MC535/635: The Emerging Church in the 21^st Century (4 units)

Ryan Bolger, Assistant Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture
Spring 2007 Pasadena

DESCRIPTION:

The course identifies characteristics of postmodern churches and examines how these communities embody their faith within urban, new age, holistic, and artistic contexts. The class will explore the dynamics of the sacred/secular split, forms of community, contextual forms of apologetics, hospitality, new forms of participation, creativity, leadership, and the spirituality of everyday life. Theologically, the class will explore how the reign of God might manifest in worship, in formation, and in witness in postmodern cultures.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Assess the nature of postmodern cultural contexts
• Gain tools to engage postmodernity through worship, spirituality and witness
• Develop plans for particular churches to be restructured as missional congregations in postmodern culture.

COURSE FORMAT: This course meets daily for two weeks. Pre-reading is required. The course utilizes lectures, discussions, interaction, small group work, and blogs.

REQUIRED READING: If you have previously read any of the required texts, please select an alternative text from the recommended reading list or a book approved by the instructor.

Read the following three books:
Barna. Revolution. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale. 2005, 143 pp.
Gibbs and Bolger, Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2005, 352 pp.
Stetzer, Ed and David Putman. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in your Community. Boulder Co: B & H Publishing, 2006, 244 pp.
Read one of these:
Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Paths: Reactivating the Missional Church. Grand Rapids: MI: Brazos Press. 2007, 304 pp.
Frost, Michael. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture. Peabody MA: Hendrickson Publishers. 2006, 332 pp.
Read one of these:
Cole, Neil. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens. San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass. 2005. 272 pp.
Pagitt, Doug. Church Reimagined, The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005, 240 pp.
Read one of these:
Rollins, Peter. How (not) to Speak of God. Orleans, MA: Paraclete Press, 144 pp.
Taylor, Steve. The Out of Bounds Church? Learning to Create a Community of Faith in a Culture of Change. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2005, 176 pp.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Students will write 500 word weekly blog posts analyzing their faith community in light of the lectures, class discussion, online discussion, and books.
2. Students will build on the insights gleaned from the blog interactions and write a 3500 word paper analyzing their community with all the combined resources of the class. Th.M. Students will be required to add 1500 words to this final assignment and read two extra books from the required section.

PREREQUISITES: None

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

FINAL EXAM: None

Last Date Edited: December 18, 2006