Certificate of Christian Foundations -

Certificate of Christian Foundations

Give a year to your spiritual growth

This program is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge, attitudes, and practices for living faithfully and creatively with God in the world. The Certificate serves as the first year of all ABC College programs and qualifies for Canada and Alberta Student Loans.

Students in the CCF program will:

Gain a formative knowledge of Scripture and its context
Demonstrate growing competency in interpreting and communicating the biblical message
Develop interpretive thinking skills about how the gospel impacts issues in contemporary culture and consider practical ways to engage culture biblically
Develop confidence that they have unique contributions to make as co-laborers with God in his redemptive story
Acquire a foundation for further study, including information literacy
All incoming students will attend orientation events prior to the semester to introduce them to college life

Course Requirements

Fall Semester (16 credits)

B101 Grasping God's Word (3)

This course explores the formation of the Bible from texts and canon to translations, and develops skills for responsible biblical interpretation.

B111 Old Testament Literature (3)

This course surveys the books of the Hebrew Bible with particular attention paid to the history of the Israelite nation within the context of the Ancient Near East.

B133 Life and Teachings of Jesus (3)

The life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth will be explored according to the material presented in the synoptic gospels. Particular attention will be given to the historical, political, and cultural background of 1st century Palestine.

G101 Communications Theory (3)

This course explores what communication actually is and how to ensure the message that is sent is what is actually perceived and understood, via both verbal and nonverbal communication. Students will develop and deliver oral presentations.

P100 Field Experience (2)

Field experience provides a variety of service and ministry opportunities that enable students to acknowledge, strengthen, and use their gifts and abilities as they experience the local church as a community of people making a difference in the world. May be repeated for credit. Offered annually in fall and winter.

P101/P101.2 Spiritual Formation (2)

This year-long course explores a practical approach to the Christian vocation of being conformed to the image of Christ. Attention is given to fostering the Spirit’s work in our lives through both inward and outward spiritual practices. An introduction to classic and contemporary spiritual writers of the Christian tradition is also offered. Offered annually in fall and winter.

Winter Semester (14 credits)

B121 New Testament Literature (3)

This survey of the New Testament literature places the New Testament within the cultural context of the first century: Greek, Roman, and Jewish. Attention will be given to the best ways to interpret these documents historically and theologically and how the literature of the New Testament can function in the spiritual formation of the church today.

B221 Acts of the Apostles (3)

This class is an in-depth study of the structure and content of Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. Special emphasis will be given to the textual, linguistic, rhetorical, and narrative aspects of Luke’s technique of telling the story of Jesus and the Early Church.

Prerequisite or Corequisite: B121 New Testament
Literature

G131 Contemporary Thought (3)

This course seeks to uncover the ideological roots of modern and postmodern society, while engaging significant worldviews, major philosophies, and world religions, in an attempt to better understand reasons for hope in our contemporary world.

P100 Field Experience (2)

P101/P101.2 Spiritual Formation (2)

P108 Vocational Seminar (1)

This seminar explores a variety of topics surrounding vocation and provides strategies for making decisions and setting goals in order to expand students’ abilities to impact their world with passion and skill.