See below for the individual units (subjects) currently available. Please go to Courses for information on our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
We encourage you to contact our registrars to start a conversation about what units might best suit your course.
AQF levels (Australian Qualifications Framework) specify the standards for educational qualifications:
AQF 5 = Foundational undergraduate level
AQF 6 = Advanced undergraduate level
AQF 7 = Advanced undergraduate level + Foundational postgraduate level
AQF 8 = Advanced postgraduate level
AQF 9 = Advanced postgraduate level
AQF 10 = Doctorate postgraduate level
Here's a helpful chart with more AQF levels information
AQF: 5/7INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 17 January 2020
PE001-512i/712i
What does it mean to live a life worthy of the gospel? How can we discern what is ‘right’ and ‘good’ – and how should we seek to apply that understanding in our post-Christian world? The aim of this unit is to apply the Bible to develop a coherent theological framework for how we should think and act, live and love, do and desire as disciples of Christ...
AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisites: 2 x OT/NT foundational units + 1 x CH unitINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 18 January 2020
TH001-612i/712i/812i
Can we know God? And if so, then how? Who wrote the Bible? Is it a divine book? Or a human book? How reliable and trustworthy is the Bible? Can we rely on it to tell us the truth about all things, or just some things? Does God foreknow the future? All of it, or just some of it? If everything happens according to God's will, why is there still suffering and evil in the world? What exactly does it mean to be created in God's image?...
AQF: 8/9 Prerequisites: not less than 2 x biblical foundational unitsINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 January 2020
TH204-812i/912i
What does it mean to be created in God’s image, and the effect of that on our distinctive human identity and vocation? Do the constructs of human identity and human nature differ, and how do they inform a biblical anthropology? This unit explores human identity from the perspective of Genesis 1-3, and the unfolding biblical narrative. But alongside the unfolding of our identity lurks the inverted narrative of human idolatry: the disruption of the image of God – from creation to the golden calf idolatry of Exodus, through to redemption in Christ as perfect image...
SMBC Certificate levelSEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Daytime Unit
CT02A
Pastoral Theology seeks to provide students with an overview of the structure and content of Christian theology. In doing so, the focus of the subject is upon the personal impact of the knowledge of God upon the student's mind, heart and life. It is a thought provoking unit seeking to help a student understand the implications of theology for the way they live, with the spiritual formation of the student as its primary goal...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Daytime Unit
NT019-612/712/812
The apostle Paul was one of the most zealous evangelists and clearest thinkers in the early church. What we know about him comes from the Acts of the Apostles and from the letters that make up a large part of our New Testament. Our world is fast becoming as pagan as it was in Paul’s time. With individual Christians and churches exhibiting many of the problems that he addressed, his letters are of crucial importance to the modern church. They enable us to respond to those issues in a godly and courageous way, and remain faithful to Christ and his gospel in our own age...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Daytime Unit
NT018-612/712/812
The apostle Paul was one of the most zealous evangelists and clearest thinkers in the early church. What we know about him comes from the Acts of the Apostles and from the letters that make up a large part of our New Testament. Our world is fast becoming as pagan as it was in Paul’s time. With individual Christians and churches exhibiting many of the problems that he addressed, his letters are of crucial importance to the modern church. They enable us to respond to those issues in a godly and courageous way, and remain faithful to Christ and his gospel in our own age...
AQF: 6SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday + Thursday Daytime Unit
LA005-612
Learning to read the New Testament in its original language opens up a richness of understanding of the text. There are fresh insights and nuances that can deepen your love of God's word...
AQF: 6SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday + Wednesday Daytime Unit
LA005-612
Learning to read the New Testament in its original language opens up a richness of understanding of the text. There are fresh insights and nuances that can deepen your love of God's word...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMI-INTENSIVE
Lecture evenings: Mondays 9, 16, 23 March; 4, 11, 18 May 2020
Lecture days: Tuesday 21 - Thursday 23 April 2020
DM014-612i/712i/812i
Chaplains have played a significant role for many years in sharing and modelling the Christian faith in places of education in this country. With much recent media discussion about the role of chaplaincy, this unit will give you the opportunity to explore the practice and theology of chaplaincy...
AQF: 6/7/8 Corequisite: Jesus and the GospelsSEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Evening Unit - Northern Beaches Centre
NT016-612/712/812
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Ever wish you'd been there with Jesus, listening to him in action and even eavesdropping on his conversation with his Father? John was there, and left us his eyewitness record. The Gospel of John is unique: simple and accessible, but also complex and profound. Its purpose, according to John, is ‘that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name’ (John 20:31)...
AQF: 6SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Evening Unit
LA005-612
Learning to read the New Testament in its original language opens up a richness of understanding of the text. There are fresh insights and nuances that can deepen your love of God's word...
SMBC Certificate levelSEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Daytime Unit
CT04
Sex, guns and babies – what is Christian ethics in a postmodern, post-Christian, culturally relativist, morally subjectivist world where "everything is OK as long as you are true to yourself". Can you give a Christian viewpoint on the mini-Pill, euthanasia, IVF, divorce and remarriage, same-sex attraction, war, gambling, or which political party to vote for? Can you explain what makes something right or wrong? Would you go to the funeral of an Asian friend where there will be ancestor worship involved? Why are Christians vocal about some ethical issues (e.g., euthanasia and abortion) but not others (health, welfare, immigration)?..
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Daytime Unit
OT017-612/712/812
There's something intriguing and appealing about books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But then they disorient us. The book of Job is sad, Ecclesiastes is sceptical and Proverbs is self-interested. And they don't seem to be about the gospel.
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Daytime Unit
OT016-612/712/812
There's something intriguing and appealing about books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But then they disorient us. The book of Job is sad, Ecclesiastes is sceptical and Proverbs is self-interested. And they don't seem to be about the gospel...
AQF: 7SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Daytime Unit
CH001-712
Who we are is very much a product of our personal history and experiences. The same can be said of families, people groups, even whole countries. As Christians, we have a shared collective history of thought and experiences that make up who the church is today. Christian History not only helps us to understand ourselves, but it also reminds us how God has sovereignly worked throughout the centuries...
AQF: 5SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Daytime Unit
TH009-512
As Christians we're convinced that the Bible is a book about salvation. And yet the grammar of salvation is complex in Scripture. If we ask 'Have I been saved?', or 'Am I being saved?' or 'Will I be saved?', the Bible's answer is 'Yes!' In this subject we'll explore how this is the case; how our redemption has been accomplished and applied by God's grace alone, through faith in Christ alone...
AQF: 5SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
NT002-512
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
The church is far from perfect; whether we have in mind the early church or the church today. How did the church get started? What issues did those first Christians struggle with? How did God use his people to spread the light of the gospel from its beginnings in Judea and Jerusalem to the very heart of the Roman Empire?..
AQF: 6/7/8 Corequisite: Old Testament FoundationsSEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
OT008-612/712/812
The Pentateuch is the foundation of all biblical revelation, and indeed, of the entire biblical worldview. How was this part of Scripture designed to impact the lives of ancient Israelites? And how does knowing this help us discern God’s enduring message for today?..
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Daytime Unit
TH004-612/712/812
For Christians, church is a central part of life. But what, according to the Bible, is the church? What is it we are seeking to do when we gather? What is the church’s nature and essential marks?..
SMBC Certificate levelSEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Daytime Unit
CT01
One of the joys of being a Christian is reading God's word and growing in our understanding of what it means to know the Lord Jesus and serve him. One of the challenges that soon becomes apparent and one that many Christians of all stages face is how to apply the various parts of the Bible to the Christian life. Wouldn't it have been great to walk with Jesus along that Emmaus road and hear him explain 'what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself' (Luke 24:27)?..
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Daytime Unit
EM025-612/712/812
Jesus commissioned his disciples to ‘go and make disciples’ (Mt 28:19); Peter exhorted, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have’ (1 Pt 3:15); and Paul lamented, ‘How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?’ (Rm 10:14)...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Daytime Unit
EM017-612/712/812
Cross-cultural ministry can shape us to be more like our Lord Jesus. Unfortunately, it can also be a difficult and discouraging journey. This is often due to the extra challenges of living and serving away from our normal supports of family, friends and church; being out of our comfort zone in unfamiliar cultures where we struggle as linguistic toddlers; and confronting entrenched spiritual forces that are dogged in opposing the discipling of the nations...
SEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Evening Unit
CU01
This series of 10 lectures is for all Christians who want to apply biblical wisdom as they confront life's complex issues...
AQF:6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
PC008-612/712/812
Competence and charisma often outstrip character in Christian leaders. However, what God primarily requires of Christian leaders in Scripture is character. That’s because leadership in God’s church is to be exercised by those who are first and foremost, followers of Jesus Christ. We can only serve as leaders if we are disciples of THE leader, Jesus Christ...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
EM008-612/712/812
Would you like to get to know people from another culture, but are afraid of ‘treading on their cultural toes’? Do you want to learn how to share the gospel with people who are very different to you, in a way that resonates with their hearts?..
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
OT009-612/712/812
The Pentateuch is the foundation of all biblical revelation, and indeed, of the entire biblical worldview. How was this part of Scripture designed to impact the lives of ancient Israelites? And how does knowing this help us discern God’s enduring message for today?..
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
OT008-612/712/812
The Pentateuch is the foundation of all biblical revelation, and indeed, of the entire biblical worldview. How was this part of Scripture designed to impact the lives of ancient Israelites? And how does knowing this help us discern God’s enduring message for today?..
AQF: 6SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
LA003-612
This unit is the first step in building a solid framework for engaging with Biblical Hebrew texts in their original language. By completing both Biblical Hebrew A and B (Semester 2), students will be in a position to work directly with the Hebrew scriptures, and to continue translation and exegesis of Old Testament texts. After these units, students will be able to take Old Testament exegesis units in the Hebrew stream...
AQF: 5SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Daytime Unit
OT001-512
As Christians, we want to affirm that the Old Testament is indeed the word of God and that it holds value for the contemporary church. Yet at times we struggle to know what to do with it. While some parts are familiar, there is much here that seems odd or strange. In fact, it can sometimes feel like we are travellers lost in a foreign country – and without a guidebook...
AQF: 7SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
NT002-712
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
The church is far from perfect; whether we have in mind the early church or the church today. How did the church get started? What issues did those first Christians struggle with? How did God use his people to spread the light of the gospel from its beginnings in Judea and Jerusalem to the very heart of the Roman Empire?..
AQF: 8/9 Prerequisites: not less than 2 x biblical foundational units + demonstrable experience in ministry and/or leadershipINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 2 - 6 March 2020
PC070-812i/912i + PC205-912i(Capstone)
All churches and Christian organisations are at the same moment human entities which need to be well organised and wisely led, and spiritual entities which need to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit as they serve the Lord Jesus. This means they need both the best of leadership and management practice, and also the unique insights into leadership which come from Scripture and the mission of God’s kingdom...
AQF: 5/7INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 April 2020
CH001-512i/712i
Who we are is very much a product of our personal history and experiences. The same can be said of families, people groups, even whole countries. As Christians, we have a shared collective history of thought and experiences that make up who the church is today. Christian History not only helps us to understand ourselves, but it also reminds us how God has sovereignly worked throughout the centuries...
AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisite: Old Testament Prophets and WritingsINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 April 2020
OT016-612i/712i/812i
There's something intriguing and appealing about books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But then they disorient us. The book of Job is sad, Ecclesiastes is sceptical and Proverbs is self-interested. And they don't seem to be about the gospel...
AQF: 5/6/7/8This unit includes the SMBC 2020 Study Tour of Israel and Greece on 29 June - 18 July, 2020.
Join us as we visit some of the key archaeological sites relating to important events recorded in the Bible. Come to Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where Gentiles heard the good news from Peter, travel to Galilee to the Mount of Beatitudes and sail from Tiberius to Capernaum, enter Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and explore the Garden of Gethsemane. Fly to Phillipi where the gospel first came to Europe and then enjoy the sights of Thessaloniki, Athens, and Corinth...
AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisite: Jesus and the GospelsINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 17 July 2020
NT008-612i/712i/812i
Luke was a doctor, a theologian, a careful historian and a follower of Jesus – the evangelist who recorded Jesus’ momentous words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” This unit studies the Gospel of Luke in its context as one of the three Synoptic Gospels, considering the question of what kind of writing the Gospels actually are...
AQF: 8/9INTENSIVE
Workshops: 13-16 July, 11 September, 20 October 2020
PC020-812i/912i
We live in an era when Christian leadership is intensely challenging. It is more important than ever for leaders to find competent support for effective ministry and personal development. Christian Mentoring is an intentional 1 to 1 ministry that helps good leaders flourish as thoughtful and secure Christian disciples in the midst of the challenges of ministry and life...
AQF: 5/7SEMESTER 2 2020
Monday Evening Unit - Northern Beaches Centre
OT002-512/OT002-712
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
'Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ (Proverbs 4:7). Would you like to grow in your understanding of the Old Testament’s wisdom and prophecy books? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of God, as well as be equipped with tools for doing your own study and teaching of some of the least read books of the Bible?..
AQF: 6 Prerequisite: New Testament Greek ASEMESTER 2 2020
Monday Evening Unit
LA006-612
In this unit we continue our introduction and experience in reading the language in which the New Testament was written. This prepares you to read straightforward parts of the Greek New Testament for yourself, be equipped for consulting New Testament commentaries based on the Greek text and reading books which discuss or refer to Greek words and expressions...
AQF: 5SEMESTER 2 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
NT001-512
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 2 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
PC048-612/712/812
In our churches every week there are people wrestling with life’s difficulties. The problems of death, disease, political unrest and terrorism create considerable angst and fear. In today’s church how do we address God’s people dealing with such turmoil? How do we communicate the timeless truths of the gospel and connect them with our broken world? How does Christ make a difference? In what ways do people best hear and understand these truths? How does the Bible speak to our deepest longings?..
AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisites: 2x foundational NT/OT units + 1 x CH/TH/PE unitSEMESTER 2 2020
Wednesday Evening Unit
TH003-612/712/812
There is no more important question in life than, “What must I do to be saved?” The doctrines of grace are concerned with God’s plan of salvation from election through to glorification, through which he brings about his eternal purposes for his creation, and in particular, for those he has chosen by grace to be his people. They also describe how the finished work of Jesus Christ is applied by the regenerating and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to the believer, who by virtue of their union with Christ, is justified, adopted and perfected to share in his glory...
AQF: 7SEMESTER 2 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
NT001-712
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
AQF: 5SEMESTER 2 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
DM022-512
This is a unit of learning and practical skills related to the planning and conduct of effective children’s ministry. Areas of study include: skills and techniques for communicating with children; pastoral care of children and families; children and worship; children’s ministry teams; training children for ministry; group management of children; duty of care requirements...
AQF: 7SEMESTER 1 2020
Friday Daytime Unit
OT001-712
As Christians, we want to affirm that the Old Testament is indeed the word of God and that it holds value for the contemporary church. Yet at times we struggle to know what to do with it. While some parts are familiar, there is much here that seems odd or strange. In fact, it can sometimes feel like we are travellers lost in a foreign country – and without a guidebook...
AQF: 6/7/8SEMESTER 1 2020
Friday Daytime Unit
TH001-612/712/812
Can we know God? And if so, then how? Who wrote the Bible? Is it a divine book? Or a human book? How reliable and trustworthy is the Bible? Can we rely on it to tell us the truth about all things, or just some things? Does God foreknow the future? All of it, or just some of it? If everything happens according to God's will, why is there still suffering and evil in the world? What exactly does it mean to be created in God's image?..
AQF: 5SEMESTER 1 2020
Friday Daytime Unit
CH001-512
Who we are is very much a product of our personal history and experiences. The same can be said of families, people groups, even whole countries. As Christians, we have a shared collective history of thought and experiences that make up who the church is today. Christian History not only helps us to understand ourselves, but it also reminds us how God has sovereignly worked throughout the centuries.
AQF: 8/9 Prerequisites: 2 x OT foundational unitsINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 10 - 14 August 2020
OT042-812i/912i + OT205-912i (Capstone)
1 & 2 Samuel are often seen as the most literarily sophisticated books of the Bible. Gripping stories of Samuel, Saul and David combine to describe the dawn of Israel's monarchy. The central character of these stories, however, is God himself. And the goal of recounting Israel's history is made subordinate to the goal of presenting life-changing theology. Ultimately, God's choice of David as king becomes essential background for understanding Jesus as the messiah king...
AQF: 7/8/9 Prerequisites: 2 x NT foundational unitsINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 7 - 11 September 2020
NT038-712i/812i/912i + NT205-912i(Capstone)
1 & 2 Thessalonians are the somewhat forgotten books of the New Testament. While many are familiar with Paul's letters written to the Romans, Galatians and the church at Corinth, the letters of 1 & 2 Thessalonians are often less familiar. When we examine these shorter letters, however, we quickly discover they are filled with deep truth that is both encouraging and practical...
AQF: 5/7INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 28 September - 3 October 2020
CH002-512i/712i
We can only properly make sense of our present if we understand our past. Our numerous Protestant denominations only make sense if we understand the Reformation of the 16th Century. Whether we identify ourselves as modern or post-modern, we are indebted to the Enlightenment of the 18th Century. Our ability to understand the American Presidential race depends in part on how we well we have grasped the rise of fundamentalism in the 19th Century...
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM033-912
This unit will provide participants with an understanding of anthropological concepts and insights as tools for contemporary ministry, especially cross-cultural ministry. In light of this understanding, it will enable participants to exegete the cultural context in which they are serving...
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM049-912
This unit will enable participants to investigate the principles of healthy multicultural teamwork, to reflect on their own and others’ experiences of serving in multicultural teams, and to more effectively work as part of a team composed of people from diverse cultural backgrounds...
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM039-912
This unit will enable participants to understand the patterns and principles of disciple making and mentoring in the Scriptures and the ways these principles are expressed in various cultures. Building on this understanding, participants will be helped to develop contextually appropriate ways of discipling people in their particular ministry setting...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM012-812
This unit will enable participants to discover a framework of biblical principles that can help guide the practice of church planting in any cultural context. A variety of models of and approaches to church planting will be evaluated for their appropriateness to specific contexts and cultural settings. Stages of pioneer church planting in cross-cultural contexts and ways to address challenges arising in each stage will be explored...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM038-812
This unit will enable participants who are engaged in cross-cultural ministry to understand, reflect on, and think through the personal issues and challenges involved in this ministry. Building on these insights, it will explore principles and resources for responding to these issues and challenges in ways that nurture spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical wellbeing in themselves, their families and their co-workers...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM036-812
This unit will enable participants to enhance their ability to relate well to Muslims, to communicate the gospel and to help the church grow among them in ways that are biblically faithful and culturally relevant. It will do this by deepening participants’ understanding of key themes in Islam, Islamic attitudes towards Christianity, and approaches to evangelism, discipling and church planting among Muslims.
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM043-912
This unit explores the Bible’s teaching on the nature of poverty and the way that God’s people are called to love the poor. We will consider models of engagement and assess their appropriateness for a range of contexts...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM052-812
This unit will enable participants to understand the principles of contextualisation in order to construct a framework for approaching contextualisation in any specific cultural context. It will help participants to develop contextualised ways to communicate the gospel in their context as well as contribute to the development of the church...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM020-812
This unit will help participants investigate the theological, philosophical, anthropological, educational and developmental foundations of leadership and leadership development in order to enable participants to engage in the practical challenge of developing leaders in cultures that have different assumptions and worldviews. Models of education and curriculum design for leadership development will also be explored...
AQF: 8ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM034-812
This unit will enable participants to research local cultural values and approaches to learning, plan responses, and develop curriculum to empathically serve the educational needs of various receptor cultures in which they are situated. The unit introduces postgraduate students to the current approaches to education across boundaries of culture and worldview difference. Students will critically reflect on various approaches and devise strategies that are appropriate to the design and delivery of educational materials allied to their ministry specialisation in cross-cultural contexts...
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
EM042-912 Capstone
As part of the assessments in this unit, participants will work together to construct an integrative conceptual map of what they have learned about cross-cultural ministry throughout the SMBC Master of Intercultural Studies course. They will develop a personal professional development plan and prepare a number of items that communicate missiological ideas to others in practical ways...
AQF: 9ONLINE
Postgraduate Unit
AS001-912
This unit prepares participants to do a research project. Assessments are focused preparatory steps towards a research project...
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