Following are details of the ongoing Tribe Apprenticeship Program, offered to prospective apprentices interested in ministry. If you are interested, please use the contact form at the bottom to let us know, and someone will get back to you.

I. Bible Content

A. The section of our training in English Bible includes blocks of study on the Pentateuch, the Major and Minor Prophets, the Poetic Books, and the Books of History, in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the training blocks consists of Synoptic Gospels, Johannine Writings, Acts and Pauline Epistles, and General Epistles.

The idea of training or growth seem to be taken to two extremes. Some are overly fixated on training, especially formal training, hesitant to jump into any ministry until they feel adequately prepared, a day that all too often never seems to materialize. Then there are others that see training as completely unnecessary and even view it as a hindrance to the Holy Spirit. Sermons in Scripture are viewed as impromptu, inspired “on the fly” by the Holy Spirit. So there is a hesitancy to put too much work into preparation because it might hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. No need is seen to train for the pastorate or for the ministry. All that is needed is for us to jump in and figure things out as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

The story of David and Goliath is often referred to as evidence that training is unnecessary and a hindrance to ministry.

On Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey, Mark had left prematurely, and now at the beginning of their second journey a dispute arises between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas would like to bring Mark with them, but Paul disagrees. He feels that since Mark had previously abandoned them, that for this next journey Mark should stay home.

I have heard many a sermon where Barnabas is praised for his commitment to Mark, and Paul is blasted for his harshness. Mark later becomes successful in ministry, being the writer of the Gospel of Mark, and is later called on by Paul himself to come and minister with him. It is assumed that Barnabas was right and Paul was wrong. Barnabas’ name is translated as “the Son of Encouragement” and so it is further assumed that the key to training, mentoring, apprenticeship is encouragement. There are plenty of passages that confirm that encouragement is an important part of training. 

The problem with this interpretation, besides it being speculative, is that the ministry of Mark from here on out is not defined by his relationship with Barnabas. It is only his relationship with Paul that is mentioned in 2 Timothy 4 and in Philemon 1.