Course Description: This course is an overview of the biblical foundations necessary for effective ministry. The importance of the teaching ministry will be examined as a means of grounding ministry in the scripture as core content for ministry.
Course Schedule
| Class Date | Class Topic | Assigment Due |
| 8.24 | Introduction to the Class | |
| 8.29 | Syllabus and Expectations | |
| 8.31 | Building a Foundation: What is the Gospel? | |
| 9.5 | Building a Foundation: What is the Ministry? | Peterson, Introduction Smith, The Church at the Center |
| 9.7 | The Goal of Ministry: A Life of Love | Smith, Preface, Ch. 1 |
| 9.12 | The Problem of Ministry: Disordered Love | Smith, Ch. 2 |
| 9.14 | The Re-orientation of the Church: The Reordering of Loves | Smith, Ch. 3 |
| 9.19 | The Story of Ministry: Liturgical Formation | Smith, Ch. 4 |
| 9.21 | Watch: The American Gospel | Hauerwas, Ch. 1, 4 |
| 9.26 | Watch: The American Gospel | Hauerwas, Ch. 5-6 |
| 9.28 | The Metrics of Ministry | Eric Schumacher, Giving Up the Stage Ortlund, You Don’t Deserve This Hauerwas, Ch. 7 |
| 10.3 | The Posture of Ministry | Alan Jacobs, Lord Make Me an Idiot Peterson, 23-42 |
| 10.5 | The Tasks of Ministry: Prayer Directing | Peterson, 43-72 |
| 10.10 | Pastoral Rule | Greogry, Intro, Letter, 49-86 |
| 10.12 | Pastoral Rule | Gregory, 87-100 Write a letter of Counsel |
| 10.17 | The Tasks of Ministry: Story-Making | Peterson, 73-112 |
| 10.19 | The Tasks of Ministry: Pain Sharing | Peterson, 113-148 |
| 10.24 | OFF: Fall Break | |
| 10.26 | OFF: Conference | |
| 10.31 | The Tasks of Ministry: Nay Saying | Peterson, 149-190 |
| 11.2 | The Task of Ministry: Community Building | Peterson, 191-End |
| 11.7 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | |
| 11.9 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | Robinson, 1-27 |
| 11.14 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | Robinson, 27-78 |
| 11.16 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | Robinson, 78-110 |
| 11.21 | OFF: Thanksgiving Break | |
| 11.23 | OFF: Thanksgiving Break | |
| 11.28 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | Robinson, 110-216 |
| 11.30 | Developing a Pastoral Imagination | Robinson, 216-247 |
| 12.5 | Sharing from Exemplars | Due: Ministry Mentor Interview Church Reflection |
| 12.7 | Review and Celebrate | |
| 12.14 | Final Paper Due |
Assignments
Attend Church/Church Reflections (15%)
There are no lone-ranger Christians. If you don’t belong to a local church, you need to. And if you want to be involved in ministry, you need to be involved in a church. So, I am requiring you to be a part of a church. You will need to bring a either a church bulletin and/or a reflection from your involvement on Sunday. For every time you come unprepared on a Monday, your grade will drop 4%. After the third miss, you will fail.
Academic Journal (40%)
Every time you come to class when there is a reading assignment due, you are required to actively take notes while reading. These notes will be collected in an academic journal. It should be well organized with a section for every assigned reading.
The journal will be collected and graded on October 20 and at the end of the semester.
Interview with Ministry Mentor (10%)
You won’t go long in ministry without a mentor. Therefore, you need one. Either find one or go to one you already know (must be 10+ years older than you). Interview them on questions pertinent to ministry. (What’s most important? How do you balance time? What temptations or struggles do you encounter? Advice, etc). The paper should be thorough and include your own reflections.
Final Paper (35%)
You will write a 2000 word paper on 5 core values that will guide your ministry. Your paper should include sources from your ministry interest (missions, youth ministry, camp ministry, pastoral, etc) and apply your core values to your desired ministry context. What is most important to you? Why? Where does that come from? How have other people employed or discussed that value? How will these values work themselves out in your life and ministry?
