September 2023 MAP Update
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| 575 US Highway 250 | Greenwich, OH 44837 | Office: (419) 962-1515 |
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| Plowman's Academy Expansion |
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Aside from the SonLight Bible Club that has been running about 5,000 active students, the ministry also offers correspondence courses geared toward adults. This ministry is known as the Plowman’s Academy and has been actively running several hundred students every year, for the past 10 years. As of today, the Plowman’s Academy offers eight courses and goes much deeper than the SonLight Club.
The Plowman’s Academy offers the following courses: The ABC’s for Christian Growth, Bible Basics, Book of Books, Church History, Life’s Struggles, Christian Foundation, Christian Topical, Christian Verse by Verse.
Each lesson requires the student to open their Bible, dig deep, and find answers to thousands of questions from the Scriptures. Every lesson comes with a one or two-page quiz that gets filled out and returned to MAP for grading. All that to say, we are expanding the Plowman’s Academy. As of September 1, three students have enrolled using our online platform. The online platform allows students to watch videos, engage with their teacher and each other, and fill out and submit quizzes. We are all excited about this expansion and looking for more students to enroll. Our goal is to teach the Plowman’s Academy at our office location in Savannah, OH. PLOWMAN’S ACADAMY BIBLE SCHOOL The primary focus of the Plowman’s Academy is to aid people who are coming out of restrictive Anabaptist communities. Many of our students will have very little, if any, understanding of Scripture, and will have to unlearn cultural teaching, and relearn foundational Scripture knowledge. Most will likely be very hesitant to make a year’s commitment to these courses. Our goal will be to walk with students for at least a year, to provide them with foundational knowledge and practical applications of the Christian faith and how to live it out, and to teach others to do the same as Jesus instructed in Matthew 28:18-20.
During the first year, we will be offering stand-alone courses rather than building on previous instruction. The classes offered will start at varying points throughout the year, as prospective students become interested. Since the educational system among the Amish does not develop the motivation and discipline for self-study, students will need assistance. This will be done by increasing the interaction between the students, materials, and instructors, with activities such as having quizzes, online interactive discussions, and projects where the students discover the material on a deeper level. The subjects are those that are foundational to the Christian faith, such as an overview of the Old and New Testaments, courses on prayer, Bible doctrine, and practical application of the Christian faith. Future courses will be developed on Anabaptist history, parenting, and other relevant topics. It is our goal to set the students up so that their options for continuing education increase as they progress, and they will be encouraged to dream and aim bigger. The Plowman’s Academy will be working with other organizations so that students can transfer their completed courses and continue their education. |
Esther and I get really excited when young couples ask us to help them prepare for their wedding day and what comes after. We don’t take it lightly and put a hundred percent effort into the premarital counseling that normally runs a minimum of 15 hours per couple.
