BIBLE CAMP
Come read the Bible. In Greek.
Greek Summer is here. The Ancient Language Institute is moving from the internet to the physical world, in partnership with 3Crosses Church and American Reformer. Come join us in August 2025, for a 3-day Ancient Greek immersion camp, led by some of ALI’s great Ancient Greek teachers.
We will be reading, speaking, laughing, praying, and writing in Greek at 3Crosses Church in Castro Valley, CA from Aug. 18 – Aug. 20.
Bible Camp is designed for mid-beginner – early advanced Greek students who want to improve their Greek proficiency and read the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament with ease and enjoyment.
No matter what form of Ancient Greek you are primarily interested in, the immersive learning experience of Bible Camp will aid you in your path towards proficiency. Bible Camp presents a life-changing opportunity to study Greek immersively under the Direct Method, which the Ancient Language Institute uses with hundreds of students online and in-person every year.
While we will be primarily focusing on Biblical texts, we will also be learning how the study of other Ancient Greek texts can enrich your reading of the Bible. But most of all, we’ll be reading and speaking – a ton – in Ancient Greek! Make your summer Greek.
The ideal Bible Camp participant already has experience with Koine or other forms of Ancient Greek, whether in seminary, college, or in ALI’s G101 (or equivalent at another institution).
What You Need to Know
We can accept a maximum of 30 students. Applications are already rolling in, and will be evaluated in the order they are received. We will close applications when all seats have been filled.
- Cost: $250
- Covers tuition for Bible Camp
- Covers coffee in the morning and lunches during the day
- Location: 3Crosses Church, 20600 John Dr., Castro Valley, CA 94546
- Bible Camp is a “commuter” event – we will not be providing housing to participants
- Dates: August 18th, 2024 – August 20th, 2024
- Event time: 9am – 5pm, each day Monday-Wednesday
- Requirements (what we’re looking for in applicants):
- Some prior experience with Greek
- Willingness to spend at least 4 hours on homework before Bible Camp begins
- Positive, enthusiastic attitude excited for an immersive, spoken Greek experience
Teachers
Carter Ehnis, our Latin & Ancient Greek Fellow, is Lecturer of Languages at New Saint Andrews College, where he teaches Latin and Greek. He holds an M.A. in Theology and Letters from New Saint Andrews College and is currently pursuing graduate work at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics where he is working towards an M.A. in Descriptive Linguistics. His goal is to pursue doctoral work in the field of linguistics.
Jarred Sutton, our Latin & Ancient Greek Fellow, was born and raised in Northern California. He has a bachelor’s degree in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University where he gained a love for Biblical Studies and a desire to read the biblical authors in their own words. He began studying Ancient Greek and Latin with ALI, and developed a voracious appetite to learn all that the Ancient Greek and Latin authors have left us.
With special thanks to the sponsors of Bible Camp 2024
3Crosses Church
3Crosses Church, led by Dr. Danny Strange, is based in Castro Valley, California. At 3Crosses, everything we do is about life transformation through following Christ. Our hope and mission is to transform the East Bay with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
American Reformer
American Reformer promotes a vigorous Christian approach to the cultural challenges of our day, rooted in the rich tradition of Protestant social and political thought. Our online Journal equips evangelical Christians to confidently and forthrightly defend Scriptural truths and natural law, while our Reform campaigns influence key Christian institutions, and our Cotton Mather Fellowship trains Christian leaders to meet the challenges of the digital age. Learn more here.
Timeline and Application Process
Apply (Apr. 22 – Aug. 12th): Use the application form on the Bible Camp page (below) to apply to join us. We will require a refundable $50 deposit at the time of application. If you are accepted, this deposit will be applied to your tuition balance. If you are not accepted, the deposit will be fully refunded to you.
Acceptance (Apr. 22 – Aug. 12th): Once we review your application, we will let you know via email whether you’ve been accepted. If you are accepted, we will also send you an invoice for the balance (minus the $50 already paid). To secure your spot at Bible Camp, you will need to pay that invoice. Once you do, your spot is secure.
Balance due (Aug. 15th): Your entire balance is due August 15th. Additionally, if at any point you need to withdraw from Bible Camp, you may do that for a full refund before August 15th. Beginning August 15th, we will no longer be able to issue refunds.
Arrival (Aug. 18th): You are welcome to come to the 3Crosses campus at 8am on Monday, August 18th. We will be there to welcome you on campus at that time. The opening session of Bible Camp will begin at 9am that day, so please arrive by then.
Bible Camp (Aug. 18th – Aug. 20th): Greek! The Bible! Greek! The Bible!
Departure (Aug. 20): The final session of Bible Camp will conclude at 5pm on Aug. 20th.
FAQs
Not at all! We’re assuming students will come with all sorts of different backgrounds in Greek. If you’ve studied Greek grammar before but never used the language actively, that’s fine! Students in this situation often make rapid progress once they’re exposed to an immersive approach to learning the language. We will ask all participants to complete a homework assignment before Bible Camp. It should take about 4 hours.
Bible Camp probably isn’t for you. We have a limited number of spots, and we want to reserve them for advanced beginner – early advanced students who want to learn to read the Septuagint and the Greek New Testament with ease and enjoyment.
We are very ecumenical when it comes to pronunciation. Our teachers use a variety of different pronunciations, and we don’t require students to pick a particular one. Some of our teachers use Attic reconstructions, some use a modified Erasmian, some use Lucian, and some use other historical reconstructions. If there is a pronunciation you are particularly interested in practicing, our teachers will be happy to help you do so. For the most part, we just want to make sure all of our students and teachers can understand each other when they’re speaking in Greek.
That’s up to your college. We aren’t accredited and do not offer degrees. However, many undergraduate and graduate institutions have honored our classes for course credit. If this is something you’re interested in, we suggest reaching out to a professor or administrator at your home institution to see if they would be receptive. If they are, let us know and we’d be happy to help and provide anything you need to arrange for this.
Nope – if you’ve studied Greek elsewhere, we’d love to have you.
There are no hotel rooms that have been booked for this event. If you are local to the area, you will need to commute to 3Crosses each day. If you want to come from out of town, you are more than welcome to do so, but you will need to arrange your own lodging.
That’s really hard to say. Everybody comes in at a different level, with different experiences, and with different aptitudes. We can’t guarantee a particular outcome for you, but we can guarantee that over the course of the 5 days we’re together, that we’ll do everything we can to help you grow in your Greek proficiency.
