Overview
After completing this concentration, students will understand the relationship between the churches and the cultural context in which they are located. They will be able to identify the essential elements in the revitalizing of existing churches. In addition, students will develop appropriate church models and the skills needed for indigenous church planting.
Courses Available
*MC 500 Church in Mission. Provides a biblical and theological framework for understanding the Church and the practical implications of its role in world mission. CSCC. Bolger, Deiros
*MC 502 Becoming a Missional Church. Introduces the wide range of issues and skills related to the complex processes involved in creating and implementing a philosophy of ministry and missional strategy for a local church from the pastor’s perspective. MIN8, GLBL. Van Engen (This course is available through Distance Learning.)
*MC 520 Church Growth in Contemporary Culture. Basic principles and procedures of church growth as developed in Donald McGavran’s Understanding Church Growth and applied to present-day missiology. ISCC, optional core competency for Th.M. May be taken by CCS students after MC500. Deiros
*MC 532 Evangelizing Nominal Christians. Examines the complex problem of nominality in the individual, the institutional church and society, and its impact on urbanization, secularization and pluralism. MIN3. Bolger
*MC 535 The Emerging Church in the Twenty-First Century. Identifies key characteristics of modern and postmodern contexts, addressing the challenges each presents to the local church. Bolger
* Normally offered once per year
** Normally offered every other year
º Offered on an irregular basis
Other Recommended Courses for this Concentration
MH 571 Survey of African Christianity
ML 537 Leaders and Church in Culture
ML 565 Understanding Organizational Dynamics
MN 520 Introduction to Urban Mission
MN 526 Urban Ministry/Mission Models
CF 507 Building Christian Comm./Small Groups
EV 511 Small Group Evangelism
CF 501 Teaching and Leading in the Church
CF 565 Empowering the People of God
GM 525 Liberating the Laity Across Cultures
NE 516 Acts (English Text)
NS 511 Emergence of the Church
NS 526 The Church in the New Testament
NS 545 The First Urban Churches
NS 561 Women, the Bible, and the Church
ST 503 ST III: Ecclesiology and Eschatology
ST 516 Theology of Christian Comm. and Ministry
PM 507 Equipping Pastor
PM 511 Person and Practice of Ministry
PM 517 African-American Church Admin/L’ship
PM 520 Church Management
PM 535 Leading and Developing a Church to Maturity
TM 505 Multiculturalism Today
TM 506 Contemporary Evangelism and Mission
Other MC courses may also fulfill concentration. See advisor for details.