A look back at the distinctives, expansion, and spiritual heritage of ACOP. 2021 marked the 100 Anniversary of the founding of the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada (ACOP). Over the past 100 years, ACOP has planted churches across Canada and sent global workers to more than 40 countries. Over the past century, ACOP has engaged in children’s and youth ministry, women’s and men’s ministry, orphan care, camp ministry, church construction, distribution of bibles, digging wells, providing water filtration, addiction recovery programs, bible training, vocational training, and Christian education. We are grateful for all the things God has accomplished through ACOP during the past century, but we are longing for greater fruitfulness in our second century. We are grateful for the deep roots that we have in the Pentecostal movement – but we want to embrace the renewing work that Spirit is doing in our day and will do in the future.

Culture is the social glue that holds an organization together by providing language, systems, symbols, rites, ceremonies and rituals. Culture is shaped by narratives, legends and stories of the organization's founders and heroes. This course explores the history and heroes of the ACOP and takes a look at our God-breathed vision for the future.

Do you ever consider the place of the small church in God’s plan? Far too often, small churches are overlooked because of their size. The truth is that there are thousands of small churches across Canada and a significant percentage of Christians attend them. The Bible has a great deal to say about the church all of which is just as applicable to the small church as to any other size. As we gain a new biblical understanding of the church. we realize that size is not what determines a church’s worth.

90% of pastors believe that they are in the top 10% of communicators. This course helps you to develop as a communicator and gives the student tools and concepts that will help them to not plateau as a speaker. Each practical lesson is forged from experience from real world communication in prisons, churches, schools, conferences, camps, etc. Students will be challenged to grow themselves, as well as communication skills. By implementing the principles in this course, students will find their audiences to be more engaged, responsive, and connected to them as a speaker.

Have you ever struggled to know what a “call” is? Or struggled to know how to develop in your call? Os Guinness says, “There is no calling without a Caller.” Are all people called? Or is it a select group of people who are called? Together we will discover calling through biblical accounts and work to lay a foundation to steward the call God is birthing in us.

A neglected relationship cannot thrive. The same is true between people and for our lived connection with God. How can we push ourselves to grow closer to Jesus without falling into legalism or relying on our own limited strength? This course will help you sort out the biblical mindsets, practical tools, and life rhythms you need to grow closer to our Master and Beloved. We will consider both universal and personal ways that different people connect with Christ and how to implement foundational habits and attitudes to abide in Him. (John 15) 

What is a pastor?

A charismatic entertainer, a business CEO, an Internet personality, a marketable brand? In our postmodern society, we need a return to the healthy Christ-centred, biblical definition of the pastor.  This course aims to do just that: it is an introduction to the breadth of pastoral life, leadership and church ministry. It is aimed to serve as a primer for new pastors, and a refresher of the essentials for seasoned veterans. We will explore how Jesus is the model of pastoral ministry in his threefold office as prophet, priest and king. We will also outline the five key competencies of worship, formation, care, outreach and leadership. Our primary focus will be to look to Jesus, and our life of abiding in Him, as the ultimate source and end of pastoral life and church ministry.

The book of James is a beloved letter of sage wisdom to Christian believers. Its big theme revolves around not just hearing the word of God but fostering an active, loving, whole-hearted Christian life in response to the word of God. The book deals with social conflicts and spiritual factions in the church, calling believers to rebuke worldliness and seek God’s wisdom as they face various trials. Our course will explore the overall structure, literary and background features of the book. We will engage in a thoughtful exposition of the text in full, focusing on main themes, key verses and issues of interpretation, with an aim toward personal application, reflection and transformation for life.

Have you ever had the goal of reading the Bible through from beginning to end only to get thwarted by the book of Leviticus? Leviticus is a book of the Bible often misunderstood or ignored by many Christians who don’t see how this ‘strange’ book applies to our lives today. The book of Leviticus, when studied intentionally and with imagination, gives us insight into God’s deep love for his people and how we function in relationship with him. As we step into this new awareness, we connect with the experiences and realities of our ancestors in faith and are more available to our Holy God for transformation to look more like Christ.

The very term “Pentecostal Theology” might seem like an oxymoron to some. As a movement that arose not within the halls of academia but among the people of God longing for revival, an emphasis on formal theology has never been its primary emphasis. Nevertheless, the Pentecostal passion for encountering the living God allows its adherents to approach the theological task in a rich, distinctive manner. This course introduces students to such an approach.

Do you long for an exciting life of powerful ministry with signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit, but feel it’s out of reach? Perhaps your experience in the Gifts of the Spirit, in and out of church, has been less than what the Bible says is the norm, but you want more? More importantly, do you want your experience to match your Charismatic, Pentecostal theology? This course explores some of those big questions.

God calls us to love and worship him with our whole beings: heart, soul, strength and mind.  If that is true, then learning to think theologically is not an optional discipline, but essential to the healthy formation of every Christian believer.  Fostering a Gospel-shaped imagination means being embedded in the overall storyline of the Bible so we can learn how to apply the narrative of God’s redemption to our everyday life and mission as Christians.