2009-2010 Course Catalog: Mission

“Trinity Lutheran College, through biblically-centered education, develops Christian leaders with a global perspective whose lives and ministry serve Jesus Christ in church and society.”


Heritage

Trinity Lutheran College was founded as The Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle (LBI) in 1944 and was rooted in a wider movement which began in the United States in the early 20th Century among some Lutheran denominations. LBI was historically linked as well to a variety of European and Protestant Bible teaching institutions which grew out of the church renewal movements on the European continent and in Great Britain during the preceding two centuries.  These renewal movements sought to offer systematic, in-depth study of Scripture to lay persons in the historic Reformation tradition. Trinity Lutheran College is a biblically centered liberal arts college in the church’s 2000-year-old tradition of promoting intellectual, spiritual, and ethical formation.

Commitments

Faith Tradition
The Lutheran expression of the Christian faith emphasizes God’s grace in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Word and the Sacraments are the means of grace by which God’s love reaches people today. The gift of faith through the means of grace makes people right with God and empowers them as inheritors of eternal life.

Trinity Lutheran College accepts and acknowledges the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God.

The college acknowledges the three ecumenical creeds of the Trinitarian Christian tradition: The Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

Church
Trinity is a servant to the church. The college is committed to its Lutheran heritage and participates in God’s mission in close fellowship with congregations, diverse Lutheran denominations, and the wider fellowship of God’s people.

Trinity is not affiliated with any single Lutheran denomination. As an independent college of the Lutheran heritage, Trinity is committed to uphold that tradition while seeking close partnership in ministry with all Christian churches.

Trinity welcomes students from all backgrounds to join the conversations of this faith-motivated community. They will enjoy both academic freedom and also classes with faculty who are willing to address the great questions of life in which the questions of faith and scholarship intersect. 

Service
Service and service-learning is a way of life and education at Trinity Lutheran College. Its faculty, staff, and students offer their talents and resources to congregations and community service organizations, especially in the Pacific Northwest. The faculty and staff offer a variety of outreach forums. Students participate in the Service Learning Practicum program whereby thousands of hours of community service work are performed. Learning and serving go hand in hand in the task of preparing effective disciples for a life of Christ-centered service.

Character and Values

Distinctiveness
Biblical and religious studies have always been an important part of Trinity’s education. Since the Lutheran heritage emphasizes the centrality of God’s Word, students enjoy a significant number of biblical studies courses. The biblical CORE provides students in all disciplines with a Christ-centered education that will help them become servant-leaders. 

General education courses instruct students about important disciplines of life. In addition to the integration of biblical themes throughout the curriculum, Trinity emphasizes intercultural and global perspectives, and provides students with opportunities to engage new cultural contexts domestically and abroad. The breadth of all general studies courses helps students become well-rounded individuals who will develop the intellectual tools to address an array of life challenges and opportunities. Students will learn to communicate in writing and speaking, to research thoroughly, argue persuasively, read critically, and solve problems creatively. A liberal arts education, therefore, is one that does not merely communicate facts, but helps students develop advanced skills that will allow them to fill positions of leadership in their chosen vocations.

Majors allow students in-depth study of a specific area of interest. Competent and caring faculty members work closely with students to create an enriching learning environment. A very low faculty-to-student ratio is distinctive for Trinity students. This personalized attention helps guide students toward professional placement and graduate school. 

The Service Learning Practicum program has been a distinctive part of the educational program for decades. Full-time students participate in on-campus or off-campus service ministries that are supervised by faculty and community professionals. Thousands of hours are donated each year to the surrounding community. 

The Trinity CORE
The Trinity CORE Curriculum can be summarized as coursework that involves: head (informed faith), heart (passionate faith), and hands (active faith). The CORE is intentionally designed for students to have an opportunity to both understand holistic discipleship and also be transformed through courses with solid and lively biblical study, small groups for vocational discernment and exploring faith practices, and rich opportunities for experiential service learning. While these aspects are integrated throughout the curriculum, there are three ways the CORE is intentional about strengthening each area for faithful discipleship:

  • Head: Informed Faith
    Four courses focus on key biblical books to biblically ground one’s faith and dig deep into critical themes. Each course is 4 credits.
    • RELI 101 Faith and Discipleship: Gospel according to Mark, Methods, and Mission
      Encountering the Jesus of Scripture challenges readers to ask “Who is Jesus?” The disciple Peter answered that Jesus was “the Christ.” A similar response calls one to a life of faith seeking understanding through inductive biblical study and witness to and service on behalf of God’s mission in this multicultural and pluralistic world.
    • RELI 103 Altar and Street: Psalms, Amos, 1 John, James
      The two most important things in life are loving God and loving others. This is summarized by Jesus’ words on the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-38). The CORE symbolizes these as altar (the vertical relationship with God) and street (the horizontal relationship with others). Four books of the Bible are selected to challenge students to wrestle with discovering a deeper purpose for life which integrates head, heart, and hands.
    • RELI 201 Creation and New Creation: Genesis, Exodus, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians
      The story of God’s work in the world is laid out from beginning to end with key books telling the story. The talk about God—theology—then helps students to apply these books to issues such as daily Christian living, global environmental issues, and discovering God’s call. Students are challenged to view and experience God’s creation in fresh ways and to recognize humans in Jesus Christ as God’s “new creation.”
    • RELI 202 Light of the World: Isaiah, Gospel according to John
      Isaiah and the Gospel according to John demonstrate a full circle of God’s mission—the light for all people—revealed through Scripture and ultimately Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. The followers of God are to walk in the light, living faithfully while challenging unfaithfulness and injustice.
  • Heart: Passionate Faith
    In the first year, two courses focus on vocational discernment and spiritual formation. Class exploration and discussion centers around biblical texts and related life-themes. Each course is 2 credits and held in a small group format, facilitated by a faculty member.
    • RELI 102/104
      Vocation and Formation I/II give opportunities for growing in Christ (spiritual formation) and discerning clues about God’s personal invitation (vocational calling) according to the life-talents, personality, spiritual gifts, values, and passions of each student. Personal inventories and spiritual exercises/practices are examples of how these courses engage students in personal discovery and spiritual exploration.
  • Hands: Active Faith
    Four semesters of experiential learning give opportunities to turn classroom theory and biblical scholarship into life-transforming service experiences. Each course is 1 credit; four total credits are earned.
    • RELI 106/206
      Service Learning Practicum engages the greater Puget Sound community by addressing issues and topics identified by community partners, providing an opportunity for faithful Christian witness and service in word and/or deed.  Students serve 3 to 5 hours per week and spend additional time reflecting on the service experience with other students and a faculty advisor.  Placement options include teaching in a preschool, tutoring inner-city youth, visiting nursing home residents, serving meals in an emergency shelter, leading youth Bible studies, and more. 

CORE Learning Methods
Courses employ an exciting combination of learning methods. Expect to read and study books and articles, participate in lectures and classroom discussions, engage in case studies and role plays, have community immersion experiences, write papers and reflection journals, and be involved in small groups for practicing spiritual formation and discernment. Professors use relevant cultural media (music, movies, art, etc.) and technology to make topics come alive and connect with daily life.
The CORE cultivates growth in:

  • Biblical and Theological Scholarship
  • Vocation and Spiritual Formation
  • Cross-cultural/Global Awareness and Mission
  • Servant Leadership

The Living-Learning Community
Trinity students are not sheltered or shielded from engagement with society; rather they are encouraged and coached through the process of entering the fray of their immediate community in creative and active ways. Trinity’s living-learning community model makes every square foot of the college a learning laboratory. It fosters an environment in which each community experience is an intentional part of a holistic education. Similarly, the greater Everett area serves as a classroom through service learning and community engagement opportunities.

Examples of how the living-learning community model affects the student experience include:

  • The student store becomes a “laboratory” for business students to practice marketing, accounting, and management skills.
  • Professors participate in student life by leading conversations, seminars, and other activities that blur the line between the classroom and extracurricular activities.
  • Staff members participate in the educational experience of students through advising and spiritual development roles.
  • Decisions about food choices at lunch will stimulate focused discussions about nutrition, ethics, and attention to our global community.
  • Chapel leadership becomes a course that prepares students to become future leaders in community worship settings.
  • Professors serve as teachers, as well as other areas of college life, using their best gifts and passions for the benefit of the whole community. For instance, professors might teach conflict resolution skills within the context of creating roommate agreements.
  • Music & Worship students participate in community church choirs as part of their college education.

Accreditation
Trinity Lutheran College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of six regional associations in the United States that accredit schools and colleges. NWCCU is recognized by the United States Secretary of Education.

Academic Partnerships

Affiliated Learning Partners
Trinity is a member of the Affiliated Learning Partners that exists as a consortium of higher education institutions including Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota; Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, California; Concordia University, Portland, Oregon; and Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington. This consortium acts as the institutional arm of Lutheran Educational Network and Support, which provides enrichment, collegiate, and graduate Lutheran education in the Pacific Northwest.

Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA)
Trinity is a member of the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA). LECNA, which was formed in 1910, is the oldest existing inter-Lutheran organization in the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to encourage, assist, and promote cooperation among Lutheran colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.