A Late Addition

Just in case any of you are curious about what we are learning at Fuller, we wanted to give you some information. We have gotten questions from family members about our program and Fuller's theology. So we will give a few brief summaries and then refer you to the website.

Regarding our program, it is a Master's in Cross-cultural Studies and is designed for people who have less than 3 years of service in the mission filed. It requires 96 units including a practicum project. The practicum is a trip, domestic or international, in the field of interest/study that ties together and puts into practice all of the theories and applications learned from classes. It is usually about a 4-week intensive trip, 2000 pages of reading and a paper anywhere from 2500 words upward. The point of the practicum is to give the student a practical experience in mission, whatever the nature of the trip may be. Dave completed his project when we lead a team to Spain in the summer of 2005. He concentrated on team dynamics and leadership. Amanda still has to complete her practicum. Lastly, you can elect to have a concentration area if you so desire. Doing so allows you to learn more about one particular dimension of cross-cultural study and missiology. If you choose not to have a concentration, you are on a general track meaning that you have several elective courses. Dave choose to do the general track because there were several areas he was interested in and did not want to be confined to one particular area of study. He took several classes in church growth/emerging church as well as anthropology. Amanda chose the Islamic Studies program because she desired to know more about Muslim theology and culture.

Regarding Fuller and their theology, there is no single theology that all the staff adhere to outside of the basic doctrines stated in Fuller's Statement of Faith. These include ten central affirmations which we "hold to be essential" to our ministry: 1) the existence, perfection and triune nature of God; 2) the revelation of God in creation, history and in Jesus Christ; 3) the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures; 4) God's creation of the world and humankind, with humanity's rebellion and subsequent depravity; 5) the person and work of Jesus Christ, including his deity, virgin birth, true humanity, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and ascension to heaven; 6) the Holy Spirit's work in regeneration and justification; 7) growth in the knowledge of God and Christian obedience; 8) the church as the creation of the Holy Spirit; 9) the worship, mission and service of the church; 10) the return of Christ to raise the dead and to judge the world.

Fuller faculty, just like the student body, comes from various denominations and cultures. This allows for a variety of perspectives and Biblical interpretations to be presented. Fuller is unique in that it does not present one uniform theology that all students must subscribe to but rather teaches the various Biblical interpretations, debates and theories currently taking place. By doing so, the staff encourage students to think for themselves, encouraging them to wrestle with the issues through prayer, Biblical study and scholarly research. This approach appealed to us and is a major reason why we chose to study at Fuller. Over the last three years we have come to appreciate this position and have truly been challenged and encouraged in our faith.

If you have more questions, or concerns, about Fuller, our degree, theology, we will refer you to the Fuller website. It is www.fuller.edu. Here you can find their Statement of Faith, mission statement, etc. If you have any questions for us, feel free to post a comment, shoot us an email or give us a call.