***NEWS RELEASE***
Educators Learn Renewed Purpose Through West Coast Baptist College’s Online Master’s Program
First-Time Students Can Take Advantage of $1,000 Discount Until Jan. 29
LOS ANGELES—“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”—Proverbs 9:9.
Those who have a calling to teach coupled with a yearning for God’s Word can combine their passions through West Coast Baptist College’s (WCBC) online or on-campus master’s degree program. With three areas of concentration, the program empowers students and ministry leaders to become more effective in their calling.
“One wonderful aspect of the master’s program at West Coast Baptist College is that students can get involved in ministry while they are in college, without waiting until after graduation to become fully immersed in the Lord’s work,” said West Coast Baptist College President and Lancaster Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Paul Chappell. “The college presents many exciting opportunities for soul-winning and planting new ministries in Los Angeles, getting involved in inner city outreach, serving in an active local New Testament church, and learning new ministry skills under seasoned ministry leaders.”
One of the three concentrations, the Education Program is a 33 credit-hour master’s program designed for leaders in Christian education that will help equip students with advanced skills in classroom management, assessment, curriculum development, teaching methods and pedagogy.
Expert faculty work closely with both on-campus and online students to make the most of the educational opportunity at hand, especially as some students juggle the responsibilities of family and full-time careers.
- Paul Chappell is founder and president of West Coast Baptist College and has been at Lancaster Baptist Church since it was led by 12 members in 1986. God has blessed the church, and the congregation has grown from an average attendance of 20 to become one of the largest Baptist churches in the country. In 1995, under Chappell’s leadership, the church began WCBC, which is training students from nearly all 50 states and 17 foreign countries, who will serve in local churches around the world.
- Dr. Jerry Goddard, West Coast Baptist College dean of administrative affairs, brings more than 28 years of experience to Christian college administration. He oversees the college admissions process and the online master’s degree program, as well as teaches full time at the college. He also teaches the Second Mile adult Bible class at Lancaster Baptist Church, and he and his wife, Debbie, have three children and two granddaughters.
- John Goetsch is the West Coast Baptist College executive vice president and entered full-time evangelism in 1974. Since that time, he has conducted thousands of revival meetings in local churches, schools and camps around the world. At the college, he is involved in training young people for full-time ministry. Dr. Goetsch has authored several books and continues to preach revivals along with teaching. He will also preach at Lancaster Baptist Church’s Week of Awakening on Jan. 28-31.
- Mark Rasmussen, West Coast Baptist College vice president, has been teaching at the college level for 30 years. He has spoken at educators’ conferences across the nation and is the product of Christian education, having attended Christian school from the first grade through all three of his college degrees. Rasmussen and his wife, Suza, have been serving at WCBC since 1997. He is the author of “101 Tips for Teaching” and co-author of “Mentoring and Modeling” with Dr. Goetsch. The Rasmussens also lead the Antelope Valley Bible Class weekly at Lancaster Baptist Church.
Courses part of the education concentration include the following:
- Philosophy of Christian Education: This course is designed to introduce the master’s student to the subject of philosophy and how it relates to Christian education. The course will compare some of the philosophies used by the world in education and how the Bible either defends or condemns the use of such.
- Advanced Biblical Counseling: This course is designed to give the student a further understanding of ministry through Scriptural counseling. All approaches to problems will be based on biblical principles rather than secular, humanistic reasoning and technique.
- The Exceptional Child: This course is designed to enable teachers to form skills in teaching students who deviate from the norm in physical, emotional, intellectual, social or communication abilities.
- Advanced Hermeneutics: This course builds upon information gleaned either through observation, experience or an undergraduate class. Students will learn how New Testament writers used the Old Testament, understand the difference between dispensationalism and reformed theology and how these play a part in exegesis, uncover common exegetical fallacies, and learn how to use today’s technology in light of Bible study.
- Learning Theories: This course introduces students to modern theories of learning, including an examination of the learner, the didactic process, student evaluation and the teacher-student relationship in the school environment.
Brandon Ewing, a graduate of the Master of Religious Education program, education concentration, remarked, “The master’s program at WCBC is the most practical educational opportunity that I’ve experienced. What I learned in class in the morning I was able to put into practice in our school in the afternoon. It strengthened my mind and my ministry.”
Additional master’s degree concentrations include music, where students will learn how it can emotionally guide and promote spiritual concepts as well as master its use effectively in church environments to honor and glorify Christ; and Bible, where students conduct advanced research and learn how to love the Word of God on a deeper level than ever before, experience the depth of its history and truths, and learn how to apply them in practical ministry.
Whether residential or online, students are enrolled in the same classes with the same instructors, covering the same material. The West Coast Baptist College online master’s degree program is not just pre-recorded lectures; the program mimics the full classroom experience. Those interested in the West Coast Baptist College master’s program can learn more here or request further information here. Through Jan. 29, WCBC is offering a $1,000 discount to new students. The registration deadline is Jan. 29, and the first seven-week session of 2018 begins Jan. 31.
West Coast Baptist College is an integrated auxiliary organization of Lancaster Baptist Church, where Chappell has served as pastor for the past 31 years. He and his wife of 37 years, Terrie, recently released the new book, “Are We There Yet? Marriage—a Perfect Journey for Imperfect Couples,” a travel-themed guide for marriage.
Read more about West Coast Baptist College, Lancaster Baptist Church, “Are We There Yet?” and the Chappells here. For more information on Dr. Paul Chappell and Lancaster Baptist Church, visit paulchappell.com or www.lancasterbaptist.org, or connect via social media on Facebook, Twitter or the church’s YouTube or Vimeo.
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