Fall 2010 Houston

PM507 The Equipping Pastor

David Self

PM507 The Equipping Pastor. Dr. David Self.

DESCRIPTION: As the church and culture are in a state of transition, so is the role of pastor. The ministry of the whole people of God remains a goal of pastoral leadership, and ways of reflecting, planning and working toward that goal are the substance of this course.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will (1) have gained a clearer understanding of the biblical roles of pastor and laity and how they compliment each other in building healthy churches, (2) be better equipped on how to widen ministry participation in the church, (3) learn practical skills in team building and other skills related to the pastoral ministry, (4) develop a practical theological model of reflection on and initiating change in the practice of ministry.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: How one understands the role of pastor in leading a congregation is crucial for both pastor and congregation. For pastors the formation of their theological identity goes hand-in-hand with the development of skills in equipping their congregations.

COURSE FORMAT: This course includes lectures, dialogue, case studies, and small group discussions. The class will meet Monday evenings, 6:00--9:30 PM, for 10 weeks.

REQUIRED READING:

Anderson, Ray. Ministry on the Fireline. IVP, 1993. 0960263888. $15.60. (235 pp).

Kotter, John. Leading Change. HBS Press, 1996. 0875847471. $18.45. (186 pp).
Bonem, Mike and Furr, James and Herrington, Jim. Leading Congregational Change (workbook), Jassop-Boss, 2000. 0787948853. $13.45. (128 pp).
Collins, Jim. Good to Great and the Social Sectors, HarperCollins, 2005. 0977326403. $9.56. (monograph; 42 pp.)
Gibbs, Eddie. ChurchNext: Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry, IVP, 2001. 0830822615 . $10.88. (260 pp).

Branson, Mark Lau, Memories, Hopes, and Conversations: Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change. Albans Institute, 2004. 1566992885. $18.00. (156 pp.)

RECOMMENDED READING:

Anderson, Leith. A Church for the 21st Century. 1556612311. $3.44. Bethany, 1992.

Guder, Darrell, ed. Missional Church. Eerdmans, 1998. 0802843506. $18.48

Hammett, Edward H. Making the Church Work, Smyth & Helwys, 1997. 157312320X. $13.80.

Hestenes, Roberta. Turning Committees into Communities. NavPress, 1991. 0891093028. $4.99.

Malphurs, Aubrey. Pouring New Wine into Old Wineskins. Baker, 1993. 0801063019. $6.11.

Mead, Loren. The Once and Future Church. The Alban Institute, 1991. 1566990505. $12.00.

Ogden, Greg. Discipleship Essentials. InterVarsity Press, 1998. 0830810870. $11.56.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1)  Regular attendance and participation in all aspects of the course. 10%
2)  Completion of a spiritual gifts assessment and personality inventory. In conversation with Anderson, Kotter, and Gibbs, write a paper describing your sense of pastoral identity and ways in which you intend to develop a method to reflect theologically on your ministry experience in order to implement personal and systemic change (8 pp.). 30%
3)  In conversation with Bonem, Furr and Herrington, and Collins, and in light of assignment #2, define a new project for implementation in your congregation, draw up a plan for identifying and equipping members to lead the project, and describe how you will evaluate it theologically and practically. (8 pp.). 30%
4)  In conversation with Branson and other class readings and discussion, write a case study from your ministry experience utilizing change principles and identifying fundamental theological issues at work (8 pp.). 30%

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets Min 1 core requirement for M.Div. MA elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.