MC500 Church in Mission (4 units)

MC500: Church in Mission (4 units)

Eddie Gibbs, Donald A. McGavran Professor of Church Growth
Spring 2005 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

This course seeks to interrelate the disciplines of ecclesiology and missiology from a biblical perspective, and covers the following topics: the Trinitarian nature of the church, the relationship of the Church to the Kingdom of God, New Testament images of the Church, the classical marks of the Church, worship, unity, the Sacraments, ministry of the people of God, mission in the world, and the structuring of the church to facilitate its missionary calling. Emphasizes the centrality of the Church for the spiritual growth of believers, developing ministry potential, and engaging in mission outreach. The course is relevant both for the student who has had little prior involvement in a local church, as well as for students who have experienced the fellowship of a local church without having been challenged by its call to mission.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Develop strong biblical foundations to shape and support understanding of the church.
• Encouragement to become active members of a faith community during their years of study at Fuller Seminary.
• Increase understanding of the nature of the Church and its centrality to world mission.

COURSE FORMAT:

A lecture and discussion format, allowing time for small group interaction in which students will have opportunity to evaluate their own engagement with their faith community.

REQUIRED READING: The student must read at least 1200 pages drawn from the required reading list, and supplemented by the recommended reading list if a student has already used one of the texts in a previous course.

Bloesch, Donald G. The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Pres, 2002, 300pp.
Guder, Darrel L. (ed.). Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998, 268pp.
Preston, Geoffrey. Faces of the Church: Meditations on a Mystery and Its Images. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1997. 192pp.
Karkkainen, Veli-Matti, An Introduction to Ecclesiology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995, 290 pp.
Lewis, Robert. The Church of Irresistible Influence. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001. 217pp.
(Students may substitute a book that provides a model of a missional church, which better relates to their cultural context and church tradition).