INTRODUCTION: PHILOSOPHY OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Students are the reason Horizon College and Seminary (HCS) exists. We are thankful for, and challenged by, the presence of each person God sends to study and grow at Horizon. Since you have chosen to study at HCS, we assume that you are dedicated to gaining the knowledge, skills, openness to God s leading, and the development of character necessary for maturing in your Christian life. Since the Bible is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice, its principles will be the foundation on which each area of learning is built, including the spiritual, academic, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of your life. (2 Tim 3:16-17). It is the responsibility of the faculty and staff to assist you in your process of growth as biblical truth is applied to these areas of Christian living. We strive for the highest possible standard both in Christian lifestyle, and in the pursuit of excellence in our own research and learning. You are expected to do the same; it is no more God requires of us as stewards of the gifts and abilities given to us. In order to accomplish your development, the following areas are stressed: 1. SPIRITUAL: Christian spirituality is a life lived in unity with God the Trinity; the unity of all truth in the creating and sustaining source of all, the Father; the participation in, and future perfection of, salvation in the Son; through the empowering and guidance of the Holy Spirit at each moment in our lives. True spirituality begins with conversion, and does not end until either our death, or Christ returns. It entails the following areas: As an individual: the development of a deep prayer life; meditation on the Scripture; learning to recognize the Holy Spirit s speaking to us and responding to him; being aware of the attacks of the enemy, and arming yourself against them; finding God s place for you in his kingdom; and being willing to prepare for, and meet that calling. The result should be that the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident in you life, and it could be said of you that you are being transformed more fully into the image of God (Col 3:10). As a member of the Christian community: recognizing that spirituality desires fellowship with others united in Christ, we acknowledge the need to be ministered to by the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to others in our church community, and we also seek opportunity to utilize the gifts God has given each of us to share with others. We seek to worship together, hear God s Word expounded, and participate in joint ventures, which further expand Christ s reign in our world. 1
As a witness in the world: Christians are called to be a light to the world, and to make disciples of all peoples. The spiritual Christian seeks ways in which to both bring individuals to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, and to promote Jesus prayer that God s will would be done on earth including every sacred and secular sphere, but rather seeks to see all of its dimensions as being brought captive to Christ. To this end, you should learn both how to share the means of personal salvation with others, and also how to bring God s concerns for love and justice into every sphere of our culture. Opportunities to develop an active, growing personal relationship with God includes the following: As an individual: you will not only be encouraged to develop your devotional life; you will be shown how to do this by experienced, spiritually mature leaders in Spiritual Formation Groups. Direction in Bible reading and prayer; praying for each other in the groups, and sharing the results of God s work in our lives are part of the content of these gatherings. As a member of the Christian community: you are expected to be faithful and active participants in a local church, as well as attending HCS chapel service, days of prayer and spiritual emphasis, dorm prayer meetings, and missionary prayer bands. Christian Service as an integration point for all three of the above aspects of spirituality: personal spiritual growth, academic learning, and the gifts the Holy Spirit empowers you with, are utilized in actual ministry contexts. Your Christian Service assignments will vary, giving you opportunities for ministry both within the Christian community, and as a witness to the world. HCS is committed to ensuring that you will have appropriate, challenging opportunities to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers as well (James 1:23). 2. ACADEMIC: At HCS, your mind is understood to be a good gift of God s creation. It can be, and has been, misused to damage to God s purposes, but it can be transformed so that it brings glory and honour to God, too (Romans 12:2). To that end, we strive to help you grow in appropriate knowledge that will equip you for a lifetime of service in the Kingdom of God. Learning that accomplishes this objective will do more than just provide a collection of ideas; it must involve the whole person. This is reflected in both the variety of course areas, and the elements involved in each course. With respect to the variety of courses, the following areas are represented: Bible and Theology: since the message of the Bible is foundational for all of the Christian life and ministry, every student is immersed in the written Word of God. At HCS, we desire three aspects of development in our students: 2
growing knowledge of the content of the Bible basic understanding of the doctrinal beliefs of evangelical Christianity in general, and of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in particular. Increasing ability in the methods necessary to continue studies in the Bible and theology for a lifetime of fruitful growth in biblical understanding and faith. Professional: students must also learn how to effectively communicate the truth of God s Word, and to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, to those to whom we are called to serve, whether as vocational pastors, or laypersons. a) Lay program students: you will participate in evangelism both in the classroom and in practical outreach. You will also be part of Ministry Development where you will serve in weekly Christian service. Opportunity is also available to participate in music outreach teams, and chapel ensembles. b) Vocational ministry students: you will receive an education in professional ministry covering each of the following areas: Vision: you will be challenged to develop a biblically based and spiritually effective vision for pastoral ministry. As a pastor, you must have a vision not only of the pastoral minister in general, but for the particular church community, which you are called to shepherd. Practical skills: as a pastor, you will need a wide variety of skills in order to be an effective minister of the gospel. These include development in preaching, teaching, leading in worship, ministering at the altar, and developing lay leaders within your church. People skills: increasing awareness of the principles of spiritual growth and wholeness, and how to be an agent of Christian growth in their lives. An important part of this education will be to become aware of your own spiritual, mental, social, and emotional needs, and how to keep yourself spiritually healthy so that you can effectively minister to others. Knowledge of both individuals and the broader social context are both relevant parts of developing appropriate people skills for your pastoral ministry. As a college, we operate in conjunction with many different local churches in order to provide overall, effective training for a life of service in the Kingdom of God. Local pastors participate in the classroom setting, ensuring that you learn not only from those familiar with the theory of pastoral ministry, but from those who are doing the work of the pastoral ministry themselves. c) General Studies: since we must be light and salt to the world, and stewards of the earth, each student must have a knowledge of the culture in which we live. An adequate education in general studies will provide students with a knowledge of the following: Individuals: including issues such as truth and error, love and hate, joy and sorrow, peace and turmoil, harmony and chaos, belief and unbelief. 3
Society: including issues in politics, economics, marriage and family, education, religion, rural and urban contrasts, and technology and its impact. It is assumed that in order to understand our present world, knowledge of the history that shaped us is essential. Logic and Communication skills: it is the mark of a properly educated person that they know how to think clearly and reasonably, and how to express that thinking in both oral and written form. Every course aims to develop your life in the following three dimensions of growth: Cognitive: the head knowledge required to understand the course content, and to comprehend its significance. Words that should be appropriate to use in this area include: know; understand, recognize; and comprehend. Affective: the feeling states needed to feel positive and confident that the area studied is worthwhile in God s plan for your life, and that you can perform adequately in each subject taken. Words that should be appropriate to use in this area include: feel; appreciate; desire to; have confidence in; value. Conative: the skills necessary to actually perform tasks for yourself. Words that should be appropriate to use in this area include: perform; interpret; identify; analyze; design. 3. SOCIAL: God did not intend that we exist as isolated individuals in the world; Adam and Eve were instructed to be fruitful and multiply, which entails living in societies. We are intended for community a supportive, nurturing, integrated body I which we feel comfortable and accepted. Our desire is that the life of the college would be marked by such a sense of harmony, peace, and growth-enhancing stimulation. To accomplish these aims, your will be encouraged to strive towards exemplifying a consideration of others, and a harmony of spirit that results in a high quality of social interaction. In order to accomplish its part in creating and maintaining such an environment, HCS strives to provide for the following: Consideration for yourself and others: establish an orderly yet relaxed atmosphere for those living in dorm, which respects the rights and needs of each individual student, and of the community as a whole. Also, for all students whether in dorm or out of it, guidelines considered desirable for sound Christian living are in place to give direction to those who are, as yet, not living by such principles on their own accord. It is the hope of the college that all students will mature to the place where such standards of Christian living are internalized so that this Christian lifestyle is a perpetual way of life for each student. 4
Experiencing leadership and servant-hood in community relationships: an important part of learning to live in accord with God s ideal for social harmony and order is the cultivation of a servant-hood mentality, whether in the exercise of leadership or in the submission to other leaders. Opportunities for leadership roles include: student leadership in the residences; participation on student council; heading such college groups as chapel worship teams, sports teams, missions prayer bands, and travelling ministry teams. Since you will not be leading every group of which you are a part, you will opportunity to grow in Jesus instruction that whoever would be great must learn to be a servant of all (Mark 10:43-44). Both leading and following are excellent opportunities for personal growth experiences. Opportunities for fun and fellowship: have several social events scheduled throughout the year, such as: banquets at Christmas and graduation; sports events; the Converge youth retreat, orientation week activities, etc. Also, the physical facilities such as lounge areas, games rooms, ladies and men s dorm lounges, and the common lounge also provide for casual interaction between students. HCS is committed to maintaining and developing facilities, which provide for an appropriate social environment. 4. EMOTIONAL: It is to be expected that, as you devote yourself to a deep study of the Word of God, prayer, and service, that you will experience personal challenges and questions within your own life. The author of Hebrews said, The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (4:12). This process of the Word working in your life can create a desire to share with a Christian brother or sister in whom you can place your confidence. After all, no person is an island unto themselves. In order to provide the necessary companionship for you on your spiritual journey, the following resources are available at HCS: Support from students in the form of peer counseling is available through the designated student leaders in each dorm, so that help is available at any time of the day or night, as the need arises. Support from faculty and staff includes regular, personalized attention through the Dean of Students, faculty, and other staff members who are available to talk, offer guidance, and to pray with you. In addition, Horizon strives to be a restoring, protective, caring centre where those who have emotional scars which may hinder their full development as children of God may experience healing. We, at HCS, strongly believe that God uses our human minds to discover aspects about our mental lives, as he enables physicians to understand something of the means of growing crops. We utilize all of God s gifts in order to enable healing to take place. 5
To this end, professional help is available for those who are deemed to require such assistance. The college maintains contact with a number of Christian counselors, and the Dean of Students seeks to bring the student into contact with the most appropriate person to meet your specific needs. 5. PHYSICAL As a good steward of all the resources God has placed in your service, your body should be treated as befits a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:20). We at HCS regard your physical and mental resources as gifts from God, and realize that you can only serve God most effectively when you exercise stewardship in the area of your body in appropriate ways. Responsibility in the areas of the physical life is a multi-dimensional, including: Nutrition: students will be made knowledgeable of nutritional needs, and how best to meet them. Exercise: adequate aerobic activity is necessary for maximum performance in every area of life, and should be a regular part of your lifestyle. Recent studies also show that exercise for muscle maintenance is also desirable; it is expected that you will demonstrate responsibility for your exercise needs. The college is dedicated to providing the requirements to meet these needs. Rest: God modeled for us resting from work (Gen. 2:2-3). While studying at a school, serving in ministry and socializing. We must learn to take time for rest, relaxation, meditation on the word, or participating in something enjoyable and fun. These are important aspects of self-care that must be learned and practiced to live a holistic life. Take advantage of quiet time in the dorms, go for a walk or use the prayer chapel and prioritize rest in your rhythm of life. Sleep: while individuals vary somewhat in their need for sleep, the average person needs about seven and on-half hours of sleep per night. It is your responsibility to cease all external distractions and maintain the appropriate length of uninterrupted time for sleep. The college provides appropriate quiet times during the night in order to ensure that sleep is possible during that time. 6