The Latin term vocari expresses in one word what we use two English words to articulate: calling and vocation. The season of education often involves a period of discerning what vocation God is calling a person to after graduation. At Bethlehem, students seek wise counsel from pastors and professors to family members and mentors as they discern what is next. As an institution, we aim to compliment that counsel by offering vocational pathways to guide students in that period of discernment. Therefore, we are excited to announce three new vocational pathways available to our students starting next academic year.
In our flagship Master of Divinity program, we are adding a new Concentration in Missions alongside our existing concentrations in Church-Planting and Worship. The men who God leads to Bethlehem Seminary have already discerned a sufficient sense of God’s calling to pursue pastoral training. The years of a rigorous classes and intentional apprenticeships under local pastors, though, often refines that sense of calling further. God has used our core commitment to be “Missions-minded” to move some of those students to answer a call to pastoral ministry on the missions field. Now, through a new partnership with Radius International, select seminary M.Div. and college M.A. students will be able to finish their final year at Radius International’s training center in Mexico by preparing for long-term, cross-cultural missions. We are eager for God to continue calling men and women to take the gospel to places where Christ has not yet been named!
At Bethlehem College, we are launching two new vocational pathways that will enable students to earn an “Emphasis” alongside a B.A. or M.A. degree. Our broad vision for college education aims to prepare the whole person to graduate ready to witness for Christ with wisdom and wonder for the rest of their lives. Such a pursuit of lifelong learning requires that students cultivate habits of mind and heart by integrating insights from across the academic disciplines to think, speak, and lead clearly and courageously. Although Bethlehem college alumni have successfully pursued vocations in fields like finance, real estate, software, publishing, publica advocacy, education, pastoral ministry, and as missionaries around the world, we aim to guide them sooner in discerning specific vocational calls while they are finishing their degree at Bethlehem.
Beginning this summer, students will be able to earn an Emphasis in Writing, Editing, and Content Management or an Emphasis in Classical Christian Education. These pathways consist of a summer seminar combined with a practicum at a partner organization completed over the following 1 or 2 semesters. The new Emphasis in Writing, Editing, and Content Management hones students’ abilities as writers and editors as well as offers practical editing and content management experience at Desiring God under the supervision of masters at their craft. The Emphasis in Classical Christian Education equips students to pursue vocations in K-12 education through the combination of focused instruction on educational philosophy and pedagogy as well as extended hands-on teaching experience at local partner schools.
In addition to the excellent opportunity these new vocational pathways offer for our students, we are also excited and grateful to be forging new and deeper partnerships with like-minded organizations. We are glad to link arms with Radius International to send well-prepared men and women to the nations. We are eager to serve the Christian and classical school movement by working with like-minded, local K-12 Christian schools to train a new generation of educators. And we are delighted to add another way to partner with Desiring God by cultivating writers to see beauty and say beautifully for the good of others and the glory of God. With these partners and our students, we look to God to guide and strengthen all of our work and to rest in his promise that he has prepared good works in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10).
Dr. Zach Howard
Academic Dean & Assistant Professor of Theology and Humanities
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for our students and faculty as they return from Spring Break.
- Pray for wisdom for the prospective students attending our College and Seminary Preview Days.
- Pray for the speakers of Theology for Everyone Weekend as they prepare.
- Pray for the full funding of The Serious Joy Scholarships needed to support this year’s students and their teachers.