George Fox Evangelical Seminary

Course Description:

Effective leaders in Christian ministry are forever aware that they are influenced both by the Risen Christ and by the cultural context in which they are located. Unless one has an understanding of the times in which one lives, it is very likely that one will not perceive how best to lead (cf. 1 Chronicles 12:32).

Theologically speaking the church has only one principal leader—Jesus Christ. Those who aspire to positions of leadership in church-related ministries do best to conceive of their role as both subordinate and responsive to the headship of the Risen Christ. Accordingly, the practice of Christian leadership necessarily entails (1) attending, (2) perceiving, and (3) obeying the voice of our Leader—a discipline that I describe in this course as spiritual discernment.

DMIN 531 encompasses both a theoretical and practical focus. Theoretically, we consider the biblical, historical, and theological bases for spiritual discernment. Practically, we examine the various ways in which the church engages in spiritual discernment today (although it is often not named as such) and, more specifically, we look at how each student can more effectively engage in this essential practice. Additionally, we examine the contours of the so-called “emerging culture” and its usefulness in understanding the roles of leadership in the church. Students will consider historical precedents of the church’s response to major cultural shifts as well as the practical roles of ecclesiology and theology in the formation of leadership styles and models.

Course Objectives:

The primary goal of this course is to bring the dynamic connection between theology and ministry into discussion for the sake of enhanced effectiveness in Christ’s service. By your participation in this course you should:

• Develop a clear understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the emerging culture
• Become aware of the various ways in which the Christian communities have sought to respond and relate to the emerging culture
• Be able to recognize the specific ways in which one’s own worldview and ministry context have been influenced by both the modern and emerging cultures
• Have a greater appreciation for the unique ministry opportunities presented by the emerging culture
• Develop a sound and workable method of engaging theologically with the context in which one lives and ministers

Required Reading:

• Anderson, Paul. “The Meeting for Worship in which Business is Conducted.” Quaker Religious Thought 106-107 (November 2006):26-47 (21 pages).
• Brother Lawrence and Frank C. Laubach. Practicing His Presence. Gene Edwards, ed. Jacksonville, FL: The SeedSowers Christian Books Publishing, 1973. ISBN: 9780940232013 (109 pages).
• Conniry, Charles J., Jr. “Discernment: Corporate and Individual Considerations.” Quaker Religious Thought 106-107 (November 2006): 7-17 (11 pages).
• __________. Soaring in the Spirit: Rediscovering Mystery in the Christian Life. Tyrone, GA: Paternoster Press, 2007. ISBN: 9781842275085 (217 pages).
• Nouwen, Henri, J. M. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York: Crossroad Publishing Co., 1991. ISBN: 9780824512590 (120 pages).
• Olsen, Charles M. Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders. Herndon: The Alban Institute, 1995. ISBN: 9781566991483 (208 pages).

Recommended Reading:

• Anderson, Ray Sherman. An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
• Avery, Michel. Building United Judgment: A Handbook for Consensus Decision Making. Madison: Center for Conflict Resolution, 1981.
• Bakke, Jeannette A. Holy Invitations: Exploring Spiritual Direction. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000.
• Barr, William and Rena M. Yocum, eds. The Church in the Movement of the Spirit. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 1994.
• Blackaby, Henry T. Experiencing God: How to Live the Full Adventure of Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.
• Blackaby, Henry T. and Claude V. King. Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1994.
• Brandstätter, Hermann, James H. Davis, and Heinz Schuler, eds. Dynamics of Group Decisions. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1978.
• Carter, Mack King. Interpreting the Will of God: Principles for Unlocking the Mystery. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 2002.
• Chan, Simon. Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998.
• Charry, Ellen T., ed. Inquiring after God: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2000.
• Cionca, John R. Red Light, Green Light: Discerning the Time for a Change in Ministry. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994.
• Dougherty, Rose Mary. Group Spiritual Direction: Community for Discernment. New York: Paulist Press, 1995.
• Farnham, Suzanne G. Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community. Harrisburg: Morehouse Publishers, 1991.
• Ferguson, Sinclair B. Discovering God’s Will. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1984.
• Fleming, David L. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading. St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1985.
• Fox, William M. Effective Group Problem Solving: How to Broaden Participation, Improve Decision Making, and Increase Commitment to Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987.
• Freiesen, Garry. Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2004.
• Girzone, Joseph F. Never Alone. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
• Hahn, Celia A. Uncovering Your Church’s Hidden Spirit. Bethesda: Alban Institute, 2001.
• Hall, Brian P. The Personal Discernment Inventory: An Instrument for Spiritual Guides. New York: Paulist Press, 1980.
• Harder, Leland. Doors to Lock and Doors to Open: The Discerning People of God. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1993.
• Hawkins, Thomas R. The Learning Congregation: A New Vision of Leadership. Louisville: Westminster/John Know, 1997.
• Heckscher, Charles and Anne Donnellon, eds. The Post-Bureaucratic Organization: New Perspectives on Organizational Change. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1994.
• Heifetz, Ronald. Leadership without Easy Answers. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994.
• Herrington, Jim. Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.
• Higgins, E. Tory, ed. Social Psychology: Handbook of Basic Principles. New York: Guilford Press, 1996.
• Houdeck, Francis Joseph. Guided by the Spirit: A Jesuit Perspective on Spiritual Direction. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1996.
• Ignatius of Loyola. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing, 2005.
• Job, Rueben P., ed. A Guide to Spiritual Discernment. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1996.
• Johnson, Ben Campbell. Beyond the Ordinary: Spirituality for Church Leaders. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 2001.
• __________. Discerning God’s Will. Louisville: Westminster/John Know Press, 1990.
• __________. Imagining a Church in the Spirit: A Task for Mainline Congregations. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 1999.
• Johnson, Luke Timothy. “Decision Making as a Theological Process: The Necessity and Difficulty of Discernment.” Sewanee Theological Review 39 (fall 1996):353-61.
• __________. Scripture and Discernment: Decision-Making in the Church. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
• Judy, Dwight H. Embracing God: Praying with Teresa of Avila. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
• Keefe, Alice A. “When God Says ‘Go’: Active Mysticism and the Practice of Discernment.” Religious Studies and Theology 17 (June 1998):19-32.
• Klein, Gary A. Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998.
• Koontz, Gayle Gerber. “Meeting in the Power of the Spirit: Ecclesiology, Ethics, and the Practice of Discernment,” in The Wisdom of the Cross:
• Essays in Honor of John Howard Yoder, ed. Stanley Hauerwas. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 1999.
• Lienhard, Joseph T. “On ‘Discernment of Spirits’ in the Early Church.” Theological Studies 41 (Spring 1980):505-29.
• Long, James. Why is God Silent When We Need Him the Most? Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994.
• Lord, Peter. Hearing God. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988. March, James G. A Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen. New York: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1994.
• McClendon, James Wm., Jr., Biography as Theology: How Life Stories Can Remake Today’s Theology. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000.
• McEwan, Elaine K. Leading Your Team to Excellence: How to Make Quality Decisions. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, 1997.
• McKinney, Mary Benet. Sharing Wisdom: A Process for Group Decision Making. Allen: Tabor Publishing, 1987.
• Manning, Brennan. Posers, Fakers and Wannabes: Unmaking the Real You. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003.
• Milco, Michael R. Ethical Dilemmas in Church Leadership: Case Studies in Biblical Decision-Making. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997.
• Miller, Calvin. Into the Depths of God: Where Eyes See the Invisible, Ears Hear the Inaudible, and Minds Conceive the Inconceivable. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 2000.
• Morris, Danny E. Yearning to Know God’s Will. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.
• Mother Teresa of Calcutta. No Greater Love. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2002.
• Nelson, Marion H. How to Know God’s Will. Chicago: Moody Press, 1963. Ogilvie, Lloyd John. God’s Will in Your Life. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 1982.
• Olsen, Charles M. Selecting Church Leaders: A Practice in Spiritual Discernment. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2002.
• Orr, William W. How to Know the Will of God for Your Life. Wheaton: Van Kampen Press, 1950.
• Oswald, Roy M. Discerning Your Congregation’s Future: A Strategic and Spiritual Approach. Bethesda: Alban Institute, 1996.
• Palms, Roger C. God Guides Your Tomorrows: How to Be Confident That God is Leading Your Life. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1987.
• Peacock, Larry J. Heart and Soul: A Guide for Spiritual Formation in the Local Church. Nashville: The Upper Room, 1992.
• Punshon, John. Testimony and Tradition: Some Aspects of Quaker Spirituality. London: Quaker Home Service, 1990.
• Ratliff, Bill. “Spirituality & Discernment: A Call to Pastoral Theologians.” Journal of Pastoral Theology 7 (Summer 1997):81-97.
• Robinson, Stephen Daryl. God at our Planning Table: Spiritual Discernment as a Viable Alternative for Church Planning and Programming. D.Min. Thesis.
• Wesley Theological Seminary, 1989.
• Schwarz, Hans. “Reflections on the Work of the Spirit Outside the Church.” Neue Zeitschrift für systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie 23:3 (1981):197-211.
• Schwenk, Charles Ransom. Identity, Learning, and Decision Making in Changing Organizations. Westport: Quorum Books, 2002.
• Sheeran, Michael J. Beyond Majority Rule: Voteless Decisions in the Religious Society of Friends. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, 1983.
• Sittser, Gerald Lawson. The Will of God as a Way of Life: Finding and Following the Will of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000. Smith, Blaine M. Knowing God’s Will: Biblical Principles of Guidance. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
• Smith, Gordon T. Listening to God in Times of Choice: The Art of Discerning God’s Will. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
• Snyder, Monteze. Building Consensus: Conflict and Unity. Richmond, IN: Earlham Quaker Foundations of Leadership Program, 2001.
• Stackhouse, John G., ed. No Other Gods Before Me? Evangelicals and the Challenge of World Religions. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Regent College Publishers, 2001.
• Susskind, Lawrence, Sarah McKearnan, and Jennifer Thomas-Larmer, eds. The Consensus Building Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Reaching Agreement. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1999.
• Tagliere, Daniel A. How to Meet, Think, and Work to Consensus. Amsterdam; San Diego: Pfeiffer, 1992.
• Thomas, à Kempis. Of the Imitation of Christ: The Classic Guide to the Spiritual and Moral Life. New York: Doubleday, 1957.
• Toner, Jules J. Discerning God’s Will: Ignatius Loyola’s Teaching on Christian Decision Making. St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1991.
• Tucker, Michael R. Live Confidently: How to Know God’s Will. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1976.
• Volf, Miroslav and Dorothy C. Bass, eds. Practicing Theology: Beliefs and Practices in Christian Life. Grand Rapids: W. B. Eerdmans, 2002.
• Vroom, Victor Harold. Leadership and Decision-Making. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1973.
• Wheatley, Margaret J. Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2002.
• Wicks, Robert J. Handbook of Spirituality for Ministers. New York: Paulist Press, 2000.
• Willard, Dallas. Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
• __________. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002.

Course Requirements and Grading:

* A passing grade is conditional on your completing a reading statement at the end of the course. This statement is as follows:

I ___________________________ hereby certify that I satisfactorily read (a) 90-100%, (b) 80-89%, (c) 70-79%, (d) other ____________, of the assigned reading for this course.