Summer 2014/Houston
CF505
Chung
CF505: TEACHING THE BIBLE (4 Units: 120 hours). Michael Chung.
DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to help one learn how to be an effective teacher of God’s word and to work with distinctive Christian dynamics effectively in the contexts of a congregation, small groups, and adult spiritual formation. It will focus on the acquisition of basic teaching skills, increasing understanding of how adults learn, practice in small group leadership and Bible study, and commitment to personal Christian growth and transformation for teacher and students alike.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will (1) Gain a deeper understanding of adult Christian formation and what enables adult faith to grow; (2) Gain skills in fostering Christian formation and discipleship through Bible study, and be motivated to help adults discern and design transforming experiences; (3) Be able to design a variety of adult learning experiences, such as courses, small groups, and retreats, which are centered in Scripture, and work toward creating new paradigms which incorporate learning experiences from class; (4)Develop their own practices for Christian discipleship related to Bible study and adult spiritual formation, and cultivate continued integration of concepts from class in their ministry.
COURSE FORMAT: This class meets Mondays and Wednesdays (3 hrs. each class) for 5 weeks and includes lecture, discussion, small group work and practice teaching. The class format requires preparation by out-of-class reading and weekly assignments to be completed between classes. Regular attendance is a necessity and any absences will affect the grade.
REQUIRED READING: 1200 pp. of reading including the assignment on Ephesians.
Bounds, E.M. Preacher and Prayer. Purchased on: http://www.emisdirect.com/store/books/preacher-and-prayer or download http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Power%20Through%20Prayer%20by%20EM%20Bounds.pdf
Fields, Doug and Duffy Robbins. Speaking to Teenagers. Zondervan, 2007. ISBN: 978-0310273769, Pub. Price $18.99 [256 pp.]
Hendricks, Howard. Color Outside the Lines. Thomas Nelson, 2002. ISBN: 9781418569723, Pub. Price $9.99 (ebook). [304 pp.]
Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. New Riders, 2008. ISBN: 978-0321525659, Pub. Price $9.99 [229 pp.]
Shirock, Robert. Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind. Jubilee Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 978-1932314007, Pub. Price $25.00 [155 pp.] but will be distributed in class free of charge via the author.
Stanley, Andy. Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication. Multnomah Books, 2006. ISBN: 978-1590525142, Pub. Price $19.99 [208 pp.]
Students will need to use at least 3 commentaries plus other scholarly and small group resources on Ephesians in preparing some assignments.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Fee, Gordon and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd edition. Zondervan, 2003. ISBN: 978-0310246046, Pub. Price $16.99.
Hove, Rick. Ultimate Roadtrip: a Guide to Leading Small Groups. CruPress, 2008. ISBN: 978-1573340656, Pub. Price $11.50.
Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations, 2nd Ed.New Riders, 2013. ISBN: 978-0321934154, Pub. Price $34.99.
Wilkinson, Bruce. The Seven Laws of the Learner. Multnomah Books, 1992. ISBN: 9781590524527, Pub. Price $39.99.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Required Reading: Submit reading log with dates read and number of pages for all reading last class session. (15%).
Three Book Reviews (4-5 pages) based on reading. One should interact critically with required reading. Where is it strong? Weak? How would this impact the people I teach? How do these things impact the way I teach now and my self-understanding as a disciple of Jesus Christ? (10% each – 30% total).
2 teaching experiences 15-20 minutes with evaluation afterwards. Student will teach the Bible 2 times in class. Detailed lesson plan including all resources to be used, lecture notes, discussion questions, interaction exercises, time frames, visual aids, media, etc. Include bibliography of commentaries consulted and other resources used to develop the content and methods for the learning experience. (15% each – 30% total).
Final Project: Develop a six week course/learning experience/retreat based on Ephesians with one summary overview page with title, goals, texts, topics and time frames plus an additional page with audience analysis, setting, resources available, publicity paragraph and short bibliography, followed by six 2-4 page basic lesson plans covering all of Ephesians. Include one detailed lesson plan with all lecture notes, discussion questions, learning methods and resources to be used. This can be the evaluated and improved plan from your practice teaching. Further details will be given in class. (25%).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Christian Formation and Discipleship (MIN 4).
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.