Fall 2013/Online
YF521
Howell
YF521: YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY IN A CULTURE OF DIGITAL RELATIONSHIPS. Bradley Howell.
DESCRIPTION: This course provides a background to the psychosocial, technological and spiritual reasons for the almost universal adoption of the Internet and social media among adolescents. The course will provide an understanding of adolescent social media use, theological implications for youth and family ministry and historical and contextual responses of the Church to mediated communication. This course is designed to help the student think theologically about social media concerns and practices of youth, families and Christian communities, providing practical tools to enable the student to design a theologically informed social media strategy in a local ministry context.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The Internet and social media have become a daily aspect of human experience. How influential leaders shape the role of communal social media practices has profound and ongoing implications for Christ-centered communicative community. By understanding the nature of human social media use, how to interpret adolescent social media communication and how to train and invite other adults into adult-adolescent interactions, the student will help guide interactions that extend beyond geo-physical limitations that become a resource for effective and practical adoption of adolescents into the community of faith. This course will enable a student to lead a congregation or organization into participation with digitally networked adolescents, inviting every person to align social media practices with Christ’s kingdom reality.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will have (1) an understanding of social media, its influence and affect on adolescents and their families; (2) an ability to communicate a theology and philosophy of social media informed by a ministry of adoption into a local church body; (3) an awareness of the unique social media ministry needs of early, middle and late adolescents; (4) developed a social media strategy that enables discipleship and Christian nurture within a theological framework of congregational ownership and strategic adoption of adolescents.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar. 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. Each student will also complete a contextualized final project.
REQUIRED READING:
Adams, Paul. Grouped: How Small Groups of Friends Are the Key to Influence the Social Web. New Riders, 2012. ISBN: 978-0321804112, Pub. Price $29.99 [168 pp. assigned]
Clark, Chap. Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers, Youth, Family, and Culture Series. Baker Academic, 2011. ISBN: 978-0801039416, Pub. Price $17.99 [202 pp. assigned]
Drane, John. After McDonaldization. Baker Academic, 2008. ISBN: 978-0801036118, Pub. Price $23.00 [142 pp. assigned]
Livermore, David A. Cultural Intelligence. Baker Academic, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801035890, Pub. Price $22.99 [273 pp. assigned]
Nouwen, Henri J. M. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. Crossroad, 1989. ISBN 978-0824512590, Pub. Price $13.95. [81 pp. assigned].
Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-0465031467, Pub. Price $16.99 [200 pp. assigned]
Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Charles A. Anderson, and Michael J. Sleasman. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends Cultural Exegesis. Baker Academic, 2007. ISBN: 978-0801031670, Pub. Price $2.99 [200 pp. assigned]
Wagner, Rachel. Godwired. Routledge, 2011. ISBN: 978-0415781459, Pub. Price $39.95 [266 pp. assigned]
RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: 125-160 hours total structured time.
Weekly posts (250-400 words) reflecting on assigned reading and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words) - (20%). [6 hours of reading/week, 2-3 hours of posting/week].
Weekly posts (250-400 words) reflecting on lecture/online collaborative learning activity and response (150-200 words) to classmates’ post (20%). [2 hours of online activity/week, 2-3 hours of posting/week].
An exam on the class material and reading. (25%) [1 hour].
A 15-page final project that reflects a programmatic interpretation of the course content in a given context. (35%) [15-20 hours of preparation and writing].
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective. Option for Youth, Family, and Culture emphasis.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes, in class.