TS 677 Church and Ministry
Conrad Grebel University College
University of Waterloo
Fall 2016
Fridays 9:00-11:50 and 1:00-3:50 p.m.: September 23, 30; October 21; November 11; December 2.
Fridays 9:00-11:50: October 28; November 4.
Location: Room 4224, Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo
Instructors: Rudy Baergen (rbaergen@bell.net); Marilyn Rudy-Froese (marilynjoyrf@gmail.com)
Office hours: before and after class, and by arrangement; we will respond to digital communication within 24 hours of receiving it.
Description:
This course explores the development of a theology of ministry, which includes the church's mission and institutional life and the personal calling to a life of ministry. It particularly delves into the relationship between ecclesiology and ministry. The Believers’ Church tradition
provides the primary perspective, augmented by the experience of the global and ecumenical church.
Objectives:
Students in this class will
1) grow in critical and appreciative understanding of the church in its local, denominational, and global expressions.
2) gain biblical and theological reflection skills necessary to understand pastoral identity, calling, and accountability.
3) engage each other as partners in discernment and spiritual growth by practicing clear articulation of convictions, appropriate self-disclosure, and respectful and caring dialogue.
4) begin to prepare a “ministry folder” which will include personal reflections on ministry, personality texts, etc.
Texts:
The following texts have been ordered at the UW bookstore. If you are purchasing through UW, please note that books not sold by early October are shipped back to the distributor, so purchase all at the beginning of the term. They are also all available on Amazon.
Jones, L. Gregory and Kevin R. Armstrong. Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping faithful Christian Ministry. Grand Rapids, MI: William b. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.
Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical and Global Perspectives. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2002.
Tickle, Phyllis. Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
Willimon, William. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry (Revised Edition). Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016.
In addition to these texts, there will be a $40 charge for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. The remainder of the cost will be covered by the program. This is an online test and instructions will be given about how and when to complete the test. There will be an additional $10-15 charge for the online Enneagram indicator test, paid by the student online at the time of taking the test. More instructions will be given about how and when to complete the test.
Schedule and outline:
The following schedule may change from time-to-time to reflect the pace of the course and to better refine the course schedule. Changes to this schedule will be announced in class and by announcement on Waterloo LEARN or through email.
*denotes a morning-only class
1. Friday September 23
Introductions
Ecclesiology: What is the church? Biblical Origins and Images
Tickle: Where we find ourselves now
Readings:
*Phyllis Tickle. Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), Chapters 1-12.
* Veli-Matti Karkkainen. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical and Global Perspectives. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2002), Introduction.
*Gerald J. Mast. "The Church: Ark and art of salvation", in Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology, Spring 2013, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 12-19. (e-Reserve)
*Gail Gerber Koontz. "Ecclesiology, authority and ministry" in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Erick Sawatzky, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2004), pp. 60-73. (On Reserve)
Autobiographical reflection on personal call/church history/experience due.
2. Friday September 30
Pastor: Vocation and Worship
Roman Catholic and Orthodox Ecclesiology
Lutheran & Reformed Ecclesiology
Instructions will be given for the online completion of the MBTI test. The cost for this test to the student is $40.
Readings:
*Veli-Matti Karkkainen. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical and Global Perspectives. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2002), Chapters 1-4.
*Willimon, William. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Introduction, Chapters 1-6.
*L. Gregory Jones, and Kevin R. Armstrong. Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping faithful Christian Ministry. (Grand Rapids, MI: William b. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006), chapters 1-4.
3. Friday October 21
Free Church Ecclesiologies
Pentecostal/Charismatic Ecclesiologies
Guest panel TBA
Instructions will be given for the online completion of the Enneagram. The cost for this to the student is $10-15.
Readings:
*Veli-Matti Karkkainen. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical and Global Perspectives. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2002), Chapters 5, 6, 7.
*John Driver, "The Church: Missional Community of the Kingdom", in Without Spot or Wrinkle: Reflecting Theologically on the Nature of the Church, edited by Karl Koop and Mary Schertz (Occasional Papers 21, Institute of Mennonite Studies, 2000), pp. 121-136. (e-Reserve)
*William Willimon. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Chapters 7-11.
*Mary Schertz. “For God so loved” in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Erick Sawatzky, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2004), pp. 138-148. (On Reserve)
4. *Friday, October 28
Enneagram
Guest Lecture: April Burrows
This class will involve understanding the Enneagram and considering how it can be a useful tool in ministry.
There is a $10-15 cost to do this online test, which will be completed before class so that the results can be examined in this class.
5. *Friday, November 4
MBTI
Guest lecture: Kathryn Smith
This class will involve analyzing the student’s own Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. There is a $40 cost to do this on-line test, which will be completed earlier in the course, so that the results can be examined in this class.
6. Friday November 11
Pastor as Leader: Clergy Ethics and Constancy
Pastor as Leader of Mission
Readings:
*William Willimon. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Chapters 12-14.
*L. Gregory Jones, and Kevin R. Armstrong. Resurrecting Excellence: Shaping faithful Christian Ministry. (Grand Rapids, MI: William b. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006), Chapters 5, 6, Coda.
*Rebecca Slough. “Pastoral Ministry as improvisatory art” in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Erick Sawatzky, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2004), pp. 186-197. (On Reserve)
*J. Nelson Krabill. “Power and Authority: Helping the church face problems and adapt to change” in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Erick Sawatzky, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2004), pp. 213-227. (On Reserve)
*Erick Sawatzky. "What is at the heart of pastoral ministry" in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Erick Sawatzky, (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2004), pp. 228-237. (On Reserve)
Integrative Essay Part One due.
7. Friday December 2
Articulating our theologies of church and ministry: Student presentations and discussion.
Integrative Essay Part Two due.
Assignments and Evaluations:
1. Class participation and Reflections on the Readings 20%
This will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance at class, as well as participation in class discussion. Students are expected to come to each class with a 1-3 page reflection on the assigned readings for that day naming some new insights and noting earlier understandings that were confirmed regarding the church and ministry within it. Conclude with three questions which you think would warrant further class discussion. This mark includes participating in the personality testing process.
2. Autobiographical Reflection 10%
Please come to our first class prepared to introduce yourself verbally to your classmates with a story or question about the church and your calling within it. Perhaps you might respond to some of the following questions: What is your call? What are the struggles around call? What are your struggles around the church? What is your vision for the church? How have you seen the church work well? When have you seen the church fail? When the church is at its best, what does it look it? Please be prepared to hand in a summary response of 400 words.
Due September 23.
3. Integrative Essay Part One on Ecclesiology (2500 words) 30%
What, in your mind, are some of the central components of a good ecclesiology? Choose an ecclesiologist from the back of the Karkkainen book and be in dialogue with this person as you develop your own ecclesiology. Due November 11.
4. Integrative Essay Part Two on Pastoral Ministry (2500 words) 30%
What, in your mind, are the central components of a healthy pastoral ministry? This essay will reference the readings and other materials beyond (including perhaps a ministry autobiography/memoir) as you develop your theology of pastoral ministry.
Due December 2.
5. Personal Theology of Church and Ministry Presentation 10%
Students will give a fifteen minute presentation of their personal theology of church ministry to the class.
Presented December 2.
There is no final exam in this course.
Late assignments will be assigned a penalty of 10% per week, extensions can be negotiated without penalty at the discretion of the instructor for health or family reasons.
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. See the UWaterloo Academic Integrity webpage and the Arts Academic Integrity webpage for more information.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4. When in doubt, please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 - Student Appeals.
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension (1401), collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.