Mentor's Manual

118 For the Nex t Generat i on: The Urban Mi n i s t r y I ns t i tute ’ s Mentor Manua l

2. The fundamental requirement for Christian leadership: mastery of the Bible, in your own language . Our conviction at TUMI is that while mastery of the original languages of the Bible can provide unique insight and refreshment into its meaning, our modern translations represent accurate, comprehensive, and well- researched translations of the Holy Scriptures. Because of this conviction, we have deliberately chosen to highlight the primacy of Scripture in the theological arguments undergirding the Nicene creedal theology of our Capstone Curriculum . While we refer to and encourage familiarity with the biblical languages, we believe that one can be spiritually mature and ministerially competent without a mastery of the biblical languages. The Scriptures in one’s native tongue has been the foundation of missions and church development, and is arguably the most significant element in ongoing spiritual formation in the Church, seeing how the Scriptures play the formative role and serve as a key foundation in virtually all spiritual disciplines. This elevates the need for TUMI students and graduates to demonstrate a comprehensive, accessible knowledge of the Bible, and Scripture memorization contributes to this mastery. (For more on the importance of Scripture memorization, please review our Master the Bible resources, training tools specifically designed to help urban learners and leaders master Scripture’s story and content. Visit our website www.tumistore.org for more information. Also, see Comparing the Scripture Memorization Lists in the Capstone Curriculum and Master the Bible System in the Appendix). a. While it is normal for adult learners to bemoan their inability to memorize and recall Scripture, we must not relax what God commands for his leaders and his people (Josh. 1.8; Ps. 119.9-11; Jer. 20.7; 2 Tim. 2.15; 3.15-17). Students should be challenged to do their very best to ingest and digest the Word of God, and strive to remember and retain as much of the Bible as possible. Again, Scripture memorization represents 100% Bible knowledge; the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles all reveal in their lives and ministries a deep knowledge through the memorized Word, and doing so provided them (and will empower us) to possess and wield a ready and 3. Guidelines for the Mentor

Handling Projects and Student Assignments