Fall 2015/Pasadena

IS500

Maros

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATION FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Susan L. Maros.

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 exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational 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: 800 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing.

A. Core Text.

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

B. Israel, the Church, and vocation

Biblical texts assigned [50 pages].

Videos and Internet resources available in Moodle.

C. Theology (ecclesiology), contemporary challenges (culture), and vocational practices.

Labberton, Mark. Called: The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP Books, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub. Price $16.00 [approx. 100 pp. assigned].

Videos and Internet resources available in Moodle.

Selected Articles and Chapters:

Bolsinger, Tod. “Formed, Not Found” Fuller Magazine, Issue 1[4 pp.]

Branson, Mark Lau and Juan Martinez. 2011. Churches, Cultures & Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities. Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 11-77 [66 pp.]

D. Core practices of Listening, Guidance, Lament, Discernment, Stewardship, Simplicity, Rhythms of Rest, Honoring the Body.

Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation. IVP Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833337, Pub. Price $18.00 [90 pp. assigned]. (listening/lectio, lament, rhythms of rest, honoring the body)

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 2000. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. [109 pp.] (listening, guidance, discernment)

Videos and Internet resources available in Moodle.

Selected Articles and Chapters:

Brueggemann, Walter. "The liturgy of abundance, the myth of scarcity." Christian Century 116, no. 10 (1999): 342-47. [5 pp.] (stewardship)

Chandler, Diane J. 2014. Physical Health in Christian Spiritual Formation: An Integrated Approach for Personal and Relational Wholeness, Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic [38 pp.] (rhythms of rest, honoring the body)

Foster, Richard. 1988. Simplicity in Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, 3rd Edition. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 79-95. [17 pp.] (simplicity)

Smith, Gordon T. 1997. Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God's Will. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 9-24. [15 pp.] (guidance, discernment)

Wuthnow, Robert. 1999. The Crisis in the Churches in Financing American Religion, Mark Chaves and Sharon L. Miller, Eds., Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press [10 pp.]. (stewardship)

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. 800 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [40 hours].
  2. Classroom: for each practice, students will engage, reflect, create (utilizing instruction, participation, presentation, discussion, engaging practice-based theology cycle for theological reflection, case studies) (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3]. [32 hours].
  3. Vocation Formation Group (VFG) - In a Vocation Formation Group, students will engage spiritual disciplines, practices, and discussion. Students will study the Bible, and share and listen to stories related to the practices. (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, 2, and 4]. [8 hours].
  4. Students will participate in directed practices and disciplines relating to Lectio Divina and other core disciplines over the course of the quarter. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [25 hours].
  5. Four fieldwork activities and reflections. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2]. [8 hours + 8 hours].
  6. Autobiography related to core course concept of vocational formation. (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [5 hours].
  7. A written financial plan that will support students’ vocational goals. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and 3]. [9 hours].
  8. Signature Assignment: 100-word CIQ response, integration paper related to course practices, and Rule of Life (2,500 words total). (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 3, and 4]. [25 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None. Recommended in first year of study.

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

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.