By Matthew Recker
The desire of Heritage Baptist Church is to win souls to Christ and train those disciples to live for Him. Since September 1996, our church has provided a ministry we call the Heritage Discipleship Institute (HDI) to provide an opportunity for believers in our local church to fulfill this goal.
Our HDI has been a great blessing in our church. A Bible institute ministry can be a blessing for you as well if the Lord leads you in starting one. For those who are prayerfully considering this ministry, I would like to briefly touch on some discipleship considerations, obstacles to overcome, and blessings to expect in starting a local church Bible institute.
Defining the Purpose of a Bible Institute
A primary consideration in founding a Bible institute is to define your mission. God’s desire is for each of his children to grow into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we state our purpose with this simple statement:
“Our Institute exists to see members of Christ become faithful ministers for Christ.”
It has been my vision and passion to labor so that faithful members of our church can learn God’s Word so they would proclaim His truth to others. It is critical that true Christians understand sound doctrine and make an all-out effort to spread the word through active ministry. I desired that our institute train children’s church workers, soul winners, deacons, and other faithful workers for our local church. An institute can also help identify those who feel a call into ministry and even encourage them in that direction.
Overcoming Obstacles to Establish an Institute
There were several obstacles to overcome in establishing the Heritage Discipleship Institute (HDI). The first big step was to overcome feeling overwhelmed. The overwhelming thoughts came from the questions, how are we to do this and where do we begin? Through prayer and having the mind of Christ I determined that it was God’s will. In this I found strength to tackle such a mountain of work.
Next, I had to address other barriers such as: curriculum: what classes will be taught; scheduling classes: what day will classes take place; preparation: how will there be sufficient time to prepare to teach the classes; and cost: how do we fund this ministry?
Deciding on a Curriculum
In deciding upon a curriculum, I researched other Bible college curriculum and local church Bible institutes to see what core classes needed to be taught. I determined that our foundational classes would include:
Bible Survey (6 classes). 
Theology (6 classes)
Old Testament Survey (3 classes)
New Testament Survey (3 classes)
Individual classes would also be taught on the following subjects: Theology of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, Salvation, the Local Church, Man, and Future Events.
Over time, other classes have been offered in our rotation, including Preparing Bible Messages, Cults, Church History, Biblical Counseling, and Bible Geography, Romans, 1 Corinthians, and the Acts of the Apostles.
I rotate these classes and try to teach in a 4–5-year cycle. But the survey and theology classes continue as the core, our foundation for our HDI.
Deciding on a Schedule
After trying a couple of different things, it was determined to have two semesters each year lasting about 13 weeks. The first semester begins in September and ends in December. The second semester begins in late January and ends in late April.
The testing load is 2-3 quizzes per subject each semester with each class concluding with a final exam. Homework includes reading the textbook, memorizing appropriate Bible verses, and preparing for quizzes and the final exam. Each student also prepares a 7–10-minute oral presentation each semester. These presentations are very helpful to the students, and they enjoy hearing from each other.
Deciding How to Prepare
Multiple elements are involved in preparing the class materials. This is perhaps the greatest of all obstacles, particularly because of the time required.
For teaching materials, I prepare printed outlines with blanks. I use PowerPoint with interesting pictures that give the fill-ins. We also put notes that are available on-line for our students who take the classes remotely.
I take one course at a time and labor patiently. Each semester two classes are offered. Both classes are for one hour and both classes are taught back-to-back on Monday night (7-9 pm). During the semester, I take nearly all day on Monday to prepare: teaching notes, outlines, PowerPoint presentation, quizzes to be given, and grading of quizzes.
Deciding How to Charge Fees
While are not trying to make money through the institute, it is helpful to charge or at least suggest a moderate amount. If for no other reason, it is to help keep the student accountable. If students pay even a small fee, there is a better chance that they will not drop out in the middle of the semester. Students beginning but not finishing a semester has been one of the biggest problems in our HDI.
We suggest a $50 fee for the first class and a $25 fee for the second class. The student is responsible for purchasing their class text books as well. If a person wants to take the classes but does not have the funds, they are still encouraged to enroll. The student is given a class diploma at the end of each semester when a class is completed. At the end of three years, a student is given a HDI Graduation Diploma.
The Blessings of Bible Institute Ministry
Over the years, there have been countless blessings through our HDI ministry. Some of the most faithful workers of our church have been HDI students.
Our early graduates were three wonderful sisters in Christ, Helen Stevens, Hattie Henry, and Josephine Armstead. Helen went on to teach in our Sunday School for many years and distribute thousands of gospel tracts. Hattie taught during the Children’s Church and even though she has become blind through glaucoma, she still teaches a woman’s Adult Bible Fellowship class. Josephine served in our hospital and nursing home outreach ministry, visiting many people who were sick.
Other vital workers in our church have taken HDI classes as well such as our Assistant Pastor, Ministry Assistant, deacons, and children and adult Sunday School teachers. One of our graduates married a missionary pastor and now she serves with him in the Philippines. Other faithful men in sister churches in New York City have also taken our classes, and it is a blessing to help other churches in this way.
It has been an unspeakable joy to see fellow church members in union with us in Christ grow in their understanding of God’s Word and sound doctrine. Even more, it has been our joy to see some also become faithful ministers in His church through this local church Bible institute ministry.
