DESCRIPTION:

This course will examine recovery ministry as a tool for evangelism. The theological foundations of recovery ministry will be covered as well as the personal dynamics of recovery and practical considerations for developing recovery ministries in the local church.

Addiction, abuse and trauma are arguably the most effective weapons in the hands of the enemies of God's Kingdom. Evangelism strategies which are poorly informed about the dynamics of addiction, abuse and trauma are not likely to be very successful with people who struggle with these issues. Fortunately, the fundamentals of recovery ministry are deeply rooted in Christian convictions and more and more churches are now in the process of developing distinctively Christian recovery ministries. The lessons learned from recovery-oriented models for evangelistic outreach provide a good illustration of the general principles of effective evangelism and can be applied to other specific populations.

Class sessions will consist of lecture, discussions, case study analysis and small group participation. The class will meet weekly for three-and-a-half-hour sessions.

Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church. Eerdmans, 1970. [474 pages]

Kallenberg, Brad. Live To Tell. Brazos, 2002. [127 pages]

May, Gerald. Addiction and Grace. Harper & Row, 1988. [208 pp.]

Ryan, Dale and Juanita. The Twelve Steps: A Spiritual Kindergarten. Christian Recovery International, 1999. [129 pp.]

Evangelism:

Abraham, William. The Logic of Evangelism. Eerdmans, 1989.

McLaren, Brian. More Ready Than You Realize. Zondervan, 2002.

Peace, Richard. Conversion in the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1999.

Recovery :

Bullitt-Jones, Margaret. Holy Hunger. Vintage Books, 2000.

Lamott, Anne. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. Anchor Books, 2000.

Miller, Keith. A Hunger for Healing. HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.

Smedes, L. B. Shame and Grace: Healing the Shame We Don't Deserve. HarperCollins, 1993.

VanVonderen, Jeff. Good News for the Chemically Dependent. Thomas Nelson, 1985.

(1) Read all required texts plus additional reading for a total of at least 1200 pages. (2) Submit brief critiques of each book/article read. (3) Submit a two-page summary of an interview with a person in recovery about their spiritual journey. (4) Write a 10-12 page research paper, including both a personal reflection on the theological and biblical foundations for the kind of evangelistic outreach characteristic of recovery ministries and also a design for an outreach-oriented recovery ministry in your current ministry setting. (5) Active participation in class discussions and activities.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in Evangelism (MIN 3). Required for M.A. in Recovery Ministry and M.Div. with a concentration in Recovery Ministry.