Fall 2015/Pasadena

IS500

Bolsinger

IS500: TOUCHSTONE: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Tod Bolsinger.

DESCRIPTION: Christian practices constitute the Christian life. The combined Christian practices of vocational formation, worship, community, and mission facilitate the integration of personal, spiritual, academic, and global formation into the vocational coherence of a Christian leader through reflection, relationships, and practices. IS500 is an integrative course that explores the identity and practices of Christian vocational formation as a people called, gathered, and sent by God. Together, professor and students study and enact historic Christian disciplines necessitated by this distinctive identity (Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body).

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will participate in local contexts and demonstrate the capacity to engage in activities and exercisesrelated to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices ofvocational formation. (3) Students will demonstrate the capacity to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will articulate how vocational formation practices impact their response to the Central Integration Question (CIQ) and will identify exercises, habits, and disciplines to embody these practices within their sociocultural context.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion (which includes 8 hours of participation in vocation and formation groups).

REQUIRED READING: 907 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing, including:

A. Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $30.00 [approx. 150 pages assigned].

B. Labberton, Mark. Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub. Price $16.00 [176 pages].

C. Garber, Steven. Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good. IVP, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836666, Pub. Price $16.00 [150 pages assigned].

D. Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 1999. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. [Approx 100 pp assigned]

E. Phillips, Susan. The Cultivated Life: From Ceaseless Striving to Receiving Joy. IVP, 2015. ISBN: 978-0830835980, Pub. Price $17.00 [approx 125 pages assigned].

F. 30 online articles and viewing of 40 videos [200 pages equivalent].

CORE PRACTICES: Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body.

Students in IS500 are required to take the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, receive a CoreClarity coaching packet based off of their top 5 strengths, and participate in a 45-minute coaching call with a CoreClarity coach. There will be a $40 charge for StrengthFinder® assessment, Coaching Packet, and Coaching Session which will automatically be charged to your student account.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 907 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing videos (see list above). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [45 hours].
2. Classroom: for each practice, students will engage, reflect, create (utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, engaging practical theology cycle for theological reflection, case studies). (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3, 4]. [32 hours].
3. Vocation Formation Group (VFG) - In a vocation formation group, engage spiritual disciplines, practices, and discussion. Students will also be engaging in some of the practical theology steps by describing current praxis, studying the Bible, and sharing and listening to stories. (Vocation Formation Group Leader (VFGL) will let professor know if students have been present and engaged). (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 4, and 5]. [8 hours].
4. Students will engage in 30 minutes of silence (10 minutes) and daily Lectio Divina using Scripture and call narratives (15 minutes) and silence (5 minutes) and create a journal of responses. This journal will be used to write a 2-3 page reflection paper. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and #4 and will fulfill the requirements of one Field Activity]. [30 hours].
5. Fieldwork Activity: Two Interviews with reflection papers. One with a Christian from a different cultural background of the student, and another with a Christian who is fulfilling the call of God outside of a church or full time ministry. (20%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [6 hours + 6 hours].
6. Fieldwork Activity: Students will take the Strengthsfinders/CoreClarity Assessment and debrief the results via a phone call with a professional executive coach to learn more about their strengths and how to better grow them in use for God’s mission in the world. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1 and is included in participation grade percentage] [4 hours].
7. Spiritual Autobiography related to vocational formation (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [4 hours].
8. Family and Financial autobiography related to vocational formation using the practical theology method that leads to the completion of a written financial plan for seminary that will support the student’s vocational goals (1,250 words) (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and #3]. [10 hours].
9. Signature Assignment: 100 word CIQ, paper using the practical theology method to integrate the readings, class learning, and reflection experiences and a Rule of Life for supporting the student’s emerging vocational coherence (2500 words) (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3, 4, and 5] [15 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core integrative requirement in the 120 MDiv and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.