1 MC/SF 501HA --SPIRITUAL FORMATION FOR MINISTRY DR. TOM PFIZENMAIER (tpfizenmaier@gordonconwell.edu/ 314-368-5869) OFFICE HOURS: BY APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CONTACT JROWLEY1@GORDONCONWELL.EDU GRADER: Bobby Ryu, D.Phil., Oxford University, Pierce Center Course Description SYLLABUS, SPRING 2019 (Mondays, 1:30-4:30pm) This course is taught under the Practical Theology Division of the Seminary. The goal of this course is to introduce and explore the spiritual habits and disciplines in conjunction with crafting a rule of life which will help sustain a lifetime of ministry and mission. This exploration will be informed by the great spiritual teachers and traditions of the Christian Church. Unlike many of the seminary courses which rightly focus on mastering a body of knowledge and/or expertise, this course will be more of a lab course focusing on developing one s relationship with God. Emphasis will be on the personal development of spiritual habits and disciplines through daily practice, combined with discovering the importance of accountable community in sustaining one s soul over a lifetime of ministry. Course Requirements 1. All Required reading must be completed before the final reflection paper is submitted. 2. Students must meet in their cohort group each week as part of the class time. The first two hours of the class will be devoted to lecture, and the last hour of the to meeting in your cohort. Each student will be required to be an active participant as well as to share in leading the group on a rotating basis. More detail on the cohort function and structure will be given on the first day of class. 3. Students will maintain a prayer journal throughout the course. The journals will be reviewed by the professor, not for content, but for continuity of entries and diligence in reflective writing. The reflection should be informed by, and related to, the text for the day from Shawchuck and Job. 4. Students will spend no less than 45 minutes a day with the Lord in the devotional reading of scripture, prayer, reflection and journaling.
2 5. Students will prepare two papers, the first due on Monday, February 25 th, the second due on Monday, May 6 th at 4:00pm. The first of these will be the student s Rule of Life. The Rule of Life will be developed during the first part of the semester. The second paper will be the Integration paper which will allow the student to integrate what he or she is reading, experiencing in their cohort, discovering in their devotional time with God, and learning from the lectures and their Soul Sabbath experience. (See detail below on requirements for these two papers). 6. Students are required to attend the Pierce Center sponsored Soul Sabbath on February 20, 2019 (first Reading Week--Registration deadline: February 11, 2019). Links for event registration, payment, and location/time will appear in the Friday AM at the start of Spring 2019 via an Eventbrite Link. The location for the soul Sabbaths is the Notre Dame ity Center in Ipswich. The cost is $25.00. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT ASAP, AS THE EVENT WILL FILL UP QUICKLY WITH OTHERS WHO WILL ALSO COME. Contact Bobby Ryu at the Pierce Center office (bryu@gordonconwell.edu) for more information. 7. Both lectures and cohorts are essential to the learning for this course. Therefore, attendance at all sessions is mandatory. Attendance will be recorded on the honor system at the end of term; 1 unexcused absence will be allowed. Beyond this, permission from the professor is required. Unexcused absences, beyond those approved will result in the lowering of the student s grade. 8. Grading: The grading scale used for the Rule of Life and the Integration Paper is that specified in the GCTS Student Handbook. Component percentage weight of the final grade will be as follows: a. Prayer Journal 10%; b. Cohort attendance, contribution and leadership 5%; c. Rule of Life 20%; d. Integration Paper 20%; e. Soul Sabbath 5%. f. Completed Reading 20% g. Devotional Time 20% Any missed deadlines will result in a diminished grade. 9. Academic Integrity: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary requires the highest level of academic integrity among its students. This is a matter not only of
3 academic integrity, but, more importantly, of Christian character. Violations of academic integrity include: Cheating, Plagiarism, (both web and non-web based forms), Fabrication and Misrepresentation as well as the enabling any of these by a fellow student. There will be zero tolerance for any form of academic dishonesty. All materials used in one s work must be properly attributed and cited according to the Turabian format (See Turabian, Kate. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, 6th Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1996). 10. Intellectual Property: No audio, photographic, video recordings or transmissions (including internet postings or broadcasting) may be made in class without the consent of the professor. This applies to all visitors and auditors as well. 11. Internet Usage: In order to foster maximum community and attention in class, students are required to refrain from accessing the internet or playing computer/cell phone games, etc. at any point during class sessions unless otherwise instructed by the professor. Web surfing, checking email and other internet-based activities are distracting to other students and to the professor, and prevent the student from fully participating in the class sessions. This applies to all visitors and auditors as well. WEEKLY COURSE OUTLINE Week DATE LECTURE TOPIC COHORT FOCUS 1 M 01/28 Course Overview and Walking with God: Why Your Soul and Ministry Depend on it. DUE DATES READING ASSIGNMENTS *All reading assignments to be prepared in advance of the session listed. Macchia, Intro Part I Biblical and Theological Foundations Getting Organized/ Sharing Your Stories Macchia,PART II; 2 M 02/04 Why a Rule of Life? What is Lectio Divina? A Lectio Divina excercise Macchia, PART III Thomas, chpts. 1-4
4 3 M 02/11 The Task of Christian Formation: Wholey, Holey, Holy The Task of Christian Formation: Holey, Wholey, Holy Pathways 1 st SOUL SABBATH REGISTRATION Thomas, chpts. 5-8 Thomas, chpts., 9-11 4 M 02/18 NO Class Reading Week W 02/20 Soul Sabbath 5 M 02/25 An Anatomy of Temptation ity or ities? disciplines (1) RULE OF LIFE PAPER DUE Foster, Foreword, chpts. 1-2 Foster, chpts., 3-5 6 M 03/04 The Seven Deadly Sins and their Antidotes Disciplines (2) Turn in Prayer Journals for Review Foster chpts. 6-7 Foster, chpts. 8-9 7 M 03/11 Mapping the Christian Tradition: Part I Desert Fathers to the Reformation Tradition Takeaways Foster chpts. 10, 11 8 M 03/18 NO Class Reading Week 9 M 03/25 Mapping the Christian Tradition: Part II- Reformation to Present Foster, chpts. 12, 13 10 M 04/01 Growing in Grit: Developing Resilient Character Growing in Grit: Developing Resilient Character Ash pp. 9-21 Grit Ash pp. 23-44 11 M 04/15 Formation and Woundedness Ash pp. 47-72
5 Formation and Woundedness Ministry Burnout Ash pp. 73-125 12 M 04/22 Becoming My True Self in Christ Becoming My True Self in Christ Identity Turn in Prayer Journals for Review Benner, foreword and chpt. 1 Benner, chpt 2 13 M 04/29 LAST CLASS Formed for Leadership Formed for Leadership Leading and Formation Cohort Celebrations! Benner, chpt. 3 Benner, chpt. 4 M 05/06 (4:00pm) Integration paper due Papers: 1) Rule of Life. Using Dr. Macchia s book by this title, the student will work through the sections of the book with the goal of constructing their own personal rule. The rule should be 5-7 pages long, and reflect a working knowledge of the topics/principles outlined in the book. The first page of your rule should be built off the grid that Macchia provides in the back of the book (see pp. 167ff. for examples). Then you should, in the narrative section, talk about how you arrived at your Vision, Mission etc., and then finally you should address why you built your rule the way you did: why those people, those practices, those disciplines etc. Your rule should manifest an ordering of your life informed by self-knowledge of your temperament, giftedness and calling. All of this should be reflected in the allocations of your time, resources and priorities to achieve the goal of a rich, Christ centered life focused on glorifying God. The rule should be as practical as possible, specifying the disciplines, habits and experiences which will serve as your infrastructure for your lifelong ministry. 2) Integration Paper. The integration paper is your opportunity to synthesize what you have learned throughout the semester. It should be 10-12 pages. The paper should evidence your familiarity with, and the impact of, the lectures, the cohort groups, the soul Sabbath, your prayer and journaling discipline, the reading, and your rule of life. Address the central questions of What is my wheat which I will take from this course, and what is my chaff which I will leave behind? What have I found most challenging and stimulating in thinking about the
6 formation of my own soul? What have I learned in the course that I can apply in a future ministry setting as I teach and lead others? The integration paper is meant to be both a clarifying and distilling exercise. Course Reading List: REQUIRED: Ruben and Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants. ISBN-13: 978-0835805599 ISBN-10: 083580559X Thomas, Gary, Sacred Pathways: Discovering Your Soul s Path to God. ISBN-10:0-310-24284-0 Foster, Richard, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Growth. ISBN:-13 978-0060628390 Macchia, Steve, Crafting a Rule of Life. ISBN: 978-0-8308-3564-5 Ash, Christopher, Zeal without Burnout: Seven Keys to a Lifelong Ministry of Sustainable Sacrifice. ISBN: 978-1-7849-8021-4 Benner, David, The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery ISBN: 978-0-8308-4612-2 Any kind of Prayer Journal for your personal use. RECOMMENDED: Eswine, Zack, Sensing Jesus: Life and Ministry as a Human Being. ISBN: 978-1-58134-969-6 Available in Kindle version. Eswine, Zack, The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy through our Limitations in a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus. ISBN: 978-1-4335-4933-5