Kirkland, WATony Cervero, D.Min. (cand.)Fall 2003COURSE DESCRIPTIONCOURSE OBJECTIVESTEXTBOOKSCOURSE METHODOLOGYCOURSE OVERVIEWCOURSE REQUIREMENTSATTN: Tony CerveroSELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHYTheologyStrategyMethodologyCultural StudiesSPECIFIC DATAASSEMBLIES OF GOD THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Northwest College Extension Campus Continuing Education Course Kirkland, WA September 22-26, 2003 PTHE 640 Equipping and Releasing Ministry into the Marketplace (2 credit hours) Tony Cervero, D.Min. (cand.) Fall 2003 COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION This course explores the theology, strategy, and methodology of ministry to the marketplace of today’s society. It will focus on how to do effective and biblical evangelism that takes seriously the culture and the needs of those one seeks to reach. COURSE OBJECTIVES The anticipation is that as a result of this course the participant will: 1. Develop a new understanding of ministry beyond the church walls that reflects a faithful and fresh reading of scripture and moves beyond the inadequate paradigms that have defined our outreaches in America. 2. Feel a new sense of hope for doing effective outreach that is realistic and appropriate for his/her community. 3. Create a viable plan for Marketplace Ministry in their ministry site. TEXTBOOKS Colson, Charles and Vaughn, Ellen. Being the Body: A New Call for the Church to be Light in the Darkness. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2003, 403 pages. Mittleberg, Mark. Building a Contagious Church: Revolutionizing the Way We View and Do Evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000, 388 pages. Sjogren, Steve. Conspiracy of Kindness: A Refreshing New Approach to Sharing the Love of Jesus. Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 2003, 233 pages.PTHE 640 Equipping and Releasing Ministry Into the Marketplace Tony Cervero, D.Min. (cand.) Page 2 COURSE METHODOLOGY The course will employ lectures, video, small group interaction, and interactive teaching. Students will be expected to engage in dialogue based on the class readings and their own ministry experience. COURSE OVERVIEW Nowhere can you find a more effective thermometer of our culture than the marketplace of our communities – places of business, work, pleasure, and community. As ministers of the gospel, we must not only understand our culture – we must establish and equip for ministry to people in the marketplace. For this is the arena Christ most often chose to display His marvelous works of power and redemption. Even though today’s culture is pluralistic, isolated, individualistic and post-modern – they are still seeking. If you would look in the large chain bookstores, the former “Religion” section is gone and in its place is a growing set of more specific rubrics catering to popular topics such as angels, Sufism, journey, recovery, meditation, magic, inspiration, Judaica, astrology, gurus, Bible, prophecy, Evangelicalism, Buddhism, esoterica, and the like. Words like soul, sacred, and spiritual resonate to a curious public. The discourse on spiritual “journeys” and “growth” is no longer a province reserved for theologians and pastors, but of ordinary people in cafés, coffee shops, and bookstores across the country. Not surprisingly, all of this is happening at a time when the United States and other Western nations are undergoing massive social and cultural changes. The emergence of a global world, widespread changes in values and beliefs, the immense role of the media, an expanding consumer-oriented culture targeting the self as an arena for marketing, the erosion of many traditional forms of community – all point to a major realignments in religion and culture. The Church cannot sit behind their doors idly … we must present the gospel in WORD and IN DEED - For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1Cor. 4:20) Serving our community must be at the very heart of the church - To serve our community at the same time as seeking God. They do not compete with each other – but fulfill each other. We must Seek God and Serve People. That is why the face of evangelism must be changed - it must be redefined in the minds of most people. The church must effectively serve in deliberate and innovative ways that will have a strong impact and message to the communities in which we live. The body of Christ must use its resources to serve its community by meeting a need in the community. It cannot do everything - but it must do some things.PTHE 640 Equipping and Releasing Ministry Into the Marketplace Tony Cervero, D.Min. (cand.) Page 3 This type of ministry is not an event … it must flow from our values … It must be in our DNA. It is more than the responsibility of one or two ministries … it is part of who we are. This course explores the theology, strategy, and methodology of ministry to the marketplace of today’s society. To do effective and biblical evangelism that takes seriously the culture and the needs of those one seeks to reach, it is necessary to: • Build a proper theological foundation (that sees the Bible with fresh eyes), • Adopt an appropriate strategy (that makes sense to the given situation), and • Envision the wide range of possibilities present in every congregation to have great influence to their community. Each student will seek to establish a model that takes the church beyond its walls in natural, appropriate and effective ways. In this course, the church will be seen as a prime influence to our culture, lay people as the prime carriers of the message; and pastors as the prime coaches. Personal and corporate obstacles that prohibit this type of ministry will be examined and resolved. Reaching our world does not mean a decision to abandon spiritual formation – there must be an integral connection between evangelism and discipleship. Marketplace ministry is not another program or outreach event … it must be in the natural operations of the spirit-filled body operating in Word and Deed. COURSE REQUIREMENTS A. Pre-Session 1. Read one of the following textbooks and write a two page analysis of it. a. Mittleberg, Mark. Building a Contagious Church: Revolutionizing the Way We View and Do Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. b. Sjogren, Steve. Conspiracy of Kindness: A Refreshing New Approach to Sharing the Love of Jesus. Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 2003. 2. Prepare the following brief reflection papers: a. In one or two pages