Growth & Development of the Contemporary Minister – PACO 825

Course Description

An in-depth look at the person in ministry. Extensive testing will form the foundation for this course and the results of the testing will be used to develop a growth profile for the individual student.

Rationale

D.Min. students are required to take this course in order to develop an awareness of the myriad of challenges and opportunities facing ministry leaders today. The course also supports the development of a personal strategy to facilitate longevity in service, increased competency and personal growth in ministry and facilitates its application in his/her personal, spiritual, marital, familial, and ministry life.

Course Assignment

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions provide opportunities to integrate insights and skills gleaned from the assigned readings, assessments, lectures, web resources, and the Scriptures as the student narrates movement through a process for growing in favor with God and others.

Due to the nature of these connected, collaborative, cumulative research-based discussions, the content-building discussions will have a “paper or presentation-like feel” (i.e. more is expected than in a typical discussion-based forum). Required texts, assessments, and lectures-to-date are to be noticeably and consistently used to ground assertions. In response to prompts in each discussion, the student must synthesize pertinent material and write a substantive research-based thread and reply.

Pertinent insights from all readings-to-date should be synthesized weekly and moved forward into subsequent learning activities. Each thread must be at least 450 words, and noticeably/meaningfully employ at least 1 pertinent insight from each required source~readings-to-date and lecture notes/presentations (see Course Schedule). In the assigned week, the student writes 1 substantive research-based reply related to a specific point of reference withing a classmate's thread. Each reply must noticeably/meaningfully employ at least 1 pertinent insight from course related knowledge and be at least 150 words.

All posts must be written with clarity and conciseness, without spelling, grammar, word choice errors, and adhere to meaning-making forum guidelines and rubric expectations.  Current Turabian form guidelines should be followed. Specific instructions are provided in the assignment instructions’ folder of the course (Discussions Guidelines and Discussions Rubric).  NOTE: the Final Discussions Rubric has different expectations. (Assesses Learning Objectives IV. A-G)

Subject Matter Conversations (2)

Subject Matter Conversations (SMC) are intentionally designed to create meaningful learning experiences between the faculty member and students.  Students are required to identify and carefully respond to one of nine questions for these assignments. Throughout the course there will be two opportunities to connect via Microsoft Teams; however, the student has the choice to attend one of the SMCs or get the necessary information from the provided assignment details. Students are highly encouraged to attend the SMCs. Links to these meetings will be sent at the start of the term. (Assesses Learning Objective IV. A).

The student will write 2 book reviews to resource the cumulative learning process. Practical Book Review 1 will solely address the Ortberg text and Practical Book Review 2 ̶ Issler text. The body of each review must be at least 4 pages and follow current Turabian form. Specific instructions are provided in the assignment folder of the course. See Course Schedule for due dates. (Assesses Learning Objectives IV. A, D, F)

Quizzes (2)

Self-Administered Assessment Assignment