Displayed below is an actual program learning plan developed by one of the LEC1 cohort students. Although module learning plans will vary widely from student to student according to their various learning objectives, this plan will give you an idea of what a learning plan looks like.
Sample learning plan produced by a LEC student
We would like to thank Jon Talbert for allowing us to post this copy of his Module three learning plan.
Leadership in the Emerging Culture
Module Three Learning Plan
Approved: October, 2007
Presented to
Dr. Kent Yinger
By Jon Talbert
DMIN536
Discipleship, Spiritual Formation and the soul of Compassion
This term I would like to clearly understand the theology and practical implications of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation as the ground work for Compassion and Justice. The direction of this module would specifically be to differentiate the basis and motivation of spiritual formation-driven Compassion as opposed to popular culture-driven compassion. The more time I spend with churches (speaking, coaching, and consulting) the more I find leaders searching for a fix-it plan that eventually becomes a trend or a passing fad. The twist with compassion and justice is that it intuitively feels right and is currently the hot trend in popular culture.
My hope is to understand programmatic compassion trends within the church and look at personal (small group) and corporate (church-wide) compassion sustainability as it relates to discipleship and spiritual formation.
Module Three: Goals and Outcomes
- To develop a clear understanding of how compassion and justice are developed and nurtured through discipleship and spiritual formation.
- To identify common threads within churches that successfully integrated these forms into the life and infrastructure of that community.
- To read through and understand the theology of compassion, especially how it is integrated into discipleship and spiritual formation models over the past 10 years.
- To walk through compassion trends and sustainability in current European compassion movements.
Working Bibliography
Agnew, Elizabeth N. From Charity to Social Work: Mary E. Richmond and the Creation of an American Profession. University of Illinois Press, December 2003.
Boddie, Stephanie C., Cnaan, Ram A. The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare. New York: University Press, July 2002.
Brooks, Arthur C. Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism. New York: Basic Books, 2006.
Brown, Dorothy M. McKeown Elizabeth. The Poor Belong to Us: Catholic Charities and American Welfare. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1997.
Carter, Jimmy. Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Carson, D. A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Zondervan, 2005.
Clinton, Bill. Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. Knopf Publishing Group, 2007.
Cole, Neil. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
Ford, Marcia. Traditions of the Ancients: Vintage Faith Practices for the 21st Century. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 2006.
Frost, Michael. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2006.
Frost, Michael, and Alan Hirsch. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church. Hendrickson, 2003.
Gibbs, Eddie, and Ryan K. Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures. Baker Academic, 2005.
Henderson, Jim. A.K.A. "Lost": Discovering Ways to Connect with the People Jesus Misses Most. WaterBrook Press, 2005.
Henderson, Jim, Matt Casper. Jim and Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation About Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians. Carol Stream, IL: Barna Books, 2007.
Kolodiejchuk, Brian. Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta'. Doubleday Publishing, 2007.
Hendricks, Obery M. The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of the Teachings of Jesus and How They Have Been Corrupted. New York: Doubleday, 2006.
McNeal, Reggie. Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006.
McLaren, Brian D. A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished Christian. Zondervan, 2004.
Miller, Donald. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality: T. Nelson, 2003.
Myss, Caroline M. Invisible Acts of Power: Channeling Grace in Your Everyday Life. Free Press, 2006.
Nesbitt, Paula D. Religion and Social Policy. AltaMira Press, 2001.
Oord, Thomas Jay, Michael E. Lodahl. Relational Holiness: Responding to the Call of Love: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 2005.
Roxburgh, Alan J., Fred Romanuk. The Missional Leader : Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. Jossey-Bass, 2006.
Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Knopf Publishing Group, 2005
Stetzer, Ed, David Putman. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 2006.
Sweet, Leonard I. Post-Modern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century World. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman, 2000.
Wuthnow, Robert. Saving America? : Faith-Based Services and the Future of Civil Society. Princeton University Press, 2004.
Stoesz, Edgar, Philip Yancey, Ted Brown, Winifred Kellersberger. Contagious Compassion: Celebrating One Hundred Years of American Leprosy Missions Tennesee: Providence House Publishers, February 2006.
Walsh, Hendrick, Brian J. Vander Vennen. An Ethos of Compassion and the Integrity of Creation. Boston:Robert Hart University Press of America, 1995.
Weber, Max, Talcott Parsons. Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Dover Publications, 2003.
The Conference to be Attended
Serve the City, Brussels Belgium International Compassion Networking Oct 31st - Nov 8th. I have been offered the opportunity to visit and work along side Serve the City (http://www.servethecity.be/ ) in Brussels, Belgium. The lead is Carlton Deal who is with Christian Associates (http://www.christianassociates.org/). My visit would include visiting compassion projects, understanding cultural nuances of Compassion in Europe v. US, extensive interviews, spending time with their staff, and working through issues of the trend of compassion/service in contemporary culture and how they translate general compassion into incarnational ministry.
Synopsis of the Essay
The essay that I would like to write deals with the above mentioned titled regarding Discipleship, Spiritual formation, and the soul of compassion.
Thesis statement:
Among the many trends sweeping across the West, compassion, justice, and serving others has become the latest fad in US pop culture. Civic groups, schools, businesses, and celebrities name just a few of the many within western society to respond to growing needs that exist locally and around the world. This growing tide of compassion comes, for the most part, from individuals who authentically care and want to make a difference and who also are drawn towards the feeling of “personal satisfaction” (either public or private) that comes with lending a helping hand. While these themes of compassion continue to take root, the church searches to find its relevance within its surrounding community and has adopted many of the contemporary trends as a means for building bridges and connecting to its community. While compassion has served the churches in connecting to the community, and has blessed those in need, it also stands susceptible as a passing fad or the latest program that will fall to the wayside once faith-based communities have tried this, and grown tired of it. I hope to re:illuminate a theology of compassion that is rooted in discipleship and spiritual formation that will ground churches and believers in a sustainable work that will not only bring about personal satisfaction, but also personal sanctification.
Description of the Practical Project or Outcomes to be Completed
- To develop speaking/coaching tracks for churches moving towards the Missional Model.
- “Compassion Unleashed”
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- Cultural Trends (Toxins, Pollutants, Expired Prescriptions)
- Discipleship & Spiritual Formation and Compassion
- Creativity, Unity, and Collaboration
- To continue working through the DNA of Compassion in the Missional Church project, with the reading and research within this module directed towards Spiritual Formation and Discipleship as the foundational groundwork for sustainable transformational compassion.
- Continued work with the Beautiful Day Network.
- Hosting/Speaking at the “Compassion Unleashed” National Conference 08.
- Continue to develop the web-based compassion/justice resources on the Beautiful Day website.
- Initiate/host a regional Missional Church leadership forum in the Bay Area.