Theology of Ministry
About This Class
Ministry is built upon sound biblical, theological and cultural foundations. Each generation of the Church must understand and build on these foundations, as well as discover relevant contemporary innovations and applications. This course intends to help you integrate an understanding of the Word and the world with the development of a personal philosophy of ministry.
At the end, it's a good exercise to write out you own theology of ministry that you could present to a board and/or articulate as situations in your ministry come up.
Recommended Reading:
Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition, Andrew Purves
Reconstructing Pastoral Theology, Andrew Purves
Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, D. A. Carson
Pastoral Theology, Thomas C. Oden
The Soul of Ministry: Forming Leaders for God’s People, Ray S. Anderson
Serious Times, James White
The Art of Pastoring, David Hansen
The Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter, James Macintosh Houston
Revolution, George Barna
The Shaping of Things to Come, Michael Frost
The Contemplative Pastor, Eugene Peterson
Faithfulness and Holiness, J. I. Packer
Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
Power, Weakness and the Tabernacling of God, Marva J. Dawn
A Theology of the Dark Side, Nigel Wright
The Great Giveaway, David Fitch
Too Christian, Too Pagan, Dick Staub
Surprised by the Voice of God, Jack Deere
About the Professor
John Johnson
Dr. John Johnson, former Lead Pastor and current Interim Pastor at GracePointe, is an Associate Professor at Western Seminary. He's an author, global teacher, and avid kayaker.
Lessons
Theology is the clarification of convictions by which we engage in ministry.
0% CompleteDuring the Renaissance, some people began making a distinction between academic theology and practical theology.
0% CompleteThe incarnation is the prism through which we view our entire missional task.
0% CompleteChrist embodied the OT offices of prophet, priest and king.
0% CompleteMinistry is a paradox of leading by serving.
0% CompleteWe need to hear what God is saying through his word and proclaim it. A ministry of grace is characterized by a heart of forgiveness and reconciliation.
0% CompleteMinistry is participation in God’s work of transforming the community of faith until it is blameless at the coming of Christ.
0% CompleteThere is no ministry without church and no church without ministry.
0% CompleteOur ministry is to be done in the context of community. We can't avoid institutions, but we can avoid institutionalism.
0% CompleteEach of us is called to God, then to serve the body with the gifts we receive from the Spirit. Some have a special call to leadership.
0% CompleteCharacter is what validates our ministry. We earn integrity by having a rigorous devotion to the truth.
0% CompleteGiftedness should reflect in your passion for ministry, what God is blessing in your life and what other people are affirming.
0% CompleteOur mission is to advance the kingdom of God, so we are in conflict with Satan trying to advance his kingdom. God has given us authority. We need to exercise it and stand against sin.
0% Complete- When people begin a new movement, it can create an opportunity for you to re-evaluate your theology and practice to determine if your ideas are biblical or based solely on tradition.0% Complete
It’s important to have a theological basis for evaluating the effectiveness of your ministry.
0% CompleteMuch of the daily work of ministry involves menial and mundane tasks. The glorious side of ministry overshadows the inglorious.
0% CompleteIt’s important for your theology to inform your ministry and for your ministry to apply your theology.
0% Complete
Class Resources
Downloads
Recommended Readings
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