A discovery that can change everything.
More Than a Degree: How NBC Shapes Students for Ministry
What is the difference between getting an education and being transformed for ministry?
“Spiritual Formation” is at the heart of the ministry training journey at Nazarene Bible College. This process, more than just the title of a required course, is meant to be a lifetime progression in the lives of our students as they follow Christ and serve as leaders in the Church.
This has been NBC’s vision for decades. “The ultimate test of our spirituality comes in our living with and ministering to others,” wrote Dr. Ron Attig while he worked as professor at NBC from 1973 to 2003.
That conviction continues to define ministry training at NBC.
Spiritual formation is a challenge and a lifeline that stays with students long past that early general education course.
This continued growth often begins in that early Spiritual Formation course. Many students enter thinking, “spiritual formation is strictly personal and individual,” says Dr. Joe Warrington, professor at NBC since 1993 and recently retired Director of the Ministry Preparation Program. “The discovery that it is also for the sake of others and for the glory of God is revelatory.”
This discovery can change everything.
The courses at NBC are designed to transform. Ministry preparation must be rigorous because Christian ministry is demanding. Assignments require deep reflection, applying Scripture to life, and real ministry experience.
Students are pushed out of comfort zones, build community, and learn to manage time. One current student described these classes this way: “There is a sense of shared purpose and encouragement, reminding me that ministry is about relationships rooted in Christ’s love.”
Spiritual formation is not a list of disciplines to be learned in isolation. It is cultivated through community!
“Persistent faith, wise counsel, biblical instruction, mutual accountability, and a willingness to submit to God’s perfect will for our lives” wrote Rev. Dr. John Hanna and Rev. Dr. Robert Hunter for a lecture in the Spiritual Formation course, “are the ingredients for success.”
These habits will support a minister throughout the years beyond graduation. One graduate this year said “it has been so gratifying to see the Holy Spirit at work – producing fruit in my life and in others. I learned I could depend on Him every step of the way.”
This is the lasting impact of being transformed for ministry! At NBC, students are never meant to leave with just a college degree. They take with them the faithful commitment to ministry, reflection, and prayer that are the foundation of the curriculum.
Through your support, this transformation continues impacting churches, communities, and lives.