WESTERN SEMINARY
THS 563N/DIS562J – THEOLOGICAL ISSUES OF CHILDREN AT RISK
Summer Semester, 2003
Gerry Breshears & Catharine Coon, Instructors
SYLLABUS
CLASS TEXTS
Budiardjo, T., What the Bible Says About Children
http://www.viva.org/tellme/resources/articles/gods_heart/bible_children.pdf
G. Haugen, Good News about Injustice
A. Hoekema, Created in God's Image
P. Kilbourn, Children in Crisis
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Why would anyone minister to
children at risk – or any other troubled population? Simply
because it's consistent with the heart of YHWH. As people after His own
heart, we will approach ministry as He does. We will ask many questions: How is
a child a person? What does family mean to orphans? What place do children have
in the family of God? Should we evangelize children? How do we do that with
integrity? What is the theological basis for drawing personal boundaries? Why
does God allow such suffering? How can I participate in suffering (Phil.
COURSE GOALS
A. You will understand better the key theological principles involved in ministering to children at risk and begin to formulate an integrated foundation for this ministry.
B. You will improve your skills in using exegesis of key texts to develop your theology.
C. You will appreciate the theological, ethical and ministerial implications of ministry to children at risk.
D. You will appreciate the contributions of other theological movements to your own theology both in terms of direct contribution and in terms of correctives to your weaknesses.
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US:
Western: 1-800-547-4546; (503) 517-1870
Home: (503) 234-4274
FAX: (503) 517-1859
Email: GBreshears@compuserve.com; Gbreshears@Westernseminary.edu, catharinecoon@world.cbi.org
RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Attendance
Seminar sessions: Monday through Friday, June 9-13, 8:00 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
You should clear your schedule so you can attend all sessions and arrange your commute so as to be on time for all class sessions.
The class will be conducted seminar/discussion style. The goal of the discussions will be to refine your personal theological foundation for ministry with children at risk. We will found all our discussion on the biblical materials in an attempt to discover the key issues. Then we will develop the theological principles with the goal of learning how to do the ministry based on a solid theological foundation.
B. Quality of Work
This is a graduate level seminar. You will be expected to perform at that level in all you do. This means that you will discipline yourself to do quality work and to do it on time. You will be expected to have interacted carefully with all assigned readings for the topics. From this basis you will participate in the class discussions to form a learning community. All written material will reflect quality in logic, good methodology, clarity, succinctness, spelling, punctuation and grammar. REMEMBER: Life is short: no fluff! It is assumed that you are able to assess the quality of your work before you hand it in or before you present in class. We encourage you to consult with us to make sure you understand the assignment and/or to go over drafts of your material. Much of the value of the course flows out of the contributions we make to each other from our experiences in ministry and from the effort we put into the work of the course itself. Plan to give your best.
C. Pre-Class Preparation (26 hours)
1. Please read Haugen, Good New about Injustice and Budiardjo, What the Bible Says About Children in their entirety, chapters 2, 3, 5, 11 in Hoekema, Created in God's Image and chapters 1, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21 of Kilbourn, Children in Crisis. The point of the reading is to be familiar with the basic theological issues. Following Western's policy they are to be read at the mastery level, averaging about 25 pages per hour. It assumes careful interaction with the ideas, note taking and will lead to accountability in class discussion at a mastery level. (15 hours)
2. Please complete a scriptural study on the biblical teachings on children at risk and the heart of God using the following list of passages: Psalm 10; 146; Isaiah 1; 29; 58; 61; Ezekiel 22; Zechariah 7:8-12; Matthew 18:1-14; 25:31-46; Luke 6; 18:1-8; 1 Peter 4:12-19; Rev. 6:9-11. Give a try at synthesizing some key theological principles from these passages. List at least four of them to revise and develop as we work through the class.
You will turn in your notes from the study on the first day of class. They will be handed back at the beginning of the second day. They will be graded on the basis of completion and quality of interaction with the passages. (8 hours)
3. Bring one good article you have found for a class discussion that you will lead. Attach your one page interaction with the key issue(s) that stimulated your thinking. (2 hours)
E. Post Class Project (25 hours) [Both due July 14, 2003]
1. A theological framework that will provide a solid foundation for your ministry is essential, especially as work with kids-at-risk has a high rate of failure and/or drop-out. Identify and briefly explain the key theological truths that form the grid work for your ministry. Why are you doing what you do? (Or if your work is not yet started, what will be the theological basis for the ministry?) Look into such areas as the character of God, commands and promises He gives to His people, and truths about people (Christian and non-Christian) and the world in which we live, among others. Show how your project in general, as well as its particular aspects, are based upon God’s Word and how they mesh with the needs of the group you work (or will be working) with. This paper will be about 7-10 pages long. We encourage you to try out ideas and drafts with us as your paper develops. It is due July 14, 2003. (15 hours)
2. Many church mission committees have yet to realize the importance of work among at-risk children. Create a brief presentation that will help convince committee members of the necessity and critical nature of this ministry. Use both biblical and extra biblical material to present your position persuasively. Anticipate and respond to the major questions committee members might have about making children-at-risk a priority ministry focus. Remember that you need to retain the interest of these folks, so keep the presentation short (no more than three pages, if written) and engaging. Feel free to be creative! If you choose a more visual form of presentation (i.e. Power Point), please include the written notes or outline that you will use during the presentation. We encourage you to try out ideas and drafts with us as your presentation develops. It is due July 14, 2003. (10 hours)
FINAL GRADE
The final grade will be determined on completion of the reading, the quality of your class interaction, the scriptural studies, and the final projects. All assignments must be completed with a passing grade to receive a passing grade for the course. All assignments must be submitted by July 14, 2003.