until you actually study the lesson, but knowing what will be expected will help direct your mind into the lesson and prepare you for doing the homework and assignment.
Then you will probably want to open your Bible and read the Bible passage. As you read, remember the subject of the lesson. Do you see any connection? We hope you do, but we don't expect that you will immediately understand everything. Now read the memory verse a couple of times. Try to repeat it a few times. Memory verses are an important part of each lesson and will help you throughout life to apply god's Word practically. Read it two or three time more, then try again to repeat it.
Next you will want to read the sections on discussing the lesson, the homework, and the practical work. This will help you to start applying the lesson as you study it. Some of the homework and practical assignments will take some time to complete, and you will be required to report on your experiences. We suggest you start keeping notes on each lesson right now. Some people keep extensive notes of their studies. Others make hardly any notes at all. This is up to you, but most people need good notes to remind them of what they were doing and thinking when they make their reports.
Now you can read the meditation passage. Just read it through for now, at the end of the lesson you will actually meditate on it word by word.
Finally, it is time for the lesson itself. Read the sentences, think about the questions, look up the references. go through the lesson paragraph by paragraph, taking time to understand what is being taught. Make notes, either on the lesson pages or in a notebook. Put down your feelings, your thoughts, the insights you get from the Holy Spirit. Think and pray about parts that are hard to understand or unclear. It is important the you feel confident you understand each part of the lesson. If you have questions, write them down and ask your tutor or your pastor later.
As you complete the lesson, reread the homework and practical assignment. They should make sense to you now. If there is time to finish the homework now, do it. Write down or type in your responses and answers, save it for sending to your tutor when the practical assignment is completed. Now thank God for the knowledge and understanding you have gained, and close your time with prayer, being sure to pray for the unreached peoples listed at end of each lesson. If you are called to a specific group, pray for them as well.
As soon as possible, do the practical assignment and make a report on your experience. Sometime the practical work is fairly easy, and won't take too long. Other lessons may require you to do a lot more. Just make a report to your tutor about what you did, decided, felt, and learned when you did the assignment. Sometimes a paragraph will be enough, but sometimes a few page will hardly contain all you want to say. A good thing to remember is that the more you report, the more your tutor will be able to give you feedback and encouragement.
Finally, save your homework and reports in text files and attach them to an e-mail to your supervisor or tutor for grading. He should get back to you within a few days to a week. In the meantime, you can get busy on the next lesson!
What are the criteria for marking the assignments ?
Because this course is used world-wide and particularly among people who have English as their second or third language we decided to keep the marking plan very simple. It is as follows:
A = Truly outstanding work, only awarded sparingly. See note below.
B = Very good work, clear understanding of the subject.
C = Average work, could maybe do better.
D = Lesson needs to be repeated for the student to grasp the meaning.Each grade can have + or - as well, for example a B - or a C+
Note: Tutors must only award an A or an A+ in the case of an extraordinarily good piece of work, otherwise there is no means of recognizing and rewarding special achievement. Any summary evaluations sent to SEAMIST International School Of Missions for issuance of Certificates of Completion that contain a majority of A marks may regrettably have to be returned to the tutors for further thought and review.
How will my tutor mark the essays as A,B,C etc.?
First they will judge the length of the work, 350/400 words would usually be a page, so a 2 page essay would have from 700 to 800 words. Then they will want to see if the student has actually answered the question asked and not just written an answer after a hasty glance at the question. Then they will look at content, asking themselves whether the student is answering within the boundaries of the subject. Of course they look for truth, accuracy and presentation, neatness and legibility. They may consult with a local teacher for the locally understood way of judging work, since some cultures value some things far more than others and it is important to know what they might be.Can I ask the tutor to allow me to do the lesson again if my grade is poor?
Yes, but you need to work that out with your tutor. Contact them and ask to take the lesson over. Our goal is that you learn the material while enjoying the course. Often your tutor will offer a higher grade if you do part of the lesson again.
When is the examination?
You will have two choices, either take the exam as you complete each module, or take one final exam at the end. We suggest module exams. Your tutor will ask you which way you want to do it and send you the appropriate exams when the time comes.
Questions About South East Asia Mission Teams and The DCI Trust
How do I contact South East Asia Mission Teams if there is a problem with my tutor ?
The easiest way is to send an e-mail to smtc@seamist.org telling us who you are, what course you are taking, who your tutor is, and explaining the problem. We will try to immediately resolve the problem and get right back to you.
Where can I get more information about South East Asia Mission Teams?
If you are taking this course, it is likely that you are already aware of the information below. However, we do realize that someone may have shared this course with you and you need the information below. So here is the contact information again if this is your case.
Information about SEAMIST is available at our website: http://www.seamist.org (just click the URL if you are online right now). There you will find clear statements of our mission, vision, statement of faith, our distinctives as a missions training and sending agency, and information about how you can work together with us to accomplish the extension of God's Kingdom in our world.
You will also have the option of registering with the webmaster and receiving access to a "member's area" which contains prayer requests and praise reports, free web-based e-mail, resources and discussions forums and other things that we hope will interest you and help you to be a better Christian worker.
Where can I get more information about The DCI Trust?
You can contact Dr. Les Norman, the author of the course, or The DCI Trust who provides SEAMIST with the through their website at http://www.worldchristians.org/noframes/whoisdci.htm (just click the URL if you are online right now).
Tips For Doing The Course On Your Computer
I am new to computers. What do I do?
With a little practice it will all become easy for you. Be patient with yourself, and don't panic. It is only a machine and you are in charge. It will do what you tell it to. You already are looking at a page in your web browser, so you at least know how to open a page. Getting around is not difficult.Always look for the links all of our pages, and most other people's too. They will take you backwards or forwards or to other pages. And there are arrows on your menu bar at the top which do the same. Here is a link to the top of this page: GoTo Top. If you click it, it takes to the top! Links are your keys to navigation. Use the slider bars at the side or your arrow keys to go up and down on a page. Practice a little, it is really easy.
How do I do my homework and reports for my tutor?
You will need to use a word processing program like Windows Wordpad, NotePad, or any other program like that. You need to complete you work, then ATTACH it to an e-mail to your tutor. It is possible for you to complete you lessons on a typewriter and mail them to your tutor. This takes a lot more time, and generally is not done. In the case you cannot use the internet, we will be open to your request if you want to us a local person to tutor your course. Your pastor, an elder in your church, a missionary, or someone like that would usually be acceptable. You will need to request this before you start the course. Contact rizza@seamist.org with your request.
How can I make the print on the screen smaller / larger ?
The pages leave here in a medium size designed for a screen resolution of 800x600 pixels. The easy way to increase the size in the Internet Explorer or Netscape programs is to go to View/Text Size and the adjust to setting to Smaller, Medium or Larger as you require.Can I print the lessons ? How?
Yes. Internet pages are not generally very printer friendly. However, our pages are usually OK if printed right to your printer. Choose File, Print from your menu at the top of the browser and try it. Another way that is acceptable if you are familiar with your computer is to import the files into your word processor, reformat them, and print them out of your word processor.
About Groups That Study Together / Your Own Training School
Can I open a new Training School with the materials ?
Can my existing Training School use the materials ?
Yes, to both questions, provided that you let us know beforehand. All the studies and any advice you need are our gift to you free of charge. We will do all we can to help you and if you will maintain the standards that we require then we can authorise you to work under our auspices, and we will issue Certificates of Completion.How do I open a new school in my church, mission or home ?
We have seen that there are many ways of offering training ranging from the formal to the simple, and all seem to work in their own context. We have a special page with a lot of advice about How to Open Your Own Training School with minimum expenses.We require that you register your group with us if you want the SEAMIST Missions Training Center to issue the Certificates of Completion to your students. To do that is simple, just request the Group Registration Package from rizza@seamist.org .
Do the students need to be formally supervised and examined ?
Yes - we think so, especially if your church or Bible School wishes to offer a credible Certificate at the end of the Course. Yes - if the students wish to receive the full benefit of a disciplined course of study. Yes - if your students want us to accept their work for preparations for missions service with South East Asia Mission Teams.No - if people are taking the studies for their own enjoyment and personal growth as in a weekly Bible Study meeting at church.
Who could be a student supervisor ?
First of all, even a School Leader needs to have supervisors or else he or she will have handle all the workload alone. A supervisor does not need to be a 'professional' or highly qualified. We suggest that supervisors can be, for example - pastors, elders, assistant pastors, missionaries, retired church or missions leaders, parents, cell or home group leaders and retired folk as long as they are mature believers, responsible, people of integrity who know their Bible and who will spend time talking and praying with the students.We think that one man or woman can handle up to 6 students, more or less. If you are taking the course along with your students, have your pastor or another responsible person supervise all of you. Remember the 6 to 1 ratio, get more than one supervisor if you need to. Be sure they are committed to helping you because grading papers and keeping scores is a lot of work sometimes.
How do we get SEAMIST Missions Training Center approval for our supervisor?
We only require that they register as one of your supervisors on the forms we provide when you register your school. It is basically an agreement that outlines the responsibility of the supervisor and insures both his willingness and commitment to help the group. Along with the form we provide instructions and materials to him or her for grading and keeping records.
What do we do if we don't have enough supervisors in our church?
Well, why not think about asking for help from another church, maybe even from a very different kind of church altogether. Working together with other churches is very healthy and iron sharpens iron as the proverb says. Retired people, retired pastors and missionaries are often also very willing to help. That's how it normally seems to work. With a little patience and prayer, the Lord will bring someone to your mind or to your door.Can A Student Join The Course After We Have Started?
Normally that is no problem if your supervisors are willing to allow the student to make up the work. However, after the group completes of the first module, this becomes a big problem and we do not recommend it. Perhaps the new students need to start another class. You will usually find your supervisors will be eager to help with new classes because each time they grade a lesson it gets easier. They may be willing to supervise two classes, but try to remember the 6 to 1 ratio. It is not a good idea to overload your supervisors.
What happens at the end of the course?
At the end of the course will be a graduation ceremony for those who successfully complete all of the lessons with a passing grade. If your church or school is giving the course, then they will be the judge of whether or not students have met their requirements. We suggest a graduation ceremony before your church if possible, with recognition being given for the hard work the students have done to complete the course. Families and friends of the students should be welcomed at this ceremony. Students should be asked to publicly state their vision for future service.If SEAMIST Missions Training Center (SMTC) will be issuing the Certificates of Completion, then we will require that the summary reports on each student be sent in to us from the supervisors, together with a copy of the course evaluation for each student. We may ask the supervisor to send us some of the homework or student reports or papers from their students to insure quality in your school before issuing the Certificates and transcripts. We may ask for specific items for only certain of the students if we find inconsistencies in the summaries. This process can take from two to six weeks if it is done through the mail. We allow the giving of "conditional" certificates at a graduation ceremony if necessary, but the actual certificates and transcripts are not mailed from SMTC until all requirements are met.
As soon as SMTC receives the student grade summaries and evaluations, they will be reviewed. SEAMIST International School Of Missions will then mail Certificates Of Completion and course transcripts for each student that has completed the course. These will be mailed to the Group Leader, together with recommendations for the graduation ceremony and giving of any special honors that SMTC may feel is justified. This review process should not take more than one week, but the mailing can take two to four weeks in some parts of the world. Sorry, SMTC does not permit the printing of its Certificates or diplomas locally.
Please remember the time constraints when you plan your school graduations. SMTC will strive with all our power to do the final processing quickly, but please allow at least four weeks between exams and your scheduled graduation ceremony. If you have more than 6 students or live in a remote area or country where mail is slow, it would be prudent to allow 5 to 8 weeks.
SEAMIST asks that the Certificates of Completion be presented at a formal Graduation Ceremony which all the churches, families and friends are invited to attend. We also ask each student be given opportunity to publicly state their vision for future service at that ceremony. The supervisors, pastor, and school leader should congratulate the students and present the certificates.
Is it possible that our own school or church could issue credible certificates ?
This is not as difficult as it may seem.. If you want to use the course materials for your school and issue your own awards independently, a page of information on how to issue credible certificates is available from The DCI Trust. Please note that these certificates would not be issued by the SEAMIST International School Of Missions. We do, however, recognize all transcripts awarded under the guidelines provided by Dr. Norman and The DCI Trust. Contact them through their website for information about how to do this. Downloads of the full course and exams are available from them.Where do I get more information and the Group Registration package?
For more detailed information, see "Open Your Own School". To start the group registration process with SMTC, just send an e-mail to SMTC@seamist.org and ask for the Group Registration Package. We will quickly e-mail you the needed information and forms.
Would you like more information but can't find it ?
Click here to see the list of all the lessons
Click here to ask Rizza. Ms. Rizza Dalde is SEAMIST's secretary and our main coordinator of everything. What she doesn't know she knows where to find...
The Missions Bible Course is provided Dr. Les Norman at The DCI Trust in England
South East Asia Mission Teams has adapted the course with permission
Permission is granted to provide copies at cost price for study purposes