Sunset International Bible Institute is a big name in the church of Christ. The school was originally started back in 1962 to train Spanish speaking missionaries. Since that time it has had many name changes but it has always remained the gold standard for missionary and preacher training. Each year there are over 30,000 people who are studying Sunset material. Mesa church of Christ is proud to be a part of that growing number. So, you might be wondering what exactly a satellite school is and how Mesa is connected to Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI). Well, SIBI has a resident school located in Lubbock, Texas. Approximately 200 students can be found on that campus each year working toward their bachelor degree in Biblical Studies. The problem for most people is that they are simply not able to uproot their families and move to Lubbock to study. So, SIBI created the satellite school program. Each satellite school follows the exact same curriculum taught by the best instructors that Sunset has to offer. The only difference is that you get to stay in your current location and go to school around your schedule and with people that you know. So now you don't have to travel to Lubbock, Texas to earn your degree. You can do it right here in Mesa, AZ. Since this is a degree program there are a total of 40 courses at 3 credit hours each for a total of 120 credit hours needed to graduate. However, don't get the wrong picture here. This isn't just for those who are seeking a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. The best part of the satellite schools is that they allow you to audit the courses or take them for credit. If you just want to attend a class to learn more about the Bible or to gain a deeper understanding on a specific book then that is fine. It's free too! That is right, you are getting college level instruction from professors with very distinguished backgrounds all for free. So, if you have never been able to wrap your mind around Isaiah or want to get a primer on Greek then we have the resources ready for you. Audit students only have to attend the video lectures and participate in the discussion. The tests, textbooks, and other assignments are purely optional. Of course, if you are interested in taking the classes for credit you can do that too! It is only $30 per credit hour. That beats almost all universities across the country and most junior colleges as well. You can even transfer some of your classes to universities that you might be more familiar with like Harding, Abilene Christian, or Oklahoma Christian. Obviously, since these are Bible courses they would only transfer toward a Biblical Studies degree. It is a great way to cut down on the cost and time spent at one of the larger universities. If you take the classes for credit then you will have to take the tests, read the textbooks, write the papers, and do the other work associated with the class in addition to attending the video lecture and participating in the discussion. The courses needed to graduate break down as follows:

Since, Mesa has become a new satellite school for SIBI we will be starting classes soon. In fact, we will be starting one of the freshman level courses during our next quarter. As time goes on and we get everything in order we will offer more classes each quarter. Check the normal adult education schedule to see what classes we are offering. If you are interested in attending a class that we don't have on the schedule and you just can't wait then contact us and we will help you setup a self-study time. If you have several people that want to attend the class then let us know and we can setup a class at the time that is convenient for you. The school administrators here in Mesa are Jeff Ibbetson (jeff.ibbetson@mesachurch.org) and Dallas Kingsbury (dallas.kingsbury@mesachurch.org). They can answer any question that you have regarding the satellite school. Let's get to it!

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Tags: Bible, Biblical Studies, Jeff, Satellite School, Sunset International Bible Institute