Summer 2011/Pasadena
Two-week Intensive: August 1-12
PM503
Fredrickson

PM503: PASTORAL THEOLOGY. Kurt Fredrickson.


DESCRIPTION: This course will explore the practical areas of ministry in the local church. Students will examine the call to become a pastor and the disciplines sustaining that call, the theological nature of pastoral ministry, and the practical tasks of the pastoral ministry. Emphasis will be placed on the changing nature of culture and new ecclesial paradigms for the church. Subjects to be covered include the following:


SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: This core course in the Ministry Division is recommended for students who are pursuing a call to become a pastor or staff member in a local congregation. We will study biblical material and practical examples of life, ministry, and conflict in the church.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: After successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate (1) a deeper appreciation of and hopefulness for the local church; (2) a passion for engagement of church and world; (3) a renewed sense of call to pastoral ministry; and (4) new skills for serving the church in the pastoral role.

COURSE FORMAT: Classroom learning activities will include lectures, guest lecturers, discussion of biblical texts, fieldwork, small group discussions, and analyses of assigned reading. Students will be evaluated not only on their written work, but also on their participation in classroom discussions. The class will meet daily in four-hour sessions for two weeks.

REQUIRED READING:
Daniel, Lillian, and Martin B. Copenhaver. This Odd and Wondrous Calling: The Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers. Eerdmans, 2009. ISBN: 0802864759. Pub.price $16.00.

Neuhaus, Richard. Freedom for Ministry. Eerdmans, 1993. ISBN: 0802806228. Pub.price $26.00.

Roxburgh, Alan, and Fred Romanuk. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. Jossey-Bass, 2006. ISBN: 9780787983253. Pub.price $23.95.

Willimon, William. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. Abingdon Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780687045327. Pub.price $29.00.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Hirsch, Alan. On the Verge: A Journey into the Apostolic Future of the Church. Zondervan, 2011. ISBN: 0310331005. Pub.price $19.99.

McLaren, Brian. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. Jossey-Bass, 2001. ISBN: 9780787955991. Pub.price $21.95.

Nouwen, Henri. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. Crossroad Publishing, 1992. ISBN: 9780824512590. Pub.price $14.95.

Peterson, Eugene. The Pastor: A Memoir. HarperOne, 2011. ISBN: 0061988200. Pub.price $28.98.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith. HarperOne, 2007. ISBN: 9780060872632. Pub.price $14.99.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
  1. Students will visit a church and write a 1000-word paper analyzing this community.

  2. Students will submit an electronic journal post regarding their hopes and fears for the church.

  3. Students will spend some time interviewing random people about faith issues and write a 500-word paper in response to their interactions.

  4. Students will discuss the required reading assignments in small groups on Moodle.

  5. Students will write a 1,000-word paper on call/profession/office and a theology of the church.

  6. Students will write a 1,500-2,000-word paper on a ministry challenge and reflect on it theologically.

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Pastoral Ministry and Theology (MIN 6), or the requirement in Ministry Foundations (MIN F) for other master's degrees.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (April 2011)