Lesslie Newbigin wrote that the only hermeneutic of the gospel is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it. The only church that makes a difference in culture is a real, tangible, visible church. Too many congregations have very little impact on culture, choosing instead to live in isolation and irrelevance. Any congregation in any setting has the opportunity, and the obligation to be a missional outpost. This course will explore theological basis for the missional church and how that identity emerges and is lived out in the practices of a local congregation.   

What Others Have Thought:  

"The course challenged me to think deeply about the structures that I put in place in order to carry out the stated mission and my understanding of the mission of our organization. It calls everything into question, and ultimately challenges my courage."  

"This course allowed me to gain practical methods of how to train leaders to be better equipped with an apostolic mind set."    

Course Project:   

All students will do a project that looks at missional engagement in a specific local context. They will reflect on the church's mission in culture, establish the characteristics of a missional congregation and apply these characteristics in their local context.  

Sample Readings From This Course May Include:   

Anderson, Ray S. An Emergent Theology for the Emerging Church. Intervarsity Press, 2006.   

Drane, John. After McDonaldization: Mission, Ministry, and Christian Discipleship in an Age of Uncertainty. Baker Academic, 2008.  

McNeal, Reggie. Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church. Jossey-Bass, 2009.   

Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Eerdmans, 1989.    

If you would like more information about this course please email the DMIN office at dmin@fuller.edu 

For a sample course description please click here.  NOTE: This is not to be used as a source for course preparation.