Summer 2013/Pasadena

CF538

Johnson

CF538: CONGREGATION-WIDE ADULT DISCIPLESHIP. Michael Johnson.

DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the shaping of a learning community in Christian discipleship, focusing on what is discipleship, the communal and personal nature of discipleship and discipleship models which can be employed across the breadth of a congregation. It will also reflect on discipleship as one of a variety of means for Christian Education in the congregation. Students will reflect on their own discipleship and will learn skills for design, evaluation and implementation in the congregational context systems for effective discipleship.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: With a focus on adult discipleship, this course offers a range of learning experiences, resources, and opportunities for personal reflection, spiritual growth, and leadership frameworks for those ministering in a community of believers. Discipling across the breadth of a congregation seems to be a challenge to many ministry leaders. This course will prepare the student well for designing and leading effective congregation wide discipleship systems.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated: (1) cognitive: an understanding of conceptual frameworks of practical theology, what discipleship is, how adults learn and their faith is nurtured, various discipleship models as related to shaping discipleship in a learning community and management of church programs; (2) skills: skills for curriculum development, training volunteers, supervising volunteers, conducting meetings and implementation and evaluation of programs and other congregational activities that shape the community to foster social, spiritual, and missional formation; and (3) conation/affect: a deepened vision for and commitment to forming fostering social, spiritual, and missional formation through the use of discipleship, including growth in one’s own love for God and ability to love others.

COURSE FORMAT: This is a hybrid course which combines online and classroom instruction aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar. There will be 9 weeks of online teaching and 1 week of classroom instruction which will meet 4 hours per day for a total of 20 classroom hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING:

Barna, George. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Christ. Waterbrook Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-1578564231, Pub. Price $21.99 [27 pp. assigned – chapter 7: “Five Models of Effective Discipleship” – this chapter will be provided for students through e-reserve at no cost to students].

Branson, Mark Lau and Martínez, Juan.Churches, Cultures and Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities.IVP Academic, 2010. ISBN: 978-083083926, Pub. Price $25.00 [48 pp. assigned – chapter 1 ”Practical Theology and Multicultural Initiatives” and chapter 10 “Leading Change” – these chapters will be provided for students through e-reserve at no cost to students].

Everist, Norma Cook. The Church as Learning Community: A Comprehensive Guide to Church Education. Abingdon Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0687045006, Pub. Price $31.00 [189 pp. assigned – chapter 3: “Eight Facets of Learning: Methodologies for a Diverse People” and chapter 4: “Lifelong Learning in the Faith Community” and another 100 pages of choice].

Hull, Bill. The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ. Navpress, 2006. ISBN: 978-1576838976, Pub. Price $16.99 [352 pp. assigned].

Ogden, Greg. Transforming Discipleship: Making Disciples a Few at a Time. IVP, 2003. ISBN: 978-0830823888, Pub. Price $15.00 [209 pp. assigned].

Peace, Richard. “Evangelism and Spiritual Formation” in Theology News & Notes, Pasadena: Fuller Theological Seminary, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Fall 2004) [5 pp. assigned – this article will be provided for students through e-reserve at no cost to students].

Zscheile, Dwight. Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation. Eerdmans, 2012. ISBN: 978-0802867278, Pub. Price $30.00 [28 pp. assigned – chapter 1: “A Missional Theology of Spiritual Formation”– this chapter will be provided for students through e-reserve at no cost to students].

200 pages from any one of the following books on Congregation-Wide Discipleship theory

Barna, George. Maximum Faith: Live Like Jesus. Metaformation Inc./Strategenius Group LLC/WHC Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 978-0983172901, Pub. Price $18.99 [256 pp.].

Glover, Dan and Claudia Lavy. Deepening Your Effectiveness: Restructuring the Local Church for Life Transformation. Discipleship Resources, 2006 ISBN: 978-0881774757, Pub. Price $18.00. [224 pp.].

Hawkins, Greg L. and Cally Parkinson. Move: What 1,000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth. Zondervan, 2011. ISBN: 978-0310325253, Pub. Price $21.99. [288 pp.].

Morley, Patrick, David Delk and Brett Clemmer. No Man Left Behind: How to Build and Sustain a Thriving Disciple-Making Ministry for Every Man in Your Church. Moody Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 978-0802475497, Pub. Price $19.99. [226 pp.].

For your own growth as a disciple (these two books will be provided for students through e-reserve at no cost to students)

Hoogeveen, Lois and the rest of the Ascending Leaders team. Your Pathways: Strong Connection with God. Ascending Leaders, 2011. ISBN: 978-0983641520, Pub. Price $9.95 [59 pp. assigned].

Johnson, Michael and others. God’s Workmanship: Growing in Christ. Ascending Leaders, 2011. ISBN: 978-0984545551, Pub. Price: $9.95 [48 pp. assigned].