Change and Conflict in Church Revitalization – CHMN 830

Course Description

An advanced course for pastors and church leaders who are called to lead a church through the process of church revitalization. This course will give the pastor and church leader the biblical and practical understanding, training, and leadership skills to successfully navigate change and conflict in a church that is engaging revitalization process.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Church revitalization requires a clear call from God to the pastor, church leaders, and members of the church. The church body must embrace a clear understanding of the church revitalization process as they work together and invest spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially in this process. The leadership's willingness to learn and be equipped is also critical.  Studies show that the following are critical to revitalization process: Strong leadership and people skills, team work, effective communication, conflict resolution, handling and overcoming opposition to change, biblical unity, evangelism, and a total surrender to the mission or reaching a lost and hurting world that needs Jesus.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words.  (CLOs: A, B)

Book Review Assignments (2)

Book reviews have significant academic value because they teach the student how to engage literature through a strategic lens so as to analyze and evaluate critical concepts, perspectives, and principles. In collegiate settings, book reviews require far more than recounting facts or simply affirming an author’s insights or perspectives. This review will, therefore, require the student to offer an objective assessment, critical examination, and thoughtful engagement of a the selected text/s. This assignment should be 4-5 pages in length and should be fully formatted according to Turabian guidelines.   (CLOs: A, B, C, E)

Organizational Life Cycle Assignment

Understanding the natural life cycle of an organization is helpful when positioning a church or ministry for seasons of growth or recovery.  For this assignment, the student will be tasked with designing their own Life Cycle Model and then present that model via a brief video or a narrated PowerPoint. (CLOs: C, D)

Change Readiness Assignment

The student will develop a 10-question assessment survey, a biblical rationale for change as well as a personal philosophy statement about the biblical nature and necessity of change. This assignment should be 3-4 pages in length and should be fully formatted according to Turabian guidelines.  (CLOs: C, D, E)

Case Study Assignment

Case studies provide opportunities to examine and respond to real-life scenarios so students can hone their critical thinking and decision-making skills. In this assignment, the student will explore different conflict scenarios and determine how to manage the conflict and move those involved toward recovery, reconciliation and growth. This assignment should be 4-5 pages in length and should be fully formatted according to Turabian guidelines.   (CLOs: D, E)

Conflict Resolution Plan Assignment

In this multi-faceted project, the student will outline a conflict-resolution strategy that includes a personal theology of change, a change-readiness assessment, a conflict awareness narrative and a detailed plan to lead and navigate change in a church or organization. There is not a page requirement set for this assignment, however, the student's work must be formatted according to Turabian guidelines.  (CLOs: A, B, C, D, E)