REGENT COLLEGE Distance Education APPL 522: CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND EQUIPPING: THE MAKING OF MATURING DISCIPLES OF JESUS

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1 REGENT COLLEGE Distance Education APPL 522: CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND EQUIPPING: THE MAKING OF MATURING DISCIPLES OF JESUS Professor Darrell Johnson 3 graduate credit hours Course Tutor / Grader: Tony Tremblett Course de-appl522@regent-college.edu) Course website: Your due date: (See your Student Contract to set your due date) A course may be dropped within two weeks of the course start date (date from the Course Receipt Form once you receive your materials) for a 100% refund (less a $25 drop fee). A course may be dropped between two and four weeks of the course start date for a 75% refund (less a $25 drop fee). A course may be dropped between four and eight weeks of the course start date for no refund; after this time the student is committed to receiving a grade for the course. All course materials must be returned in original condition before a drop or refund will be approved. Course Description In this course we seek to lay biblical, theological and practical foundations for the Church s work of discipling, educating and equipping the whole people of God for life and ministry in and for the world. The course works from the assumption that education and equipping are sub-sets of making disciples. We will take considerable time to work through key biblical texts on discipleship, always with an eye toward hands-on application. We will also take time to work through a philosophy of education, looking at different models and theories of human learning. We will then work through ways of equipping God s people to serve out of their Spirit-given giftedness in the marketplace. Learning Outcomes: - Gaining a better grasp of Jesus call to discipleship - Understanding of the dynamics of disciple-making - Developing a working philosophy of how different types of people learn - Developing curriculum for use in the parish or mission center - Developing small group materials - Developing a grid for evaluating church education resources - Identifying one s own particular call within the ministries of discipling, educating and equipping the saints - Being discipled a bit further on one s own journey DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 1 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

2 Class Outline 1. Church Work and the Work of the Church [A Survey of key biblical texts] 2. The Call to Discipleship [Inductive study of key texts] 3. The Call to Discipleship [Deductive study of key texts] 4. Jesus Prepares Us For the Absence of His Physical Presence [John 14-16] 5. John 14-16, continued. 6. Paul Continues This Teaching [Life in the Spirit Galatians 5:16] 7. The Gospel of Matthew as a Discipleship Manual 8. Inductive study in Matthew 9. Marks of Maturing Disciples 10. So, What IS the Gospel? (Part I) 11. So, What IS the Gospel? (Part II) 12. Evaluating Curricula in Light of the Gospel 13. Ephesians as a Discipleship Manual 14. Group study in Ephesians 15. Writing an Inductive Study of Ephesians 16. A Theology of Christian Education 17. Varieties of Learning Styles/Modes 18. What Kind of Teacher Are You? 19. Teaching Disciples to Pray (Part I) 20. Teaching Disciples to Pray (Part II) 21. Group interaction and prayer 22. Teaching Genesis 1-3 Part I 23. Inductive study in Genesis Teaching Genesis 1-3 Part II 25. Teaching the Book of Job [A large group inductive Bible study] 26. Assessing the above experience 27. Teaching Disciples Spiritual Warfare [Learning to stand against evil] 28. Helping Disciples Discern & Deploy the Gifts of the Spirit Part I 29. Group interaction 30. Helping Disciples Discern & Deploy the Gifts of the Spirit Part II 31. Helping Disciples Listen for/to the Voice of Jesus Part I 32. Helping Disciples Listen for/to the Voice of Jesus Part II 33. Discerning Jesus Voice for His Church (Revelation 1-3) 34. The Apostle Paul as Educator/Equipper/Disciple-Maker 35. Preparing a Disciple-Making Plan 36. The Congregation as Educator/Equipper/Disciple-Maker * We have endeavoured to provide most of the lecture notes that were distributed to the class. However, there are a few that cannot be included for copyright reasons. DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 2 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

3 Academic Requirements and Time Investment 3 cr hrs Lectures 30 hrs Reading (700 pgs) 35 hrs Reading Annotations 6 hrs Designing Small Group Booklet or Educational Course 35 hrs Evaluating Curriculum 29 hrs TOTAL 135 hrs Assignments: 1. Evaluation of Curriculum Please the course grader, de-appl522@regent-college.edu, for APPROVAL of the curriculum you are choosing. You may work with other students or people in your congregation/community for this assignment. Evaluate one of the educational curriculum resources being used by local congregations in our time. (If you are a member of a particular denomination, feel free to evaluate its published material). This assignment may be done in collaboration with up to four other students [the project submitted under all the team s names, each receiving the same mark]. Because of the potential scope of such a project, you may focus on a particular age range (ie. youth, adults, seniors, etc). This project should include: a. A summary and evaluation of the curriculum s philosophy of Christian education. b. A summary and evaluation of the curriculum s use of the Bible ( proof-text-ing, grand story, moral code book, etc.). c. An assessment of the curriculum s understanding of what it means to be human apart from Christ and in Christ. d. An assessment of the curriculum s understanding of the Gospel. (What is the good news? How wide a scope of presentation? Etc.). e. An assessment of the curriculum s understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. f. An assessment of the way each lesson is developed. g. An indication of how you might need to modify the material so it is more consistent with your own understanding of education as disciple-making. *Ensure that you give yourself enough time to receive approval from your Course Grader before proceeding with your evaluation. Your Evaluation must submitted/postmarked by your DUE DATE that is set according to the Student Contract you signed. 2A. Educational Course Design a six-week education course for a local congregation on either a major theme of Christian Life and Faith [Walking by Faith, the Life of Jesus, Four Pictures of the Cross, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, the Ministry of Women in the Bible, Spiritual Warfare, the Preferential Option for the Poor, etc]. DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 3 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

4 Submit for this assignment: a. An introduction to the course with: - Purpose of the course - Hope for outcomes [especially in terms of discipleship] - Course format and educational strategy b. Lesson plans for each session c. Outline of the material to be covered in each session d. Bibliography of both sources you will use and resources you will encourage participants to use e. Description of the people for whom the course is structured (youth, young adults, married with kids, etc) OR 2B. Small Group Bible Study Booklet Design and write-up a six to eight week small group study booklet on a book of the Bible for use in a local congregation. You may also work with someone from your congregation or another student [to earn a shared grade] for this assignment. Submit for this assignment: a. A separate introductory paper (one or two pages) with: - Purpose of the study - Hoped for outcomes (especially in terms of discipleship) - Assumptions you are making about the people involved - Your expectations of the people (which should also be stated in the booklet) b. The booklet itself, which should contain (in your own creative way) - An introduction to the study Why this biblical book? Format of the study Group expectations - An introduction, background of the biblical book - Each of the separate weekly studies Questions for preparation Questions for the group time Application discipleship implications - Suggestions to the group facilitator on how to: Use the booklet Lead the sessions Note: Either of these projects may be done in collaboration with people from your congregation/community. Questions regarding this or other assignments can be answered by the Course Tutor (de-appl522@regent-college.edu). 3. Reading and Reading Annotations Read: (i) Israel Galindo s The Craft of Christian Teaching (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1998), (ii) plus three other books, one from each of the three headings below. DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 4 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

5 These readings can be counted as part of your reading for other assignments. Your reading should add up to a combined required total of 700 pages (in some cases this may mean supplementing the books you choose from the general bibliography). Students should submit a two-page annotation on each of three of the books they have read, stating the two or three major benefits of the book for education and equipping. A list of the all books and pages you have read should also be submitted. Reading Annotations are to be submitted/postmarked by your DUE DATE. a. Disciple Making Greg Ogden, Transforming Discipleship OR David Watson, Called and Committed b. Education Larry Richards, Creative Bible Teaching OR Wilhoit & Ryken, Effective Bible Teaching c. Equipping Ministry Sue Mallory, The Equipping Church OR Greg Ogden, Unfinished Business Evaluation 3 cr hrs Educational Course OR Small Group Booklet 45% Evaluation of Church Curriculum 40% Reading Annotations 15% NB: The Course Evaluation Form must be returned by your due date Late Policy and Extensions (please read carefully!) For every week that your course requirements are submitted late, there will be a deduction of a third of a letter grade per assignment accordingly. Only under circumstances that are both unavoidable and unforeseeable are extensions considered (please refer to your student handbook for specific details ). Weddings and births do not count as unavoidable and unforeseeable. If you need to go beyond the six-month time limit, you must contact the Coordinator first for an extension. Contact information is provided in your Student Handbook. Please note that extensions are not automatically granted, and must be applied for before your original due date. ACADEMIC HONOUR Regent College upholds the highest standards of academic responsibility as part of our commitment to Christ in all of life. Students are required to familiarize themselves especially with the discussion of Academic Integrity in the College Catalogue. DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 5 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

6 ACADEMIC HONOUR Regent College upholds the highest standards of academic responsibility as part of our commitment to Christ in all of life. Students are required to familiarize themselves especially with the discussion of Academic Integrity in the College Catalogue. Bibliography on Discipleship and Disciple-Making Banks, Robert. Paul s Idea of Community: The Early Churches in Their Historical Setting. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, pages Bankson, Marjory. The Call to the Soul: Six Stages of Spiritual Development. Innis Free Press, 1999, 185 pages Blackaby, Henry and Claude King. Experiencing God. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, pages Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Simon and Shuster. 316 pages. Life Together. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, pages Bruce, A.B. The Training of the Twelve. Kregel Publications, pages Coleman, Robert. The Masterplan of Evangelism. Fleming H. Revell Co., pages Coppedge, Allan. The Biblical Principles of Discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Asbury Press, 1989, 166 pages Dunn, James D. G. Jesus Call to Discipleship. Cambridge University Press, pages Eims, Leroy. The Lost Art of Disciple Making. Zondervan Publishing House, pages Fowler, James. Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian: Adult Development and the Christian Faith. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, pages Guiness, Os. The Call. Word Publishers, pages Henderson. Michael. John Wesley s Class Meeting: A Model for Making Disciples. Nappaneo, IN: Evangelical Publishing House, pages Hettinga, John. Follow Me: Experience the Loving Leadership of Jesus. NavPress, pp. Hull, Bill. Building High Commitment in a Low Commitment World. Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, pages. The Disciple Making Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell, pages. The Disciple Making Pastor. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell Books, pages. New Century Disciplemaking. Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming Revell, pages DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 6 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009

7 Kempis, Thomas. The Imitation of Christ. Image Books, Lewis, C.S. Screwtape Letters. London: Fount, pages Mortimer, Arias. Announcing the Reign of God. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, Mulholland Jr., Robert. Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, pages Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVaristy Press, pages. Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, pages Ortberg, John, et al. Pursuing Spiritual Transformation. Willow Creek Resources, Zondervan. Sheldon, Charles. In His Steps. Smithmark, NY: pages. Sider, Ronald. Living Like Jesus: Eleven Essentials for Growing a Genuine Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, pages Smith, Gordon T. On the Way. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, Stanley, Paul D. and Clinton, J. Robert. Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, pages Warren, Rick. The Purpose-Driven Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Watson, David. Called and Committeed: World Changing Discipleship. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, pages Watson, David L. Covenant Discipleship: Christian Formation Through Mutual Accountability. Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, pages Wilksin, Michael. Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, pages. In His Image. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, pages Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy. Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. San Francisco, CA: Harper, pages. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Chnages Lives. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, pages. Renovation of the Heart. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, pages DE APPL 522 JOHNSON Page 7 of 7 Revised August 27, 2009