Winter 2014/Pasadena

PM514

Branson

PM514: MISSIONAL CHURCH AND LEADERSHIP. Mark Lau Branson.

DESCRIPTION: This is a course on biblical, theological, and practical matters in ecclesiology and leadership. The work of lay and clergy leadership is explored in relationship to congregation formation, spiritual formation, and mission formation. All participants in a church are to be formed into an “interpretive community” that is engaged with God personally and corporately in spiritual formation and in missional life. Working from a praxis-theory-praxis perspective, the course will attend to topics as they are integrated in a practical theology methodology.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Concepts: a practical theology approach to the theological praxis of missional ecclesiology and leadership. Skills: theological reflection and interpretive skills relevant to congregational life & leadership. Conation: commitment and habits fronting church development and redevelopment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Articulate an understanding of missional ecclesiology for the student’s anticipated ministry context. (2) Articulate an understanding of the tasks of pastoral leadership. (3) Apply course frameworks for ecclesiology, contexts, and leadership to exercises regarding specific cases. (4) Articulate reflectively concerning one’s own gifts and calling in relationship to course frameworks for ecclesiology, contexts, and leadership.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet weekly for three-hour sessions, and will include lectures, individual and group exercises, site visits, reflective discussions of materials and experiences, and guest speakers. Each week students and the professor will interact on Moodle concerning readings and class presentations (minimum of 30 min/wk).

REQUIRED READING:

Branson, Mark Lau. Memories, Hopes & Conversations. Alban, 2004. ISBN: 978-1566992886, Pub. Price $18.00 [156 pp.].

Branson, Mark Lau, and Martinez, Juan F. Churches, Cultures and Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities. IVP Academic, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839261, Pub. Price $25.00 [275 pp.].

Roxburgh, Alan. Missional Map-making. Jossey-Bass, 2010. ISBN: 978-0470486726, Pub. Price $25.00 [224 pp.].

Sedmak, Clemens. Doing Local Theology. Orbis, 2002. ISBN: 978-1570754524, Pub. Price $26.00 [182 pp.].

Articles on Moodle.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Attend class, read textbooks and assigned articles; maintain Student Report Sheet (20%).
2. Web interaction weekly, usually on Fridays and weekends prior to class (20%).
3. Write a 500-600 word Adler-style book critique on Van Gelder and on Roxburgh/Boren (10%).
4. Reflective essay (700-900 words) on your leadership capacities in light of class midway through class (10%).
5. Team visits to a church; personal 1000-word research paper (observation/interpretation), per syllabus (10%).
6. Reflective blogging on the pastoral praxis of 2 guest speakers (5%).
7. Write a 2500-3000 word term paper, per syllabus, that integrates issues of ecclesiology, missiology, context, and leadership; includes reflection on course goals (25%).

PREREQUISITES: Completion of at least 24 units.

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

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.