I. Course Title: Christian Formation, Ministry, and Leadership
II. Course Description: The biblical, theoretical, historical, and ministry foundations for Christian formation will be examined in order to provide a comprehensive framework for ministering to individuals in various life-stages within a local church setting.
III. Course Objectives:
A. To understand the differences between Christian education and spiritual formation and how the two disciplines work hand in hand in making disciples.
B. To learn the characteristics and needs of lifespan stages and how best to minister to each age-group.
C. To grasp leadership principles and become familiar with cutting-edge research related to the mind and heart.
IV. Course Format: The eCourse consists of fourteen lectures. You or your team should listen to one lecture per week. After each week’s lecture, write out or discuss your answer to each week’s essential question.
V. Course Reading
Anthony, Michael J., Foundations of Ministry: An Introduction to Christian Education for a New Generation. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. (Read Ch. 1 and p. 61-66 for WEEK 4)
VI. Course Lectures
Essential Question: After reading the course syllabi and listening to the introductory lecture, what are your expectations for this course?
Essential Question: How does Christian education differ from spiritual formation?
Essential Question: Of the models I explained, which model was your favorite? Why?
Essential Question: After reading chapter one of Foundations of Ministry, what did you read that would impact your current or envisioned ministry practice? Which paradigm of ministry philosophy best matches with your church? Why?
Essential Question: After listening to the lecture, what are some actions your church’s children’s ministry needs to take?
Essential Question: What kind of learner are you? How do you learn best? Which teaching methods were new to you or would you like to try out soon?
Essential Question: How can you use social media to minister to youth?
Essential Question: Why is student ministry not just playing with kids?
Essential Question: What is the optimal way to teach adults? How would you go about leading an adult Bible study?
Essential Question: How does your church do family ministry? What is your church doing well? How can it improve upon its family ministry?
Essential Question: What benefits do you see in intergenerational ministry? What are some challenges?
Essential Question: What value do you see in having discipleship groups? What can happen in the context of biblical relational community that cannot happen alone in an individual’s private faith life?
Essential Question: What is the next generation seeking from the church and how can the church provide it?
Essential Question: What insights did you glean? What do you need to change beginning now?