COURSE SYLLABUS Spring /Summer School 2012 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORMATION IN THE MISSIONAL CHURCH CHED 0559

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1 COURSE SYLLABUS Spring /Summer School 2012 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FORMATION IN THE MISSIONAL CHURCH CHED 0559 JUNE 18-22, 2012 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. INSTRUCTOR: DR. BRUCE MARTIN, PHD A Street S Lethbridge, AB T1K 1Z6 bruce@rossway.net To access your course materials at the start of the course, please go to I. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course wrestles with the educational context (understanding community and culture) and educational content (curriculum) in a missional paradigm. Explores the role of the leadership in engaging in cross-cultural mission, discipling people to spiritual maturity, nurturing community, equipping and empowering the saints for mission, modeling missional living, and integrating faith in the marketplace and daily living. Considers the cultivation of missional disciples of Jesus and how God s mission can permeate everything a congregation does from worship to witness to disciple-making. Note: This course may be substituted for CHED 0552 II. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the course, the student will Understand the cultural and social context in which they minister; Wrestle with the curriculum and educational content in a missional church; 1

2 Consider educational paradigms appropriate to missional churches; Discuss a theology and models of educational leadership; Through a praxis approach, integrate theology, theory, research, and experience into specific, concrete strategies of education; Develop a framework for ongoing evaluation and improvement to help them continue to learn, grow, and improve their educational practice. III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS A. REQUIRED TEXTS Van Gelder, Craig. The Ministry of the Missional Church. Grand Rapids: Baker, Wright, Christopher. The Mission of God s People: A Biblical theology of the Church s Mission. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Groome, Thomas. Educating for Life: A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent. New York: Crossroads, ISBN: (Groome is writing specifically in a Catholic context, but his principles are adaptable to missional churches in all traditions) B. ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING The assignments are intended to help students integrate reading and in-class work with their practical experiences in their ministries. 1. Class Participation: 10 % of final grade Student participation will be graded on a scale of 1 to 4: 1 (or D): present, not disruptive; responds when called on but does not offer much; infrequent involvement; 2 (or C): adequate preparation, but no evidence of interpretation of analysis; offers straightforward information; contributes moderately when called upon; 3 (or B): good preparation, offers interpretation and analysis, contributes well to discussion in on-going fashion; 4 (or A): excellent preparation, offers analysis, synthesis and evaluation of material; contributes significantly to ongoing discussion. The class will be conducted in a seminar format in which all students will be encouraged to participate so that their unique experiences and contexts may help inform other students ministries. 2

3 2. In Class Presentation: Week of Class 10% of final grade Students will present a brief introduction to their neighborhood/community (or a community of their choice of which they have some knowledge). Students will be asked to briefly describe the physical, social, and cultural context of their community. Students will be expected to reflect on the missional and educational challenges in this community. Students may wish (but are not required) to bring digital photographs (on a CD or memory stick) or other helpful props from their community to assist in the presentation. Students may be asked to answer questions from the class to help us better understand your community. This exercise will help us consider specific case study contexts to examine theology and theory in practical environments. It will also help us explore how a praxis approach and ongoing evaluation and improvement can help improve ministry. 3. Text Reading 10% of final grade Students shall read all three required texts. Please attach a statement indicating the percentage of each text you read with your book reviews (below). 3. Critical Book Reviews: Due on August 15, % of final grade Students are expected to write and submit two critical book reviews of 5-6 pages (each) in length: a. one should be of one of the course texts; b. one should be from one of the books from the list provided (Selected Bibliography) below (an alternate book may be considered by the instructor). Please choose a book you have not yet read. In each review, fully summarize the major themes of the book (no more than 2 pages). Then please reflect, thoughtfully and critically, on the educational issues(s), in particular, in the text, as they relate to missional ministry. Please evaluate the relative strength(s) and/or weakness(es) of the author s case. What do you agree with? Why? What do you disagree with? Why? Each one will probably be 5-7 pages. 4. Final Project: Due on August 15, % of final grade The Final Project will draw on the student s reading, in-class discussion, and growing knowledge of their cultural and social context. The project should: 3

4 1. Briefly describe their community and summarize the unique characteristics of the student s community (2-3 pages); 2. Consider what curriculum and educational content is appropriate in their ministry (and why this would be so) (3-5 pages); 3. Discuss educational paradigms and models of education and educational leadership that would be best employed in their ministry (and why this would be so) (3-5 pages); 4. Reflect on a framework they can use in their ministry for ongoing evaluation and improvement in educational ministries (3-5 pages). Students are expected to demonstrate a praxis approach, integrating theology, theory, research, and experience into specific, concrete strategies of education. The paper should be in the range of pages in length. C. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN WORK 1. Your work should demonstrate: a style consistent with the model set out by; proper spelling, correct punctuation, and acceptable grammar; clear organization, argument and coherent thought (the use of headings and sub-headings is encouraged); and accurate and full references and source documentation (footnotes are preferred, endnotes or, in the case of a review, parenthetical references may be used). For proper citation style, consult the Chicago-Style Quick Guide (Tyndale e- resource) or the full edition of the Chicago Manual of Style Online, especially ch. 14. For citing scripture texts, refer to sections to and to Students should consult the current Academic Calendar for academic polices on Academic Honesty, Gender Inclusive Language in Written Assignments, Late Papers and Extensions, Return of Assignments, and Grading System. The Academic Calendar is posted at An excerpt is attached with this syllabus for easy reference. 4

5 D. SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Evaluation is based upon the completion of the following assignments: Required Reading and Class Participation 10 % Readings (3 texts) 10% Critical Book Reviews (2 15% each) 30 % In Class Presentation 10 % A Final Project 40 % Total grade 100 % IV. COURSE SCHEDULE, CONTENT AND REQUIRED READINGS Monday a.m.: Introduction and discussion of missional church/education Monday p.m.: Community analysis and interpretation Tuesday a.m.: Curriculum in a missional church Tuesday p.m.: Educational paradigms in missional churches Wednesday a.m.: Theology and models of educational leadership Wednesday p.m.: Case Studies integrating theory with practice Thursday a.m.: Praxis: integrating theology, theory, research, and experience Thursday p.m.: Case Studies integrating theory with practice Friday a.m.: Ongoing evaluation and improvement strategies Friday p.m.: Case Studies integrating theory with practice V. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY (Select one for a critical book review) Culture Bibby, R. W. Restless Churches: How Canada s Churches Can Contribute to the Emerging Religious Renaissance. Kelowna: Wood Lake/Novalis, Missional Church Chester, Tim, and Steve Timmis. Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community. Grand Rapids: IVP,

6 Dietterich, I. T. Cultivating Missional Communities. New York: Wipf & Stock, Guder, D. L. The Continuing Conversion of the Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Halter, H. and M. Smay. The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Hirsch, A. The Shaping of Things to Come.(Grand Rapids: Hendrickson, Hirsch, A. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church. Grand Rapids: Brazos, McNeal, Reggie. Missional renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, Mancini, W. Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement. New York: John Wiley, Minatrea, M. Shaped By God's Heart: The Passion And Practices Of Missional Churches. New York: John Wiley, Murray, S. Church after Christendom. New York: Authentic, Pagitt, D. Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Payne, J. D. Missional House Churches: Reaching Their Communities with the Gospel. STL, Putman, D. Breaking the Discipleship Code: Becoming a Missional Follower of Jesus. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Rouse, R., and C. Van Gelder. A Field Guide for the Missional Congregation. Minneapolis: Fortress, Roxburgh, A.J., and M.S. Boren. Introducing the Missional Church: What it is, Why it Matters, How to Become One. Grand Rapids: Baker, Stetzer, E. Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Stetzer, E. Planting Missional Churches. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, Stetzer, E., & D. Putman. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community. Nashville: Broadman & Holman,

7 Van Gelder, C. The Missional Church in Context: Helping Congregations Develop Contextual Ministry. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Van Gelder, C. The Ministry of the Missional Church: A Community Led by the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Baker, Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Education in the Church Freire, Paulo. Teachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare Teach. New York: Westview Press, Groome, T. Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Intrator, S.M. Living the Questions. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, Parrett, Gary A. and S. Steve Kang. Teaching the Faith, Forming the Faithful. Grand Rapids: IVP Academic, Wright, K. E. Christian Education in the Millennium: A 21st Century Focus. New York: Authorhouse, Leadership Everist, N.C., and C.L. Nessan. Transforming Leadership: New Vision for a Church in Mission. Minneapolis: Fortress, Gibbs, E. LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity, Preskill, Stephen and Stephen D. Brookfield. Learning as a Way of Leading: Lessons from the Struggle for Social Justice. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass, Roxburgh, A.J., & Romanuk, F. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey Bass,

8 Academic Policy Attachment to All Syllabi The Academic Policies of Tyndale Seminary are outlined in the Academic Calendar, available on the Tyndale Website: Students are responsible for reading and adhering to the academic policies governing all aspects of academic life. As a service to students, selected policies are summarized below, but the full policy statements as printed in the Academic Calendar are the standards to which students will be held. 1. Attendance Policy 2. Policy on Gender Inclusive Language 3. Policy on Academic Honesty 4. Guidelines for Written Work 5. Academic Grading System 6. Policy on Late Papers and Extensions 7. Application for an Extension Due to Extreme Circumstances Attendance Policy 1) Three or more unexcused absences from a Fall or Winter semester course will constitute grounds for failing that course. Excused absences include the following: death in the family, hospitalization of yourself or a member of your immediate family, or a prolonged illness for which you require treatment by a physician. Excused absences will not be granted for late registration, ministry responsibilities, mission trips, etc. 2) An unexcused absence of one day or more of any course taught in an intensive format (e.g., Intersession, Spring/Summer School) will constitute grounds for failing that course. Excused absences include the following: death in the family, hospitalization of yourself or a member of your immediate family, or a prolonged illness for which you require treatment by a physician. Excused absences will not be granted for late registration, ministry responsibilities, mission trips, etc. 3) As a matter of basic courtesy, Tyndale students need to make a serious commitment to arriving on class on time, and returning from class breaks on time. Students who manifest disrespect for the classroom evidenced by chronic lateness or failure to return from break, will be considered in breach of the attendance policy and may be referred to the Dean of Students. 4) If a student knows in advance that he/she will miss a class, the student is obligated to notify the Professor prior to that class. 5) Faculty members are under no obligation to provide handouts or other classroom materials to those students who are absent from class. Policy on Gender Inclusive Language The use of gender-inclusive language is an expectation in all written assignments and course requirements at Tyndale Seminary. The motivation behind the use of gender-inclusive language is clarity of communication and the avoidance of terms that are, or could be perceived as, exclusive or pejorative. Inclusive language is relevant not only to issues of gender but to all individuals and groups. The decision at Tyndale Seminary to use gender-inclusive language carries with it the responsibility to be creative in writing without compromising religious faith or grammatical accuracy. Resources and guidelines for gender-inclusive and nondiscriminatory language are widely available. Academic Honesty Tyndale expects students to conform to the highest standard of ethics in the completion of all assignments. Academic dishonesty is a serious matter. Students are responsible for reading and adhering the full policy on academic honesty as found in the Seminary Academic Calendar. 1) Honesty in written and verbal assignments requires a balance between using words and ideas that are part of the common domain and careful ascription of borrowed ideas and words. Ideas and words of others may be used only with acknowledgment. Failure to do so is plagiarism the literary version of stealing. 2) The most obvious form of plagiarism is the direct quotation of words without quotation marks, parenthetical ascription, footnotes or endnotes. Less obvious forms of plagiarism consist of paraphrases 8

9 of another s words and the use of an opinion with no reference to the source. 3) Academic dishonesty also includes the submission of work for which previous credit was given, the submission of work under one s own name which is largely the result of another person s efforts, aiding another s dishonesty, cheating on exams and giving false information for the purpose of gaining admission, credits, etc. 4) The submission of one paper for two courses is not permitted. Approval of faculty is required for an expanded paper, on a project common to two courses of study, to be acceptable. Consequences of Academic Dishonesty If a student is suspected of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty, the instructor is obligated to follow the steps outlined in the Academic Calendar. Guidelines for Written Work 1) The following information must be included on the title page of all assignments: your full name, student ID, your MAILBOX NUMBER, course title, title of the paper, name of the professor, and date submitted. 2) All papers should be characterized by the following: Accuracy (Is what I say correct? Is it true to the case?) Comprehensiveness (Have I covered all the points that need to be covered?) Clarity in structure (Is there a self-evident and meaningful order to the paper?) Clarity in content (Will the reader correctly understand what I have tried to say?) Specificity (Have I moved beyond generalities and made specific statements?) Thorough and accurate documentation (At every point where I have consciously drawn upon the ideas of others, have I provided the information necessary for the reader also to consult the sources I have used?) 3) Written assignments must adhere to academic standards for style, format, citations and references as found in the most recent edition of a recognized style manual (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style, the Turabian Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertation, The SBL Handbook of Style, The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association). The course instructor will advise students as to the preferred academic style format for the course. 4) All written assignments must adhere to the Standards on Academic Honesty. Plagiarism is a serious offence. Students will be held accountable to the policy on academic honesty as found in the Academic Calendar. 5) Graded papers will normally be returned in class. In some circumstances they will be returned to your student mailbox. Students who are not returning to Tyndale and would like the paper returned by post must include a include a self-addressed envelope with sufficient Canadian postage. Unclaimed papers will be held in the Seminary Office for 6 months, then destroyed. 6) All students are required to keep a back-up copy of their papers. 7) Students who display difficulties with English language skills in their assignments may be referred by the instructor to the Tyndale Writing Centre. Students will be assessed may be required to take the English for Academic Purposes course in conjunction with current courses. 8) Students may seek assistance on their own initiative by contacting the Tyndale Writing Centre. Academic Grading System The standards and definitions used by Tyndale Seminary in the assignment of letter grades and percentage grades are outlined in the Academic Calendar. Policy on Late Papers and Extensions All papers and course assignments must be submitted by the due dates indicated by the instructor or in the course outline. Unless the instructor already has a policy on grading late papers in the course outline, grades for papers submitted late without advance permission will be lowered at the rate of 1/3 of a grade per week or part thereof (e.g., from A+ to A, from B to B-). Students who have not completed course requirements by the end of the semester (or Registrar approved extension date) will be assigned a grade of F. Faculty may grant an extension only up until the last day of exams for the semester. Requests for extensions beyond this date must be addressed in writing to the Registrar and will be considered only in cases such as a death in the family, medical emergency, hospitalization of oneself or immediate family member or prolonged illness requiring treatment by a physician. Factors such as assignments for other 9

10 courses, holidays and technology related difficulties or malfunctions are all insufficient grounds for requesting an extension. Application for an Extension Due to Extreme Circumstances Requests for extensions will only be considered in the circumstances noted above and only upon submission of a completed application form to the Registrar. Application forms are available from the Registrar s office or online at Student Medical Certificate Applications for extensions for medical reasons must be accompanied by a Medical Certificate signed by a physician. The Student Medical Certificate form is available from the Registrar s office or online at 10