Summer 2020/Fuller Online

ML524

Hankins

ML524: FOCUSED LIVES (4 Units: 160 hours). Frank D. Hankins.

DESCRIPTION: This course explores the formative dynamics of a leader’s journey toward more focused life and ministry. These dynamics flow out of being and are embedded in each leader’s story or narrative. The course builds upon J. Robert Clinton’s discoveries and insights into these dynamics. Focused life concepts will be illustrated through a comparative and narrative approach to several historical, contemporary, and biblical men and women leaders. Students will, in turn, reflect on their own personal narratives in search of ways that God has been guiding them toward a more focused life, vocation/calling, and role. Four lenses will be used to guide the reflective process: (1) development of a life purpose; (2) movement toward a more ideal role in keeping with this life purpose; (3) strategic values for life purpose and role; (4) and a legacy set that results from purpose, role, and methodologies. The students’ relational network will also be considered. Students will then produce a Focused Life Portfolio of their own life both for their own continued growth and for assisting others in their development. The course will also explore the suitability of focused life concepts in collectivistic contexts.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will have: (1) acquired strategic insights into their unique calling or vocation; (2) done several reflective exercises based on the core concepts of formative shaping incidents, narrative timeline, life purpose, ideal role, strategic values, and legacy; (3) become familiar with focused lives concepts and how to integrate them into their continued personal growth and development of those whom they influence; (4) identified focused life concepts in lives of biographical/narrative readings; and (5) generated a Focused Life Portfolio that describes their life and calling/vocation in terms of focused life concepts. The Portfolio aims to serve as major decision making tool for students’ future development and ministry. It will include paragraphs describing life purpose, foremost role, and unique legacy along a Personal Timeline. Also included in the Portfolio are strategic values and a Personal Life Mandate.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,100 pages of reading.

Cahalan, Kathleen A. and Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore. 2017. Calling all Years Good: Christian Vocation throughout Life’s Seasons. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. ISBN: 978-0802874245, Pub. Price $20.00. [200 pp. assigned]. Available as an eBook in Fuller Library and in Kindle $17.74.

Clinton, J. Robert. 2005. Strategic Concepts That Clarify a Focused Life. Barnabas Publishers. ISBN: 978-0971045439, Pub. Price $15.00. Not available as an e-Book from the Fuller Library. Order a PDF copy at $8.00 at http://bobbyclinton.com/books-manuals/strategic-concepts/ [190 pp. assigned].

Focused Life Narratives: J. Robert Clinton. Chapters in Focused Lives and other papers. All available in Canvas. [250 pp. assigned].

George, Bill with Peter Sims. 2015. Discover Your True North: Becoming an Authentic Leader. Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-1119082941, Pub. Price $19.27. Available as an e-Book from Fuller Library and in Kindle $16.79. [200 pp. assigned].

Palmer, Parker J. 1999. Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. Jossey-Bass, ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $18.95. Available as an eBook in Fuller Library and in Kindle $10.32. [109 pp. assigned].

Smith, Gordon T. 2011. Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential. Intervarsity Press. ISBN: 978-0830835546, Pub. Price $20.00. Available as an e-Book from Fuller Library and in Kindle $10.20. [100 pp. assigned].

Brief Narratives: Each student must choose one of these two:

DeRusha, Michelle. 2014. 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. Not available as an e-Book from Fuller Library, but available as Kindle $9.99. [50 pp. assigned].

Galli, Mark and Christian History Magazine Editorial Staff. 2000. 131 Christians Everyone Should Know. Holman Reference. ISBN: 978-0805490404, Pub. Price $14.99. Not available as an e-Book from the Fuller Library, but available as Kindle $9.99. [50 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Allender, Dan B. 2005. To Be Told: God Invites You to Coauthor Your Future. Waterbrook Press. ISBN: 978-1578569519, Pub. Price $14.99. Available as Kindle.

Cahalan, Kathleen A. 2017. Stories We Live: Finding God’s Calling all around Us.

Clinton, Richard and Paul Leavenworth. 2013. Living and Leading Well: Navigating Mid-Life Ministry. (Well Trilogy). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN: 978-1481230636, Pub. Price $15.00. Kindle Edition available.

___________________________________. 2013. Finishing Well: Establishing a Lasting Legacy. (Well Trilogy). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN: 978-1479372119, Pub. Price $15.00 Kindle edition available.

Guinness, Os. The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life. Word Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 978-0849944376, Pub. Price $17.99. Kindle edition available.

Mahan, Brian J. 2010. Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Ethics of Ambition. Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0470621684, Pub. Price $21.00.

McKeown, Greg. 2013. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Virgin Books. Kindle edition available.

McNeal, Reggie. 2006. Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders. Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0787977535, Pub. Price $24.95. Kindle edition available.

Moore, Steve. 2004. The Dream Cycle: Leveraging the Power of Personal Growth. Wesleyan Publishing House. ISBN: 978-0898272772. Pub. Price $6.00. Kindle edition available.

Palmer, Parker. 1999. Let Your Life Speak: Listening to the Voice of Vocation. Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $11.06. Kindle edition available.

Peterson, Eugene. 1994. Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness. IVP. ISBN: 978-0802808486, Pub. Price $18.63. Available as Kindle.

Placher, William C. 2005. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0802829276, Pub. Price $25.88. Kindle edition available.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1,100 pages of required reading and weekly lessons/video lectures [75 hours]. [This assignment is related to all learning outcomes].
Ten weekly asynchronous discussions on video lectures and readings (30%) [20 hours]: eight 250-word weekly posts and 250-word weekly replies based on video lectures; two discussions of 400-word posts and 250-word interactions based on video lectures and concepts from readings. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1 and 3].
Varied book responses (30% total) [15 hours]: two 500-word book reflective/comparative work on designated texts (10%) [8 hours]; (2) three 250-word personal journals on Focused Life Narrative readings (10%) [3 hours]; and one 500-word extrapolations of focused life concepts from the life of one biography from either 131 Christians Everyone Should Know or 50 Women Every Christian Should Know (10%). [4 hours]. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3, and 4].
Focused Life Portfolio on the student's own life using focused lives concepts. This major paper will amount to a minimum of 5,000 words (40%). Students will do drafts of different components of the Portfolio during the ten weeks of class, receive feedback from the professor on each component, in order to hone and improve their work. The final Portfolio is to be turned in week 10. [50 hours]. [This assignment is related to learning outcome #5].

PREREQUISITES: There is no prerequisite course though certain parts of this course build upon ML530 Lifelong Development (a course in the MAGL course sequence).

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.