Principles of Guadalupe Bible College

1. The purpose of life is to totally give our lives to God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. We are to be Jesus' disciples and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). All education is to be ordered to these ends.
   
   
2. All Christians need to be equipped for service (Eph 4:11) through God's word (2 Tm 3:16-17).
   
   
3. All Christians should study their faith organically, systematically (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 5) and comprehensively. "Organic" is understood to mean that we study the inter-relationships of the parts to the whole of divine revelation. "Systematic" means we study in an orderly progression. "Comprehensive" means we study all that God has revealed to us through the Church and the Bible.
   
   
4. We learn primarily from direct contact with a teacher, although learning through mass media is still important (On Evangelization, Pope Paul VI, 45, 46).
   
   
5. We learn primarily in the context of Christian community, although home study is essential.
   
   
6. The home should be restored as a principal place of discipling, equipping, and educating.
   
   
7. Although anyone can attend any of the classroom teachings offered by GBC without enrolling, the advantages of enrolling are the following:
   
   
   1. A systematic, long-range program is planned with each student.
   2. There is a discipline in committing oneself to the whole program.
      
      
8. "Formation is not the privilege of a few, but a right and duty of all. In this regard the Synod Fathers have said: 'Possibilities of formation should be proposed to all, especially the poor, who can also be a source of formation for all'" (see The Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 63). Therefore, formation must be inexpensive and compatible with the time constraints of the typical lay Christian.