Summer 2011/Pasadena
YF502
MacPhee
YF502: LEADERSHIP IN YOUTH MINISTRY. Bill MacPhee.
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to teach students the calling,
roles, and responsibility of Christian leadership in any context, but
especially youth ministry. Issues discussed include the meaning of being a
Christian leader; how to develop a volunteer leadership program, how to
recruit, initiate, train, nurture, and care for volunteer leadership; the
necessity for encouraging people in their giftedness, even if that may mean
helping them to move on from youth ministry; and how to lead, equip, and best
utilize interns and paid staff.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The New Testament makes clear that
leadership is the recognition that God works through every individual as their
gifts are encouraged and exercised. Leading a ministry team, however, is not
for many a natural talent, and even the most experienced of leaders need
training in encouraging the free expression of the giftedness of others. The
student will learn how to care for people in a way that allows the Spirit to
move in and through a community of Christian men and women.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have (1) assessed and
further developed their personal theology of Christian leadership; (2)
interacted with the leadership principles of diverse authors; (3) integrated
various leadership principles into the practice of youth ministry;
(4) developed a complete volunteer leadership program for a large church;
(5) considered the issues surrounding student leadership; and (6) gained an
understanding of how to structure a ministry organization.
COURSE FORMAT: There will be online assignments beginning the week of June 20.
July 18-22 the class will meet in Pasadena daily, for four-hour sessions. Then
there will be online assignments after the class through the end of the
quarter. Lectures, class discussion, and presentations by various guest experts
will make up the class time.
REQUIRED READING:
- Banks, Robert, and Bernice M. Ledbetter. Reviewing Leadership: A
Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches. Baker Academic, 2004. 176
pages. ISBN: 9780801026904. Pub.price: $22.00.
- DePree, Max. Leadership is an Art. Dell Books, 1989. 176 pages.
ISBN: 9780385512466. Pub.price: $15.95.
- Nouwen, H. J. M. In the Name of Jesus. Crossroad, 1990. 96 pages.
ISBN: 9780824512590. Pub.price: $14.95.
- Reed, Bobbie, John F. Westfall, and John Maxwell. Building Strong
People: How to Lead Effectively. Wipf and Stock, 2002. 216 pages. ISBN:
9781579108946. Pub.price: $24.00.
- Sample, Steven. The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership. Jossey-Bass,
2003. 224 pages. ISBN: 9780787967079. Pub.price: $19.95.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Interaction paper (3-4 pages) integrating
Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus into a narrative describing your journey
towards a personal theology of leadership (5%). (2) Critical analysis and
theological reflection (4 books; 2-3 pages each) on reading (20%). (3) A
one-page case study dealing with volunteers (10% reduction if not turned in).
(4) Lecture Content exam (30%). (5) Final Project: Design a volunteer
leadership program, including but not limited to recruitment, initiation,
training, fellowship, and nurture of volunteers for a large youth ministry
(25%). (6) Online interaction and response to other students and the professor
(20%).
PREREQUISITES: None. Registration deadline for this class is June 24, 2011
(earlier is better). You may not be registered for this class along with any
1-week or 2-week intensive that meets during the week of July 18-22, regardless
of time.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective for general MDiv. Required course for
Youth, Family, and Culture concentration (prior to Winter 2010) in the MDiv and
for the MA in Youth, Family, and Culture.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (April 2011)