DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to teach students the calling,
roles, and responsibility of Christian leadership in any context, but
especially youth ministry. Issues discussed include the meaning of being a
Christian leader; how to develop a volunteer leadership program, how to
recruit, initiate, train, nurture, and care for volunteer leadership; the
necessity for encouraging people in their giftedness, even if that may mean
helping them to move on from youth ministry; and how to lead, equip, and best
utilize interns and paid staff.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The New Testament makes clear that
leadership is the recognition that God works through every individual as their
gifts are encouraged and exercised. Leading a ministry team, however, is not
for many a natural talent, and even the most experienced of leaders need
training in encouraging the free expression of the giftedness of others. The
student will learn how to care for people in a way that allows the Spirit to
move in and through a community of Christian men and women.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have (1) assessed and
further developed their personal theology of Christian leadership; (2)
interacted with the leadership principles of diverse authors; (3) integrated
various leadership principles into the practice of youth ministry;
(4) developed a complete volunteer leadership program for a large church;
(5) considered the issues surrounding student leadership; and (6) gained an
understanding of how to structure a ministry organization.
COURSE FORMAT: Conducted online, the ten weekly lessons align with Fuller's
academic calendar. The course involves reading, writing, use of libraries and
other resources, and interactive discussion. Each week students and the
instructor will interact with the material through journaling, threaded
discussion forums, and web-based research.
REQUIRED READING: