I (Sal) attended the first annual Summer Institue of Ministry Training School (SIMT) back in 1999-the year I graduated from the University of Minnesota-Morris.
Below are the 10 different topics/subjects that was covered during the summer of 1999....
Old Testament Survey
Teacher: Larry Doorman of Clearbrook, MN
Material: Worksheets on: Old Testament-Condensed Outline, Books of the OT, Overview of OT History, Arc of Bible History (Creation, Fall, Flood, Tower), Roller Coster of Joseph's Life, and a test of all these mentioned above (including maps).
The Old Testament (Torah-Jewish, Septuagint-Greek);gets dissected book to book as they are categorized into: the Law "Pentateuch: First 5 Books, Historical Books (#12), Poetical (#5), Prophetical (#17): 5 Major Prophets & 12 Minor Prophets.
Larry teaches how the Old Testament contains stories of the Jewish people. It was written for "us" to learn about perseverance by giving us hope. Also as a WARNING for "us" to stay on track with God. I teaches "us" readers how we can learn from the qualities and cycles of human nature (down below):
1)Israel sins: forget God, worship false gods (idols)
2) God disciplines: Israel is conquered and oppressed by a foreign nation.
3)Israel repents: cries out to God for deliverances
4) Deliverance: God raises up a Judge to deliver his people
5) Freedom: The people enjoy freedome (peace and prosperity) for the life fo the Judge
There is a gap "silence" period between the Old and New Testament, which there are no recorded history between the writings of the Old and New. During this time, Greek culture dominated this particular region.
Speaker Reccomended:
-?, Max "30 Days to Understand the Bible"
OTHER RESOURCES:
Videos:
1) "The Ten Commandments" (w/Charles Heston)
2) Samson and Delilah
3) Solomon
4) Abraham
*Many of these videos can be barrowed for $1 at the local Morris Family Bookstore
Websites:
Material: "Key Words, Verses, and Chapters to each New Testament Book" worksheet; "The Intertestamental Period: Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Maccabees, Roman Control of Palestine" worksheet; Authors of the New Testament worksheet; The Gospels Compared and Contrasted; The Life of Christ and Christ's Public Ministry; Paul's First, Second, and Third Missionary Journeys; Work Map: Bodies of Water of the Old Testament (map-fill-in); "How to Preach With-out Results" (pamphlet) by Charles Finney; and New Testament Survey: Writing Assignment (map)
Jeff King taught about the background and history on how the New Testament came about. Before the NT was written, there was a 400 "silent years" before it was written after the OT was finished. King shared about the Itertestament Period, which
1. The author and approximate date that it was written.
The last day of the New Testament Survey week was on "End Times" by Neil Thielke (our pastor then). He taught about Revelation and relating it to other Major Prophet Books of the Old Testament (eg. Daniel
Books:
One of the assignments he gave us was a "Preaching Assignment", which we had 5 action words in F.A.I.T.H. (Follow, Act, Indulge, Talk, and Humble), which we had to...
"Choose any NT book and write a brief essay which will include the following information:
2. The theme or main thought (why it was written).
3. One topic or though which I could teach or preach to others from this book
4. A brief outline or listing of the main points of the topic listed above in number 3.
5. A brief discussion of a personal spiritual application from this book (what it means to me). These 5 points could be five separate paragraphs in your essay or you could be much more extensive than that....Don't make this a "hard" assingnment that I must complete but rather an opportunity for the Lord to speak to you through His Word and become better acquainted with one of the books of the New Testament.
RESOURCES
-McDonald, William "Bible Commentary"
-"Survey of the New Testament"
-"Peace Child"