Summer 2013/Fuller Live!
Menlo Park, Pasadena, and Sacramento
YF502
MacPhee
YF502: LEADERSHIP IN YOUTH MINISTRY. Bill MacPhee.
DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to teach students the calling, roles, and responsibility of Christian leadership in any context, but especially youth ministry. Issues discussed include the meaning of being a Christian leader; how to develop a volunteer leadership program, how to recruit, initiate, train, nurture, and care for volunteer leadership; the necessity for encouraging people in their giftedness, even if that may mean helping them to move on from youth ministry; and how to lead, equip, and best utilize interns and paid staff. Thegraduate will understand an approach to practical theology, leadership philosophy and theology, and various models and approaches to leadership necessary for engaging in leadership in youth and family ministry.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The New Testament makes clear that leadership is the recognition that God works through every individual as their gifts are encouraged and exercised. Leading a ministry team, however, is not for many a natural talent, and even the most experienced of leaders need training in encouraging the free expression of the giftedness of others. 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.
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.
COURSE FORMAT: This is a hybrid course. There will be online assignments and online engagement during nine weeks of the quarter and the class will meet in the classroom for one week daily for four-hour sessions [20 hours] and shared among three campuses. Lectures, class discussion, and presentations by various guest experts will make up the class time.
REQUIRED READING:
Banks, Robert, and Bernice M. Ledbetter. Reviewing Leadership: A Christian Evaluation of Current Approaches. Baker Academic, 2004. ISBN: 978-0801026904, Pub.price $22.00 [176 pp. assigned].
DePree, Max. Leadership is an Art. Crown Business, 2004. ISBN: 978-0385512466, Pub.price $15.95 [176 pp. assigned].
Nouwen, H. J. M. In the Name of Jesus. Crossroad, 1992. ISBN: 978-0824512590, Pub.price $14.95 [120 pp. assigned].
Reed, Bobbie, John F. Westfall, and John Maxwell. Building Strong People: How to Lead Effectively. Wipf and Stock, 2002. ISBN: 978-1579108946, Pub.price $24.00 [216 pp. assigned].
Sample, Steven. The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2003. ISBN: 978-0787967079, Pub.price $21.95 [224 pp. assigned].
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: 100-120 hours total class time.
Weekly posts (250-400 words) reflecting on assigned reading and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words) - (20%). [4-5 hours reading/week; 2-3 hours posting/week]
Weekly posts (250-400 words) reflecting on lecture/online activity and weekly response to a classmate’s post (150-200 words each) - (20%). [1-2 hours online activity/week; 2-3 hours posting/week]
Lecture Content exam (25%). [1 hour exam]
A 15 page Final Project: Design a volunteer leadership program, including but not limited to recruitment, initiation, training, fellowship, and nurture of volunteers for a large youth ministry (35%). [15-20 hours preparing & writing]
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective for general MDiv. Required course for Youth, Family, and Culture concentration (prior to Winter 2010) in the MDiv and for the MA in Youth, Family, and Culture.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.