As you may recall, Aquila Initiative officially launched the curriculum for the Aquila Theological Institute in November 2022. This came after nearly three years of development that also included nearly a year of beta testing. As we stand at the beginning of a new year you may be asking, “How are things going?” Well, allow me to give you a brief update regarding the ATI Church Planter Apprenticeship.
In the last three months, we have successfully onboarded apprentices and mentors. This has included getting them set up and trained to use our online learning platform called Pathwright. In addition to the apprentices using this platform for their learning and mentoring, the mentors themselves are enrolled in a special course designed to teach them how to be effective in their role as mentors. Already we are confirming our initial belief that Pathwright is the perfect platform for us. It is intuitive and allows for personalization for each apprentice.
Speaking of personalization, another noteworthy milestone is that mentor teams have trialed and successfully adapted the curriculum to an apprentice’s unique context. This is an important part of the mentoring process, since the apprentices’ needs must be recognized. Furthermore, by developing apprentices for the work of ministry in their specific context, this adaptation also serves Aquila’s partner churches.
For example: a current apprentice, who is working on the Cornerstone Learning Outcome, did not need the material taught in one particular assigned book but rather needed to develop in another area of his life and calling. When this was recognized by the ministry mentor the academic mentor got involved to evaluate another possible resource, which was eventually approved and adopted. This level of personalization is only possible in a Competency-Based Theological Education. (Click here to learn more about Aquila’s philosophy of education.)
This work of contextualization is a proof of concept for us at ATI, and for that we rejoice. ATI will only be as successful as our mentors and apprentices. These relationships are essential. In order for this to happen, the context and needs of the local church must be primary. At ATI, this has started us thinking about other ways we can serve churches. And so we have begun developing a series of fully customizable courses for the local church. These will include courses on basics of the Christian faith, how to read the Bible well, how to be a Christian in the workplace, the theology of the church, the importance of church planting, and many more.
ATI Courses are an exciting new chapter in the ministry of Aquila Initiative and an important step toward our goal of sustainably strengthening evangelical churches across Europe.
Churches will be able to purchase access to these courses and customize them to their own context and convictions and the needs of their members. This means that elders will be able to use our courses and the Pathwright platform within their local church while being able to adapt them in any way they need. ATI Courses are an exciting new chapter in the ministry of Aquila Initiative and an important step toward our goal of sustainably strengthening evangelical churches across Europe. Get in touch with us to request a course on a particular topic, to learn more about the courses we are currently developing, or to find out how you can get involved in developing a course for your church.)
We also realize that we are now entering a new stage in the life of the ATI curriculum. After years of development, we are entering a phase of trial, error, and correction. Now is a time for listening, learning, and adapting. As apprentices and mentoring teams progress together through the curriculum, we must be ready to change and adapt, listen and grow.
Finally, we are thankful for an amazing Academic Board of Advisors. Last September they affirmed the curriculum and exhorted us to launch the ATI Church Planter Apprenticeship. They gave us excellent feedback and are regularly proven to be correct in their assessment and recommendations. Having their stamp of approval means so much to us, and we are thankful to have them in our corner.
There is much for which to be thankful. We praise God for what He alone has done, and we look forward to seeing what He will do in the years to come.