UM Mission of Church in the World

Instructor: Youngsook Charlene Kang

Course Description:

This course explores historical, theological and practical understanding of mission with a view that the purpose of mission, as interpreted in the Methodist movement- is to vitalize and transform Christian congregations everywhere in the world.

Course Learning Objectives:

Students will

1. Critically examine the meaning and significance of Christian mission and develop a theological, biblical and historical understanding of mission in the global context.
2. Consider the theology of mission as missio Dei (the mission of God) and develop own theology of mission.
3. Explore ways of interaction and conversation with other religious communities in our mission to bring justice and peace to humanity.
4. Explore ways of interaction and connection between thinking & doing mission globally and thinking & doing mission locally.
5. Critically examine justice and peace issues as part of God’s mission
6. Consider “discipleship” as the engagement and transformation of our world and articulate own role of disciple-formation in their contexts of ministry.

Required Texts:

1. Wright, Christopher J. H., The Mission of God's People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission , Zondervan, 2010. ISBN-13 : 978-0310291121
2. Bosch, David J., Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission , Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1991.  (No purchase necessary: Sections of the book needed for reading will be provided in pdf).
3. Eck, Diana, A New Religious America, How a Christian Country Has Now Become the World’s Most Religiously Diverse Nation , Beacon Press, 2003, ISBN : 978-0807073018
4. Maynard, Phil, Shift 2.0: Helping Congregations Back into the Game of Effective Ministry , Market Square Publishing, 2018, ISBN: 978-1732309227
5. Beaumont, Susan, How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going: Leading in a Liminal Season , Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. ISBN-13 : 978-1538127681.

Suggested Readings:

1. Mission Theology Statement , The General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church (The text will be provided.)
2. Kang, Youngsook Charlene, Developing a curriculum for global mission with a special emphasis on peacemaking and interfaith dialogue , Doctor of Ministry Thesis, Drew Theological School, 2007
3. Other reading, viewing and links will be provided from week to week.

Course Requirements and Assignments:

•  Reading and Course participation :   30% for the entire course

  Active presence and participation in discussion forums is required. Complete your reading and viewing and engage the class actively and critically.  Completing the reading and viewing assignments is important, however, it is more important to engage the materials critically and reflectively.  I agree that critical thinking is “about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.” Each week when you engage in the class discussion online, I want you to think about the topic of the week missionally, theologically, biblically and communally (always consider your community of faith you serve in your thinking). 

  The content of the class will be available approximately two weeks prior to the class, if not before. Along with the topic, I will post my comments/reflection, required and suggested reading of the week, and other materials including video clips. I will also post a set of questions for you to ponder and respond.  When you post your reflection, respond to the questions in your own words. Do not quote extensively from the text you read, instead reflect on the reading and your colleagues’ discussion and put your reflections in your own words. Give your critical and constructive feedback on your classmates posting.

  Every week, I ask that you post your first, original response to the material of the week and questions (not to all individual questions by any means) by Tuesday night at 11:59pm MST.  I encourage you to log into the course website early on even though you may not be ready to post your own original response.

  Then, post a second time by continuing your discussions (you may critique your first posting) and providing your critical and constructive feedback on your classmates’ postings by Friday night, 11:59pm MST each week.  Your second or third posting is as important as your first posting. There are course objectives available for Friday postings. When you go to Friday posting sites and click the topic of the week, you will be taken to the discussion threads of the week. Participation in discussion should be completed within the week assigned.

  Late posting or failure to post: Both unexcused and excused late posting or failure to post your engagement will result in lowering your grade.

  This is where I will enter your final participation grade.

• Essay 1:  Write a one to two page autobiographical essay on the story of “How you as a person of faith have participated in the mission of God.” single spaced, 12 point, 400-450 to 800-900 words) 10% of the entire course

  Engaging in mission is to tell the stories of  how God is working in our human history.  I want you to look for the activity of God in your life and around you in the world. I also want you to look for some ways in which you have participated or are participating in the mission of God.  In doing so, you may want to make a reference to Chapter 2 of Wright’s book -  God’s redemptive history and the people who know the Story they are part of.  Also, see how mission or more specifically United Methodist mission is defined in the readings and shared videos.

  You may consider the following  questions as you write your essay.

  • What has been the activity of God in your life and in the community of faith that you have been part of?
  • What is your experience of being engaged in mission- most particularly United Methodist mission?
  • How has your story intersected with God’s story as a missionary God?
  • What does it mean to be part of the redeemed people of God and redeemed nations (Wright, Chapter 2)?

• Essay 2:  Three-page paper on a subject proposed by the student from any of mission’s sub-fields we discuss during the quarter  (biblical and theological understanding of mission, historical understanding of mission, UM mission history with Native people, mission and  peace with justice, and etc. Immigration also could be a subject related to peace with justice. ) (single spaced, 12 point, 1200-1400 words).  20% of the entire course

  This essay is meant to be of a personal reflective nature, but, it should be critical and substantive.  It is essential to reflect on the materials- i.e. reading and viewing provided for the topic that you are choosing. Of course, you are welcome to use other materials related to the topic.  While you use your own words in these reflection papers, the essays should include appropriate footnotes.  Please let me know if you need any assistance in citing sources.

• Essay 3: Two-page paper on your engagement in the interfaith community related to justice ministry (e.g. immigration, AIDS work, climate justice, hunger, peace and etc.)  (single spaced, 12 point, 800-900 words) 20% of the entire course

  • Both unexcused and excused late submissions will result in lowering your grade (-2 points/each of upcoming assignments). Late submissions may not receive written comments from the instructor. 

  Have interfaith conversations with leaders from at least three of your inter-religious communities regarding justice ministries (zoom conversations or phone conversations are allowed in light of the COVID pandemic) and write a reflection paper on your learning.

  Further instructions:

  In completing your Essay 3, you may want to consider the following.

  1. Contextual questions: The Pluralism Project of Harvard University offers some helpful research guidelines.  Although this Essay is not a research paper, you may find it helpful to look through these research guidelines in determining who you want to talk with and what contextual questions to ask of them.  A few sample questions from these research guidelines are:
  • Find out who is there: i.e. how many temples, mosques, churches, meditation centers, synagogues, gurdwaras, etc.
  • What is the history of the synagogue, temple, masjid, etc? 
  • Who worships here now? Is it a particular ethnic group, or is it ecumenical? Has the composition of the group changed significantly in recent years?
  • What happens here every day? Every week? Every month? What are the major festivals and events celebrated or observed? What family rites and rituals take place here?
  • What language is used most commonly here in prayer, worship, and conversation?
  2. Some deeper questions to consider:
  • What are the essential beliefs, values and principles of your faith tradition?
  • How is your synagogue/temple/church/ involved in your neighborhood and community?
  • How do you see an interfaith community developing a refined awareness of our interdependence between and among different religions? How do you envision an interfaith community working together in bringing a just community?  Here you may consider interfaith community referring to “different communities coming together to work in an interfaith context.”  

   

• Essay 4: Project:  Create a project that represents how you envision, interpret and practice Christian disciple formation in your particular context of ministry.  Create a curriculum (which includes a tool/diagram of discipleship)  to introduce and implement a disciple formation process  in your  ministry context and write a three-page paper in total about this curriculum and include a discipleship formation process/tool/diagram in the paper.  Make sure that this essay reflects or describes your view of discipleship and discipleship formation. (single spaced, 12 point, words)  20%

  • Both unexcused and excused late submissions will result in lowering your grade (-2 points). Late submissions may not receive written comments from the instructor. 

  Due on Thursday, March 17, 2020

  Further instructions:

  1. Present an outline of your curriculum on the discipleship formation process. Be as creative as you wish. As an example only, it can be organized into the following parts.
     • short description
     • goals or objectives
     • content of the discipleship formation process (if you like, you may attach a certain timeline or schedule here). Please create a diagram of the process.  Some examples:
       • Path of discipleship, Mountain Sky Conference of The United Methodist Church, https://www.mtnskyumc.org/visionandgoalsofleadershipdevelopment
       • Intentional Discipleship System at Central United Methodist Church https://www.seeallthepeople.org/intentional-discipleship-at-central-united-methodist-church/
       • Intentional Discipleship District by District, Oklahoma Annual Conference https://www.seeallthepeople.org/intentional-discipleship-district-by-district/
     • class materials (books, articles, videos and etc.)
  2. Provide an explanation of your proposed discipleship formation process. Discuss what vision of discipleship is guiding your proposed discipleship process. Here, you may cover your view of ’disciple,’ ‘discipleship,’ ‘disciple making process’ and why. You may also discuss how your disciple formation process relates to the changing mission context. You may quote the scripture(s).  Use appropriate citations and bibliography.
  3. As you prepare a curriculum, you may reference to Maynard’s core curriculum (Maynard, pp144-145). You may pick a phase (e.g. beginning phase, growing phase or maturing phase) or address the entire process.

   

Late submission: Both unexcused and excused late submissions of your essays will result in lowering your grade (-2 points/each).

Grading System:

The Iliff grading system is a five-letter system from A through F with pluses and minuses. In computing grade point average (GPAs), grades are assigned the following numerical values ( The Master’s Student Handbook ):

• A :       4.00   (100 − 96%)
• A-:       3.75   (95 – 91%)
• B+:      3.25   (90 – 86%)
• B :       3.00   (85 – 81%)
• B-:       2.75   (80 − 76%)
• C+:      2.25   (75 – 71%)