DOWNTOWN MISSION CHURCH Ministry Internships Fall 2016 Page 1 of 5
DOWNTOWN MISSION CHURCH DMC MINISTRY INTERNSHIPS What? One of our core convictions as a church is the importance of developing an environment of intentional discipleship where followers of Christ are cultivated. We like that imagery, because Jesus uses agricultural terms to talk about Christian living and ministry, like bearing fruit, abiding in Jesus as branches abide in a vine, pruning, etc. It s our desire, as the leadership of the church, to serve Jesus purpose of cultivating fruitful, gospel-centered believers. The healthiest churches are filled with theologically-deep Christians who are saturated with the gospel and are equipped by the leaders of the church for the work of ministering in the church and to the world. We believe that discipleship is the normal Christian life - that every Christian should be regularly learning and growing within the context of community. In the course of that regular growth, some believers may desire to invest additional time and effort into a season of more focused development. The DMC Ministry Internship program is an eight course sequence that serves to provide an environment for focused development to occur. These internships are (presently) unpaid opportunities to work closely with the pastoral leadership of the church and with a cohort of others who desire to grow in their understanding of theology, practice of personal spiritual disciplines, and development of ministry skills for service in the church. Why? The local church has a responsibility to build itself up in love as a living organism - the body of Jesus, gathered in a local fellowship. Part of that process of building up is developing leaders who are able to take responsibility for areas of passion and giftedness in the life of the growing church. The ministry internships are designed to explore those areas of passion and giftedness, while developing core theological and ministry competencies alongside others in a setting of personal discipleship and immediate application. Ultimately, our goal is to see homegrown leaders, equipped with the skills and knowledge to disciple others effectively and advance the Kingdom of God. Who? Presently, the DMC Ministry Internship program is an unpaid program open to any follower of Christ committed to the ministry of Downtown Mission Church. The program is designed to be accessible to those without significant theological education or ministry experience, though the content requires serious thought and personal investment. While it is true that you get what you put into it, our desire is for your investment in the program to be as fruitful as possible. Therefore, a willingness to read, serve, and meet on a semi-regular basis is necessary. We celebrate the gifts Jesus has given to each member of His body and happily welcome men and women into the general internship program. However, internships focused on pastoral ministry/elder training are limited to men. Page 2 of 5
DOWNTOWN MISSION CHURCH How? The Ministry Internship program takes in new interns every three months, assuming new candidates are interested. Each course is intended to be completed within a three-month time period and all ministry interns will follow the same core curricular sequence. We utilize course lectures and some associated materials from BiblicalTraining.org, which is a fantastic resource for high-quality theological education from trusted professors. The overall design of the program, including leadership, sequencing, and oversight, is administered by the pastoral leadership of Downtown Mission Church. Because we strongly value the role that community is designed to occupy in the life and ministry of every Christian, our internship program operates in cohorts. Each participant is expected to process the material they work through with one another. The cohort gatherings will happen regularly (e.g., every other week, twice monthly, etc.) and be the place to ask/answer questions, reflect on the content, and arrive prepared to discuss what s been learned. These meetings will be led by a pastor, but particular emphasis will be placed on guided discussion. Individual meetings with a pastor will happen less regularly, but will be more focused on honing the specific gifts of each intern and discussing personal ministry responsibilities. Uh Why Should I Do It? At the heart of our commitment to developing this program is our commitment to making disciples. We firmly believe that our role as a church is to be a greenhouse for spiritual growth, where people not only come to know Christ for the first time, but come to know Him more deeply throughout their lives. While the internship program isn t for everyone (as a structured sequence), the material has deep significance for every Christian s life. So, first and foremost, we trust that the material we cover is very practical and personally relevant. Secondly, the program doesn t simply exist to get people to read books and listen to lectures - it s part of a broader experience that involves ministry opportunities, a commitment to intentionally living in community, personal growth and development, and missional engagement. We want our discipleship to be well-rounded - and, seeing as discipleship is at the core of the internship program, that translates here. Finally, we believe that one of the healthiest ways to cultivate leadership in a church is by working to develop the skills and giftedness God has given uniquely to each believer. In baseball terms, it s a farm system - where people can develop and grow and learn with the intent that they take on a more significant role (children s ministry leader, worship leader, elder, etc.) down the road. It s an exciting thing to watch take shape. Page 3 of 5
CORE CURRICULUM What Will I Be Learning? We are grateful for the generosity of BiblicalTraining.org as a ministry partnering with local churches to provide excellent theological training at no cost. Unless otherwise designated, all of the courses are available on their website. Please ensure that you are registered so that you can benefit from all of the resources available for each course/lecture, including the ability to download the lessons. Below, you ll find the course sequence, along with the textbooks for each course (which must be purchased or borrowed.) And don t worry - you won t have to read every single page of every single book Reading assignments will be made as the course progresses. And double don t worry - you won t be swamped with material. Course Textbooks Instructor Understanding Theology Old Testament Survey New Testament Survey: The Gospels New Testament Survey: Acts- Revelation Biblical Theology Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem; Proof by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones; Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made by Mark Dever; The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament by Edmund Clowney The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas Kostenberger, Scott Kellum, and Charles Quarles; Canon Revisited: Established the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books by Michael Kruger Who Chose the Gospels? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy by Charles Hill The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas Kostenberger, Scott Kellum, and Charles Quarles; Canon Revisited: Established the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books by Michael Kruger Interpreting the Pauline Epistles by Thomas Schreiner What is Biblical Theology?: A Guide to the Bible s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns by James Hamilton; God Dwells Among us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth by Greg Beale and Mitchell Kim Dr. Bruce Ware Dr. Douglas Stuart Dr. Robert Stein Dr. Thomas Schreiner Dr. Greg Beale Page 4 of 5
Course Textbooks Instructor Church History I Church History II Apologetics Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll; A Concise History of Christian Thought by Tony Lane; Historical Theology by Gregg Allison; The History of the Church by Eusebius; The Confessions by Augustine Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll; A Concise History of Christian Thought by Tony Lane; Historical Theology by Gregg Allison; The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Stephen Nichols; Spurgeon: A Biography by Arnold Dallimore Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief by John Frame; Expository Apologetics: Answering Objections with the Power of the Word by Voddie Baucham, Jr.; Counter Culture by David Platt; A Peculiar Glory by John Piper Dr. Gerald Bray Dr. Gerald Bray Dr. John Frame (Reformed Theological Seminary itunes U) Elective Various Choose one elective course to work through individually with a pastor There will also be seminars at various times throughout the year, with an emphasis on a particular topic (like prayer, evangelism, etc.) that will also serve to further the aims of developing personal discipleship and spiritual growth. Now What? If this sounds like something you d like to be a part of - whether you re completely stoked about it or just curious - we d invite you to talk with a DMC pastor about it. We re excited about what God is doing in DMC and in central Wisconsin, including raising up gospel-centered disciple-leaders to love Him and love others for the sake of Christ. Give it a thought and give us a holler. We re glad to explore the opportunity with you. Page 5 of 5