DESCRIPTION: The aim of this course is to communicate a vision for evangelism
based on the paradigm of spiritual pilgrimage. In this light, the variety of
ways in which people start moving toward Jesus will be considered (Quest); as
will the nature and character of conversion (Commitment); and the subsequent
process of spiritual growth (Formation). All this will be placed in a biblical
and historical context. This theoretical foundation will then provide the
background for a multifaceted discussion of how one goes about planning and
executing a viable, on-going, church-based program of evangelism.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have
(1) developed an understanding of evangelism from biblical, historical,
and theological perspectives, (2) understood how knowledge about the ministry
of evangelism translates into outreach, (3) become more motivated to engage in
evangelism, (4) demonstrated the ability to plan outreach programs, (5) learned
how to critique outreach programs, organization, and activities in terms of
their faithfulness to theological traditions and effectiveness in reaching a
particular audience, and (6) begun to understand the ministry of evangelism
through the lens of a missional understanding of the church and the methodology
of practical theology.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: Evangelism is the process of communicating the Good
News to those who have not heard it or who have not yet responded to it. As
such, evangelism is a prime responsibility of the church. Unfortunately, in
North America evangelism is often conceived of (both inside and outside the
church) as something that is coercive, manipulative, and bad-mannered. In fact,
genuine New Testament evangelism is characterized by a warm-hearted, loving
desire on the part of "one beggar to tell other beggars where to find bread"
(D. T. Niles). The aim of this course is to help students learn how to do
evangelism in this spirit. It is hoped that they will become knowledgeable
about evangelism, skilled in certain church-based methodologies, and motivated
to do evangelism.
COURSE FORMAT: A mixture of lecture, discussion, case studies, media input,
and interactive dialogue. This course will meet twice weekly for two-hour
sessions.
REQUIRED READING: