STS TEXAS
ONE-YEAR PROGRAM
ONE-YEAR SEMINARY DEGREE IN BRYAN, TX
The centerpiece of the one-year program at STS Texas is the Master of Theological Studies (MTS), a 42-hour accredited degree taught by the faculty of Shepherds Theological Seminary. At most seminaries this degree would take two to three years to complete, but students in the one-year program at STS Texas can complete the intensive MTS in one calendar year. Courses include Hermeneutics, Old and New Testament surveys, Historical Theology, and the Life of Christ.
Classes are taken in a module format, and members of the cohort work together through a prescribed schedule in 12 months. As students complete classes in sequence, they receive a biblical foundation that builds upon itself throughout the year.
Students will receive access to exceptional scholarship through our STS faculty. This program combines both in-person instruction and live video conferencing into classes taking place at our other campuses.
HEART STUDY
The Heart Study devotional materials have been developed to guide one-year students at STS Texas and if married, their spouses, through the depths of their own hearts. As they grow in their knowledge of the Bible through the academic portion of the program, the Heart Study asks participants the question, “How should this knowledge impact your walk with God, your relationships with others, and your personal holiness?”
Participants spend the week working through a specific topic, and then come together weekly for a time of sharing a meal, fellowship, worship, and discussion. The Heart Study includes all students, their spouses (if married), and the staff of STS Texas.
Students begin the year together sharing their detailed testimony with the group, then work each week through devotional materials addressing issues from the futility of man, to addictions, purity, anxiety, and love for one another. We are committed to seeing men and women who not only know God’s Word, but also live in response to that knowledge.
LIFE-ON-LIFE DISCIPLESHIP
Life-on-life discipleship is at the heart of the one-year program at STS Texas. It is not a one-way lecture or another class, but rather an engagement throughout the year between the faculty and staff of STS Texas, the local church, fellow students, God, His Word, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
One-year students at STS Texas complete the full one-year program as a cohort. Banded together for mutual benefit, students learn the Bible, experience outdoor adventures, and travel to Israel. They walk together through the topics of the Heart Study, and often they live with fellow students throughout the year. In addition, the staff of STS Texas is committed to providing personal mentoring for each student. These aspects of community combine to create a culture where students are challenged to grow and live authentically in community throughout their time in the program. Discipleship is more than a class—it is at the heart of all we do in the one-year program at STS Texas.
ISRAEL INITIATIVE
Students in the one-year program spend an impactful two weeks traveling and studying the history and geography of Israel, in conjunction with a 3-credit course. This study trip is part of the larger Shepherds initiative that is built upon two convictions: (1) that students will know and convey God’s Word better by seeing it visually; and (2) that Israel is uniquely accessible today in a manner unlike it had been for much of recent history.
Visualizing God’s Word
Our professors believe that teaching students on location provides the best and most enriching way to help them grow in understanding the biblical narrative. For our students, Israel becomes their giant blackboard, their real-life PowerPoint as the pages of Scripture come alive when they walk in the footsteps of Jesus, David, the Prophets, and other heroes of the faith.
Prayerfully consider how God will grow you at STS!
