How Does the Haus Work?

Our Practice

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We have patterned our method after Dietrich Bonhoeffer's way of training pastors. He began and directed a small "Haus seminary" in Finkenwalde to train men through "life together under the Word." The students lived, worked, studied, and prayed together. They received rigorous theological training in a manner that yielded character formation rather than merely the transfer of information. 

Bonhoeffer's Finkenwalde seminary presents us with historic methods to form future leaders: meaningful apprenticeships, theological training, and shared life together within the local church.  

Alongside life in the Church we incorporate the varied distance options that Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) offers (online, hybrid/weekends, Equip Centers). Coursework through SEBTS provides a vital belt of tools for ministry as pastor-theologians and theologically-informed leaders. However, learning to use those tools is not just a matter of information transfer—it requires handiwork, practice, and time under the watchful mentoring of a wise and seasoned ministry craftsman.

Our Pillars

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Hammer

Ministry Apprenticeships

Apprentices serve under a leader from one of our partner churches. They spend meaningful time in a mentoring relationship observing the everyday rhythms and routines of the local church. We follow this basic pattern of ministry appenticeship:

1  Leader works, Apprentice observes.
2  Leader & Apprentice work together.
3  Apprentice works, Leader observes.

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Quill

Theological Training

We partner with Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to craft an academic plan for our Apprentices to complete while serving in their local church. 

We use a combination of distance courses, on-campus intensives and live courses offered by a credentialed faculty member in a nearby Equip Center. Seminary coursework is often supplemented with reading overseen by their mentoring leader.

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Haus

Life Together

While serving in a variety of local churches, our Apprentices work in close community with each other. 

We have regular rhythms of worship, reading, study, and fellowship together.  We aim to place Apprentices in groups to take intensive seminary classes together and share monthly dinners with their families.