CHPL 655 Chaplain Evangelism and Discipleship

This course will focus on the biblical imperative of evangelism and various methods of witnessing in the pluralistic cultures in which chaplains serve. Particular emphasis will be given to wisely sharing the Gospel in military, healthcare, and community settings. Additionally, attention will be given to evangelism follow-up, discipleship, and scripture memorization.

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

The evangelical chaplain needs to be prepared to share the gospel in secular and pluralistic settings to which he or she is called. Each chaplain needs to be fully prepared to evangelize and make disciples within the culture to which he or she is called.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

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Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompts for each Discussion. Each reply must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. For each thread, the student must support his or her assertions with at least 3 scholarly citations in Turabian format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 300 words and must incorporate at least 2 scholarly citations in Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)

It is imperative to articulate one’s theology of discipleship based on the Scriptures. The paper will be rooted in Scripture and supported with sound biblical interpretation and analysis. The paper should be focused on God’s plan and purpose to make disciples. The paper must be no longer than 1,250–1,500 words, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, D)

One’s theology of evangelism is built upon the Scriptures. The paper will be rooted in Scripture and supported with sound biblical interpretation and analysis. The paper should be focused on God’s plan and purpose of evangelism. The paper will be no longer than 1,250–1,500 words, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C)

The student will self-video or utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) or develop a narrated and illustrated video published to an open-source platform such as YouTube. Next, the student will create a Gospel Presentation card with a QR code he/she can hand out as part of his/her evangelism encounters which leads to the video clearly presenting God’s Plan of Salvation. The video must use Scripture and scriptural principles as its foundation and may utilize one of the gospel presentation methods described in the course (Romans Road, Three Circles, Bridge, etc.) or similar method. The video must be between 1.5-3 minutes in length. The student should refer to the assignment instructions in Canvas for additional information. (CLO: C, E, F)

The student will write of his/her efforts to share the gospel with an interested unbeliever. The best way to learn how to evangelize is to do it. Therefore, each student should be praying for opportunities to share his or her faith with others and being attentive to God’s leading. All encounters must be from the current semester.

To receive full credit, the student must show through the report that the individual was brought to a point of decision. Specifically, this means the student must demonstrate intentionality in reference to presenting Christ. The individual’s response is not the issue, rather it is the student’s intentional obedience to the Holy Spirit in calling people to a decision. The student should be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and demonstrate a servant’s heart. Each paper must be 2-3 pages, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

The student will interact with ministerial practitioners and academicians through various textbooks. The paper will include critical evaluation of the assigned text, consisting of a summary, critique, and application. The summary must focus on the main ideas and significant themes in the book, as well as an account of the author’s overall purpose in writing. The summary should not exceed 1 page in length. The critique section must contain a well-thought-out critical interaction with the author’s thesis and the main points of the argument he presents in the book. The critique must present the strengths and weaknesses, as well as an overall evaluation of the book. The critique should be no less than 2 pages. The application section of the paper should address how the student will apply the concepts learned from the text to his or her specific ministry context (i.e., Military Chaplain, Hospital Chaplain, Community Chaplain). The application section should be no less than 1 page in length. The paper must be accomplished in Turabian footnote citation style.

In addition to these requirements, the paper must have a proper introduction and conclusion and follow the structure of a standard academic essay (Title page, Introduction, summary, critique, application, conclusion, Bibliography). The paper will be no longer than 5 pages. (CLO: A, B, D)

A personal philosophy of evangelism details how one thinks about evangelism in pluralistic and secular chaplain ministry settings. The paper will support the philosophy, using Scripture and scriptural principles. The student’s philosophy must be specific to his or her ministry context. This should reflect the incarnational aspect of his or her ministry and be rooted in his or her theology. The paper will be no longer than 800–1,000 words, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Leading discipleship groups is instructive and formative. The student will form his or her own discipleship group and write three reports detailing his or her discipleship group. The intent is for each student to lead, or co-lead, a ministry group devoted to discipleship. Each report will detail different aspects of the group. Each report must be 2-3 pages, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, D)

One’s personal philosophy of discipleship defines how to disciple in pluralistic and secular chaplain ministry settings. The paper will encompass Scripture and scriptural principles to support the philosophy. The student’s philosophy must be specific to his or her ministry context. This should reflect the incarnational aspect of the student’s ministry and be rooted in his or her theology. The paper must be no longer than 800–1000 words, incorporate 3 scholarly citations (can be the Bible, course textbooks, and/or journal articles published in the last 5 years), and use current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The student will create a comprehensive discipleship curriculum that he or she can utilize to disciple others. The curriculum must be rooted in Scripture and include a four-step plan of discipleship. There is a 2,500 word minimum and the paper should adhere to current Turabian format. The student should refer to the assignment instructions for additional information. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)