Start Your Own Bible School (SYOBS) is a ministry initiative (powered by Ministry Partners Consulting Group) that helps leaders, churches and faith organizations launch fully accredited online Bible colleges. According to their site, SYOBS was “founded with a clear mission—to make high-quality biblical education easily accessible to churches and ministries worldwide”. In practice, the organization provides a turnkey platform and support system so that a church can establish its own Bible school “without requiring technical expertise”. Their pre-built programs allow any congregation to offer certificate through doctorate-level theological degrees without creating courses from scratch In short, SYOBS exists to help churches train pastors, leaders and members by giving them the tools to run an online ministry education program.
What Services Does Start Your Own Bible School Offer?
SYOBS provides a full suite of services and features for a church-operated online Bible school. Key offerings include:
- Pre-Loaded Degree Programs: A complete theological curriculum from Certificate through Doctorate is included. All courses are pre-designed for ministry training, so churches do not have to develop curriculum on their own.
- Accredited Christian Education: The programs are built to meet faith-based accreditation standards. In fact, their marketing notes “Faith based Accreditation, high quality curriculum, and world class Learning Management System” are all included.
- Flexible Learning Platform: SYOBS sets up a custom website with a Learning Management System (LMS) and Reporting dashboard. This all-in-one platform lets schools teach fully online or in a hybrid format. (The system is designed for ease-of-use so that churches “without technical expertise” can manage it.)
- Student & Course Management: The platform includes tools to track student progress, grades, assignments and communications. Administrators can enroll students, grade exams, and manage classrooms entirely online.
- Academic Support Materials: Beyond courses and software, SYOBS helps create essential college materials. Our team will design the church’s Bible school catalog or student handbook and even produce a marketing brochure for recruiting. We also help churches design and print official diplomas under the church’s own name.
- Consultation and Guidance: We offers personal support and training. Churches can book consultations to receive one-on-one guidance on starting and managing the school. For example, a free consultation package outlines program overviews, sample lessons, enrollment steps, and accreditation details. SYOBS staff walk leaders through choosing packages, setting up courses, and understanding any legal or academic requirements.
These services together mean that a church can launch and run an online Bible college in a cost-effective, plug-and-play way. The emphasis on simplicity is clear: SYOBS “made starting an online Bible College easy and affordable,” and assures churches that “it’s not a franchise; there are no franchise agreements. You name your Bible College or Seminary according to the vision God has given you”.
How Start Your Own Bible School Helps Churches Launch and Accredit Bible Schools
A major goal of Start Your Own Bible School is to make the process of starting a Bible college straightforward and legitimate. Churches receive help with every step:
- Custom Branding and Ownership: Since SYOBS is not a franchise, each church fully owns its school. The church chooses its own name and identity, and issues all diplomas. SYOBS provides the templates – it “helps you design diplomas” and even prepares them for printing.
- Legal and Licensing Assistance: The program explicitly includes guidance on accreditation and state authorization. Ministry Partners’ description of SYOBS lists “Accreditation” and even obtaining a “State License and Authorization to grant academic degrees” among the services. In practice, this means SYOBS helps align the school with applicable religious accreditation standards or legal requirements so that its degrees are valid and recognized.
- Content and Materials: Churches receive not just the LMS, but a full suite of content and paperwork. SYOBS provides a complete student catalog or handbook, and can customize a school website with curriculum details. This ready-to-use content saves months of work.
- Accreditation Pathway: While SYOBS itself is not an accreditor, it prepares churches for faith-based accreditation. The platform’s built-in curriculum is already structured for religious accreditation, and staff advise schools on meeting academic standards. As one feature list notes, SYOBS operates under “Religious Exemption and Faith-Based Accreditation – Get recognized credentials”. Thus churches can offer fully accredited certificate or degree programs (within religious accreditation schemes) to their students.
In summary, Start Your Own Bible School acts like a ministry incubator for education. It equips churches with the technical platform and curriculum on day one, and then guides them through the remaining formalities (diplomas, catalogs, accreditation paperwork) so that their Bible school is both professional and credible.
Mission and Vision
Start Your Own Bible School is driven by a clear mission and vision. Our mission is “to help churches and leaders establish their own Bible schools with ease, empowering them to train disciples, equip ministers, and expand God’s Kingdom”. This underscores their focus on breaking down barriers – whether financial or technical – so that any church can teach God’s Word. Their vision is “to see a world where every church has the tools to educate and disciple believers, fostering spiritual growth and leadership development”. Together, these statements reflect SYOBS’s goal of global impact: a network of church-run seminaries that cultivate the next generation of ministry leaders. In practice, every feature and service of the program is designed to advance this mission (for example, by providing over 100 pre-loaded courses from certificate through doctorate).
Church leaders who have used the platform testify to this mission in action. One pastor noted that although launching an online school initially felt daunting, SYOBS “simplified everything for us” – from setting up courses to managing students – allowing the church to focus on teaching the gospel. Another shares that their students now have access to a high-quality, structured learning experience anywhere in the world. These success stories illustrate how SYOBS fulfills its mission: by equipping ministries to teach and transform lives without reinventing the wheel.
Why Churches Choose Start Your Own Bible School
Many ministries choose SYOBS because it solves a real need. Rather than developing educational technology and curricula from scratch, churches can plug into a proven system. The platform’s advantages are clear:
- Affordability and Ease: SYOBS offers affordable plans and even flexible payment options (e.g. $3,000 down and $400/month at a promotional rate) so that cost is not a prohibitive factor. The entire system requires minimal IT know-how, which lowers technical barriers for small churches.
- Comprehensive Support: New Bible schools benefit from ongoing support. SYOBS provides training, a help center, and one-on-one consultations. Their team actively assists with content decisions, accreditation questions, and tech issues. Churches essentially get a “staff” for their Bible college through this service.
- Community and Credibility: Because SYOBS is used by hundreds of churches, new schools join a community of practice.
- Scalability: As a church’s educational ministry grows, the platform scales easily. They can start with a certificate-level program and later add bachelor’s or master’s tracks. The same infrastructure handles one student or a thousand, and schools can run both online and in-person classes as needed.
Start Your Own Bible School appeals to churches seeking a comprehensive, ready-to-use solution for theological education. Their ministry-first approach speaks directly to leaders who are more focused on equipping and discipling believers than promoting a product. Every part of the platform reflects a deep commitment to serving ministries and advancing biblical education, in full alignment with their mission and vision.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do we need to be a large church to launch a school?
A: Not at all. SYOBS is designed for churches of all sizes. Many small ministries have launched thriving programs.
Q: Can we name our Bible school anything we want?
A: Yes. Your school will be fully owned and branded by your church. You decide the name and vision.
Q: Do our students receive real degrees?
A: Yes. Through faith-based accreditation and religious exemption, your students will receive legal and recognized ministry degrees.
Q: What if our church has no tech experience?
A: That’s okay. SYOBS provides an easy-to-manage website and training for church staff.
Q: Can we start with a small program and expand later?
A: Absolutely. Many churches begin with a certificate program and later grow to offer bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
Q: Is it really legal to grant degrees under a church’s name?
A: Yes—under religious exemption laws. SYOBS walks you through the steps to remain compliant in your state or country.
Conclusion
Start Your Own Bible School is a comprehensive online seminary solution for churches. By combining a fully developed curriculum, a custom learning platform, and expert support in administration and accreditation, the organization enables churches to step into the role of a formal Bible college. In doing so, SYOBS helps fulfill its vision of a world where every church has the tools to disciple believers and train leaders. For pastors and ministry directors looking to expand their teaching beyond Sunday sermons and small classes, SYOBS provides the answers. As their website notes, this program empowers churches to “train, teach, and lead the next generation of ministry leaders,” joining “hundreds of churches and leaders” already using the platform to grow disciples globally.
