ASSEMBLIES OF GOD THEOLOGICAL SEMINARYContinuing Education CourseSt. Louis, MissouriMay 15-18, 20022 Credit HoursPTHE 640 MINISTRY IN EMERGING CULTUREA class/conference partnering of theAssemblies of God Theological Seminarywww.agts.eduandSearch Party 2002http://www.searchparty2002.comEarl G. Creps, Ph.D. Summer [email protected] SYLLABUSCOURSE DESCRIPTIONSearch Party 2002 is a conference experience hosted by Levi’s Table church of St. Louis,Missouri (http://www.levistable.com/). It will be the site and the raw material fortheological reflection on our emerging culture and the church that must emerge to engageit.Conference information and registration is available online from Search Party 2002 at:http://www.searchparty2002.com/register/default.htmThe conference will be held at Life Cathedral, 500 N. Kingshighway Blvd. St. Louis, MO63108. Directions and other travel and housing information are available online at:http://www.searchparty2002.com/travel/default.htm COURSE REGISTRATIONRegister for AGTS credit by contacting the Continuing Education Team:Phone: 1-800-467-AGTS.Email: [email protected]: http://agts.edu/continuing_education/index.htmlPTHE 640 Ministry in Emerging CultureEarl CrepsPage 2COURSE OBJECTIVESThe course/conference is an arena for learning and growth of several kinds:• Cultural exegesis: to experience and interpret major forms of cultural influencethat are creating the context in which the emerging church must operate.• Theological reflection: to hear culture posing critical theological questions, and toexercise reflective skills needed to begin the process of developing meaningfulanswers.• Personal reframing: to see personal and corporate ministry as an evolving,holistic, missional calling rather than a set of static roles played by executing a listof functions.• Professional networking: to develop relationships with other leaders devoted tothe life of the emerging church in an environment that maximizes long-term peerlearning.• Leadership enhancement: to grow in the character, skills, and gifts associatedwith the leadership arts as they relate to the emerging culture and church.COURSE READINGSRequired Texts(Note: you can save on shipping costs by ordering all the texts from the AGTS bookstore.Call Arlene at 1-800-467-AGTS x1055, or email her at [email protected])Smith, Chuck, Jr. The End of the World As We Know It: Clear Direction for Bold andInnovative Ministry in a Postmodern World. Waterbrook, 2001. (272 pages)McLaren, Brian. A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey.John Wiley & Sons, 2001. (192 pages)Sweet, Leonard. Postmodern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st CenturyChurch. Broadman & Holman, 2000. (224 pages)PTHE 640 Ministry in Emerging CultureEarl CrepsPage 3Substitute Texts(To be substituted in order for any required texts already read.)Careaga, Andrew. eMinistry: Connecting With the Net Generation, Grand Rapids:Kregel, 2001. (176 pages)Grenz, Stanley J. and John R. Franke. Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in aPostmodern Context. Westminster John Knox, 2000. (296 pages)Morgenthaler, Sally J. Worship Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999. (320pages)Nash, Robert N. An 8-Track Church in a CD World: The Modern Church in thePostmodern World. Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2001. (144pages)Towns, Elmer and Warren Bird. Into the Future: Turning Today’s Church Trends intoTomorrow’s Opportunities. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000. (244 pages)Beaudoin, Tom. Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. (240 pages)Brasher, Brenda. Give Me that Online Religion. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001 (208pages)COURSE OUTLINE1. Roundtable and plenary sessions will feature presentations by Len Sweet, BrianMcLaren, Andrew Careaga, and others. Many additional workshops will provideinteraction with practitioners of the church in postmodern culture. Informal times ofinteraction will enrich both the presentations and the relationships formed at theevent. A conference schedule is available at:http://www.searchparty2002.com/schedule/default.htm2. A brief orientation session will be held during the conference for all those taking it asa for-credit class. You will be notified by email of the time and place. This will giveus a chance to meet and ask questions about the course assignments. Attendance isrequired.PTHE 640 Ministry in Emerging CultureEarl CrepsPage 4COURSE REQUIREMENTSa. Pre-conference:1. E-Community: become familiar with two message boards: the SP02 messageboard found on the Levi’s Table website at:http://www.levistable.com/bulletinboard/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=3and the SP02 message board hosted by TheOOZE at:http://www.theooze.com/msg_boards/index.cfm?KEYPAGE=LISTMESSAGES&ThreadID=1693&ForumID=16Bring printouts to the conference documenting your involvement in at least one ofthese message boards. Printouts will be turned in to the professor during the classmeeting on-site.2. Read: complete the reading of all the required texts. Use books from theSubstitute Text list for any you have read previously.3. Write: a 3-4 page paper summarizing what you believe to be the 3-5 mostimportant ideas or challenges you picked up from the required texts and how theyrelate to your ministry context.4. Communicate: email your pre-conference papers to me ([email protected])by the end of the conference.b. During the class/conferenceBe present for all conference sessions, workshops, and events. Participation in events,experiences, and relationships is critical for learning and growth. It's even morecritical to receiving a passing grade.c. Post-conference projects: CHOOSE 2 OF THE FOLLOWING 6 OPTIONS1. Reading Reflection: read one of the Substitute Texts and write a 7-10 page paperthat outlines the author's central thesis and responds to it in terms of your ministrycontext. This is to be a high-quality reflective essay, not a library researchassignment.2. Personal Growth Plan: write a 7-10 page paper detailing your plan for learningmore about the emerging culture/emerging church and developing the ministryskills relevant to it over the next year. Describe the area in which you feel themost need for development. The plan should include reading, personal research,peer consultations, spiritual disciplines, changes in your ministry context, andother personal growth assets.PTHE 640 Ministry in