Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).
The Lord Jesus Christ came to minister to the poor (Luke 4:18), and so did the apostles (Gal. 2:10). God cares, and His loving heart wants to reach out to the poor through us. But how can we best help people? What should we give and when? How can we empower them in this wicked world and yet not make them dependent on us?
This course will provide real, practical answers that come out of the experience of people who have given up their own security and comfort to minister to the poor in Jesus’ name. Special emphasis will be given to avoiding the patronizing attitude of do-gooders who think they know what’s best for the poor. Rather, this course will derive from the poor themselves—and the God who loves them so dearly —healthy ways to serve them in love, ways they consider helpful. Come and learn new ways to let your compassion flow effectively to people in need and to develop and empower the poor. (2 units)

Jesus said, Go and make disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:19). This is at the very heart of the Great Commission that He has called us to fulfill. But how do we make disciples? One clue is found in the same passage when He said: teaching them to observe all that I commanded you (v.20). In Jesus’ day that meant following Him without reservation, learning and doing all He commanded. This course will teach you how to make real disciples of those whom God places in your care. (2 units)

And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Jesus cares deeply about the problems of society today and wants His people to be salt and light, bringing the transforming power of God’s kingdom into the urban world of the twenty-first century. But how? That’s the subject of this class and a part of the very reason for the existence of Harvest Bible University. We really believe Jesus’ plan began with the establishment of churches among the poor and disenfranchised of society, and that from that base His people brought change to society. Come and learn how you can become an effective agent of God’s kingdom in the urban jungles of the world. (2 units) 

This course will help you become an effective teacher of God’s truth. It covers personal preparation, discovering the message God wants you to deliver, gathering material, organizing it, presenting it effectively for life-change, getting feedback, and helping students afterward. (2 units) 

Peter said, “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38). This is an exciting course that will take you right into Jesus’ incredible ministry of delivering people from the power of the devil. You will be thrilled as you see Him setting the captives free and then learn how to minister as He did in His power. (2 units)

Jesus has given us supernatural gifts so we can do the works He did, things that the world simply cannot do. For example, God has given the gift of healing for miraculous healings; the gift of prophecy so that we might hear from God directly; the word of knowledge so that we can know how to minister effectively to someone; and many other wonderful gifts. Each is meant to bring great joy as we serve others.

But how do we receive, develop, and operate these gifts? This course will explain how. You will be thrilled as you learn how to move into the wonderful, supernatural life and ministry the Lord has planned for you. The class will involve opportunities to try out the gifts in a safe environment, with the instructor helping you “get it” and letting you know how you’re doing. Come, be blessed, and learn how to minister in the power of God. (2 units) 

The Church is unlike any other human institution and therefore requires a different type of administration. The Church is not a part of the world system but of the kingdom of God. Much damage has occurred down through history when churches were administrated like secular organizations instead of the house of God.

As in the Book of Acts, most churches are born of informal ministry to people. Structure becomes necessary over time, especially when there’s continued growth. Yet competent administration seldom “just happens.” Churches, as voluntary associations, often suffer from lack of efficacious organization. This results in quenching the Spirit of God as people vie with each other for control (1 Cor. 1:10; 3 John 1:9-10). It often leads to financial mismanagement and/or abuse of church members and is a bad witness to the outside world. This course will teach the basics of setting up a church so that it is led by the Holy Spirit, has financial integrity; complies with the law; provides clear, gentle leadership for its people; and accomplishes what God has called it to do. (4 units) 

So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13).

Have you ever wondered if God has called you to one of the five-fold ministries as Paul describes above? These ministries are “gifts” that Christ gave to the church to equip the saints to become everything they’ve been called to be in Christ. What a privilege to be part of that. Not everyone is called to these ministries, but many are. This workshop will help you understand what these ministries are and how you might fit in. If you are already walking in one or more of these ministries you will receive additional knowledge and wisdom on how to be more effective and fruitful in your calling. If you do not sense a calling to one of these ministries, you will still gain other valuable insight such as how to work effectively with the five-fold ministries and how your gifts and calling work together with theirs. In the second half of the workshop, we break up into groups and pray for one another. The ministry team will lay hands on you and ask God to impart gifts of the Spirit to you and to increase in the ones you already have. You will meet other people that share your same calling and ministry gifts and learn from one another. Through prophecy, the Lord may reveal more about your spiritual gifts and offices and more specifics on the “who, what, where, why, and how” of your ministry. (2 units) 

When Jesus said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . (Matt. 28:19), He literally said “make disciples of all the ethne,” which refers to ethnic groups. Amazingly, we interpret it as individual disciple-making. Yet all over the world today people are being won in groups, resulting in explosive, spontaneous, geometrical growth of churches. This happened in the first century, and it is happening in many parts of the world today. It’s God’s will, the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation, for He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). In this course we will explore together ways of igniting such movements in the urban centers of the world. (2 units) 

The most effective means of fulfilling the Great Commission, of bringing change in people’s lives and renewal to the city, is planting new churches. Harvest Bible University was especially founded to help people become successful church planters. This course surveys all the basic aspects of envisioning, planning, organizing, and planting a church that succeeds. It is designed both for actual church planters, and also for other students who want to be aware of the issues involved and how to help church planters they personally know. (2 units) 

As we near Christ’s return, Christianity is becoming more like the Book of Acts. In Acts most missionary activity was done by people sent out from local churches, not “parachurch” organizations. This course will show you how to send out ministry teams from your church to plant churches in nearby neighborhoods, far away cities, and other nations of the world. (2 units) 

A major emphasis in the body of Christ today is hearing the voice of God. This cuts across all denominational and theological boundaries as people everywhere are hungry to know Him, commune with Him, and hear what He would say to them. In these last days, with rapid and often deadly changes in the world, it is vitally important to hear God’s voice. It might even save your life. This course will help you to hear His voice. (2 units) 

God still speaks to His people today in many ways and fashions. One of the ways He communicates to us is through prophecy in its various forms. However, prophecy is often misunderstood, maligned, and misused, even though the Bible says do not despise prophetic utterances (1 Thess. 5:20).
This course will teach both the proper and effective use of prophecy, and also its management in the church. It will include “hands-on” experience in receiving and giving a prophetic word. Participants will have the opportunity to seek a word, give it, and then receive feedback from an instructor who is known for his accurate and balanced prophetic ministry. This will be immensely helpful in developing and moving forward in prophetic ministry in a way that is thoroughly Scriptural. (2 units)

This is a “workshop” type of seminar where you will learn and then apply a biblical model of praying for others using the gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, healing, and miracles. Throughout the New Testament, the early Christians prayed and ministered with power, doing the greater works that Jesus promised they would do (John 14:12). Signs and wonders enable you to be much more effective in evangelism and ministry to others. And through prophecy, the secrets of the heart are laid bare and the reality of God comes to light in a person’s life (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

This is a “hands on” workshop where you will receive teaching and personal coaching in some specific and effective ways to minister to others through prayer and the revelatory gifts of the Spirit. You will also receive extended ministry for your own needs. You will learn a ministry model that is biblical and based on dependence on the Holy Spirit, hearing and obeying God, and compassion. You will grow in how you function on a ministry team and work together effectively with others to usher in the power of the Spirit to change people’s hearts and lives. There will a ministry team to pray for you to demonstrate how this works. And finally, even better, everyone will break into small groups where you can pray for each other, applying what you’ve just learned and experienced, guided by ministry team leaders. This way, you will actually be able to do what you have learned. (2 units) 

Throughout human history, God has spoken many times and in various ways (Heb. 1:1). One way God spoke in the past, and continues to speak today, is through dreams and visions. It shall be in the last days that I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams (Acts 2:17). It has been said, “A dream which is not interpreted is like a letter which is not read.” Since dreams are an important way God has chosen to communicate with us, they must be given great weight, and wisdom must be exercised to interpret and apply them correctly. In this course students will become more fluent in the language of dreams and visions. We will learn from the Bible how and why God uses this important form of communication. (2 units) 

Ordained pastors marry, bury, baptize, do visitation, and a myriad of other things in the operation of a typical church. Budgeting, handling office equipment, building and maintaining the church facilities, leading committees, setting up missions programs and youth ministries, developing a library, counseling, teaching and sermon preparation . . . these and many other duties familiar to ordained pastors will be explained in this helpful course. (2 units) 

The family has been the foundation of all societies for all of human history. Today it is under unprecedented attack by the devil and the media with the result that the latest statistics show a large percentage of Americans not even bothering to marry, and many other groups vying to be considered as families with multiple partners and other strange combinations included in their so-called “marriages.” A desperate day indeed. Now is the time for the church to develop healthy families that will show the world God’s beautiful plan, produce a new generation of godly children, and turn our society back to the Lord. Come and learn how to start a successful family ministry in your church. (2 units) 

The Bible says of Christ, When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men (Eph. 4:8). God planned that many would come to Christ through healings, deliverances, and other supernatural events, ministering just as Jesus and the Disciples did. Yet many Christians today do not know how to use the supernatural gifts Christ gave to His church, and they are afraid of what might happen if they try to operate them. In this course you will learn about different types of spiritual gifts, and will have the opportunity to learn how to use them appropriately, right in class! (2 units)

One of the names of Jesus in the Bible is “Counselor.” This is not in the secular or psychological sense of the word, but in the biblical sense of a shepherd who takes the trouble to go beyond the Sunday morning sermon and help people actually apply the spiritual truth that was preached in their daily lives. This course will help prepare those who pastor God’s people to shepherd their flock with grace and wisdom. (2 units)

This course picks up where the basic Leadership Development course leaves off, giving further insight on how Christ taught His followers to lead as servants. It’s a course rich with insight into God’s ways, which are the opposite of human ways. You will grow in Christlikeness through this course. (2 units)

According to studies at the University of Southern California (USC) the church is the most effective organization in bringing change to the inner cities of the world. The church transforms lives, families, and neighborhoods. Spiritual solutions produce permanent change. Though the problems of society often seem intractable, impossibly resistant to solution, yet the Word of God has much to say about the way societies work and God’s ability to change them when the church is willing to be and do all that God has called it to. This is a thrilling course, because it will highlight obvious answers that few Christians even consider. Jesus cares about the social problems of the city, and this course will open up new vistas in solving them. (2 units) 

Jesus said we are to visit those who are in prison, and that if we didn’t, we were neglecting Him (Matt. 25:31-46). Prison ministry is certainly close to our Lord’s heart, yet how do we do it? This course will teach you how, and the results will bring new joy to your life. (2 units)

A study of the uniqueness of Christian education, in the home, at church, in school, and elsewhere. An introduction to various pedagogical methods along with practical application. (2 units)