Making Christlike Disciples in the Nations

Category: Outcome Based (Page 1 of 2)

22 – B311 NT Exegesis General Epistles

Course Description

An exegetical and theological study of the books of the New Testament General Epistles of Hebrews, James, 1, 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, and Jude.

These letters offer a unique perspective to the development and theology of the early church that is non-Pauline. Students will develop more skill in interpreting the Bible by studying these books. Students will learn to identify the key themes, background, and application of these letters. Particular attention will be paid to what these books teach about holiness. Students will be able to explain and practice how faith must be reflected in both the quality of relationships and deeds of compassion without regard to the social status of the person who receives our attention. The relevance of the concerns of these early Christian communities such as identity, unity, behavior and spiritual warfare will be explored.

Course Rational

The early church developed in various contexts. Many of these contexts can be known and others are implied. These letters deal with many topics that are still relevant to the church today. These letters contain theology of second-generation Christians. We can gain a look at how the early church understood the person, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can also see their struggles to understand their faith and find unity in a pagan environment. Through it all, we can see the commitment of the early believers and solid faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Intended Course Outcomes through Engagements

Students will show growth in the following ways:

  1. Character Formation: Model new insights about Jesus Christ gained by a careful reading and interaction with the Bible and the General Epistles.
  2. Content Processing with Peers: Evaluate and apply truths that emerge from the interpretation of the General Epistles.
  3. Ministry Capability Development: Relate the themes of each epistle to both personal and ministry contexts in going from text to proclamation.
  4. Application in Mission and Community: Develop a plan for community outreach based upon the leading of the Holy Spirit through study of the General Epistles.

Resources

  • Syllabus
  • Asia-Pacific Module Handbook

22 – B311 NT Exegesis General Epistles

Course Description

An exegetical and theological study of the books of the New Testament General Epistles of Hebrews, James, 1, 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John, and Jude.

These letters offer a unique perspective to the development and theology of the early church that is non-Pauline. Students will develop more skill in interpreting the Bible by studying these books. Students will learn to identify the key themes, background, and application of these letters. Particular attention will be paid to what these books teach about holiness. Students will be able to explain and practice how faith must be reflected in both the quality of relationships and deeds of compassion without regard to the social status of the person who receives our attention. The relevance of the concerns of these early Christian communities such as identity, unity, behavior and spiritual warfare will be explored.

Course Rational

The early church developed in various contexts. Many of these contexts can be known and others are implied. These letters deal with many topics that are still relevant to the church today. These letters contain theology of second-generation Christians. We can gain a look at how the early church understood the person, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We can also see their struggles to understand their faith and find unity in a pagan environment. Through it all, we can see the commitment of the early believers and solid faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Intended Course Outcomes through Engagements

Students will show growth in the following ways:

  1. Character Formation: Model new insights about Jesus Christ gained by a careful reading and interaction with the Bible and the General Epistles.
  2. Content Processing with Peers: Evaluate and apply truths that emerge from the interpretation of the General Epistles.
  3. Ministry Capability Development: Relate the themes of each epistle to both personal and ministry contexts in going from text to proclamation.
  4. Application in Mission and Community: Develop a plan for community outreach based upon the leading of the Holy Spirit through study of the General Epistles.

Resources

  • Syllabus
  • Asia-Pacific Module Handbook

19 – B301 OT Exegesis Old Testament Prophets

Course Description 

An introductory study of the historical and sociological background, theology, and application of the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament.

This course focuses upon the Old Testament texts of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Particular attention is paid to the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. This subject moves on from introduction to more detailed expositional study.

Course Rational

Old Testament prophetic literature contains some of history’s most profound messages in response to the social-cultural issues of ancient Israel and Judah. The church of today faces many of the same types of issues. Understanding this literature is important for addressing issues that the church faces today. These books also provide background for the New Testament theology. Since a thorough grounding in biblical literature is foundational for those who minister, practical application and relevance for preaching and teaching ministries are given special attention.

Intended Course Outcomes through Engagements

Students will show growth in the following ways:

  1. Character Formation: Apply biblical study to personal spiritual formation and to ministry responses including preaching and teaching.
  2. Content Processing with Peers: Identify the theological motifs and understand ethical implications contained in the Old Testament prophetic literature.
  3. Ministry Capability Development: Explain the message of a passage from the Prophets in such a way that it leads to the spiritual growth of a group of people.
  4. Application in Mission and Community: Identify and explain relevant ways that the Prophets speak to needs within the students’ cultural context.

Resources 

  • Syllabus
  • Asia-Pacific Module Handbook

9 – AD201 Nazarene Identity

Course Description

A study of the history and polity of the Church of the Nazarene, with attention given to practical administration of the local church, the Articles of Faith and Covenant of Christian Conduct, and accountability structures to assist integrity.

The course includes how to use correct accounting procedures, making budgets, fund raising, using designated income, and expenses. A brief history of the Church of the Nazarene will be included, including the history of the denomination in the student’s own country. The course will cover the Local, District, and General structures, nature, and purpose as well as how they are funded. Students will role-play practice the various boards and positions found in our Nazarene government at the three levels (with a strong focus on the local level structures). Student will also role-play practice training others to take over various administrative tasks. The structures of the Church of the Nazarene will be compared with other church structures currently used around the world.

Course Rational

Administration is a weekly experience for pastors. They may write a research paper a few times during their ministry, but they will turn in expenses, run meetings, count members, and turn in reports every week, month, and year for their whole ministry. Many pastors prefer to teach and preach, but the Church of the Nazarene places the administrative burden directly on the pastor. The only staff member at most small churches is the pastor. They are often the most highly educated member of their congregation. Members expect them to be able to handle administration with integrity and skill. The way a pastor handles administration often sets the trust level of a congregation in other areas as well. Many local church conflicts can be avoided by using well-run transparent systems.

Intended Course Outcomes through Engagements

Students will show growth in the following ways:

  1. Character Formation: Live and lead with moral integrity and in accordance with the tenets of doctrinal affirmations and code of conduct of the Church of the Nazarene.
  2. Content Processing with Peers: Explain the history and polity of the Church of the Nazarene to the members of the congregation and those who are interested about the denomination.
  3. Ministry Capability Development: Apply the ethos and policies of the Church of the Nazarene in ministerial responsibilities such as preaching, administration, counseling, and managing resources.
  4. Application in Mission and Community: Integrate the doctrinal affirmations and denominational emphases of the Church of the Nazarene in all the missional endeavors of the local congregation.

Resources

  • Syllabus
  • Asia-Pacific Module Handbook

Using the Arts

One of the discoveries in education in the past few decades is that there are many kinds of learning styles.   Some people learn well reading while others need to draw, sing, or make a sculpture of the concept at hand.   Michelangelo expressed the idea of creation in a beautiful painting.  The arts have long been used by the church to teach history and the life of Christ.  Music is core to worship.   We are deeply in debt to John Wesley for his theological hymns.

We want to encourage teachers and module writers to include the arts in assignments for students.   Drawing time lines, singing hymns, allowing and even encouraging projects to include artistic elements will help many of our students grasp the material.

I hope that in the future we can get key concepts for each class written into song and then put to local musical styles so that students can sing our materials.   I hope that in the future we can find good artists who can draw key concepts so that students can see what we are saying!  I pray on a regular basis that God will raise up song writers who can express the doctrine of Entire Sanctification for this generation.

Lets use the arts as much as we can!

Congregational Focus

As we looked at re-forming the way we teach pastors we found that our expectations of the role of the pastor strongly influenced the structures needed in the classroom.  What is the purpose of a pastor?   As we gathered our first list of activities from a wide range of people in different countries we found that nearly every possible activity was expected of a pastor by one person or another.  From, preaching, to maintenance,  to building skills, to legal skills, community organizing, leading music, visiting everyone and anyone who was sick, or needed guidance, the pastor was the counselor, and guide for everyone all the time!

Whew!  That is exhausting!

What is the role of a pastor and a congregation?  In Ephesians Paul lays out five different types of ministers; apostles, evangelists, prophets, shepherds and teachers.  Each of these has a different set of activities, types of ministries and a bit different focus but the main point of each of their ministry is the SAME.  Paul points them all to the follow outcomes,

for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:12-16 World English Bible (public domain).  

This SAME ministry is to the whole BODY of Christ, those local congregations who are expressions of the Body of Christ.  It is the ministry of building up the body to the fullness of the measure of Christ, as each part does its work.  This means that while we are equipping the student to be a beginning pastor – the role of that beginning pastor is to equip the whole body for ministry.  This means that we need to make sure that the pastor is able to teach and train others for ministry!   We need to make sure the pastor is equipped to perfect the saints in THEIR work of service (according to the working in measure of each individual part).  We cannot assume the students are able to do this, we need to see them demonstrate that ability – often – during their classes in the Course of Study.  We need to build into them the expectation that this is their role, and the confidence that they are able to fill it.

Thus every lesson we teach should have the local believer, the local congregation, and the community where these “lay persons” will be ministering in mind.   This is the reasoning behind having four engagements in every class.   If what we are teaching the student cannot be applied by a congregation as they minister in a community it does not need to be a part of our curriculum.

This is a congregational focus.

What is an outcome?

Define what students are expected to learn and redesign the system to make sure they have maximum opportunity to learn it.  (Outcome Based Education: Critical Issues and Answers)

The student appreciates …..    The student will understand …..   The student will value…..

Are these outcome statements?   I would like to give an extensive quote from the book linked above.  Page 12 and following.

Continue reading

Prayer

The mother was walking to the doctor as her two year old daughter lay dying in her arms.  A new Christian she lifted her heart in prayer that God would heal her daughter.   Arriving at the doctor’s home, the child lay cold on the exam table, “She’s dead” said the doctor as he examined her.   The mother continued praying.  After a bit the girl’s body began to warm, then a bit later she sat up!   God heard and answered the cry of a mother.

We need to include prayer in the classroom, not just as an introduction to the session, but as an active part of the activities, teamwork, and discussions.   Prayer is an essential activity for every pastor, teacher and Christian and we must include it as a constant and vital part of our teaching.    We should study prayer historically, explore different types, encourage silence, shouting, and read prayers.   The student should experience God in the class, not just examine Him at a distance.

Prayer is a core activity in this course of study.  Let’s integrate it into all our activities.

Research activities

How should we use a student’s time?

In research?

When students come to an academic setting, especially in the humanities, they are given a list of reading, a list of papers due, tests, and their time in the class room is mainly in note taking, or in discussion.   Time outside class is mainly spent in the library, looking for resources that will apply to the papers that need to be written.   Sometimes a professor will give a list of library books, but mainly students are expected to develop their own sources, spending hours looking for materials, books, and articles on which to base their opinions.

Continue reading

Why a new Regional Course of Study

The Asia Pacific Region has an amazing 12 schools (with many more extensions) that offer the Course of Study to develop and educate students for Ordination in the Church of the Nazarene.   The cultural and economic differences between these schools is breathtaking.   The educational level of students entering the Course of study ranges from doctoral degrees to some who cannot read or write in their own language.  The requirements for students to graduate from the COS range from a basic certificate to a master’s of divinity in some countries.  The educational quality also varies greatly from non-accredited certificate programs to world recognized Bachelor and Master’s degrees.

Can we make a course of study that will bridge all these schools?   Are the needs of pastors or ordained ministers similar enough that a single course of study could really meet their needs and the needs of the congregation they will minister to?

Continue reading

« Older posts