WHEATON COLLEGE EVAN 542 Church: Movements and Models Dates: March 9-14 Schedule: Monday through Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Professor: Beth Seversen Office Hours by Appointment Phone: 913.980.0644 Email: Beth.seversen@wheaton.edu Course Description COURSE SYLLABUS Explores different paradigms and models of church, paying special attention to the most recent emerging missional movements and their characteristics, impact and trajectory. Includes field trip visits and guest lecturers representing various existing models of churches and ministries. Assesses ministries using a number of different evaluative tools that are widely used. (4) Evangelism Degree Goal Our mission is to develop people for effective leadership in evangelism that is informed by critical engagement with the nature of the gospel, Christian life and thought, and the cultures of the contemporary world. Specific Assessment Goal for this Course By the end of this course, students will better understand the nature of the gospel, Christian life and thought, and cultures of the contemporary world in that they... N3: Articulate the strengths and weaknesses for evangelism and mission of different models and strategies for ministry. Students will be evaluated on the degree to which these goals were accomplished in the final research paper and in the personal journal for the course.
General Course Outline 1. Missio Dei Scripture Study 2. Missional DNA Model 3. Missional DNA: Contemporary Movements 4. Natural Church Growth Model 5. Evangelism Assessment Model 6. Seeker Church 7. REVEAL Study 8. Homogeneous Unit Principle 9. Multiracial Church 10. Global Church Partnerships 11. Diaspora Faith Communities 12. New Paradigm Church 13. Apostolic Church 14. Missional Church 15. Ancient/Future Church 15. Emerging Church Throughout the course, various models will be explored through site visits and guest lecturers. Textbooks Hirsch, Alan Oct. 2006. The forgotten ways: Reactivatingthe missional church: Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press. Perkins, John. 1993. Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development. Baker Books. 192 pages. Pritchard, G. A. 1996. Willow creek seeker services: Evaluating a new way of doing church. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books. Richardson, Rick. 2000. Evangelism outside the box: New ways of helping people experience the good news. Downer s Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press. Schwarz, Christian A. 2000. Natural church development: A guide to eight essential qualities of healthy churches. St. Charles, IL: ChurchSmart Resources. Articles & Chapters 1. Adam Dodd, The Centrality of the Church s Missionary Nature 2. Robert and Kirsten Priest, Interracial Church Merge 3. Beth Seversen, Multiethnic Church Planting & the Homogeneous Unit Principle 4. Wilbert Shenk, Rufus Anderson & Henry Venn: A Special Relationship?
Goals of the course In this course we will: a. Explore the biblical foundation of the church, its planting, its growth, and its impact in the world; b. Examine selected church ministry principles and evaluate them critically in light of Scripture and experience; c. Reflect on cultural considerations in regard to church planting and growth in a postmodern context. d. Look at the strengths and weaknesses of the homogeneous unit principle for multiethnic contexts. e. Integrate evangelism into ministry that seeks to bring the whole gospel to people and cultures. f. Visit models of church planting and church growth, and reflect on those models critically, theologically, and contextually. g. Develop a contextualized theology, philosophy, and strategy of ministry for church growth and effective ministry in a particular arena or geographical area. Assignments and Grading Class Participation (5% of the grade) Class Presentation & Outline (5% of the grade) o Each participant is to email the professor their article selection for one brief (8-10 minute) presentation to the class. o The presentation is to be based upon the assigned reading for the day. The presentation should not try to summarize the reading for the day; rather it should focus upon one particular issue or theme in the reading. The presentation should accurately portray the author s perspective on the issue and its significance within the text. The presenter should then offer his / her own assessment of the issue, noting areas of agreement or disagreement with the author. The presentation should conclude with 2-3 thoughtful questions for further discussion. o A one page outline of the presentation should be prepared and distributed to class members. Textbook Readings and 3 page summary and critique for each class text, using the following questions as a guide (20% of the grade): 1. What are the main ideas expressed in this book? How do you evaluate those ideas? 2. What theological and practical perspectives on church (or parachurch) ministry do you want to incorporate into your thinking and leadership?
Articles & Chapter Readings, 1 page responses for three reading using the following questions below as a guide (included in 20% of the grade for all readings) o Those not presenting are to read each article and submit a one-page double-spaced reflection paper, that engages the following assigned questions, on the day the article is assigned. Monday: Adam Dodd, The Centrality of the Church s Missionary Nature According to Barth and Dodd what defines a church? When is a church no longer a church? What support does Dodd give for his thesis: Every Christian is a missionary? What is Dodd s argument against a strange salvation? Of what is the church that abandons its missionary vocation in danger? Do you agree or disagree and support your answer. Wednesday: Robert and Kirsten Priest, Interracial Church Merger Write a one-page reflection on this case-study and how this incident may have been averted. Wednesday: Beth Seversen, Multiethnic Church Planting & the Homogeneous Unit Principle This paper is written from a North American perspective on North American multiethnic church planting. Where do you agree or disagree with this article? Give your own philosophy of multiethnic church planting in your current context. Friday: Wilbert Shenk, Rufus Anderson & Henry Venn: A Special Relationship? Describe the 3 Self-Movement and its origin. Reflect on the formula s effectiveness or ineffectiveness in your current context: India, North America, etc. What are the advantages and challenges of 3 Self Church-planting? 10 page Paper. Students will research a church or ministry more fully by exploring the internet information on that church, reading any books or articles they can find on the church or ministry, attending a service during the week or weekend, attending a leadership or training meeting of the church, informally interviewing people during their visits, and interviewing a leader from the ministry. Students could research one of the churches our class goes to during the class session, or can propose another church and get approval for it from Dr. Richardson. Students will write a 10 page paper on what they learn about that church or ministry, answering the following questions: 1. What is the story of the ministry? How did it get started and what were some defining events?
2. What is the vision for this ministry, and how does the church or ministry pursue its vision? What impact is this church or ministry having? 3. What do you discover about leadership and how it works in this church or ministry? 4. Who are they reaching and how are they integrating evangelism into their ministry? 5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this ministry? How is this ministry participating in the missio Dei, and what is it missing (see Missional DNA evaluation handout)? 6. Is this ministry growing, stagnating, or shrinking, and what do you think are the crucial issues that influence how the church or ministry is doing? Draw on what you learned from the course about the factors that influence church health and growth. 7. What approach does this ministry take to evangelism? Do they have relational and cultural bridges with people who don t know Jesus? Do they have a strategy that helps people move through a process of coming to faith in Christ? 8. What did you learn that you want to incorporate into your own ministry and leadership? What insights did this course and this research project give you about yourself and your own leadership, vision and values? Grading Rubric: 20% for the story, vision and values of the Church or ministry and for your assessment of leadership dynamics in the church or ministry 20% for the assessment of how leadership works in this church, its strengths and weaknesses. 20% for how you assess the church s strengths and weaknesses in light of what we learned about church growth and health (National Church Development) 20% for how you assess the church s mission in light of the missional DNA handout and for how you assess the church s evangelistic passion and strategy (Evangelism Outside the Box Grid) 20% for how you apply what you learn to your own life and ministry 10-15 page Journal. Students will also keep and turn in a journal based on class sessions and visits with churches and leaders. Students are encouraged to take time during class and each evening to write their thoughts and reflections on their experiences and learning for the day. Students will reflect on:
Key ideas about mission, ministry and evangelism that stand out to you. Insights from Scripture on God s mission and how your ministry or life participates in God s mission. Strengths and weaknesses of different movements and ministries that we study in class How the different movements and ministries we study and visit reflect the missio Dei: what do they do well and what do they miss? How these churches or ministries or movements reflect the different dimensions of church health that lead to growth. How these churches or ministries or movements reach people who don t know Jesus. Do they cultivate relational and cultural bridges with people who aren t in God s family? Do they have a strategy that helps people make the journey to faith in Christ? Stories and expressed values of leaders with which we interact that especially struck you Insights you get in relation to your own life and leadership Grading Rubric: 20% for reflecting on class discussions about theology and Scripture. 20% for reflecting on models and movements of contemporary evangelism and church growth discussed in class. 20% for assessing the stories, strengths and weaknesses of the ministries, movements and leaders we visit or study about in class in light of what you learned about church health and growth. 20% for assessing ministries and movements in light of the missional DNA handout and for assessing the church s evangelistic ministry and strategy. 20% for applications into your own life and ministry Assignment Due Dates: Readings and reflection papers on the readings due on the third day of class. There will be a grade reduction for papers turned in after the last day of class. 10-page research paper and 10-15 page journal will be due 4 weeks after the last day of class (There will be a grade reduction for papers turned in after Monday, October 25th). Attendance at all classes required, with a grade reduction if more than one day is
missed. Academic honesty will also be expected. Cheating and Plagiarism Cheating (the presentation of someone else's work which the student ought to have done personally) or plagiarism (the use of ideas and information from a specific source without giving credit in some manner to the source) will result in the disqualification (including a grade of 0) of the unit of the course affected by it. Disabilities Support If you need course adaptations or accommodations due to a diagnosed disability, please contact the Wheaton College Academic and Disabilities Support Office which coordinates services for students with disabilities. Documentation needs to be on file before accommodations can be provided. The Academic and Disabilities Support Coordinator can be contacted at 630-752-5674 or jennifer.nicodem@wheaton.edu.