ML530/630: Lifelong Development (4 units)
J. Robert Clinton, Professor
of Leadership
Winter2008
DESCRIPTION:
This
course explores the nature of Christian leadership development. Leadership
emergence theory is a grounded theory derived from the comparative study of many
life histories of biblical, historical, and contemporary leaders.
The development of a leader takes a lifetime. God processes or shapes a leader
in terms of leadership character, leadership skills, and leadership values. The
processes that God uses can be studied, categorized, and characterized. They
can be integrated around a timeline of a leader that shows development from the
big picture, the lifetime perspective. Patterns can be observed as God develops
a person over a lifetime. These variables—that is, the large umbrella concepts
of the course, processing, time, and patterns of response—form the backbone of
the course. Emphasis in this course is upon recognition of values and lessons
learned in God's processing as well as integration of them along a timeline.
Many individual concepts flowing from these variables such as various process
items, the unique timeline, boundaries, giftedness development pattern, and
many, many more are examined, all with a view toward understanding one's own
shaping. The thrust of this course involves learning perspectives that will aid
life-long development.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: A student
will have:
1.
proven the ability to analyze any leader’s life using leadership
emergence theory concepts.
2. proven the ability to construct a
case study involving the following elements: unique timeline with additional
information on it (response patterns, etc.); listing of process items; a
narrative capsule (personal history); social base inventory; analysis of 5 key
process items; major principles for the 5 key process items; analysis of one
major boundary; giftedness analysis; destiny processing analysis; life purpose
paragraph.
3. familiarity with numerous leadership
emergence concepts including: process items, response patterns, time-line
definitions as seen by use in a written case study and exercises turned in
daily;
4. worked through analysis of Images of God concepts as seen in 10 spiritual
formation inputs. See syllabus for details.
COURSE FORMAT:
This course meets for two two-hour sessions per week. The first session
includes a time of spiritual formation. There are also instructor lectures and
question/answer times. Half of the second session involves further input on
lifelong development concepts. The other half is devoted to small group
activities that apply the concepts.
REQUIRED
1. ML530 Class Syllabus.
2. ML530 Reader Articles (available on
discs).
3. Clinton, J. Robert. The Making of a Leader.
4. Clinton, J. Robert. Leadership Emergence Theory.
5. Trebesch,
Shelley. Isolation.
6. Choice of One:
Samuel.
Barnabas.
Joshua.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1.
2. Weekly exercises from Leadership
Emergence Theory and articles designed
for analysis of a student’s own life.
3. A case study on the student's own life using leadership emergence theory
concepts to prompt analysis. This case study will be completed by the end of
the tenth week.
4. Th.M. Students: Presentation in small group from
biographical case study.
PLEASE NOTE, Computer/Email Ability Important: In this class, students will be expected to handle
emails to and from the Professor and graders. Such emails will have attachments
as Word or PDF documents. All grading will be electronically done by Professor
and graders and sent back to the student. You will be expected to be familiar
with reading and using PDF documents. You will be expected to be able to use
MEMORY sticks with USB ports as information will often be passed around in
class. We welcome laptops in class, but they are not required. We will have optional sessions or assign
mentors to help students get up to speed on these skills. On day 1, CDs
will be passed out to the class with all the basic inputs and PowerPoints for the quarter on it. Frequent emails are sent
to the class updating them on various items.
PREREQUISITES: Students must have at least three years
of ministry experience or equivalent. No auditing.
RELATIONSHIP
TO CURRICULUM: Core course for MA in Intercultural Studies program.
FINAL
EXAM: No written examination. Final class day students share orally the results
of the class on their lives.