Summer 2009/Pasadena
Two-week Intensive: June 22 - July 2
CF500
Gorman

CF500: TEACHING FOR CHRISTIAN FORMATION. Julie Gorman.


DESCRIPTION: So you want to teach! What's different if your purpose is a changed life--not just covering the material? How do you carry out your role if God is the transforming agent? What concepts and communication help the church recognize its missional purpose of existence in the twenty-first century? What enables believers to "grow up"? How do we link God's story and our story? Why is knowing the truth actually not enough? This course deals with the realities of working in tandem with the Spirit and the learner so as to communicate concepts in a way that makes a difference. How does this generation learn? And how does that change our teaching? We're not really teaching unless persons are learning. We learn best when we belong. We become what we teach; relationships are critical. We believe God wants to change the world through his people. Transformed, we become his missional people, carrying out his purposes.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of this course students will become persons who in their own seminary lives are open to growing up in Christ and who focus on working with the Spirit toward transforming and challenging discipleship. This means students will understand the biblical foundation for all believers to grow up in Christ, will become aware of theories that inform conceptually and will process teaching skills that enable change. They will recognize their role as choreographers working with the Spirit. Students will also be challenged to move beyond just acquiring facts, to living and teaching the reality of those facts in life. All students will have opportunity to put into practice biblical truth that affects their own discipleship and, with their small group community, will demonstrate what they have learned by designing and teaching their peers, becoming transformational agents who teach and call for response to the truth of God's Word.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: This course presents the basis for a philosophy of ministry through teaching with practical implications for implementation of Christian formation through such.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet daily for two weeks, in four-hour sessions, including one hour actively involved in a permanent in-class small group. Class sessions will include demonstrations, interactive learning, student dialogs, media presentations, actually working in Scripture, trying out ideas in small groups, and opportunity to experiment in teaching processes.

REQUIRED READING/VIEWING:

Mulholland, M. Robert. Shaped by the Word. Upper Room, 1985.

Palmer, Parker J. To Know As We Are Known. HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.

Richards, Lawrence O., and Gary J. Bredfeldt. Creative Bible Teaching. Rev. ed. Moody Press, 1998.

Smith, David I., and John Shortt. The Bible and the Task of Teaching. The Stapleford Centre, 2002.

Course Reader; Rob Bell, DVD (supplied by the professor for students to view).

RECOMMENDED READING:
Foster, Charles R. The Future of Christian Education: Educating Congregations. Abingdon, 1994.

Galindo, Israel. The Craft of Christian Teaching. Judson Press, 1998.

Miller, M. Rex. The Millennium Matrix. Jossey-Bass, 2004.

Wimberly, Anne Streaty. Soul Stories: African American Christian Education. Abingdon, 1994.

ASSIGNMENTS: Students will read and respond via a short reflection paper plus two book responses and one media viewing. To make practical praxis of classroom teaching, each member will respond to Mulholland via journal-keeping and participate in a group demonstration that will then be included in a final project that summarizes and illustrates elements of formation in a particular focus of ministry (due August 3).

PREREQUISITES: No audits.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Christian Formation and Discipleship (MIN 4) and the MA in Theology requirement in Spirituality (SPIR).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (5/09)