1 The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 36550 Introduction to Church Revitalization 3 credit hours Summer 2017 (meets at SBTS in conjunction with Alumni Academy, August 3-4, 2017) PROFESSOR Dr. Timothy Beougher Email: tbeougher@sbts.edu Telephone: 502-897-4108 Garrett Fellow Nicholas Clark Email: nclark173@students.sbts.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION An examination of the ministry of revitalizing plateaued and declining churches that moves from biblical and theological foundations to practical application. Particular attention will be given to the issues of preaching, leading change in the church, conflict management, ministry ualization, and increasing church evangelistic effectiveness. COURSE RATIONALE Since many students will be entering full-time ministry upon graduation, it is expedient that they have a grasp of the basics of church ministry. While some students will be headed to the mission field or into church planting, other students will serve in long established churches, many of which are in need of revitalization. While we must continue to start new churches, it is paramount that we do not abandon churches with extensive histories. A great resource for growth and evangelism can be found in these congregations. COURSE OBJECTIVES This course is designed as an instructional seminar purposed specifically to teach the basic elements necessary for church revitalization. The student involved in this process should be able to: 1. Understand the need for evangelistic church revitalization 2. Be prepared for leading the church to develop an evangelistic DNA 3. Understand the reasons that churches plateau 4. Be introduced to the foundational elements of church growth/health 5. Gain an understanding of and how to work through traditional church models. REQUIRED TEXTS Beougher, Timothy K. Richard Baxter and Conversion: A Study of the Puritan Concept of Becoming a Christian. Christian Focus, 2008. Clifton, Mark. Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches. Broadman & Holman, 2016.
2 Croft, Brian. Biblical Church Revitalization: Solutions for Dying & Divided Churches. Christian Focus, 2016. Davis, Andrew M. Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again. Baker Books, 2017. Henard, William D. Can These Bones Live? A Practical Guide to Church Revitalization. B&H Publishing Group, 2015. McIntosh, Gary L. There's Hope for Your Church: First Steps to Restoring Health and Growth. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012. SBTS Style Manual 4.0.3. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS NOTE: Although this course is listed as a summer course, the bulk of the work will not be due until the month of August. Students are encouraged to complete the reading and summary statements early, and begin working on their personal and church revitalization plans. Book Summary Statements Each student will be required to read all six textbooks in their entirety. Each student will then prepare a list of twenty key statements or quotes from each book. The statements/quotes should clearly summarize the book, and the student should demonstrate significant interaction with the text by the choice of statements. The lists of statements may be single-spaced. DUE: August 1 Lecture Note Submission Each student must attend each of the seven sessions of the Alumni Academy on August 3-4. Students must submit a paper (typed; double-spaced) of the five most significant insights gleaned from each of the sessions. Each insight should be listed and then the student should explain the significance of that insight to church revitalization ministry. This assignment not only holds each student accountable for careful attention during the sessions, but will be a resource for the student entering into ministry in the future. DUE: August 14 Personal Revitalization Plan Since Church Revitalization is heavily dependent on spiritual leadership, each student will write a 2-3 page paper summarizing how he plans to maintain his spiritual and family life in the midst of the pressures of ministry. DUE: August 21
3 Church Revitalization Plan For the final project, each student will develop a church revitalization plan. This plan will demonstrate the student s comprehension and ability to apply the principles taught in this class. This paper will include a plan from the time you interview with a prospective church through the first five years of ministry (more detailed instructions are attached to the end of this syllabus). Make sure to display evidence that you are implementing the concepts taught in the course. DUE: August 31 Here are the required sections to the paper: 1. Church Profile a description of the church needing revitalization (1/2 page) 2. Search Committee Interview Questions (1 page) 3. First Tasks (2-3 pages) 4. 5 Year Agenda (5-7 pages) 5. Staff Roles (2-3 pages) 6. SWOT Evaluation of Entire Revitalization Plan (1 page) GRADING SCALE Book Summary Statements (6 books) 20% Attendance/Lecture Notes (7 sessions) 20% Personal Revitalization Plan 20% Church Revitalization Plan 40% Total 100% Grade Percentage A 95-100 A- 90-94 B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83 C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73 D+ 67-69 D 64-66 D- 60-63 F 59 WP WF I EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS Acceptable Document Formats: Upload documents as either PDF or Word Doc (.doc or.docx) only. CLASSROOM POLICIES Late Work: Points received for any late assignment will be reduced by 50%, and it is unlikely that the student will receive a final grade above C. Unless every assignment is completed, you will receive a failing grade for the course.
4 Respect for Divergent Viewpoints: Students and faculty are to show appropriate respect for each other even when divergent viewpoints are expressed through class assignments and discussion boards. Such respect does not require agreement with or acceptance of divergent viewpoints. Plagiarism and Cheating: Students who pass off ideas or words of another person as their own without crediting the source are guilty of intellectual property theft or literary theft better known as plagiarism. Students who conduct any part of their participation in the course in a fraudulent or deceptive manner are guilty of cheating. Students caught in either of these acts of academic misconduct will be reported to the Dean of Students, resulting in disciplinary action up to and including failing the course and academic dismissal. Special Needs: As an institution, we strive to work with students and any challenges they face to the full degree possible. If there are any physical or mental challenges that might need special accommodation, please contact the instructor prior to or on the first day of class. Grievances and Grade Disputes: If a student has a concern about a grade that he or she received, the student is expected to request clarification from instructor via e-mail. If the student still has significant concern, he or she may contact the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry. SCHEDULE Thursday, August 3 8 a.m. Conference check-in 9 a.m. Session I Andy Davis 10 a.m. Session II Mark Clifton 11 a.m. Session III Brian Croft 12 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. Session IV Andy Davis 2:30 p.m. Session V Tim Beougher 3:30 p.m. Session VI Panel Discussion Friday, August 4th 9 a.m. Session VII Mark Clifton 10 a.m. Session VII Tim Beougher 11 a.m. Session VII Brian Croft Assignment due dates are listed in the Assignments section of the syllabus.
5 Southern Seminary 36550 Introduction to Church Revitalization REVITALIZATION PLAN For the final project, each student will develop a church revitalization plan. This plan will demonstrate the student s comprehension and ability to apply the principles taught in this class. This paper will include a plan from the time you interview with a prospective church through the first five years of ministry. Make sure to display evidence that you are implementing the concepts taught in the course. Here are the required sections to the paper: 1. Church Profile (1/2 page) a. This will either be the church that you currently serve or a prospective church you hope to one day serve. b. Include your position (real or hypothetical) and what the responsibilities of that position are. c. Include enough general information about the church to set the for the changes you will implement in the rest of your revitalization plan. 2. Search Committee Interview Questions (1 page) a. Think of the questions you would ask of the search committee. i. Think of the of your church how will these questions inform your revitalization plan? 3. First Tasks (2-3 pages) a. What immediate changes will you make and what changes will you wait on? b. What things will keep you from achieving your first goals? These are the things that you might consider changing immediately. 4. 5 Year Agenda (5-7 pages) a. Provide a five-year projection of the changes you will make. i. Divide this section by year (i.e. Year One will be the first sub-heading, Year Two, etc.) b. How will you communicate each of these goals to the church? c. How will you accomplish each of these goals? 5. Staff Roles (2-3 pages) a. What staff will you plan to add (paid and non-paid)? b. What responsibilities will each of these positions have?
6 6. SWOT Evaluation of Entire Revitalization Plan (1 page) a. Now that you have your plan, it is time to critically evaluate it i. Strengths what are the strengths of your plan? ii. Weaknesses What are the potential weaknesses of your plan? iii. Opportunities What are the opportunities that are embedded into your plan? If your plan is accomplished, what are the benefits? iv. Threats What are the potential threats that might hinder accomplishing your plan? This paper should be formatted according to the Southern Seminary Manual of Style. RUBRIC Church Profile Search Committee Interview Questions First Tasks Excellent = A Good = B Poor = C Provides excellent Provides good Provides poor ual summary of ual summary of ual summary of church profile church profile church profile Questions show evidence of excellent synthesis of course content and church Immediate changes reflect excellent understanding of revitalization needs and sensitivity to church 5 Year Agenda Each year includes excellent changes to be made, communication plan, and steps towards accomplishing goals Staff Roles SWOT Evaluation Roles fit with changes needed and include excellent description of responsibilities SWOT evaluation is thorough and honest Questions show evidence of good synthesis of course content and church Immediate changes reflect good understanding of revitalization needs and sensitivity to church Each year includes good changes to be made, communication plan, and steps towards accomplishing goals Roles somewhat fit with changes needed and include good description of responsibilities SWOT evaluation is fair and honest Questions show evidence of poor synthesis of course content and church Immediate changes reflect poor understanding of revitalization needs and sensitivity to church Each year includes some changes to be made, poor communication plan, and/or poor steps towards accomplishing goals Roles do not fit with changes needed and/or include poor description of responsibilities SWOT evaluation does not account for major concerns