Our Mission
The mission of The Imprint Institute is to equip people to do ministry where life exists.
Our Goal: Building Experts, Not Enthusiasts
There is a difference between an expert and an enthusiast. An enthusiast is a 12-year old boy who could go toe-to-toe with anyone about Nascar: the sport, the cars, the rules. He is well versed in all of the logistics. An expert is the man who has all the same knowledge, and can go a step further to get behind the wheel to drive at speeds topping 120 mph. He has experience. The goal of The Imprint Institute is to produce experts by addressing three essential areas: Biblical Fluency, Authentic Discipleship, and Theology.
The Framework
The Bible:
This is the foundation of the program. At the end of the program, we want you to be so comfortable with handling the Bible that we could parachute you into any non-believing country with just the Bible (no other source material), and you could spark a gospel movement. That being said, we want to take this year to load you up.
During the Fall and Spring semesters, you will be spending over 150 classroom hours learning your Old and New Testament from seminary professors, pastors, and godly men and women who understand the urban context. The program is for anyone that wants to know their Bible in order to be an effective witness, not just a good conversationalist.
Discipleship:
Discipleship is the strategy that God created for us to fulfill His mission. In Matthew 28:19 as Jesus was leaving, He tells his disciples to “make disciples.” How are they supposed to fulfill this task with their primary discipler gone? They had to take it onto themselves to reproduce what was produced in them. Imprint students will learn to sit under the Bible, and be discipled by scripture. They will also turn their gaze to the community at large, in their context, and begin making disciples.
We believe that learning has more to do with the people that you surround yourself with than the content being absorbed. Therefore, we believe that learning should not take place inside of a vacuum. Within the larger Institute, each student will be placed inside of a small group of 5-7 people. This group will provide accountability for each member to use the information they learn in class. Information is not truly learned until it is applied.
Theology:
Literally translated, this word means “thoughts about God.” So, the question is not Are you a theologian?, because by virtue of being human and having thoughts about God (whatever they may be), everyone can justly call themselves a theologian. The question then becomes, Are you carrying out your role as a theologian well? Are you faithfully wielding and sharing your supernaturally transformed thoughts about God in a way that gives Him glory? The Imprint Institute will equip its students to be able to answer, Yes.