MN614-IR Discerning Congregations: Discovering God in the Neighborhood
Kyle Small 3 credits | Tuesdays 1:30 - 4:15pm
The congregation is a sign, instrument, and foretaste of the Kingdom of God - even with its imperfections, divisions, and difficulties. Newbigin called the congregation a “hermeneutic of the gospel” and asked, "Does the concept of local congregation or parish - the area for which a particular group of Christians takes enduring responsibility - have any continuing validity? If so, what would this mean practically in a city…?” This is a course in ecumenical ecclesiology and mission seeking to understand Newbigin’s claim and questions. Students will read in the areas of ecclesiology and mission and will learn the skills of applied ethnographic fieldwork. Students will then work in pairs to adopt a local congregation and engage in conversation discerning God’s mission in local communities. Students can expect to understand how Christian leaders, pastors, and laity can form and lead congregations as participants in God’s mission.
MN391-IR Worship Practicum: Stewardship of Daily Chapel Ron Rienstra
1.5 credits
Students taking this course will be part of a team that assists other students, staff, faculty, and guests in planning and leading daily worship. We will meet each week for 1.5 hours to do advance planning and to engage in reflection on past services. The work itself will be multi-disciplinary -- involving biblical interpretation, liturgical construction, theological reflection, pastoral sensitivity, community care, leadership in music and worship arts, and a bit of administrative and clerical labor.
The course is 3.0 credits spread over a full year. Specific learning goals, as well as reading, writing or other project assignments, will be determined by student gifts and interests. For returning students, this course fulfills a requirement for a worship class.
By invitation only. Students who wish to receive an invitation should speak directly to Dr. Rienstra. Students may repeat the course a second or third year not for credit, but as an on-campus job. See the instructor for further details.
TH505-IR Creation Calling: Thinking Wisely, Acting Well Suzanne McDonald
3 credits | Thursdays 1:30 - 4:15pm
Creation is loved into being and sustained by the Triune God, who also has a glorious eschatological future for it. Human beings are called to keep it in ways that are consonant with God’s purposes, but instead, creation calls out in protest at having to bear the consequences of our alienation from God. Through readings, film, guest speakers, and field trips, this course will help us to think with scriptural and theological wisdom about the doctrine of creation and ‘creation care’ issues, and will also help us to discover ways to act well towards the rest of creation in our various ministry settings.