PTHE 640 SPECIALIZED STUDIES:JUMP STARTING THE DECLINING OR PLATEAUED CHURCHPaul F. Martinez, D.Min. (Cand.)Fall 2003REQUIRED TEXTBOOKSA.Pre-Session RequirementsSPECIFIC DATAASSEMBLIES OF GOD THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Continuing Education Session PTHE 640 SPECIALIZED STUDIES: JUMP STARTING THE DECLINING OR PLATEAUED CHURCH 3 Credits Paul F. Martinez, D.Min. (Cand.) Fall 2003 COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION This course examines the foundational biblical principles of church growth as well as existing barriers that inhibit church growth. These barriers or “plateau stages” in church development will be analyzed, with particular emphasis being placed upon removing and exceeding those barriers. Additionally, the life cycle of churches will be examined as it relates to church growth. COURSE OBJECTIVES Each participant should demonstrate through the academic, relational and spiritual requirements of this course that he or she has satisfactorily met the following objectives: Knowledge 1. Have a good understanding of the biblical foundation for church growth, 2. Be familiar with the current body of literature pertaining to church growth, and other existing resources for ongoing church development, 3. Have an awareness of the barriers that inhibit church growth, 4. Be familiar with specific strategies that can be utilized to break barriers to church growth, 5. Have an awareness of the unique challenges of church growth in a postmodern society, and 6. Be familiar with principles and techniques proven effective in reversing the course of declining or plateaued churches. Attitudes 1. Have an appreciation for the significant factors involved in growing a church, 2. Continued development of a burden for growing a church that reaches unsaved people, 3. Have an appreciation of the importance of understanding barriers to church growth, 4. Have a realistic understanding of the efforts required to grow a church, 5. Have a healthy self-critical perspective toward one's church and its existing growth barriers, 6. Demonstrate a sensitivity to the guidance of the Holy Spirit for breaking growth barriers, and 7. Share in the burden of prayer to see churches grow. Skills 1. Develop a network of people who can be of assistance throughout the process of breaking church growth barriers,PTHE 640 Specialized Studies: Jump Starting the Declining or Plateaued Church Paul F. Martinez Page 2 2. Be able to articulate church growth barriers and the specific strategies needed to move beyond those barriers, 3. Be able to evaluate the life cycle stages of a church, 4. Be able to formulate a strategic plan and process for identifying and breaking growth barriers in one’s church, and 5. Be able to identify and lead one’s church through the strategic plan and process for breaking growth barriers. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS Barna, George. Turnaround Churches. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1997. ________. The Second Coming of the Church. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998. Gainsbrugh, Jonathan. Winning the Back Door War. Elk Grove, CA: self-published, 1993. George, Carl F., Warren Bird and Ted Engstrom. How to Break Growth Barriers: Capturing Overlooked Opportunities for Church Growth. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993. Schaller, Lyle. 44 Steps Up Off the Plateau. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. Towns, Elmer, C. Peter Wagner, Thom S. Rainer. The Everychurch Guide to Growth: How Any Plateaued Church Can Grow. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998. RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS Rainer, Thom S. Effective Evangelistic Churches. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996. ________. High Expectations. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999. Schaller, Lyle E. Looking in the Mirror: Self-Appraisal in the Local Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984. ________. 44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988. METHODOLOGY This course will be structured around the "Strategies for Jump Starting the Declining or Plateaued Church" seminar being sponsored by the Southern Missouri District Council of the Assemblies of God. In addition to participating in this intensive seminar, the student will be required to interact with each resource and develop a strategic plan and process for breakingPTHE 640 Specialized Studies: Jump Starting the Declining or Plateaued Church Paul F. Martinez Page 3 through church growth barriers. This course is intended to be highly practical and useful in the student’s personal ministry setting. COURSE REQUIREMENTS A. Pre-Session Requirements 1. Complete required reading. Read the required texts in their entirety. If the student has previously read a textbook for academic credit, they may simply substitute another book of equal number of pages from the Select Bibliography. 2. Complete reading reports. Complete a 1-2 page reading report for each book read. The report should answer the following questions: • What is the author's purpose in writing this book? • What was the most helpful part of this book for you and why? • Copy one or two quotations from the book that was particularly important or relevant to you (include page #), and interact in your own words with the portion you quoted. All pre-session work is due on (or postmarked by) September 15, 2003. B. Session Requirements 1. Attend and be an active participant in the “Jump Starting” seminar. This means being prompt in attendance, taking thorough notes, and participating in discussions, etc. C. Post-Session Requirements 1. Conduct an interview. Interview, by phone or in person, a pastor who has broken through a growth barrier in his or her church within the past two years. Ideally, this growth barrier will be the same one faced in your church. Write the results of this interview giving attention to strategies/methods used, difficulties encountered, what would be done differently, where would greater emphasis be placed, what help was needed, what help was or was not available, etc. Interview report should be 4-5 pages. 2. Complete church growth project: Complete a 15-20 page paper outlining a strategy for breaking the barriers to growth in the student’s church. Fully develop a strategy that includes planning, implementation and evaluation phases. This is intended to be a step-by-step process that could be followed in your church situation. Engage all significant church growth issues, including the following: growth barriers, church and community demographics, church