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6 COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY 2016-2017 INTRODUCTION
•
To know the
Word
by gaining mastery of its content and understanding of its meaning, by assimilating and
applying its truth, and by developing skill in the use of study tools.
•
To know
oneself
by an increasing awareness of spiritual gifts, personality types, and personal potential.
•
To know
people
by becoming sensitive to their needs and the contexts in which they live, improving
communication with them, no matter their culture.
•
To know the
skills
required in a particular area of ministry. By “ministry” CIU consciously and intentionally includes
those who are called by God to minister in and through professional disciplines—whether in communication,
education, business, psychology, or other professional disciplines where training programs are being developed.
In addition to the faculty, the university provides resources for learning and curricular guidance necessary for progress
toward these goals. CIU expects students to be active participants in the spiritual, academic, social, and physical dimensions
of college life. As they do, they come “to know Him” better and are able “to make Him known” more effectively. We believe
God’s purpose for CIU institutionally and for its faculty and students individually is achieved only by the supernatural work
of the Holy Spirit through yielded believers.
Philosophy of Education & Doctrinal Commitments
Overview
The educational philosophy of Columbia International University is derived from two essential goals:
Personal Goal
: We desire growth in personality, character, spiritual maturity, and knowledge. At CIU, our objective
experientially is to know God and become increasingly like His Son, Jesus Christ. To become like Christ implies that
we know who He is. Our knowledge of Christ has two dimensions: to know all we may know about Him cognitively and
to know Him in an intimate relationship experientially.
Vocational Goal
: We design professional programs to enable students to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives. We prepare
students for various vocational responsibilities, whether they serve God in their home countries or in a cross-cultural
setting. We also understand that vocational responsibility must come with a balance of home, church, and other
community responsibilities. Fulfilling one’s responsibilities in a godly, balanced way is our well-founded service.
Educational Triad
We often describe our educational process at CIU as an educational triad—three educational components come together
to provide balanced education. The first component is academic excellence with the Bible at the core. This component
focuses on content and may be characterized by educating one’s “head.” The second component focuses on character and
may be characterized by educating one’s “heart,” the component by which students grow in maturity in Christ. The third
component is ministry skill development (or experiential education) in which students systematically practice skills related
to personal and vocational goals in the community away from the classroom. This component focuses on competence and
may be characterized by educating one’s “hands.”
Doctrinal Standard
The teaching at Columbia International University is based on the great fundamentals of the Christian faith, all of which
center in the person of Jesus Christ, our crucified, risen, and glorified Savior and Lord. The following, together with other
Christian principles of doctrine and practice (including the affirmation of the full trustworthiness of Scripture which, in its
original writing, was verbally inspired and without error) shall be the basis of the faith and doctrine of CIU:
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation of Himself to man, absolute
in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without any errors in its teachings.
2. All men in their natural state are lost, alienated from God, spiritually dead: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God” (Rom. 3:23).
3. Salvation is only by grace, a free gift of God, through faith in the Lord Jesus, who died for our sins according to the
Scriptures (I Cor. 15:3). Those who thus receive Christ by faith have their sins forgiven (Eph. 1:7) and their hearts
cleansed (Acts 15:9), are born of the Spirit, become children of God (Jn. 1:12-13), and are made new creatures in
Christ (II Cor. 5:17).
4. God is one God, who reveals Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, as the Scriptures
affirm, is the Son of God and Son of man. He was born of a virgin and is Himself very God. The Scriptures also
declare the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit.
5. Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead in the same body that was laid to rest in the tomb (Jn. 20:25-27). The bodies of
all believers who die will be raised from the dead and they will receive an incorruptible body like unto His glorious
body (I Cor. 15:53; Phil. 3:21). All other men shall be raised unto “the resurrection of judgment” (Jn. 5:28-29).
6. Christians, born of the Spirit, are to live the new life in the present power of the Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, by the
Spirit let us also walk” (Gal. 5:16-25; Col. 2:6). The Christian’s responsibility and his normal attitude of life is to yield
himself to God (Rom. 6:13), trusting God to keep him.
7. Christian “living” includes Christian service, the winning of souls around us, and the preaching of the Gospel in the
uttermost parts of the earth. In carrying on this work the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit is needed, which is