Winter 2007/Pasadena
YF502
Crawford
YF502: LEADERSHIP IN YOUTH MINISTRY. Cheryl Crawford.
DESCRIPTION: The focus of this course is the theology, philosophy, and
practice of Christian leadership. Issues discussed include the meaning of being
a Christian leader; how to develop a volunteer leadership program; the
necessity for encouraging people in their giftedness; and how to lead, equip,
evaluate, and best utilize interns and paid staff.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have (1) assessed and
further developed their personal theology of Christian leadership; (2)
interacted with the leadership principles of diverse authors; (3) integrated
various leadership principles into the practice of youth ministry;
(4) developed a complete volunteer leadership program for a large church;
(5) considered the issues surrounding student leadership; and (6) gained an
understanding of how to structure a ministry organization.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The New Testament makes clear that leadership is the
recognition that God works through every individual as their gifts are
encouraged and exercised. The student will learn how to care for people in a
way that allows the Spirit to move in and through a community of Christian men
and women.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet weekly for three-hour sessions that will
consist of lecture and class discussion, based upon topics selected from the
assigned weekly reading.
REQUIRED READING:
- Banks, Robert, and Bernice M. Ledbetter. Reviewing Leadership: A
Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches. Baker Academic, 2004.
- DePree, Max. Leadership is an Art. Dell Books, 1989.
- Kouzes, James, and Barry Posner. The Leadership Challenge.
Jossey-Bass, 1995.
- Nouwen, H. J. M. In the Name of Jesus. Crossroads, 1990.
- Reed, B., J. F. Westfall, and J. Maxwell. Building Strong People: How to
Lead Effectively, Baker, 1997.
- Sample, Steven. The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership. Jossey-Bass,
2002.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Bennis, W. and B. Nanus. Leaders: Strategies for Taking
Charge. Harper Business, 1997.
- Collins, J. Good to Great. HarperCollins, 2001.
- Houston, J. The Mentored Life. NavPress, 2002.
- Larson, Carl E. and Frank M.J. LaFasto. Teamwork: What Must Go Right,
What Can Go Wrong. Sage Publications, 1989.
- McLuen, D. and C. Wysong. Student Leadership Training Manual for Youth
Workers. Youth Specialties/Zondervan, 2001.
- McNeal, R. A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual
Leaders. Jossey-Bass, 2000.
- Olson, G. and M. Work. Youth Ministry Management Tools. Youth
Specialties/Zondervan, 2001.
- Parks, S. D. Big Questions, Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in
Their Search for Meaning, Purpose and Faith. Jossey-Bass, 2000.
- Powell, K. and H. Flies. Help! I'm a Woman in Youth Ministry. Youth
Specialties/Zondervan, 2004.
ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Interaction paper (3-4 pages) integrating Nouwen's In the
Name of Jesus into a narrative describing your journey towards a personal
theology of leadership (20%). (2) Quizzes on Banks and Ledbetter, Kouzes and
Posner, Reed, and Sample (40%). (3) Reading journal (2 pages;
notes/interactions) on DePree (10%). (4) Final Project: Design a volunteer
leadership program, including but not limited to, recruitment, initiation,
training, fellowship and nurture opportunities; regular training times; camp
counselor training; and evaluation for a large youth ministry (30%).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective for general MDiv. Required course for
Youth, Family, and Culture concentration in the MDiv and for the MA in Youth,
Family, and Culture.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.