Local Classes:

  Chuck Swindoll's radio program for over 20 years originated from his church, First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, CA.   Chuck moved to Dallas to become president (1994), now chancellor of Dallas Seminary and started Stonebriar Church in Frisco, a non-denominational community oriented church. 

From that work, two Dallas Seminary grads (Th.M.) and a Dallas professor (Ph.D.) developed The Theology Program as part of the church, and then as a self-sustaining Christian educational ministry.

Tri-Cities classes are part of the Seminary for All program at Grace Evangelical Free Church in Kingsport.  The church is located at 617 Donelson Drive behind Jackson Elementary School.  The director of the Seminary for All program is T. Glen Moody, who attended Graham Bible College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Manahath School of Theology, Tennessee Temple University, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Faith Evangelical Seminary, and Oxford Graduate School. The church pastor is Kerry S. Doyal who is a graduate of Columbia Bible College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  Both men have many years experience in administering Christian education programs for adults.

The Theology Program, Seminary for All Institute, and Grace Evangelical Free Church affirm and maintain views of conservative evangelical thelogy.  At the same time, they are tolerant of theological diversity within evangelical thought and do not debate issues of denominational, eschatalogical, or devisive theological points.  TTP students study and learn about the variety of theological traditions, but they are encouraged to maintain the doctrinal distinctives that they can support.  We do

not discriminate against any potential applicant or student for any reason.

Grace Free Church is an autonomous congregation affiliated with The Evangelical Free Church of America and thereby with Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Background:

In 2001 The Theology Program (TTP) began as a Frisco, Texas extension of Dallas Theological Seminary’s Center for Biblical Studies at Stonebriar Community Church, home of senior pastor Chuck Swindoll. Thirty students took part in the first TTP course. The goal was to give lay-people an opportunity to experience the type of theological education that was typically only available to seminary students. Part of the vision of the ministry staff at Stonebriar is to create all of their ministry material in such a way that other churches can use this material for the benefit of their ministries. TTP was created with this goal in mind.

TTP incorporated as Reclaiming the Mind Ministries in Jan. 2005, a not-for-profit 501(c)3. The homebase is still Stonebriar Community Church and will continue to be.

Class Series CORE Curriculum

Introduction to Theology : Why be concerned with "theology"? What is truth? Is there such a thing? Can we be certain that our truth is the right truth? What is the Christian view of truth? How do we respond to a culture that devalues truth? Does God still communicate through direct encounters today? .

Bibliology and Hermeneutics : Is the Bible that we have today the same as when it was originally written? Do we have the right books? How do we know that the Bible is inspired by God? How do we interpret Scripture? .

Trinitarianism : Who is God? Better yet, what is God? Can we know for certain that He exists? If so, how? How can God be one yet three? How can Christ be both God and man? Why didn't Christ know the time of His coming? .

Humanity and Sin : Why did God create man? What is man? What happened when Adam sinned? Are we condemned for the sin of another? Do we have a free will? Men and women: what is the big difference? .

Soteriology : Are we really predestined by God? If so, isn't this unfair? Why did Christ die on the cross? Did he pay for all sins or just the sins of the elect? What is the difference between Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestants with regard to salvation? Can a person lose their salvation? If so, how? Is Christ the only way to heaven? What about those who have never heard? . . .

Ecclesiology and Eschatology : What is the nature of the Church? What is the difference between Dispensationalist and Covenant theologians with regard to the church? What should the Church be doing? What are the gifts God has given to the church? What is the difference in premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism? What is the tribulation? Is there such a thing as hell? . . .