FORMATION FOR DISCIPLESHIP: THE PASTOR AS LEARNER AND PARTNER IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY:

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1 FORMATION FOR DISCIPLESHIP: THE PASTOR AS LEARNER AND PARTNER IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY: WV Conference Course of Study, Course # 213 March & April 8-10, Dr. Marvin Carr, Instructor The Purpose of this course is to improve understandings and tools for shaping the ministry of Christian Education in the congregation nurturing faith and Christian values - through Clarifying our own experiences and concepts of our identity as learner and teacher of Christian Education; Reflecting on our own faith development in light of theories of how we learn and develop, intellectually in relationships, morally, and spiritually; Deepening our commitment to educational ministry and to building creative, supporting partnership with the education leaders of our churches, Improving our own teaching/learning skills and leadership skills in helping persons grow in faith and discipleship; and Becoming better informed about the curriculum materials of our church Objectives include: 1. Emphasis on pastor's identity as servant and mentor, highlighting the need for pastors to be both teachers and learners. 2. Examination of faith development in the light of location, economics, gender, ethnicity, age, generation, and human relationships. 3. Survey the major methodologies for educating Christians with special stress on developing small group ministries, and on teaching Scripture, confirmation, and the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. 4. Reflect upon the work of the church as formative for Christian discipleship (personal piety and social justice) and develop an action plan for transforming the life of discipleship, congregation and community. 5. Develop ability to critically assess curricular materials for theological content and appropriateness to ministry setting. Secure the following Texts for the course from Charleston Cokesbury and bring to the first session. (call toll free: ) a. Maria Harris: FASHION ME A PEOPLE: CURRICULUM IN THE CHURCH. b. Karen B. Tye: BASICS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION c. Griggs and Walther: CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE SMALL CHURCH. d. Other information, handouts and curriculum materials will be provided at the sessions.

2 e. Options will be given for resource material for student preparation for the second session. Grading: Grades will be assigned according to Form and Content, as follows: 1. Form:: Grade of A: On time, neat, preferably typed, answers of appropriate length (sufficient pertinent Detail), good grammar. Grade of B: Good quality, with minor insufficiencies. Grade of C: Acceptable quality, with less attention to detail, Grade of D: Indicating hasty work, lack of serious effort. Grade of F: Late or insufficient. 2. Content:: A: Clear grasp of definitions by the author/text. Indication of comprehending the thesis and main points. Clear indication of interpreting own experiences. Clear indication of applying concepts to local church(es) to improve educational ministry Clear indication of seriously involving one or more key laypersons in reflecting on Improving the educational ministry. B, C, D, F: levels of deficiencies of the above. I. ASSIGNMENTS to be prepared for the March 18 Session: (Mail to Marvin Carr by March 6; a hard copy to Marvin Carr, 15 Meade Street, Buckhannon WV 26201, OR carr@wvwc.edu. Bring two Hard Copies with you to the March 18 session. ) A. Maria Harris FASHION ME A PEOPLE: CURRICULUM IN THE CHURCH: 1. Read the Introduction: Write a paragraph or a page response to: a. the image of the potter: (pp 15-18) how does the concept of fashioning apply to me as a person and as a pastor? b. what difference does it make to your role as pastor/educator if the curriculum (instead of being seen as the printed Sunday school materials), is the entire course of the church s life? 2. Read Chapter 1: Church: A People with a Pastoral Vocation : Write a paragraph responding with a description of our own call to ministry - (pp 23-27). And another in response to the concept that this applies not only to ourselves but to the vocation/calling of the leaders and the members of our churches? 3. Read Chapter 2. Church: A People with and Educatonal Vocation : a. Write a response to each of the six questions under Exercise 1 on pages concerning your own experiences that relate to education and the implications for our definition of education. b. Write a response to her idea of education as "giving form/shaping" through the classical forms of ministry on pages and the implications of these ideas for your role as pastoreducator? 4. Read Chapter 3. Curriculum: The Course of the Church s Life : a. What is Harris thesis concerning a renewed understanding of curriculum (on pages 62-64)? b. List the "Five Principles of Curriculum Design" (pp.64-70), and for each

3 the Five Principles, (1) restate the principle; (2) describe how this relates to your experience; and (3) describe how it relates to your local churches as they are engaged in their ministry of education. c. Complete Exercise 2 on page 71 concerning the explicit, implicit, and the null as these apply to your church(es). 4. Read Chapter 4: Koinonia: The Curriculum of Community : Reflect on the concept of the "Curriculum of Community". Write your responses to questions in Exercises 1 and 2 on pages as you reflect on your own experiences as part of your congregation and on enriching the congregation s sense of fellowship/community. 5. Karen B. Tye s BASICS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: Read Chapter 1 Concept: What is Christian Education? : Write a paragraph on which elements involved Christian Education that most fit your experience and convictions. B. MY REFLECTIONS on Myself Learning and Growing in Understanding and Discipleship, and as a Leader of My Congregation(s), Helping Them to Grow in Discipleship: 1. Write a description of your reflections of your Early Experiences growing up, before you entered the first grade: My family context (Where did you live? Your parents jobs? Your family s economic situation?) Your parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents relational experiences and feelings I remember, positively and negatively: How do I feel about my experiences in regard to trust? To becoming an autonomous individual (amount of freedom I was given)? To be able to express my initiative in the family or experiences when I was 4 7? b. How were my family s friends involved in my experiences? My play groups? My church experiences? c. What do you remember about your ideas about God?: about the world and life; about rules; about yourself? 2. Write a description of your Grade School experiences: (1 st to 6 th grades) - a. My continuing relations with my parents and immediate family. b. My relations with my teachers; with my friends. c. My experiences with learning in school positive, negative. d. How I saw myself: (1. how I met expectations of myself in terms of industry being able to perform what was expected of me at school, at home, etc. e. What do you remember about your relationship and ideas about God? What ideas or issues were important? 3. Your Adolescent Experiences: a. Changes in your family s economic and community context? b. Relations with parents & immediate family?

4 c. Relations with teachers & other adults? With your friends? d. Experiences with learning in school - positive, negative? e. How I saw myself - (1 - my identity who I am, what is important, what I need to do? (2 - my intimacy - my ability to have close friendship relations with other persons? f. My relationship and ideas about God? What ideas or issues were important? 4. My Adult Experiences: a. My experiences since I was 18 years old where I lived, what I did, single/married b. What changes have I encountered (1 re trust (2 re autonomy (independence, interdependence) - (3 re initiative - (my confidence to be creative or to conform) (4 re industry (my ability to do a job, be responsible) (5 re identity - (my self image, values) (6 re intimacy - (genuine friendships) c. My relationship and ideas about God? What ideas or issues are important? Come prepared to share and participate in the session. Content of Session I, March 18-20, will include: 1. Sharing our own experiences our learning and relational experiences, development of our faith. 2. What is Christian Education? Its Purpose and Aims? Discussion of Maria Harris concepts of Christian Education. Presentation of United Methodist statements of purposes and aims of Christian Education. 3. Clarifying our own priorities in the ministries our own styles of participating in the church and style of leadership, using Warren Hartman s description of audiences (to be provided in class). 4. Clarifying categories and processes of persons development conceptual, relational, moral, and faith development. 5. The pastor s responsibilities in helping persons grow in faith and discipleship, helping form the ministries of the church to nurture that formation. 6. Expectations for preparation and content of the Second Session, April II. Assignments to be prepared for the Second Session, April 10-12, 2009 (DETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED AT THE FIRST SESSION, March 20) 1. In the Maria Harris book, FASHION ME A PEOPLE: a. Read Chapters 5 through 8. You will be assigned one of the chapters to be prepared for the April session : Ch. 5 The Curriculum of Prayer; Ch of Teaching; Ch 7 -- of Proclamation; Ch of Service.

5 Outline the chapter and complete at least one of the exercises at the end of the chapter. Bring an appropriate written summary/reflection report on your chapter: ( (1. What is the main concept/definition of this area of ministry? (2. A summary of each section/idea.) Each student will help lead the class in reviewing the material of the chapter assigned to her/him.. b. Read Chapter 9, "Facilitating the Fashioning". At the bottom of page 170 and top of 171 she Summarizes her concern to broaden the definition of the church's "curriculum", and then describesher idea of getting people to reflect on the present ministries and the purpose of Christian education.focusing on this section, involve one or more key lay persons involved in Christian education in reflecting on the questions related to "engagement", pp Write a summary of the layperson's answers to the questions on pp ; have them sign it. Complete Exercise 1 on page Teaching/Learning with Children: Examining and Teaching the United Methodist curriculum materials for children for this spring: * Each student will be teamed up and assigned an age level of children and is asked to prepare the lesson (write out your plans each activity, amount of time allowed) for that age group for a particular Sunday in April or May. Each team will lead the class in that particular lesson, using the material, following the theme and scripture, the music and the activities. We will also examine recent alternative materials for children and each student is asked to examine a recent resource book related to children, to be provided in class.. 3. The Pastor as Administrator/Leader of Christian Education/Formation of Faith Development: Assignments will be given (on March 22) from Tye s BASICS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION and Griggs CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE SMALL CHURCH, with the aim of developing specific goals for engaging your local congregation in more effective Christian Education events in the next year. Mail written work by April 16 to Marvin Carr, 15 Meade Street, Buckhannon WV or to carr@wvwc.edu. Also: Bring two hard copies to class on April 8. Grace and Peace. - Marvin Carr -.