A one-year seminary experience Designed for Everyone!

If Christians are honest, they will acknowledge there is a gap between what they profess about God and how they actually live. The traditional model of seminary does little to expose the roots of why this gap exists. Shepherds Theological Seminary and Laramie Valley Chapel created The WEST Institute, a one-year seminary program, to address this issue. The WEST Institute exists to train men and women in sound biblical teaching within the context of an intentionally intrusive, life-on-life, local church community. As students learn God's Word and live in community, false beliefs, hopes, longings, and fears are replaced with the truths of God's Word. Every year we have the blessing of seeing the gap in student's lives diminish as they grow in Christ-likeness. We ask, not only individuals going into full-time ministry, but all believers to consider setting aside one year of their life to learn God's Word so that the rest of their life would be lived in response to His Word.