One of our big hopes for anyone studying with us at SBC is that they leave inspired. Whether a single module or a full BD (Hons) degree, we hope students leave inspired. But what do we mean “Be Inspired”? There’s at least 4 ways we see this happening in the SBC community.
- To spur on
One of our values that shapes us is we “help students discover and develop their call, inspiring them to reach their full potential.” In other words, we hope students flourish in their faith, in their calling, and for themselves. The SBC learning community is an encouraging community providing opportunities to grow and a safe space to ask questions. As staff and students we look to support one another in our journeys as we move towards our goals and calling. Being inspired looks like being encouraged to flourish.
- To enliven
Another of our values is that we “create a learning environment which nourishes faith.” Too often we’ve heard apprehensive prospective students tell us they’ve been told studying theology can destroy your faith as everything is questioned and it’s an academic pursuit not a lived faith. At SBC we’re absolutely committed to enlivening faith and bringing to life the Word of God by seeing the relevance of theology to the lived experience of Christian faith. Within our community we’re committed to rhythms of faithful living, modelling Christlikeness, and reflecting upon our Christian experience. Being inspired looks like an enlivened faith.
- To be guided by the divine
It’s not uncommon to hear the phrase “divine inspiration” – sometimes it’s said frivolously, but we take the idea a little more seriously! We understand theology to be about delving deeper into who God is and His relationship to His creation; and it’s about discovering how we’re called to participate in His life and purposes. As Christians our lives are “guided by the divine” as we look to “equip our students for a variety of vocations in ministry and mission.” Being inspired looks like living into God’s purposes.
- To breathe or inhale
We try to create a community that is “welcoming, encouraging, and supportive…irrespective of background.” Have you ever found yourself in the situation where your lungs tighten and it’s hard to breathe because you just don’t feel comfortable in that place? In contrast, we want our community to be a safe space where people can breathe in deeply. Part of creating that sort of community is about acknowledging and respecting differences, which is ideal because we also happen to think this makes for the best sort of learning environment! It helps to create a learning community where we can learn from one another. Being inspired looks like realising there’s a place for you in our community.
So this September, be inspired! Join our learning community, online or on-campus, and be inspired to flourish; to deepen you faith; to be part of God’s purposes; and to become part of the SBC learning community.
You can apply to study online using this enquiry form or for more information contact our applications advisor Graham Meiklejohn on graham.meiklejohn@uws.ac.uk Alternatively you can attend one of our upcoming Exploration Evenings or Discovery Days – more info on our events page.