Fuller Online
EV532: Fall 2010
Ryan
EV532: RECOVERY MINISTRY AND OUTREACH IN THE LOCAL CHURCH. Dale S. Ryan.
DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the theological foundations of recovery
ministry as well as the personal dynamics of recovery and practical
considerations for developing recovery ministries in the local church.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Ministry strategies which are poorly
informed about the dynamics of addiction, abuse and trauma are not likely to be
very effective with people who struggle with these issues. Fortunately, the
fundamentals of recovery ministry are deeply rooted in Christian convictions
and many churches are now in the process of developing distinctively Christian
recovery ministries. The lessons learned from recovery-oriented models provide
a good illustration of the general principles of both effective evangelism and
discipleship.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: There are three objectives for this course. First, that
students will be well-informed about the ways in which the dynamics of
addiction, abuse, and trauma are likely to influence local church ministry.
Second, that students will understand the biblical, historical, and theological
resources that might assist them to develop effective ministry to people
struggling with these issues. And third, that students will be better able to
envision and develop effective recovery ministries in a variety of settings.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will be conducted on the Internet during a 10-week
period aligned with Fuller's academic calendar. Each week, students and the
instructor will interact with the material and each other through threaded
discussions. Lectures for each lesson will be available online in both audio
and video formats. Students will need regular access to a computer that is
connected to the internet and that has javascript, flash and cookies
enabled.
REQUIRED READING:
- Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA World Services [first
164 pages].Available free at http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/ or order ISBN-13:
978-1893007161; $17.95.
- May, Gerald. Addiction and Grace. Harper & Row, 1988 [208
pages]. ISBN-13: 978-0061122439; $14.99.
- Peace, Richard. Conversion in the New Testament: Paul and the
Twelve. Eerdmans, 2006 [416 pages]. ISBN-13: 978-0802842350; $36.00.
- VanVonderen, Jeff, Dale Ryan, and Juanita Ryan. Soul Repair: Rebuilding
a Spiritual Life. InterVarsity Press, 2008 [191 pages]. ISBN-13:
978-0830834976; $19.00.
RECOMMENDED READING (additional options will be listed in the course
syllabus):
- Evangelism:
- Abraham, William. The Logic of Evangelism.
Eerdmans, 1989.
- Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church. Eerdmans, 1970 [474
pages].
- Kallenberg, Brad. Live to Tell. Brazos, 2002.
- McLaren, Brian. More Ready Than You Realize. Zondervan,
2002.
- Recovery:
- Bullitt-Jones, Margaret. Holy Hunger. Vintage
Books, 2000.
- Lamott, Anne. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith. Anchor
Books, 2000.
- Miller, Keith. A Hunger for Healing. HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.
- Nelson, James B. Thirst: God and the Alcoholic Experience.
Westminster John Knox, 2004.
- VanVonderen, Jeff. Good News for the Chemically Dependent. Thomas
Nelson, 1985.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Read all required texts plus additional
reading for a total of at least 1200 pages. Submit brief critiques of each book
read (15% of grade). (2) Write a 800-1000 word essay introducing yourself to
other class participants. (5% of grade) (3) Write a 2-3 page summary of an
interview with a person in recovery about their spiritual journey (20%). (4)
Research/Ministry Design Project. Either a) develop a 10-12 page proposal for a
new church start-up optimized to be responsive to the needs of the person you
interviewed in assignment #3 or b) pick a theological issue related to
recovery--preferably not one we have covered in class--and submit a 10-12 page
analysis of how this issue relates to recovery ministry. (30% of grade). (5)
Active participation in class discussions and activities (25%). (6) Completion
of a variety of self and class evaluations. (5% of grade)
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Required for MATM in Recovery Ministry and
required for MDiv with a concentration in Recovery Ministry.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (July 2010)