Winter 2015/Pasadena

EV500

Peace

EV500: THE ART OF EVANGELISM (4 Units: 169 Hours). Richard Peace.

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 demonstrated: (1) an understanding of evangelism from a biblical, historical, and theological perspective; (2) an understanding of how knowledge about the ministry of evangelism translates into outreach; and (3) the ability to plan outreach programs or materials that demonstrate and/or articulate the gospel and/or invite people to faith in Jesus.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion.Each class will consist of a mixture of lecture, discussion, case studies, media input, and interactive dialogue.

REQUIRED READING: 1,128 pp. required.

Abraham, William. The Logic of Evangelism. Eerdmans, 1989. ISBN: 978-0802804334, Pub. Price $24.00 [184 pp. assigned].

Green, Michael. Evangelism in the Early Church. Rev. ed. Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 978-0802827685, Pub. Price $28.00 [339 pp. assigned].

McLaren, Brian. More Ready Than You Realize. Zondervan, 2002. ISBN: 978-0310239642, Pub. Price $12.99 [159 pp. assigned].

Peace, Richard. A Church’s Guide to Evangelism. Amazon Kindle. ISBN: not available, Pub. Price $1.99 [53 pp. assigned].

_________. Conversion in the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802842350, Pub. Price $36.00 [185 pp. assigned].

_________. Holy Conversation. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830811199, Pub. Price $15.00 [127 pp. assigned].

Course reader (containing articles on ecclesiology, practical theology method, and evangelistic strategies) [81 pp. assigned]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 1,128 pp. of required reading (20%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2, 3] [75 hours].

  2. Attend class and participate in classroom discussions, exercises, and small group conversation (10%) [40 hours] [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 2].

  3. Write three, 3-page analytical book reviews for the Green, Abraham, and Peace (Conversion) books (30%). [20 hours] [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1].

  4. Write 2-3 pages of notes for a case study (5%) [4 hours] [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2].

  5. Write a 10-page paper describing a project involving the design of an outreach program for a church or organization or an analytic case study of an outreach venture; or create outreach materials (35%) [30 hours] [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 2 & 3].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C3 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets 144 MDiv core requirement in Evangelism (MIN1 and MIN3), or the requirement in Ministry Foundations (MIN F) for other master’s degrees.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.