Are you already active in a church or an active ministry? Do you have a desire to be trained in ministry in your own church but are you too busy for fulltime theological training? Then attend the In Church Academy of the VPE (Dutch Assemblies of God)!
Combination of online self-study and class days
At the In Church Academy you combine online self-study with monthly class days. During these class days the course material is explained and elaborated. You can put questions to the teacher and interact with your fellow students. Online you are connected to other students via a forum and discussion groups. The class days also consist of extra orientation courses on practical subjects as worship, preaching, pastoral counselling and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
A study year consists of eight courses in four blocks of eight weeks. In each block two courses are taught. Students can enrol at each new block. The course has an online textbook and every month there is one class day.
Teaching material
The teaching material is developed by Global University, a well-known and renowned international teaching institute, part of the Assemblies of God. After completing the two years, you can receive some dispensation if you continue your studies at Continental Theological Seminary (CTS) in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, near Brussels in Belgium. CTS is considered by the VPE as the official training institute for Pentecostal pastors and is accredited by the Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatie Organisatie (NVAO). All teachers and trainers of the In Church Academy are experienced and seen as leaders in their fields by the Pentecostal movement in the Netherlands.
Diploma
Every course is completed by an exam. The teacher determines if re-examination is possible and how this should take place. If the student doesn’t agree with the final grade, he or she can appeal to the National Coordinator Education of the VPE. His judgement is final. To complete the academy successfully, students have to meet the following standards:
- each course should be completed by a grade of 60% or higher
- the student needs to have attended at least half of the class days
- course evaluations have been submitted by the student
- the register-fee and course fee have been fully paid
After having successfully completed the first year, students receive a VPE Certificate, the second year leads to the VPE License.
Admission
The courses are open for everyone who wants to be equipped for service to the Church of Jesus Christ. There are no previous education requirements. The courses are at vocational educational level (mbo) and at the same time challenging for the higher educated. The study load is approximately six hours per week.
