In a sprawling city in Chile, a man leans wearily against the pulpit. Feeling alone and burdened as he juggles a full-time job and pastoral care, he craves renewal through further theological studies. Nonetheless, he lacks the time and resources to commit to such an endeavor.

In a mountain town in the Sierras, a woman sighs as she scrolls through the list of course catalogs. As a gap-year program director, she wants to offer her students an enriching learning experience, intending to nurture their growth during their year in the program and beyond. To whom should she turn?

In a tight-knit community in Europe, a man weeps. His beloved country has been invaded, plunging its people into deep suffering. As a ministry leader, he knows Scripture has much to say about suffering, but when facing such collective trauma, words fall short. How might he gain insight to respond compassionately to the hurting around him?

Talbot School of Theology had the resources to meet these varied needs. Yet Talbot also needed a medium to bridge the gap between its resources and the lifelong learner. Similarly, Biola LEARN, a learning platform created to expand Biola University’s reach, needed a partner with the resources to meet these learners’ needs. Thus, a partnership was born.

In June 2021, Biola LEARN launched the “Diplomado en ministerio y liderazgo” in partnership with The Center for the Study of the Work and the Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today. Through this certificate, Talbot aspired to equip Spanish-speaking, predominantly bi-vocational pastors with leadership training. Today, the certificate has equipped nearly 200 ministry leaders worldwide, revitalizing them to multiply leaders in their local contexts.

After the Joshua Wilderness Institute (JWI) directors approached Talbot with their need for foundational Bible courses, Biola LEARN launched the Bible Curriculum (BC) in collaboration with Talbot in Fall 2022. Students enrolled in the JWI gap-year program take four Biola University courses, which provide a pathway into Biola University’s undergraduate degree programs. In the first year of the BC’s launch, two students who completed the program at JWI matriculated into Biola, earning 12 credits from the BC courses they completed at JWI through a prior learning assessment.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Talbot again partnered with Biola LEARN to develop the “Navigating the Collective Trauma Experience” course, and through the generous support of Talbot donors, offers this course free of charge. In a world groaning for redemption, this course nourishes those who have experienced trauma and equips those who desire to grow in trauma awareness.

Together, Biola LEARN and Talbot’s partnership exemplify a mutual stewardship of the resources and relationships entrusted to us at Biola University. In doing so, the weary pastor is nourished, the program director equips her students, and the ministry leader finds comfort for his grieving brothers and sisters. Thus far the Lord has brought Biola LEARN, and we look forward to what the Lord continues to do in our collaboration with him.