MC502: Becoming a
Missional Church (4 units)
Charles
Van Engen, Arthur F. Glasser Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission
Spring 2005 Pasadena
DESCRIPTION:
This
course will introduce the students to the wide range of issues and skills
related to the complex interdisciplinary processes involved in creating and
implementing a philosophy of ministry and missional strategy for a local
church. The course will enable the leaders of the church to shape a
congregation toward becoming lovingly open to ministry in the world and
intentionally involved in mission in its communities, nation, denomination, and
world in a ripple effect of dynamic church life.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Ability to create and
implement a missiologically-informed philosophy/theology of ministry for a local
church.
• Ability to create and implement a
missional strategic plan for the mission of a local church locally and
globally.
COURSE FORMAT:
Assigned
readings and class discussion will be geared to encouraging and facilitating
the student to accomplish the central task of the course, which involves the
writing of a 6250 word mission statement for a local congregation, including
the plans and strategies necessary for implementation. The five parts of the
mission statement coincide with the five major cognate disciplines of
missiology that are examined as to their contribution toward shaping a pastoral
missiology.
REQUIRED READING:
1. C. Van Engen. God's Missionary People: Rethinking the Purpose of the
Local Congregation. (G.R.: Baker, 1991,1993,1995); OR Orlando Costas. Liberating News: A Theology of Contextual
Evangelization (G.R.: Eerdmans, 1989); OR
Lyle Schaller. 44 Questions for
Congregational Self-Appraisal (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998); OR
options
2. P. Hiebert. Anthropological Insights for Missionaries (G.R:Baker, 1985); OR
Paul Hiebert. Anthropological Reflections of Missiological
Issues (G.R.: Baker, 1994); OR Charles Kraft. Communication Theory for Christian Witness. (Maryknoll: Orbis,
1994).
3. C. Van Engen. The Uniqueness of Christ: Shaping Faith and Mission (Pasadena:
Self-published, 1996), available in class.
4. Lingenfelter and Mayers. Ministering Cross-Culturally (G.R:Baker,
1986); OR George Hunter III. Church for the Unchurched (Nashville: Abingdon, 1996); OR C. Van Engen. You Are My
Witnesses. (N.Y.: Reformed Church Press, 1992); OR Eddie Gibbs. Church Next (Downers Grove: IVP,
2000); OR Rodney Clapp. A Peculiar People (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996); OR another selection from the bibliography.
5. K. Callahan. Effective Church Leadership. (S.Fr.: Harper & Row, 1990); OR Bill Easum. Leadership on
the Other Side; OR Rick Warren. The Purpose-Diven Church (G.R.: Zondervan, 1995); OR Greg Ogden. The New
Reformation: Returning the Ministry to the People of God (G.R.: Zondervan,
1990); OR another selection from the bibliography
6. C.P. Wagner. Leading Your Church to Growth (Ventura: Regal, 1984); OR
Aubrey Malphurs. Planting Growing Church for the 21rst
Century (G.R: Baker, 1998); OR Kevin Mannoia. Church Planting: The Next Generation (Indianapolis: Light and Life,
1994); OR Joel Comiskey. Reap the Harvest (Houston: Touch Publ., 1999); OR another selection from the bibliography.
7. L. Newbigin. Open Secret (G.R.: Eerdmans, 1978, 1995); OR Lesslie Newbigin. A Word in Season: Perspectives on
Christian World Missions (G.R.: Eerdmans, 1994); OR John Stott. Christian
Mission in the Modern World (Downers Grove: IVP, 1975); OR David Shenk. God’s Call to Mission (Scottdale: Herald, 1994); OR John Piper. Let The Nations
be Glad (G.R.: Baker, 1993); OR options.
If students have read any one of the above books, they will choose substitute
texts from a bibliography provided in class. (Some copies of the books out of
print will be available on reserve, or through class.)
ASSIGNMENTS:
• Seven 500-word, typed and double-spaced, book reviews.
• Each student will develop a (30-page) 6250-word statement of mission for a
local congregation. The statement of mission will describe the nature of the
congregation being studied; the anthropological, cultural, historical setting
of the church; issues related to Christian response to other religions; an
analysis of the internal, external, and systemic potential of the local
congregation to reach out in mission in specific socio-cultural contexts
locally and globally; and the biblical and theological motivations, meaning and
implications of mission for the local church.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO
CURRICULUM: Elective in SIS; meets Ministry 8 for M. Div. Students.
FINAL EXAM: None.