ASSEMBLIES OF GOD THEOLOGICAL SEMINARYContinuing Education Course2 Credit HoursPTHE 640 MINISTRY ON THE EDGE:THE MISSION TO POST-CHRISTIAN AMERICAA class/conference experience provided by theAssemblies of God Theological Seminarywww.agts.eduIn cooperation with the Penn/Del District Council and Valley Forge Christian CollegeatMinistry On The Edge: The Mission To Post-Christian AmericawithBrian McLarenNovember 18-19, 2002Renaissance HotelPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaEarl G. Creps, Ph.D. Fall [email protected] SYLLABUSCOURSE DESCRIPTIONMinistry On The Edge: The Mission To Post-Christian America is a Leadership Roundtableconference experience hosted by AGTS. It will be the site and the raw material fortheological reflection on our emerging culture and the church models that must emerge toengage it.COURSE REGISTRATIONConference information and registration is available from the AGTS Continuing Educationoffice in several ways:• Online: http://www.agts.edu/conferences/leadership_roundtable2002.html• By telephone: 1-800-467-AGTS• By email: [email protected] 640 Emerging Models of Ministry in the 21st CenturyEarl CrepsPage 2COURSE OBJECTIVESThe course/conference is an arena for learning and growth of several kinds:• Cultural exegesis: to understand and interpret major forms of cultural influence thatare 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 list offunctions.• Professional networking: to develop relationships with other leaders devoted to thelife of the emerging church in an environment that maximizes long-term peerlearning.• Leadership enhancement: to grow in the character, skills, and gifts associated withthe 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])McLaren, Brian A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey.John Wiley & Sons, 2001. (192 pages)________. The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix GrandRapids: Zondervan, 2000. (227 pages)Sweet, Leonard. Postmodern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century Church.Broadman & Holman, 2000. (224 pages)Substitute Texts(To be substituted in order for any required texts already read.)Grenz, Stanley J. and John R. Franke. Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in aPostmodern Context. Westminster John Knox, 2000. (296 pages)PTHE 640 Emerging Models of Ministry in the 21st CenturyEarl CrepsPage 3Morgenthaler, Sally J. Worship Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999. (320 pages)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)Sweet, Leonard. Carpe Manana: Is Your Church Ready to Seize Tomorrow? (GrandRapids: Zondervan, 2001. (208 pages)COURSE OUTLINE1. Plenary sessions will feature presentations by Brian McLaren as well as Byron Klausand Earl Creps. Additional small group sessions and panel discussions will also beincluded in the experience. Informal times of interaction will enrich both thepresentations and the relationships formed at the event. A conference schedule isavailable at: http://www.agts.edu/conferences/leadership_roundtable2002.html2. A brief orientation session will be held during the conference for all those taking it as afor-credit class. You will be notified at the conference of the time and place. This willgive us a chance to meet and ask questions about the course assignments. Attendance isrequired.COURSE REQUIREMENTSa. Pre-conference:1. Read the required texts.2. Write a 3-page response to each book that reflects its major themes and how theyrelate to your ministry context. If you have read these books already, choosereplacements from the Substitute list that will have approximately the same numberof pages. Specifically, address how these themes could be applied to your life andministry, and what might be some of the challenges you would face in thoseapplications.PTHE 640 Emerging Models of Ministry in the 21st CenturyEarl CrepsPage 43. Communicate: email your pre-conference papers to me ([email protected])or turn them in 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 more criticalto receiving a passing grade.c. Post-conference projects: CHOOSE 2 OF THE FOLLOWING 6 OPTIONS1. Reading Reflection: read one of the Alternate Texts and write a 7-10 page paper thatoutlines 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. Ministry Development Plan: write a 7-10 page paper detailing your plan fordeveloping a new model of ministry in your setting. This should includebackground research, personal leadership growth, model characteristics,implementation challenges, and a timeline.3. Sermons: using insights gained from the class/conference, write two sermons ofsignificant length designed to reach a pre-Christian emerging culture audience. Donot recycle old messages! You may do either a manuscript, or a very, very detailedoutline. While all sermons must be turned in hard copy, they may be accompaniedby audiocassette and/or media support (e.g., PowerPoint, video clips, etc.) If youspeak without notes, an audiocassette is required.4. Research Paper: choose a major theme related to the course/conference and write a7-10 page research paper. The paper should identify and reflect upon key ideasrelated to the topic, report on some of the major literature in the area, and applyconclusions to your