TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL

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1 TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL ME 6000 Church Planting Principles and Practices Fall Semester 2010, Columbus Extension Dates: August 27-28, September 24-25, October 15-16, November Times: Fridays 7-10 pm, Saturdays 8:30 am-4:30 pm. Professor Dr. Craig Ott Phone: Office 847/ , cell 847/ Course Description This course will examine practical methods and biblical foundations for church planting ministry in the contemporary world. We will survey a variety of methods, models, and strategies and address particular challenges of planting churches in both North American and international settings. It will be of interest not only to church planters, but to anyone interested in developing healthy, reproducing churches with missional impact. Course Goals As a result of this course students should: have a clear understanding of the theological foundations of church planting and recognize the place of church planting in fulfilling the Great Commission. understand how their gifts and abilities can be effectively employed in church planting ministries. be able to evaluate the appropriateness of various strategies, models and methods of church planting for specific cultural settings. be able to articulate various stages in the development of new churches and the corresponding role of the church planter. develop skills in planning and problem solving as applicable in church planting situations. understand factors, which contribute to or hinder the establishment of indigenous, multiplying churches. become acquainted with the use of research methods helpful to understanding the community and sociological factors influencing church planting ministry. Course Format Literature The course will include a combination of lecture and case studies. An online course web page at Moodle will be used to post some required readings, resources, and handouts. Students should print out or download the handouts in preparation for the class sessions. Upon registration contact the professor for instructions for accessing the Moodle site: [email protected]. Note that there are reading assignments required to be completed by the first day of class. Required Textbooks (to be read in full) Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches (Nashville: Broadman and Holman 2006). J. D. Payne, Discovering Church Planting: An Introduction to the Whats, Whys, and Hows of Global Church Planting. Springs, CO: Paternoster, 2009 Also available as free ebook online: ring+church+planting%22&source=bl&ots=rnbemdy7mv&sig=smo1siejkhkx7pqwhjv0m9_yc P0&hl=en&ei=V3z5S4ysLZTONP6vpIQI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBc Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

2 Syllabus ME 6000, Fall 2010 Page 2 Recommended Textbook (four chapters required) Paul Hiebert and Eloise Hiebert Meneses. Incarnational Ministry, Planting Churches in Band, Tribal Peasant and Urban Societies (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995). Read Introduction, chapter 1 and either chapters 4 & 5, or 6 & 7, or 8 & 9. Other (online at Moodle course site) David Garrison, Church Planting Movements (booklet, available full text online at sh.pdf). Craig Ott, Matching the Church Planter s Role with the Church Planting Model EMQ 37 (July 2001): Tom A. Steffen, Selecting a Church Planting Model That Works Missiology 22 (July 1994): Richart Yates Hibbert, The Place of Church Planting in Mission Evangelical Review of Theology, 33:4 (2009): Coming in December (not required) Craig Ott and Gene Wilson, Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, release expected December 2010) Assignments See the additional list of recommended reading and websites following the class schedule below. Class Participation Students are expected to attend all class sessions, arriving punctually and prepared to actively participate in class discussion related to readings and assignments. 10% of the class grade will be based on class participation. Reading Assignments Students are to complete all the required readings noted above and should be completed according to the class schedule listed below. Readings are due to be read prior to the date listed on the schedule below. Students will hand in on each Friday evening of class (including the first class meeting) a reading report using the attached reading report form (also available as Word document at Moodle). Timely completion of required reading will comprise 4% of the class grade each weekend, totaling 16% of the course grade. Timely completion of all required reading will result in the grade of B. Students desiring a higher grade must complete additional readings from the especially recommended or further reading lists below. Case Study Paper Students will write a 12 to 15 page case study (not including appendices) on a church plant. The church planting project or movement. An individual church plant should be at least one year but not more than seven years old. Information will be gathered primarily through interviews with the church planter(s) and other direct participants (more than one person must be interviewed). Other written documentation should be consulted such as minutes, strategy papers, reports, brochures, proposals, demographic information, etc. Do not rely on only one source of information. The paper should be outlined as follows: 1. Background Information Description of the research process, sources of information, etc. Social/cultural context, target group, etc. Leaders and sponsors of the church plant

3 Syllabus ME 6000, Fall 2010 Page 3 2. The inception and development of the church plant Evangelistic methods, follow-up and results Development of structures, leadership, ministries etc. Autonomy and contextualization 3. Particular challenges and how they were dealt with 4. Assessment and conclusion Evaluation and explanation of positive and negative developments. Recommendations for further development Lessons learned from this case The section on assessment and conclusion should be clearly based upon concepts discussed in the literature or class. Two students can complete this assignment jointly. In this case only one paper will be turned in, and the length of the paper should be ca. 20 pages. The due date is October 15. Students will make a 15 minute class presentation of their findings on October 15 or 16. Church Planting Strategy Paper The student develops a strategy for planting a church in a particular location and/or for a particular people group. The following points should be addressed: Goals Description of the location and people Demographic and/or other research Church planting approach Evangelistic methods to be used Preferred church structure Early developmental steps Anticipated challenges and possible solutions. The paper is to be 12 to15 pages in length (not including appendices). A clear connection should be made between the cultural setting and demographic information, and the elements of the specific strategy. The due date is November 12. Two students can complete this assignment jointly. In this case only one paper will be turned in, and the length of the paper should be ca. 20 pages.. Students will make a 15 minute class presentation of their findings on November 12 or 13. Grading and Estimated Work Load Work est. in Due Date Weight for Assignment hours grading Class particpation % Case study paper + prepare Oct class presentation 37% Strategy paper + prepare Nov class presentation 37% Required reading (4 x 4%) 50 Aug 27, Sept 24, Oct 15, Nov 12 16% Total % N.B. Assignments turned in late without pervious permission of the professor will receive a reduced grade.

4 Syllabus ME 6000, Fall 2010 Page 4 Back up your computer files regularly! Computer problems are not a valid reason for late assignments. Course Outline Note that readings listed are due to be read prior to class on that weekend. Date Topic Corresponding Literature Aug I. Introduction Sept 24 Oct 15 Nov 12 II. Biblical foundations of Church Planting III. The Church Planter IV. Church Planting Models and Strategies V. Developmental Models for Church Planting VI. Planning and Research in Church Planting Student presentations of case studies VII. Evangelism and Discipleship VIII. Planting Healthy Churches XI. Leadership, Autonomy and Multiplication Student presentations of strategy papers Stetzer, Ch. 1-8; Payne, Ch. 1-5, Ott, Matching ; Hibbert Place of CP Malphurs, Ch.1-9; Murray, Ch.1; Hesselgrave, Ch.1-3; Murray, Ch.2-3, Shenk & Stutzmann, Ch.1-5, Steffen, Ch.1-9; Grady & Kendall Seven Keys... ; Kendall, Why Miss s Should not Plant ; Stetzer, Ch , 29; Payne Ch. 9-10, 13-15, 20. Garrison; Steffen, Selecting Surratt et.al. Multi-Site, Kendall, Tiny Rwanda... ; Murray, Ch.4-5,10 Case study paper Stetzer, Ch. 9-12, 16-23, Payne Ch , chapters from Hiebert and Meneses, Malphurs, Ch.10-19; Shenk & Stutzman, Ch.6-8; Murray, Ch.6-8, Livingstone, Ch.5, Hesselgrave, Ch. 5 Strategy paper Stetzer, chs. 15, 24-28, Payne chs. 6-8 Malphurs, Ch.3, 12; Shenk & Stutzmann, Ch.9-13; Hesselgrave, Ch.6, 9-16; Murray, Ch.9; Terry, Church Evangelism. Ott, Let the buyer and Websites Especially Recommended Stuart Murray, Church Planting: Laying Foundations (Scotsdale, PA: Herald, 2001), Chapters 2-4. Craig Ott and Stephen J. Strauss. Encountering Theology of Mission. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Chapters 5-6. Tim Chester, Church Planting a Theological Perspective chapter 2 in Multiplying Churches: Reaching Communities Through Church Planting. Stephen Timmis, ed., Hearn, Rossshire, England: Christian Focus, 2000 Further reading Addison, Steve. Movements that Change the World. Smyrna, DE: Missional Press, Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours? Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962 [=1927]. Comiskey, Joel. Planting Churches that Reproduce. Moreno Valley, CA: CCS Publishing, Conn, Harvey M. ed. Planting and Growing Urban Churches. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997.

5 Syllabus ME 6000, Fall 2010 Page 5 Garrison, David. Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World. Midlothian, VA: WIGTake Resources, Grady, Dick and Glenn Kendall, Seven Keys to Effective Church Planting EMQ 28 (Oct. 1992): Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally: North America and Beyond. (2 nd edition. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000 Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church. Grand Rapids: Brazos, Kendall, Glenn. Why Missionaries Should Not Plant Churches EMQ 24 (July 1988): Kendall, Glenn Tiny Rwanda Shines as Example of Cluster Church Planting. EMQ 26 (April 1990): Livingstone, Greg. Planting Churches in Muslim Cities: A Team Approach. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993 Malphurs, Aubury. Planting Growing Churches. Grand Rapids: Baker, Massey, Joshua. Planting the Church Underground in Muslim Contexts International Journal of Frontier Missions 13:3 (Jul-Sept, 1996): Milfred Minatrea, Shaped By God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Ott, Craig. Let the Buyer Beware EMQ 29 (July 1993): Patterson, George. "The Spontaneous Multiplication of Churches" In Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, S Ralph D. Winter and Steven C. Hawthorne, eds. Pasadena: Wm. Carey Library, Rogers, Glenn, North American Cross-cultural Church Planting. Mission and Ministry Resources, Sanchez, Daniel R., Ebbie C. Smith and Curtis Watke. Starting Reproducing Congregations: A Guidebook for Contextual New Church Development. Fort Worth: ChurchStarting.net, Shenk, David W. and Ervin R. Stutzman. Creating Communities of the Kingdom: New Testament Models of Church Planting. Scottdale, PA: Herald, (available as ebook, link at Moodle) Steffen, Tom A., Passing the Baton La Habra: Center for Organizational and Ministry Development, Surratt, Geoff, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution.Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Swanson, Bruce E. "Compassion Pre-evangelism: The Master Key to the Town" EMQ 29/1 (Jan 1993):6-9. Terry, John Mark, Church Evangelism. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Helpful Websites with Links (also linked at the Moodle web page) dozens of church planting related weblinks Ed Stetzer s web page full text articles David Garrison s web page outstanding resources by the Southern Baptist Convention Online assessment:

6 Syllabus ME 6000, Fall 2010 Page 6 Reading Report ME Church Planting Principles and Practices Fall 2010, Dr. Craig Ott Student Name: To be read by Total Pages Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, chapters Payne, Discovering Church Planting, chapters Ott, Matching the Church Planter s Role.. 7 Hibbert, The Place of Church Planting in Mission 16 August 27 Total Required pages 221 Date Read September 24 Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, chapters 13-14, Payne, Discovering Church Planting, chapters 9-10, 13-15, Steffen, Selecting a Church Planting Model 16 Garrison, Church Planting Movements 58 Total Required pages 198 October 15 Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, chapters 9-12, Payne, Discovering Church Planting, chapters Hiebert & Meneses, Incarnational Ministry, Intro & ch either chapters 4 & 5 (100 pages), or 6 & 7 (72 pages), or 8 & 9 (106 pages) Total Required pages November 12 Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches, chapters 15, Payne, Discovering Church Planting, chapters Total Required pages 113