Missional Considerations for Evangelistic Church Planting – EVCP 820

Course Description

This course will guide the student to ask and find answers to healthy questions that should be asked prior to any church planting endeavor. Based on Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8, three primary considerations before starting a church plant within any community are: the sower (character of the man), the seed (communication of the message), and the soil (contextualization of the mission). This course will help the student understand the church planter and the church plant context within the framework of the Great Commission.

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

Rationale

A rationale for understanding and contextualizing an evangelistic church plant within a specific culture is essential. 

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. Each thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge and biblical principles and/or Scripture. Any references must be in current Turabian format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 250 words. (CLOs: A, D)

Book Critique Assignments

The student will write Book Critiques for 3 books (Tripp, Vanderstelt, and Keller). The critique must be at least 1,000 words and include 4 parts with bolded headings: a brief summary of the main idea of the book; strengths of the book (List more than 1.); weaknesses of the book (List more than 1.); and contributions the book could make within your local ministry context. Your critique must be in current Turabian format for any references that are made. Be sure to provide a cover page and follow Turabian style. (CLOs: A, B, C, D)

Strategic Document

Create a document presenting the 10 church planter core characteristics and provide a written self assessment of your life for all 10 characteristics. Also provide a summary of how you could use this tool for assessment within your ministry context. Be as creative as you wish. The content can be presented as a regular paper, a chart, or even a power point presentation. This document is intended to be a resource to guide you or others when leading or teaching within your ministry. You must cite a minimum of three sources which must include the course textbooks written by Clifton and Tripp.; however, all sources that influence conclusions presented in the paper must be documented. Total word count for the document is a minimum of 2,000 words. (CLO: A) 

Strategic Document

Create a document that addresses a specific example of someone in Scripture understanding and adapting to their environment in order to have a greater impact. The document’s conclusions should be derived from Scripture and not culture or tradition. Utilize Scripture to develop the document. Your philosophy of contextualization can include a variety of elements, but must clearly address these distinct categories / questions in detail: Background: where is the biblical character from, culture, habits, etc. (300-word min.); New Context: what are the specifics that you know about the new context that they find themselves in? What similarities or differences are there? (300-word min.); Adaptive ability: what did they do to adapt in order to be more effective in the ministry God had given them? (300-word min.): Be sure to provide the specific questions you are answering and reinforce all answers with Scripture. Total word count should be a minimum of 2,000 words and a minimum of three sources must be cited. (CLO: D)

Select a specific community. Present all demographic, sociographic, ecclesiographic, and ethnographic research. Present all contextual, empirical and subjective data. Create a complete community profile with evangelistic methodology including a community questionnaire that could be used to assess the spiritual climate of the area. Present all creative gospel opportunities within the community. Detail the context and recommend a model that would best display the gospel. What are the perceived values of that community and what are the redeemed versions of those values as a result of gospel work? The total word count for the document must be a minimum of 2,000 words and cite a minimum of three sources. (CLOs: B, C, D)