About the Institute
The Thirdmill Institute is a certificate program created by Thirdmill to provide free, seminary level, biblical and theological training for anyone interested in ministry. The program is designed to be done in small groups, where life and ministry skills are emphasized through the guidance of local trainers.
The Institute’s program is provided free of charge and is open to everyone, regardless of previous education, and has the flexibility of being implemented over the internet or offline. It uses Thirdmill’s high-quality curriculum to train students in the Bible and in theology while also adding an increased emphasis on personal and ministry application. We do this by streamlining the learning process and adding in specific documents intended to be used in a group setting.
The Thirdmill Institute works with churches and Christian leaders to create local learning communities consisting of a group of students and a local trainer. We call these local leaders Institute Trainers. Our curriculum is designed to lift the burden of preparing and teaching classes so these trainers can focus on local application. Each learning community is responsible for finding its own trainer, typically someone from a local church, a group of churches, or a Thirdmill partner.
Learning communities that utilize an “online” approach will have access to Institute classroom materials through the Thirdmill Institute website. Learning communities that utilize an “offline” approach may request a microSD card from the Institute.
Foundations Certificate
consists of four introductory courses in both Bible and Theology
Biblical Foundations – with Evangelism Badge
Kingdom, Covenants & Canon of the Old Testament and Kingdom & Covenant in the New Testament
Theological Foundations – with Prayer Badge
The Apostles’ Creed and Building Your Theology
Old Testament Foundations – with Discipleship Badge
The Pentateuch
New Testament Foundations – with Preaching/Teaching Badge
The Gospels and The Book of Acts
Certificate in Biblical Studies
consists of five Bible courses
Old Testament Narratives – with Personal Devotions Badge
The Book of Joshua and The Book of Samuel
Old Testament Prophets – with Family Life Badge
The Book of Hosea and He Gave Us Prophets
Pauline Studies – with Self-Care Badge
The Heart of Paul’s Theology and Paul’s Prison Epistles
New Testament Epistles – with Character Badge
The Book of Hebrews, The Epistle of James and The Book of Revelation
Biblical Interpretation – with Stewardship Badge
He Gave Us Scripture: Foundations of Interpretation
Certificate in Theological Studies
consists of five Theology courses
The Doctrine of God with ministry and life skills badge
We Believe in God and Building Systematic Theology
Christology with ministry and life skills badge
We Believe in Jesus and The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity
Pneumatology with ministry and life skills badge
We Believe In The Holy Spirit and Building Biblical Theology
Anthropology & Eschatology with ministry and life skills badge
What is Man? and Your Kingdom Come: The Doctrine Of Eschatology
Biblical Ethics with ministry and life skills badge
Making Biblical Decisions
Upon completing these three certificates,
students will earn a Diploma in Christian Ministry.
Want to be a Student?
Requirements: We only have two. First, to be in a learning community. Second, we ask that each student is involved in weekly ministry in their church, organization or community so they can apply the things they are learning in the Institute.
How do I register?
Click on the orange CLASSROOM LOGIN button in the upper right corner of this page, which takes you to the Institute’s online classroom. From there, you will be prompted to create a username and password for your student account. Once you have completed the registration, follow the prompts to enroll in each course.
How do I find a trainer?
One of the best ways to find a trainer is to talk to your church, ministry or community to see if they could help you find one. Often churches are excited to have the opportunity to help in training leaders. A great start is to talk to the pastors of your church, other leaders, or friends in your Christian community to find those who may be interested.
What if I don’t know anyone in my community or church who could join in this with me?
Do you know anyone else who would want to be a student and in a group with you? You could be the trainer even as you go through the classes and earn the certificates. The Institute is set up in a such a way that even if you have very little experience, you can still be a trainer. We provide all the information needed in order to be a trainer on our Trainers page.
What if I cannot find anyone else be on this with me?
You can contact us and we may be able to help you find someone in your area who can serve as trainer or who would be interested in being in a group with you. Email us at: [email protected]
For even more information on what it looks like to be a student please visit our Student Orientation Manual page
Want to be a Trainer?
The Institute has been designed in such a way that anyone can be a trainer. Whether you’re brand new to ministry and have very little experience or you have been in ministry for a long time, you can be a trainer. Our training materials, Discussion Guides and Badges will guide you through the process and the weekly meetings. If you’ve had years of ministry experience you’ll have the room to share your experiences and if you’re less experienced the material will guide you to a place that you and you’re students will learn and apply the material.
To register as a trainer, follow the steps below, fill out the Trainer Registration form below, then click the LOGIN button above to register in the online classroom.
How Do I Become a Trainer?
Becoming a trainer is simple. Sign up on this page by providing your information below. Once you have signed up to become a trainer, there are three ways to get our training materials:
1) Read our training manuals, “Trainer Orientation” and “Principles of Institute Training”, which you can print and keep as a reference. The document links are at the bottom of this page. Regardless of how you receive our training these two manuals will always serve as a guide for leading your learning community.
2) Watch the Trainer Orientation video above. We will frequently add more training videos in the future.
3) Attend one of Thirdmill Institute’s in-person or online training events that are held periodically.
After doing one or all of these, click the Login button at the top of this page to create an account in the Institute’s classroom and access the curriculum.