Winter 2013/Pasadena
TM522
Colletti
TM522: HOMELESSNESS, CONGREGATIONS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. Joe Colletti.
DESCRIPTION: Students will study the extent, causes, and complexities of homelessness. Instruction will focus on the efforts made to end homelessness in the United States during the past three decades and into our current decade. Lectures will describe how evidenced-based best practices were implemented during the past decade that has significantly reduced homelessness which is a reversal of the limited success of reducing homelessness in the 1980s and 1990s through emergency assistance and a sequence of programs that moved people through a continuum of care system. More importantly, instruction will help students explore what best practices and what ancient and contemporary spiritual practices can be integrated together to further individual and congregation formation for community service to help end homelessness during this decade and beyond.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The church and the world are in need of people who are faithfully committed to demonstrate a biblical witness to communities troubled by the persistence of homelessness. In spite of the recent unprecedented reductions in homelessness, hundreds of thousands of people remain homeless and millions more are at risk of becoming homeless. This class will introduce ways that faith-based groups and congregations can partner with non-profit, local government, business, civic, and neighborhood agencies and associations to end homelessness in their neighborhoods and cities. This class will also help students become familiar with the nonprofit world and encourage future involvement through employment and volunteerism.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will (1) Cognitive: a) gain a practical theological approach and biblical basis for engagement among the poor with a focus on homelessness; b) learn how congregations can counter homelessness beyond emergency assistance; and c) learn how the media influences public perception of homelessness; (2) Skills: interact with homeless service providers concerning their projects in class by asking questions and suggesting answers about their activities (out of class interaction will be encouraged and opportunities will be presented in class); and (3) Affective: experience how compassionate social action can be combined with spiritual, social, and economic means to alleviate the plight of homeless persons.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet once a week for a three-hour session. Each session will consist of lectures and discussion of readings. Guest lecturers (including Philip F. Mangano who was appointed by President George W. Bush to lead efforts to prevent and end homelessness during his administration) will be scheduled for class presentations and interaction.
REQUIRED READING:
Bryant L. Myers. Walking With the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. Orbis Books, 1999. 288 pages. ISBN: 9781570752759. Pub. Price: $26.00.
Cummings, Charles. Monastic Practices. Cistercian Publications, Inc., 1986. 217 pages. ISBN:978-0-87907-975-8. Pub. Price: $19.95.
Additional publications on Moodle including a wide-range of publications on homelessness and spiritual practices scheduled for each week of class.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Prepare for and participate regularly in class (20% of grade).
Two three-to-four page papers (minimum 750 words) that integrate evidenced-based best practices with ancient and contemporary spiritual practices for spiritual formation due fourth and seventh weeks of class (papers will be graded pass/fail and count towards 40% of grade).
Final paper (3,000 words) that integrates three best practices with ancient and contemporary spiritual practices following final instructions given in class (40% of grade)
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Missions (MIN8) and the requirement in Globalization (GLBL) for MA degrees.