Western Seminary
DMS 501 THINKING THEOLOGICALLY ABOUT MINISTRY
Summer Term,
1 Credit Hour
Instructor: Dr. James E. Sweeney
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Ministry must be structured and guided by a sound biblical philosophy; theological presuppositions underlie every activity of ministry. This course will lay the groundwork for the integration of ministry and theology, preparing the students to develop their own philosophy of ministry. The work in this course will introduce you to a process that will culminate in the advanced course, THS 508, Integration of Ministry and Theology.
This course will meet Tuesday through Thursday (May 6-8),
COURSE GOALS
This course is intended to enable you to:
1. Identify and assess a foundation of biblical premises, values and principles on
which you can build and evaluate a lifetime of ministry.
2. Begin the process of developing your own philosophy of ministry by identifying
and integrating your core ministry values and sound theology.
3. Develop further in terms of the specified M.Div. core outcome #5 (See
Western Catalog, p. 37, for listing of numbered M.Div. Core Outcomes.)
"Know the nature and mission of the church, being able to implement a
biblically-based philosophy of ministry in various contexts and cultures.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
ASSIGNED
IMPORTANT NOTE: Pre-Course
Prior to the first session, you will be expected to have read “Defining Evangelicalism’s Boundaries in Ministry” (Sweeney). Instructions on how to download this paper are found at the end of this syllabus.
All other required reading will be in form of handouts
provided by the instructor in class.
Required reading handouts:
1. “Integrating
Lessons of Life: Toward a Philosophy of Ministry” (
2. “Ministry Core Values” (Westing)
3. “Ministry Minus Methods Equals Madness” (Means)
4. “Toward a Biblical View of Call” (Polhill)
5. “Unfinished
Business” (
6. “Coming to Terms with Technique” (McCullough)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
Philosophy of Ministry Statement Since our primary purpose will be to think about ministry in terms of its theological foundations, you will prepare a written, tentative statement of your own philosophy of ministry. This paper will
be developed around concepts and principles that are discussed in class. Specific guidelines for the paper will be furnished. The paper is to be submitted no later than May 20 (two weeks after the last course session). You may submit the paper as an email attachment.
PARTICIPATION IN CLASS SESSIONS
Your contribution to class discussion will be expected, and should be informed by regular and consistent reading assigned. Since we will meet for three days only, your attendance and active participation is a crucial part of the learning experience for all of us. Specifically, contributing questions, personal experiences and perspectives in a ministry-focused course is a significant part of the process.
If it becomes necessary for you to miss any part of a class session during the three days, it will be your responsibility to notify the instructor in advance if possible, and to take responsibility for any missed material. [Note instructor’s email address at top of syllabus.]
EVALUATION/GRADING
Credit and grade for the course will be determined by effective participation and contribution in class sessions, reflecting prior interaction with required reading, and timeliness and quality of written work.
Written work must be typed or printed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper, font 12. Attention to quality of expression, grammar and spelling is expected.
Grading Criteria: Written work will be evaluated and graded on the basis of
1) evidence of a grasp of the essential issues at stake; 2) evidence of careful organization of concepts involved; and 3) effective communication of the concepts presented.
_____________________
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
DOWNLOADING PRE-COURSE
1. Go to the Western Seminary Website (www.westernseminary.edu)
2. On the Western
Seminary home page top bar, click on “Get to Know
Western.”
3. Under Academic Programs, click on “Faculty
Papers Download.”
4. In Keyword box
type Ministry. In Author
box type Sweeney.
Then click on Link to File.
[Go on to next page for Course Schedule]
DMS 501
COURSE SCHEDULE May 4-6
TUESDAY
In preparation for today’s session you should have
completed reading “Defining Evangelical
Boundaries in Ministry” (Sweeney)
Ministry Functions and Forms
Reading assignments to be completed for tomorrow’s
session (handouts):
1.
“Integrating the Lessons of Life: Toward a Philosophy of Ministry”
(
2. “Ministry Core Values” (Westing)
3. “Ministry
Minus Methods Equals Madness” (Means)
4. “Toward
a Biblical View of Call” (Polhill)
WEDNESDAY
Reading assignments to be completed for tomorrow’s
session (handouts):
1. “Unfinished Business” (
2. “Coming
to Terms with Technique”
(McCullough)
THURSDAY
Taking the Body Seriously
Identity: Competing Values and False Gods