Fall 2012/Pasadena
PM514
Branson
PM514: MISSIONAL CHURCHES AND LEADERSHIP. Mark Lau Branson.
DESCRIPTION: This is an introductory course on biblical, theological, and
practical matters in ecclesiology and leadership. The work of lay and clergy
leadership is explored in relationship to congregation formation, spiritual
formation, and mission formation. All participants in a church are to be formed
into an "interpretive community" that is engaged with God personally and
corporately in spiritual formation and in missional life. Working from a
praxis-theory-praxis perspective, the course will attend to topics as they are
integrated in a practical theology methodology.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Concepts: a practical theology
approach to the theological praxis of missional ecclesiology and leadership.
Skills: theological reflection and interpretive skills relevant to
congregational life & leadership. Conation: commitment and habits
fronting church development and redevelopment.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) Greater commitment to participating in congregational
life, worship, and mission. (2) Increased understanding of the tasks of
pastoral leadership. (3) Increased skills related to the work of a pastor. (4)
Increased clarity concerning one's own gifts and calling in relationship to
pastoral ministry.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet weekly for three-hour sessions, and will
include lectures, individual and group exercises, site visits, reflective
discussions of materials and experiences, and guest speakers. Each week
students and the professor will interact on Moodle concerning readings and
class presentations (minimum of 30 min/wk).
REQUIRED READING:
- Branson, Mark Lau. Memories, Hopes & Conversations.
Alban, 2004. ISBN: 978-1566992886, $18.
- Branson, Mark Lau, and Martinez, Juan F. Churches, Cultures and
Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities. IVP
Academic, 2011. ISBN: 978-0830839261, $25.
- Lohfink, Gerhard. Jesus and Community. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984.
ISBN: 978-0800618025, $22.
- Roxburgh, Alan. Missional Map-making. Jossey-Bass, 2010. ISBN:
978-0470486726, $25.
- Roxburgh, Alan, and M. Scott Boren. Introducing the Missional
Church. Baker, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801072123, $18.
- Articles on Moodle.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
- Attend class, read textbooks and assigned articles; maintain Student Report
Sheet (20%).
- Web interaction prior to class (20%).
- Write a 500-600 word Adler-style book critique on Lohfink and on
Roxburgh/Boren (10%).
- Reflective essay (700-900 words) on your leadership capacities in light of
class through week 5 (10%).
- Team visits to a church; personal 1000-word research paper
(observation/interpretation), per syllabus (10%).
- Reflective blogging on the pastoral praxis of 2 guest speakers (5%).
- Write a 2500-3000 word term paper, per syllabus, that integrates issues of
ecclesiology, missiology, context, and leadership; includes reflection on
course goals (25%).
PREREQUISITES: Completion of at least 24 units.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets the MDiv core requirement in Pastoral
Ministry & Theology (MIN 6) and the Ministry Foundations requirement (MIN
F) for other master's degrees.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (July 2012)