Yes. All tracks are month to month. You can drop out of any track at any time. To do this, you need to take care of this yourself prior to the end of your pay cycle.
Go Here for instructions. and scroll to the FAQ titled "Cancel."

And you can do that.   

You can sign up on a per course basis in Free, Bronze, and Silver anytime.

Only the Mastermind groups are restricted to annual enrollments. 

Track (or membership) fees are a necessity for several reasons.:

1. They're essential for the program to thrive or even continue: admin, tech, and development.
2. When people are invested in their Bible study, they tend to give more of themselves to the effort, and they tend to get more out it. 
3. Membership fees improve the quality of the community study experience. 

We do provide some substantial free courses, videos, and materials to allow anyone to benefit from our studies. These also allow anyone to "test drive" exactly what we do so that there is no risk involved when deciding to enroll in the other programs.

No, we don't offer refunds.  The guarantee we offer is better. We provide a free "sampler" track with 3 actual sessions recorded live, so that you can check us out thoroughly before joining the group.  We want you to feel completely confident about your decision before you enroll.  

Our main focus is to engage biblical authors in conversation through their texts. We have developed and follow an approach to accomplish this.

We are focused on the study and interpretation of biblical and related literature. This normally means Old or New Testaments, but also might included other material, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, OT and NT Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus and others if pertinent to our concerns.

As a working group, we have focused on developing a daily approach (called PROBE) to help us have conversations with biblical authors through their texts. 

We actively advocate and practice Supportive Engagement,  This means you don't have to agree with your study partners to be supportive of them. It also means you will possibly be challenged (engaged!) for any position you take. 

We are not a political group or a general "free-for-all" discussion group. Our discussions are specific to biblical texts. They tend to be open but moderated so as to stay on topic. Because our study partners are invested in the program, the discussions tend to be very high quality. 

Honestly?  The discussion in GOLD is very high quality without being a graduate program or highly technical. The discussion in PLATINUM is focused specifically on Greek text, grammar, structure and the like. So it tends to be more specific, and sometimes more technical.  

We follow the  philosophy called "Supportive Engagement" (see previous card). It means that in our interchange, we support each other as friends, even when we disagree . . . AND we must be willing to be challenged in a spirit of open interchange. 

At times, the group is very active. Sometimes it is relatively quiet. Every member is encouraged to contribute; but no one is required to say a word. You choose your own comfort level.

Go Here to see some of our teachers (this will open a new window, so you won't lose your place).

The Mastermind Groups (Gold and Platinum) are serious study groups "on a mission." Those in the group have made a commitment to serious study---together as a group---for a 1 year period. Normally, a 1 year course of study will include from 1 to 4 individual courses.

You can withdraw (drop out) at any time (you're not trapped!). But you cannot rejoin until the next enrollment period. Enrollment for Gold or Platinum is only one time during the year. 

The reason for this is to give full attention to a focused study agenda and for the benefit of those who have made a commitment to each other and to our approach.

 We allow those in the Silver Track to sit in and eavesdrop on a per course basis, but there are limitations. They can watch recordings and read discussion messages, but they cannot actually attend live or participate in group discussions. When Mastermind enrollment comes around (in January), they can officially join the group.

Tech Requirements

Free, Bronze, and Silver Tracks

You simply must be able to watch streaming videos (just like on YouTube).  

Gold and Platinum Tracks

Don't take the following info lightly! Those who ignore this usually have more trouble than others.

1. Zero Latency
   • IABC is almost entirely internet based. This means if you want to participate in Gold or Platinum tracks, you have to have appropriate internet capabilities that will handle LIVE, zero-latency streaming.
   • This is not the same as watching our recorded videos, YouTube videos, or streaming movies. IABC LIVE-streams all of our LIVE sessions at a high-quality rate. 
   • Zero-latency means that when the presenter speaks, you will see/hear it very nearly instantaneously. This allows us to have high-quality, real-time conversations using video and audio.
   • Only the presenters will be using cameras and mics. But as a receiver, you must have equipment and connections that won't lock up or lose signal. You will be able to type in chat, but not speak or use your video camera.
   • Fortunately, most newer equipment is already set up for this. However, the following information should answer your questions now
2. Internet download speed:  We recommend that you have 25mbps. (Megabits per second, not megabytes per second--these are different).
   
   
   • You can test your actual speed at Speedtest.net (press GO) or ask your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
     
   • Your ISP might tell you that you don't need but 5mbps. However, our experience with many people across the country and around the world is that you need at the very least 10mbs.  
     
   • You are more likely to experience signal issues if your Internet speed is 10 mpbs download or below, and also if you use wi-fi at any speed.  
      
     
3. Wi-fi?  No matter how strong your wireless is, it is not as strong as a direct wire to your router.
   
   
   • Many people use wireless without a problem. But, wireless will have more problems with temporary degradation or loss of signal. At IABC, we use a direct hard wire, and we recommend to everyone at least a Cat 6 hardwire. 
     
   • TV's or other devices on your network: If others are watching TV or working on another computer or device on your computer while you are watching a LIVE session, this will slow your system down and it may cause you a loss of video or audio signal. 
     
     
4. Browsers:  Chrome, Safari, and the new Edge will all work for LIVE sessions. (The old Internet Explorer will not work.)
   
   
5. Your Computer: Generally, if you have a computer only a year or two old, you should be fine. But old or weak computers can also be the cause of connection problems. You might need to check with someone in your area about your computer if you have problems. 
   
   
6. During a LIVE session:  If you have trouble (like a frozen picture, or sound dropout), refresh your browser, or switch to another browser altogether  (but don’t leave two on at the same time—that will bog down your system). 

No. We follow a weekly program of study that we have developed for any biblical text called PROBE that asks you to do certain kinds of activities each day of the week. However, what you do is up to you.

Yes . . . if you choose to pursue one of the Medallion programs.

We are not a traditional school. We are a high quality Bible study program. If you want a degree, we encourage you to consider a university. In our program, you can be as involved or as laid back as you like. It is your choice.  If you want to earn a Medallion Award, then you will need to follow that track. 

No. You simply must want more from Biblical text study. 

We do not offer degrees, and we have no intention of seeking an external accreditation.  We are a high quality Bible study program. We say that, and so do our study partners.

We do offer four study tracks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and special Medallion Award programs.  Qualifications for the Gold and Platinum Medallions are a good bit more challenging than for Bronze and Silver. 

Naturally, whether you decide to pursue any of these special programs is up to you.

Yes. 

We are not associated with any particular church, and our study partners currently work at or worship in a variety of churches or denominational groups. (See our statement of faith in the previous card.)  

We are not in competition with any church, school, or any other study group.

Our program is for anyone who wants more out of the Bible---more than can generally be found in a Sunday school or on your own.

Members say that our courses rival those found in universities, but without the high price, without the papers, and without other disadvantages found in colleges. For example, all of our LIVE classes are recorded Live and can be viewed at any time by those in the Gold and Platinum groups.

We have several preachers, missionaries, and other church leaders in our group---and they help to add depth and spice to our group.  But we also have others from various backgrounds who are not professionally linked with churches. 

We focus on biblical text study.  We aim to be academically sound and practically oriented. 

We generally don't teach courses in other fields, but we might address other fields as questions come up.  Our group is diverse and highly experienced, and so we might address a variety of subjects as they arise. 

Yes, especially at live events! Women and men alike have presented papers or conducted classes at our live events.  The criteria used for selecting speakers is desire, preparedness, and need. 

On a week-by-week basis most of the teaching is done by Gary Collier. Occasionally, Lee Patmore, Richard Davies, and Mike Wilkinson do some teaching. In the past, Patrick Spicer did a good bit of teaching of first year Greek.