Fall 2016/Fuller Online

IS500

Howell

IS500: PRACTICES OF VOCATIONAL FORMATION (4 Units: 160 hours). Bradley Howell.

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 teaches students a method for integrating resources of theological method into faithful responses to the human condition. As an integrative course, it 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 (discernment, guidance, lament, listening, rhythms of rest, and stewardship) fashioning them into a Rule of Life that shapes and supports the student’s vocation in order to form students who demonstrate capacities to cultivate a theologically reflective practice of Christian discipleship.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Students will have demonstrated capacities to critically reflect on their current and past experiences of Christian practices of vocational formation. (2) Students will have demonstrated through participation in local contexts the capacity to engage in activities and exercises related to Christian spiritual disciplines and practices of vocational formation. (3) Students will have demonstrated capacities to engage scripture, tradition, and contemporary resources to reflect theologically on historic and personal practices of vocational formation. (4) Students will have articulated how vocational 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 course meets ten weeks online (which includes required synchronous and/or asynchronous participation in vocation and formation groups) for a total of 40 instructional hours. 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: 1,020 pp. of required reading and/or the equivalent time in viewing.

Barton, Ruth Haley. Sacred Rhythms. IVP Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830833337. Pub Price $18.00 [165 pp. assigned].

Labberton, Mark. Called, The Crisis and Promise of Following Jesus Today. IVP Books, 2014. ISBN: 978-0830836833, Pub Price $16.00 [174 pp. assigned].

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

Placher, William C. Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 0802829276, Pub. Price $32.00 [150-200 pp. assigned].

1 Samuel 16, 21:10-14, Psalm 34, Jeremiah 1, 18:18-23, Lamentations 1:1, 19-39; Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:21-33; Matthew 12:46-50; John 19:23-26; Acts 1:4-14.

Listening and Rhythms of Rest:

Newell, Philip J. Listening for the Heartbeat of God. Paulist Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0809137596, Pub. Price $10.95 [112 pp. assigned].

Guidance and Discernment:

Palmer, Parker. Let Your Life Speak. Jossey-Bass, 1999. ISBN: 978-0787947354, Pub. Price $19.00 [100 pp. assigned].

Lament:

Billman, Kathleen D. and Daniel Migliore. Rachel's Cry: A Prayer of Lament and Rebirth of Hope. United Church Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0829813531, Pub. Price $6.99 [192 pp.].

Stewardship:

Cavanaugh, William. Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire. ISBN: 978-0802845610, Pub. Price $14.00 [115 pp. assigned].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1,020 pages reading and videos, including at least 50 pages of biblical text [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3]. [50 hours]

2. Online and Vocation Formation Group (VFG) Participation: Students will participate in active learning to foster understanding of and capacity for engaging in theologically-informed reflection in the online classroom and through participation in Vocation Formation Groups. (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #2, #3 and #4]. [32 hours+8 hours].

3. Autobiography: Students will create an autobiography related to practices of vocational formation (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1]. [2 hours].

4. Directed Exercises and Disciplines: Student will participate over the quarter in disciplines and exercises outside of the classroom related to the core practices of the course. (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [15 hours].

5. Integrative Reflections: Students will engage in critical theological reflection on contextualized experiences using a practical theology or similar method. (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #3.] [20 hours].

6. Fieldwork Activity - StrengthsFinders and CoreClarity Coaching: 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. (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 and #2] [3 hours].

7. Finances and Vocation: Students will write a financial autobiography, use a practical theology method to reflect on finances, and create a resulting financial plan that supports vocational goals. (5%).[This assignment is related to learning outcome #1 , #2 and #3]. [10 hours].

8. Final Integrative Assignment: Integration paper that reflects theologically on the practices of this course and their implications for the student’s response to the CIQ and the exercises, habits, and disciplines in their current Rule of Life. (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, #3, and #4]. [20 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.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.