beacon College 

beacon College offers two learning tracks: Adult Discipleship & The Ministry Internship.

Adult Discipleship is the learning track offered to any and all members of beacon church to further deepen their theological and doctrinal understanding of their faith. Students in this tract may take every course available or simply choose the courses they find most valuable when they offered according to the college calendar. Adult discipleship track students engage in classroom learning settings offered in the Spring and Fall of each year. Classes meet weekly for 12 weeks and are typically 90 minutes in length.

The Ministry Internship is the learning track offered to those who feel called to vocational ministry and are ready to commit to a two-year course of study and service that will help prepare for that calling. Interns will matriculate through the college in two-year cohorts working side-by-side with one another and church leadership to grow in their theological understanding and their ministry skills. Internship students engage in the same classroom settings offered to adult discipleship students but also meet for an additional 4-6 weeks of classroom learning. Additionally, the internship requires Practical Ministry Service efforts during each Summer providing interns the opportunity to learn all aspects of vocational church ministry and church-planting logistics while provided students with the chance to determine where they fit within the local church eco-system.

beacon College currently offers six total Courses

• Doctrinal Foundation (In-Class): This course provides students with the basics of Christian Doctrine including: sins, salvation, sanctification, the Trinity, scriptures, the role of the church and more. This class provides 12 weeks of theological study and 4 weeks of practical ministry study (Intern track only)

• Biblical Interpretation (In-Class): This course provides students with a more clear understanding of how to read, study, apply and even teach the Biblical text in their lives and communities. This class provides 12 weeks of theological study and 4 weeks of practical ministry study (Intern track only)

• Applied Theology (In-Class): This course offers students a more in-depth approach to applying Biblical theology to everyday life including but not limited to: family, work, money, the post-christian world and more. This class provides 12 weeks of theological study and 4 weeks of practical ministry study (Intern track only)

• Apologetics & Biblical Worldview (In-Class): This course is our theological capstone and provides students with a well-balanced but definitive sense through which to defend their faith and hold true to their convictions within the context of an ever changing world. This class provides 12 weeks of theological study and 4 weeks of practical ministry study (Intern track only)

• Ministry Bootcamp (Internship Only): This course is offered to interns only serving as the introducing to practical ministry service. Students will assess their gifts, determine their roles and immerse themselves in the local church ministry experience.

• Ministry Launchpad (Internship Only): This course is the ministry service capstone and provides students the opportunity to work in community to plan, develop and launch a community of faith under the leadership of beacon Pastors. This course prepares our interns church-planting and/or vocational ministry.

Below we’ve outlined the basic structure and flow for each in-class educational offering (course) with specific attention to the modules of study and topics to be covered.

Doctrinal Foundations: The Doctrinal Foundations course consist of three modules examining the basics of the faith, a clear understanding of the order of salvation and redemption and an internship specific module meant to equip young leaders with the ability to share their faith publicly.

Module 1: The Basics of The Faith

o Sin/Human Nature: The need for redemption in a fallen world

o Trinity & God Nature: Understanding Divinity and the perfect kingdom

o God’s People & The Church: Intimacy and relationship within the faith

o Scripture & History: Examining the redemptive arch of the Bible

Module 2: Jesus’ Redemptive Plan: Ordo Salutis

o The Schemes: Differing paradigms of the order of salvation

o The Order: Examining the basic phases of the order of salvation

♣ Calling & Conversion

♣ Repentance & Regeneration

♣ Sanctification & Justification

♣ Union & Adoption

♣ Perseverance & Preservation

♣ Glorification & Eternal Restoration

Module 3 (Internship Only): Shared Faith

o Ordo Salutis: Creating the Ordo In Your Own Words

o Devotional: Crafting a Concise Call to Christ

o Personal Evangelism: Testimony development and deployment

Biblical Interpretation: This course offers students both a high-level understanding of scripture and a deep dive strategy to study, examine and share Biblical texts without confusion or doctrinal error. Three modules take students ever deeper in their study.

Module 1: A Proper Start: From where it came, to whom it came, how it came together

o Scripture 101: Audience and Inspiration, Authority and Inerrancy

o Survey of The Canon: A Users Guide to Reading Scripture

o The Formation of the Canon: Church History and Founding of The Faith

o Prose, Poetry & The Original Languages: Purposes and Perspectives

o Understanding Biblical Testaments & Genres: Intentions and Outcomes

Module 2: Going Deeper: A scholarly approach to textual interpretation

o Exegesis vs Eisegesis: Understanding explanations vs justifications

o Context, Exposition Avoiding Pretext: Expository study and practice

o Rules of Hermeneutics: General

o Rules of Hermeneutics: Genre Specific (4 Types)

o Revelation: General and Special

o The Interpreter: Qualifications for sound doctrinal extrapolation

o Word Study: Lexicons, Dictionaries and the right tools to go deeper.

Module: 3 (Internship Only): Taking The Text to The World

o Reading to Teach: Determining what and how to teach Scripture faithfully

o Elimination Confusion: Navigating Doctrinal Tension and Criticism

o Developing A Personal Doctrine: The Gospel Through You

Applied Theology: The applied theology course is divided into three modules and 14 topics that range from general theological explorations to more specific manner of understanding God’s best for most major areas of the Christian Life.

Module 1: General Applied Theology

o Prayer: Public, Private, Corporate & Intercession)

o Personal Holiness & Sanctification

o Spiritual Formation and Fellowship

o Holy Spirit (2 classes): Pneumatology & Doctrinally Sound Engagement

Module 2: Specific Applied Theology

o Marriage, Dating & Courtship

o Parenting and The Family Dynamic

o Money, Wealth and Stewardship

o Rhythms of Life: Rest, Care, Motivation

o Sexuality and Biblical Gender Roles

o Work: Labor, Function and Service

o Worship: Corporate Private and Personal

Module 3: Ministry Applied Theology (Internship Only)

o Leadership: Qualifications & Standards

o Service: Effective & Fulfilling Ministry

o Discipleship: Personal and Congregational

o Care & Counseling within the church context

Apologetics & Biblical Worldview: This course is also divided into three separate modules meant to prepare students to understand their faith within the context of the modern world but without compromise. Students will understand opposing points of view, common arguments and develop their own case for faith in Jesus Christ.

Module 1: Worldviews: Defining Paradigms

o Truth, Truth-Claims, Absolute Truth: Understanding what can be proven and what’s opinion

o Origins of Morality: Internal, Biological, Sociological sources for good vs evil

o The Problem of Evil: Common attack & simple solution to understand our fallen world

o Paradigms: Atheism, Agnosticism, Gnosticism, Scientism and more big ideas

o Cultural Narrative & Current Topics: Understanding how an ancient faith matters today

o Evaluating Worldviews: Discussing the common arguments against a Biblical worldview

Module 2: Christian Worldview: Defending The Faith

o Rational Foundation for Theism: Logical approaches for sacred concepts.

o Case For Christ: Origins creation theory survey

o Case For Christ: Cosmological argument and evidence

o Case For Christ: Moral argument and understanding

o Case For Christ: Historiography argument and evidence

o Personal Interview w/ Non-Believer: Understanding before defending

Module 3 (Internship Only): Living out an apologetic ministry in a post-Christian setting

o Non-Believer Interview Assessments: Finding the through line is a post-modern arguments

o Contextual Ministry: How to launch and sustain ministry in various settings

o Personal Defense: Developing your own approach to defending the faith.

beacon College students are advised to consider their ability to complete the required course load prior to registering or applying.

• Discipleship Track students may take one or all classes but must complete the course-load in each class taken in order to matriculate to the next class. Discipleship students commit to 12 week classes each Spring or Fall semester. In-class offerings are conducted weekly (90 minutes each)  in Spring and Fall semesters with assigned homework each week (as much as three hours of study).

• Internship Track students must commit to a two-year cohort with in-class and ministry services offerings. Students cannot enter and exit at-will and must matriculate through the college together to graduate. In-class offerings are conducted weekly (90 minutes each) in Spring and Fall semesters with assigned homework each week (as much as three hours of study). Ministry services offerings are conducted during the Summer semester and include Sunday services, and weekly events (as much as 15 hours per week).

beacon College is a ministry offered by beacon that requires a financial investment.

• Adult Discipleship Courses cost $100 per class and must be paid during class registration prior to each semester of study.

• Ministry Internship Track is a two-year course of study including in-class and ministry service offerings and costs $750 for the entire track. These fees can be arranged on a payment plan but must be paid in full prior to the second summer semester.

Pastor CB Barthlow: After a life of addiction and failure, CB came back to his childhood faith at the age of 30. CB has served in the local church across various ministries including worship, prison evangelism, homeless outreach and young adults. In 2018 CB set out to follow God’s call to plant a church in the city in which he once suffered. beacon helps the lost, the broken and the hopeless, to become light-bearers in our city on a hill. CB and his wife Shannel have a passion to help people from all walks of life develop a relationship with Jesus. They live in Denver with their two, football-obsessed sons.

Pastor Ty Morris: Pastor Tyree (TY) Morris is a Lover of Jesus Christ, Husband, Father, Minister of the Gospel, National/International Recording Artist, Worship Director, Professional Speaker, Certified Life Producer, Workshop Clinician who values dedication service and the willingness to strive towards excellence. Known as “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN; Ty brings a unique approach towards The Art Of Worship and strives to use real world examples to help others worship God the Father in Spirit and in Truth. Ty has over 20 years of Worship Leading Experience in serving multicultural and multigenerational congregations and studied Worship Leadership at New Song and Sure Theological Institute. Old Testament/New Testament Survey, Exegesis, Hermeneutics, Synoptic Gospels. In addition I hold a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification and Studied Communications at Daley College. Ty has served as the Department head for the Northeastern Ill University Choir and Vocal Ensemble as well as a instructor for Colorado State University BSA music dept. Ty currently serves as the leader of Ty Morris & H.O.W. and as the Worship and Creative Arts Director of Denver Beacon Church.

Pastor Josh Derritt: Joshua Derritt provides a great deal of ministerial experience. He has served the church as an assistant, youth and discipleship pastor for over 5 years. His passion is witnessing people being transformed by the love of God, the infallible word, and the inner working of the Holy Spirit. More than anything, he loves to teach the unadulterated tenets of the faith in a manner that is fun and revelatory. He holds an associate of Biblical Studies and Bachelor of Organizational Leadership in progress.

Deacon Tim Gorrill: Tim completed his bachelor’s in biblical exposition from Moody Bible Institute in 2018. During this time he served as a pastoral intern at a local church in Spokane, Washington where he spent time building and teaching the high school curriculum for the Sunday morning youth service. His leadership experience includes work as a volunteer coordinator for Blessings Under the Bridge, a homeless ministry in Spokane from 2017-2020, as well as teaching and preaching at local churches in Spokane. Presently, Tim is pursuing his master’s in counseling and marriage and family therapy from Colorado Christian University in Lakewood. Tim’s heart for ministry is whole-life transformation and intentionally engaging with the Word of God through diligent study through practical application. That is to build up the Church, and equip believers to live quiet lives of dignity, marked by the transforming power of the Word.

Deacon Roby Mathew: Roby moved to Colorado in 2000 to work in the tech industry, and now considers it home. After feeling the call to serve, he enrolled in Denver Seminary as a young single man, and graduated 10 years later with an MA in Theology, a wife and two young daughters. Since then he has served within the Indian-American Christian community as a lay preacher, worship leader and in men’s and youth ministry. He still works full time in the software industry, and continue to seek ways to further the kingdom of God here in Colorado and beyond.