Gates of Eden

 

Instructions - Requirements - Rules - Information
for Gates of Eden's IDI (Intensive Discipleship Institute)

June 1 - August 31, 2020

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​​Instructions

     If you have not done so already, pray and ask the Lord if this summer program is something that will help prepare you and equip you to work for the Lord’s kingdom. Then before filling out the application form, read through the Requirements & Rules to be sure you are 1) eligible to apply for IDI and 2) willing to accept and abide by the rules while participating. Also read the

Gates of Eden Statement of Faith.

 

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​Requirements

1. Belief in Yeshua/Jesus. Not just mental assent, but a conscious decision to accept Him as your Savior and to follow Him as your Lord.

 

2. Baptism in water as an act of obedience and as a testimony to declare your commitment to follow Him. If you have not been baptized since you believed, please find someone to baptize you before participating in IDI.

 

3. A sincere desire to learn and grow in your faith in preparation for service in God’s kingdom.

 

4. A teachable spirit and respect for elders. You are not required to blindly believe every jot and tittle of everything that every IDI teacher says. You can ask questions or even respectfully disagree with some non-essential minor details of things that are taught. But a contentious spirit and any disrespect toward elders will not be tolerated.

 

5. Flexibility and a willingness to accept and adjust to changes in scheduling. We hope to keep everything 100% on schedule as planned, but unforeseen circumstances can arise and sometimes rescheduling and slight modification of plans is unavoidable.

 

6. Age 18-early 30s during the IDI program.

 

7. A willingness to follow the rules at IDI.

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Rules

1. ATTENDANCE. Unless you are sick, attendance is required at 3 things:

      A. Morning prayer Monday thru Friday

      B. Our local congregation’s Sabbath meetings on Saturdays

      C. All the teaching sessions conducted by out-of-town guest teachers, as a courtesy to them

 

Attendance at Elective classes is optional. Attendance at all the general classes is strongly encouraged. If you miss a class, teachers will not have time to repeat the materials that were covered in the class(es) you missed. This program is called Intensive Discipleship Institute because the classes will be intense. You will be here for disciplined learning and spiritual growth, not for an undisciplined vacation and spiritual laziness.

 

2. MALE-FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS. We expect many or most of our disciples to be singles. Singles can easily be distracted by romantic attraction to the opposite gender. Romantic attraction is not sinful, but we urge disciples to not let romantic attraction distract them from their discipleship. The only rules we have regarding romantic relationships between male and female disciples in the program are the following:

A. No male-female couples are to be together anywhere behind closed doors without a third adult present as a chaperone. If a male-female couple wishes to converse privately, it must be done somewhere out in the open, where they can be seen by other people - someplace like a restaurant, a shopping mall, a museum, or other public places where people are present.

B. If a romantic relationship seems to be developing, let the father of the young lady know about it as soon as possible and honor any boundaries he sets. Also let the leaders at IDI know about it. We realize you are adults, and we do not want to be overly strict. But we want to know what is happening so we can hold you accountable and do what we can to make sure the boundaries set by the young lady’s father are honored. We do not want to control relationships, we just want to prevent any possible problems, either emotional or moral.

 

3. ABSTINENCE FROM THE FOLLOWING: sexual immorality, smoking, illegal drugs, drinking alcohol. We realize drinking alcohol in moderation is not sinful, but to avoid possible problems, we require abstinence during your 3 months with us.

 

4. MODEST DRESS. Clothing can be casual and comfortable, but it must be modest. These dress guidelines are not just for class time. They are also for anytime you are out in public, because you will be representing Gates of Eden and IDI.

WOMEN. The Bible commands women to dress in modest apparel. During your time at IDI, women will be required to wear a dress or long skirt that is long enough to cover the knees when seated. No pants on women unless covered by a long tunic. No low-cut or sleeveless shirts. During prayer time and class time, a head covering is required for married women, optional for single women.

MEN. We require modest dress for men too. No shorts or sleeveless shirts. Long pants that are not tight-fitting, unless covered by a long untucked shirt or tunic.

 

5. ELECTRONIC DEVICES (phones, laptops, etc.) will be collected and stored in the office during prayer time and class time and lunch time. No exceptions unless there is an emergency.

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Class Schedule

     Full-time classes will be held Monday through Friday at the GOE Outreach Center, and there will be opportunities for hands-on ministry work.

     At this time we have commitments from some teachers, and are waiting to hear from others (see Teacher list below).

     The curriculum and schedule are still in the planning stages, but here is our tentative schedule for a typical day (subject to change):

 

8:30 - 9:15  Breakfast

9:15 - 10:00  Prayer & Praise  (mandatory)

10:00 - 11:00  Hebrew Language

11:00 - 12:00  Lecture/Discussion (topics will vary)

12:00 - 1:00  Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 or 3:00  Lecture & Discussion (topics will vary)

3:00 - Evening:  Free Time/R & R

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Evenings:  Lecture/Discussion 1 or 2 evenings per week; possible electives and opportunities to do ministry work (optional)

Sabbath:  Mandatory attendance at our local congregation

Sunday:  Free Time/R & R; possible electives (optional)
 

IDI Teachers (thus far)

​    Daniel Botkin lived in Israel for over 2 years, attended intensive Hebrew classes, worked on the archeological dig at the Temple Mount, and led groups of young people to do volunteer work on a kibbutz. Daniel taught ESL for 7 years, 5 years at Western Illinois University and 2 years at schools in NJ and NY, where the Botkin family lived in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. While living in NY, Daniel was ordained as elder in a Messianic Jewish congregation. In 1995 he moved his family back to IL, began publishing GOE, and planted a Messianic congregation that continues to function under new leadership.

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     Andrew Eades was discipled by Daniel Botkin. He is the chief musician at our local congregation and has been doing a weekly afternoon teaching there every Sabbath for 3 years. This year between Sukkot and Passover, he is doing the main teaching each week at our Sabbath service. At IDI he will be teaching about the importance of knowing Jewish history, language, and culture, with a focus on the Four Gospels. Andrew is married to Daniel & Teresa’s daughter Betsy, and is the father of 6.

 

    Brad Scott has been teaching the Scriptures since 1971. Raised in Missouri, he began in the Lutheran system. In 1978, he began his studies in the Greek language and soon discovered that the well-defined Greek structure was NOT so well-defined. He soon began to learn the Hebrew language, and sat at the feet of Rabbinical scholars. Brad is an ordained minister through a non-denominational pastoralship. Although he may be vertically challenged, he does have a good sense of humour. Brad will be teaching about agribiolinguistics (the meaning of words in their agricultural and biological setting).

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    Natan Lawrence was born into a Torah-observant Christian family. He started a daily regimen of studying the Bible and praying at age 7, which he has continued to this day. Natan studied at 3 universities, completing a B.A. in French. At age 30, he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and became a Bible teacher, working as a youth pastor. He ministered in several Spirit-filled Sunday churches, volunteered as a chapel leader and Bible teacher at Teen Challenge, as an urban street-preaching missionary, as a preaching evangelist to the local Mexican migrant camps, as a prison chaplain, and later as an ordained evangelist in a major Protestant denomination. At age 40, Natan and his wife, Sandi, started a Messianic fellowship in Portland, OR, which he led until he retired in 2016. Natan will be teaching on the canon of Scripture, with a special focus on Paul’s epistles. He will also share about his involvement in different forms of outreach and evangelism.

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Apply

    To apply for our Intensive Discipleship Institute, simply click on the PDF icon below (or at the top of this page). You can type in the form and then print, or you can print and fill it out by hand. Application forms must be mailed in an envelope to our address listed on the form: Gates of Eden, PO Box 2257, East Peoria IL 61611-0257. If you have problems printing the PDF form, write to us at GOE and request an application form.

     There is no cost to apply, but there will be a tuition fee if you attend.

 

Tuition | Costs

    There is no application fee, but we plan to pay the teachers and we will have other related expenses. We want to make tuition as affordable as we can.  We cannot yet determine the exact cost, because we are waiting for more information about our costs.  For now we are guessing it will probably be somewhere between $1500 and $1700 per disciple for the entire 3 months.

     The tuition cost will include textbooks and 2 meals per day.

     Housing costs will be separate.  We can help disciples find inexpensive rental housing near the GOE Outreach Center, where classes will be held.

     If you have a camper, there is a state park that has campsites with electricity and a new shower house.  The rate is $350 a month, maximum of 4 people per camper.  The park is only 2 miles from the GOE Outreach Center. Watch this page for updates.

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