Maranatha College is located
in the growing town of Meridian, in the fertile Treasure Valley of southwestern
Idaho, just a few miles from the capital city of Boise. The campus affords a
perfect view of the rolling hills surrounding Boise. The Treasure Valley boasts
several beautiful lakes and rivers, including the famous Snake River, and the
Birds of Prey national wildlife preserve. The southern approaches to Idaho’s
majestic wilderness area can be reached by car in less than an hour, and not
very far is Hell’s Canyon—the nation’s deepest gorge, and a breathtaking sight.
Idaho is a sportsman’s
paradise, well known for its hunting and fishing, and its endless opportunities
for camping and hiking. Idaho also boasts several popular ski resorts,
including the world-famous Sun Valley in south-central Idaho, and Bogus Basin,
which is located just a few miles above Boise.
The Maranatha College campus
currently consists of 7 acres of land. The main
college building contains 8,450 square feet on the ground level, with more
rooms located on a partial second level. The main building will contain the
college classrooms, student kitchen and dining hall, recreation center, and
student lounge. Next to the main building is the General Council Publishing
building, which houses the college offices, and next to that a duplex dormitory
unit. Also on the property are the camp meeting facilities where camp services
are held every first week of July.
Prospective and current students as well as alumni and
friends may contact the college at:
Address:
Maranatha College
1830 West 3rd St.
Meridian, Idaho 83642
Telephone Number:
(208) 846-9403
E-Mail Addresses:
Administration:
admin@maranthacollege.org
Academics: academic@maranthacollege.org
Student Housing
For our on-campus students,
housing is available. Maranatha College
currently owns a duplex unit that will house eight (8) students, four in each
side. Off-campus units will be leased by
the College to accommodate additional students. Male and female students will
never share housing, except in the case of married students who will be provided
the appropriate accommodations for a married couple.
Statement of Faith
Maranatha College is committed to promote and defend the historic and
basic doctrines of Christianity, as taught in the divinely inspired Scriptures:
1) The verbal inspiration of the Holy Scriptures as
originally given.
2)
God, our heavenly
Father, is the supreme deity.
3)
Jesus Christ is the
only begotten Son of God, and we believe in His divine nature; His virgin
birth; His sinless life; His miracles; His vicarious and atoning death; His
bodily resurrection late on the Sabbath day after being in the tomb for 3 days
and 3 nights; His ascension to the right hand of God in heaven; and His
personal return to establish His kingdom and rule this earth in great power and
glory.
4)
The fact that all men
have sinned and consequently must be regenerated by the working of God’s grace.
5)
The only means of
being justified and cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the
precious blood of Jesus and obedience to our Lord’s command to be baptized
(immersed) in water in the name of Christ.
6)
The sanctifying work
of the Holy Spirit in the believer producing holiness of life and power for
service.
7)
Practical faith in
the sufficiency of Christ for spiritual, temporal, and physical needs.
8)
The Scriptures enjoin
all those who are saved by God’s grace to observe the Ten Commandments,
including the observance and sanctity of the Seventh Day Sabbath (commonly
called Saturday), to be observed from sunset on Friday until sunset on
Saturday.
9)
The Lord’s Supper
should be faithfully observed once a year at the proper and appointed time.
10)
The value and
promotion of spiritual unity and brotherly love among believers, demonstrated
by the mutual acceptance and respect of putting others before us, and
symbolically observed by washing one another’s feet.
11)
The purifying hope of
the Lord’s imminent return.
12)
The urgency of
preaching the gospel to all mankind that men may be save.
13)
The resurrection of
the dead, both of the just and the unjust—the just to eternal life and the
unjust to eternal death.
14)
The dead are in a
state of no consciousness.
15)
The pattern for the
true Church in God’s Word was to consist of localized bodies of believers, each
responsible and accountable for their own local business and affairs, but
united interdependently by mutual encouragement and faith, and working together
to do God’s work locally and throughout the world.
The
true test of Christian fellowship is the acceptance and faith in the full and
completed work of Jesus Christ. The true test of our faith is our respect and
observance of the Commandments of God.
A New Vision
At the July 1999 Meridian
Camp meeting held by the General Council of the Churches of God, 7th
Day, a most unique and memorable business meeting was conducted. At this
meeting, one item of discussion was the reopening of Maranatha College, a Bible
school that had been closed for quite a few years. In the midst of the
discussions, a $25 donation was given as the initial beginning of Maranatha’s
reopening. By early afternoon, those in attendance had given or pledged a total
of $20,000 for the project. By the end of camp, more was donated and by the
time plans were underway to reopen the college, total donations had increased
to around $35,000.
After the appointment of a
college start-up committee of three men, many hours were invested in
brainstorming ideas, considering many possibilities, researching the offerings
and structures of other Bible college and schools, and in discussing the best
course for the new Maranatha College. The highest priority was prayer—seeking
God for a renewed vision, desiring Him to reveal His divine will. Overwhelmed
by the feeling that God had truly shown His favor and will for Maranatha, the
committee was unified into a strong vision.
In working on the vision for
Maranatha College, the start-up committee was being constantly challenged by
God to dream big by faith. Their very first attempts at defining the vision
were discarded, as they expressed they were limiting themselves to the
resources they had in hand, and what they felt could be supported by the
current supporters and workers. Through prayer and special visions in the
night, God revealed to them what His will was for Maranatha College.
Possessing a new faith and
insight, the committee proceeded with their work based upon the question posed
to them by the Lord:
“What would you do for me, if your resources
and abilities were unlimited?”
This question was adopted by the committee as the “preamble” to
the vision.
The committee stopped looking
merely at what they had in their hands, and started focusing on what kind of
Bible school needed to be developed. Their inspiration was to produce utterly
devoted disciples of Jesus Christ that will follow their Lord and Savior
wherever they are called, to do whatever they are called to do. Maranatha
College is dedicated to the equipping and training of those with a willing
heart to do the Lord’s work.
It was also an important part
of the vision that all those involved with Maranatha College, whether as
supporters, staff, or students, must realize that the work belongs entirely to
God. All staff, volunteers, contributors, students, and all persons with any
influence at all over the running of Maranatha College are only responsible
stewards of God’s property and ministry, and are accountable as such.
Maranatha College, an
independent, nonprofit religious institution, trains men and women for
Christian ministries. The college is administered by the General Council of the
Churches of God, 7th Day, with headquarters at 1828 W. 3rd
St., Meridian, Idaho 83642.
The Purpose
Maranatha College is based
upon a profound sense of purpose for why we exist:
The purpose of Maranatha College is to know the
Son, to honor the Father, and to move by the Holy Spirit.
Because of this stated purpose, it is
primarily the vision of Maranatha College that the students and staff members
develop a strong and ever-deepening personal relationship with Jesus Christ,
that they will strive above all else to make their lives a testimony of praise
to God, and that they will learn to seek and rely upon the direction and
anointing of the Holy Spirit for all of life and ministry.
The Mission
The mission of Maranatha
College defines its primary activity:
The mission of Maranatha College is to train
men to follow Christ, teach men to serve others, and help men to lead.
The term “men” is used in the
sense of all “humankind.” It is inclusive in the Maranatha vision to develop
women to serve in the capacities to which God has called them.
Core Values
To help guide the College
Board and administration of Maranatha College to achieve our stated purpose and
mission, ten core values were adopted to define the scriptural basis upon which
all decision and activities are based.
These core values are the
biblical, unchanging, foundational principles that define how decisions should
be made, and how business should be conducted on behalf of Maranatha College.
Those involved with the oversight and business of the Bible College will refer
to these principles constantly:
1)
Accomplishing the
Great Commission
Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Acts 1:8
2)
God’s Will—God’s Way
Job 42:1-6; Romans 11:29; Acts 17:24-31; Isaiah
55:8-11; Isaiah 40:25-31
3)
God’s Word as the
only source and authority for truth
Psalm 119:130; Psalm 19:7-11; Hebrews 4:12; Proverbs
30:5,6
4)
The biblical
ministry, gifts, and fruit of the Holy Spirit
John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 12:8-11;
Galatians 5:22,23
5)
Salvation by grace,
through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:4-7; Romans 5:9,10; Hebrews 9:14; Isaiah
53:4,5; John 3:16
6)
The development of
prayer and fasting
Matthew 17:18-21; Mark 11:24; James 5:14-18; I John
5:14,15; Isaiah 58:6-9
7)
Daily praise and
worship
Psalm
100; John 4:23,24; Ephesians 5:18-20; I Chronicles 15:29; Habakkuk 3:17-19
8)
Quality and
excellence in all we do
Malachi 1:8; Proverbs 10:4
9)
Willing and faithful
service
II Corinthians 4:1,2; II Timothy 2:1-4; I Samuel
15:22; Exodus 19:5-7
10)
God’s Law given appropriate respect and support
Romans
7:12-14; John 14:21; Matthew 5:17-20; James 1:21-25; I John 3:22-24
Curriculum Divisions &
Standards
The curriculum divisions and standards at
Maranatha are a reflection of its mission and core values. We continue to strive for a powerful
curriculum of study that is firmly rooted and grounded in Scripture. We are
committed to our vision that the Bible should confirm the commentaries of men,
not vice versa. By offering a wide range
of curriculum and demanding high standards from our students, Maranatha College
effectively trains dynamic and dedicated workers for the Lord.
Our curriculum divisions include Biblical
Counseling Techniques (BCT), Biblical Evangelism (BEV), General Biblical
Studies (BIB), Biographical Studies (BIO), Biblical Theology (BTH), Church
Growth & Administration (CHU), Christian Service & Practicum (CSP),
Doctrine (DOC), Greek (GRK), Hebrew (HEB), History of the Church (HIS),
Homiletics (HOM), Leadership (LEA), Ministries (MIN), New Testament (NTE), Old
Testament (OTE), Prophecy (PRO), and Religions (REL).
In order to obtain a Certificate of
Ministry at Maranatha, students must achieve a 2.00 GPA or higher. In order to be considered for admissions into
the Associate of Ministry program, students must have at least a 2.7 GPA. In order to graduate, students must maintain
at least a 2.7 GPA throughout their Associate and/or Bachelor programs.
Discipleship training is the
heart and soul of Maranatha College. Specialized and consistent exercise in
prayer, Scripture meditations, worship, witnessing, fellowship, and practical
Christian service is a way of life at Maranatha, experienced by students and
staff. To aid in discipleship development, caring mentors provide friendship
and guidance to each student during their enrollment at Maranatha College.
Teaching in English and in
Spanish
Maranatha College is committed to the
vision that all curriculums be offered and taught in both English and
Spanish. Students attending Maranatha
will need to have a certain degree of fluency in one of these languages. At this time, however, Maranatha College only
has courses available in English.
Study at Home and Internet
Accessibility
In 2004, Maranatha College
launched its first online courses. Now,
through the use of technology, students will be able to complete a Certificate
of Ministry through distance learning.
As well as using the Internet, our advanced students are required to
work closely with churches and other ministries to gain credit through
practicums and internships. As well as
having special “live” classes throughout the United States, all students are
invited to attend our special live classes at the college in Meridian.
Lifestyle Standards
Maranatha College is a
private Christian institution that has sought to create and encourage the kind
of atmosphere in which quality Christian education can flourish. It is believed
that the College should provide the student with precept and example from which
a student can develop personal values within a biblical framework.
In accordance with the
objectives of the college, certain standards and norms have been adopted to
create just such an atmosphere for the best possible educational experience.
The college expects its
faculty, staff, and students to maintain personal conduct which is spiritually
and morally constructive, thus, glorifying the Lord in all things.
The student should understand
that attendance at Maranatha College is a privilege granted only to those who
desire to work together in the carrying out and attaining of the aims of a
Christian college.
When a student is accepted,
there is implied an agreement to be diligent in studies and employment and to
obey all Maranatha College regulations. The administration reserves the right
to request any student to withdraw who is considered to be out of harmony with
the spirit of the college. It is expected that the conduct of each student will
give evidence of Christian standards of honesty, morality, and courtesy.
The policy of the college in
promoting spiritual growth and the pursuit of learning is best summed up in
these words: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV).
The leaders of Maranatha
College believe that the application of biblical principles in the lives of the
faculty and the students will result in personal love and commitment to Christ,
wholesome consideration for others, and a well-disciplined life.
Catalog Disclaimer
The provisions of this
catalog are not to be regarded as an irrevocable contract between the student
and the college. Maranatha College reserves the right to change any provision
or requirement without notice at any time within the student’s term of
attendance.
