Earlham School of Religion
228 College Avenue, Richmond, IN 47374 • 1-800-432-1ESR
Ministry Studies
Pastoral Care
- M-109S INTRODUCTION TO PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING
- The purpose of this course is to give a broad overview of care-giving
in the life of the congregation and of the pastor’s role within
the care-giving process. The course will also help students define the
theological foundation of their approach to pastoral care.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-209 SPECIAL ISSUES IN PASTORAL CARE
- This course will focus on one or
more special topics in pastoral care. Previous courses have focused on issues
such as sexuality, persons with disabilities, child abuse, ministry to persons
with AIDS and HIV, advocacy for health issues in the church, and addictions.
- 3 semester hours.
Music & Worship
- M-210 WORSHIP IN THE FREE CHURCH TRADITION
- A study of worship as expressed
in the Free Church tradition, this course is designed to introduce students
to the history, theory and practice of corporate worship. Emphasizing the
theology and practice of worship, each person will also become aware of
his or her own expressive gifts and thus use them in the planning and leading
of corporate worship.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-210S WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH
- A study of worship as expressed in the Free
Church tradition, this course is designed to introduce students to the history,
theory and practice of corporate worship. Emphasizing the theology and practice
of worship, each person will also become aware of his or her own expressive
gifts and thus use them in the planning and leading of corporate worship.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-211 RITUAL AND REFLECTION IN THE LIFE OF FAITH
- Students will study the
biblical, theological and anthropological bases for various rituals and
ordinances of the church. Focusing on such practices as child and parent
dedication, baptism, Love Feast, communion, anointing, the laying on of
hands, weddings, funerals/memorials, and ordination, students will reflect
on the meaning of various rituals as they design creative ritual services.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-212 MUSIC IN WORSHIP
- A study of hymnody—the theology, the music,
the singing of hymns—with special emphasis on the function of music
in the life of the local congregation. Historical and contemporary music
will be surveyed, including not only American “mainline” church
music, but music from various cultures and traditions. The course also includes
a look at the relationship of musician and non-musician, pastor and lay-person,
congregational involvement, choir and instrumentalists, all within the worship
experience. Problems of small and large congregations will be discussed.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-219 CONGREGATIONAL SONG: PRACTICES PAST AND PRESENT
- This course will
explore the practices of congregational song in the Christian Church from
several perspectives. Insights from the church’s history, theology,
and worship practices along with art, music, linguistics, and ethnography
will inform our study. Historical sources including hymnals, standard hymnological
research tools, methods of text and tune analysis and the contemporary contexts
of music and worship provide our primary mediums of investigation. Class
sessions will include singing, presentation, and discussion. Hymnal: A Worship
Book will be the main text. (Students from other denominations may use their
own hymnals or songbooks in addition to Hymnal: A Worship Book.)
- 3 semester hours.
- M-220 A & B THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP
- This year-long course is designed
to deepen the student’s theological understanding and creative design
of corporate worship through preparing and leading services of worship at
Bethany Seminary. Through lectures, readings, discussions and activities,
students are encouraged to work as a team toward developing meaningful and
creative worship events as they provide chapel services during the academic
year.
- 3 semester hours of credit granted at the successful
completion of both semesters.
Preaching
- M-120 INTRODUCTION TO PREACHING
- This course introduces students to a basic understanding of the value and methods of
preaching in ministry. Attention will be given to the application of biblical
exegesis in the preparation of sermons and students will be instructed and
given opportunity to apply homiletical theory and skills necessary in preparing,
presenting and constructively criticizing different types of sermons.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-120C INTRODUCTION TO PREACHING
- With content similar to M-120 this course
is paired with New Testament Foundations for Ministry (B-210C) as part of
the Connections program. Its format combines weekend seminars with online
learning.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-325 SAY THE WORD: THE GOSPEL, SCRIPTURE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PREACHING
- Students will explore the Gospel as a living Word that resonates with both
the Word of Scripture and the Word of the Spirit in the preaching event.
Through the study of various literary forms of Scripture (i.e., narrative,
poetry, parable) and with consideration given to current topics and activities
that encourage the engagement of preachers and hearers, students will be
encouraged to develop spiritual, theological and scriptural integrity in
preaching.
- 3 semester hours.
- Prerequisite: M-120.
- M-326 PROPHETIC VOICES IN PREACHING
- This course is designed to develop
the students’ understanding and practice of prophetic preaching within
the broader context of their overall ministry. Recognizing that prophetic
preaching is a part of (and not apart from) pastoral preaching, students
will study formative voices of the prophetic witness in Scripture, among
recent preachers of various traditions, and as prophetic preaching relates
to peace, simplicity and life in community practiced among Brethren and
Friends.
- 3 semester hours.
- Prerequisite: M-120.
Education
- M-230 UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
- This course seeks to illuminate
Christian educational ministry by integrating a range of scholarship in
theology and human sciences. We will investigate various forces—organic,
psychological, social and cultural—at work in people and churches
today. We will discuss ways these forces can be transformed by the work
of the Holy Spirit, and ways the human teacher can help inspire such transformation.
(This course, or an approved substitute, is required for those pursuing
a Youth and Young Adult emphasis.)
- 3 semester hours.
- M-231 THE MEANING OF YOUTH MINISTRY
- This basic course looks at the
period of youth and person of the youth minister, as well as the ministry
to which youth themselves are called within church and society. Attention
will be given to the theological themes implicit in today’s social,
psychological and cultural trends. How can youth ministry transform
rather than simply reproduce these dynamics?
- 3 semester hours.
- M-233 YOUNG ADULTHOOD IN DEVELOPMENTAL AND THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
- This course probes issues of young adulthood, especially those of vocation
and intimacy. Human science concepts will be put into conversation with
biblical and theological ones, with a view toward understanding “spiritual
maturity” and improving ministerial judgment. Case histories may
be drawn from literature as well as experience.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-234 EDUCATIONAL MINISTRY WITH CHILDREN
- This course studies the growth
of the child in the contexts of family, church and society. We will review
current developmental theories, as well as educational models and practices,
in light of theological aims of ministry with children.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-235C CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY CHURCH
- How can we become better teachers—and learners—in a range of settings, whether
home, church or school? What is distinct about Christian education, and
how can this education engender deep, not merely superficial, transformation?
In addressing such questions, we will examine both practical and theoretical
writings. This course is “paired” with the Bible in the 21st
Century Church, as part of the Connections program. It counts as the basic
required course for those pursuing a Youth and Young Adult emphasis.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-236 SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL ISSUES FOR RISING GENERATIONS
- This course will address various features of contemporary societies (with emphasis on the
United States) and their implications for ministry with youth and young
adults. Examples include: computers and media; postmodern family dynamics;
birth control, abortion and AIDS; racial/ethnic identity and racism; the
spiritual quest and ethical relativism.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-236 PRACTICAL THEOLOGY OF BAPTISM
- What does baptism mean in the church,
and what are its implications for education and everyday life? We will
examine contrasting theological positions, seeking to understand what
is at stake in the great baptismal debates over questions such as “infants”
versus “believers” and “water “ versus “Spirit”
Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anabaptist, Reformed, Pentecostal
and other perspectives are welcomed and will be discussed. (Students
pursuing an emphasis in Ministry with Youth and Young Adults can focus
their written work in a way that makes this course count toward their
quota.)
- 3 semester hours.
- M-250S BRETHREN AND EVANGELISM
- An introduction to evangelism and church
growth, grounded in a theology of church and ministry attentive to Brethren
perspectives and practices. The course will consider styles of leadership
in evangelism, strategies for communicating the Christian faith in today’s
world, congregational analysis and the welcoming of newcomers.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-252S RURAL AND SMALL CHURCH MINISTRY
- A course in the culture, environment
and practical issues of ministry in rural, small town and small church settings.
Building upon congregational and community studies, the course is an opportunity
to gain exposure to the variety and distinctive dynamics of rural ministry,
to consider the effects of social change upon traditional church life, and
to explore one’s own reaction and possible sense of call to rural
ministry. There are options for field research or traditional research.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-331 GIVING COUNSEL TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
- While ministry is neither
parenting or psychotherapy, the minister is often in a position to give
counsel or advice to youth and young adults facing various decisions, problems
and crises. This course explores psychological and theological insights
into these issues, as well as the nature of the counseling and mentoring
relationships.
- 3 semester hours.
- Prerequisite: Course in pastoral care or permission of the instructor.
- M-333 SCRIPTURE AND EDUCATION
- Readings and discussions will investigate
contrasting pedagogical styles and hermeneutical models--such as Pietist,
Pentecostal, Neo-orthodox, Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Feminist, and Liberationist.
Classes will engage in close readings of portions of the Bible, and students
will have opportunity to lead in teaching.
- 3 semester hours.
- Prerequisite: A course in biblical studies or permission of the instructor.
Church Growth
- M-245 FOUNDATIONS FOR CHURCH GROWTH
- Integrating the Church Planting Conference
and classroom time, this course explores church planting as an essential
element of congregational life. The course will develop a missional understanding
of church attentive to Brethren perspectives and practices, and drawing
on current evangelism and church planting strategies. The course will consider
biblical foundations, spiritual formation, leadership roles, cultural dynamics,
congregational vocation and key evangelistic skills.
- 3 semester hours.
- Requires registering for and full participation in the Church Planting Conference at Bethany.
Administration
- M-260 ADMINISTRATION, LEADERSHIP, AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
- This course focuses on the role of leadership from the perspective of the individual,
the group, and the institution. Emphasis is on understanding multiple contexts
in which leadership functions, contrasting styles of leadership, and how
leadership theory and philosophy influence choice of leadership behavior
or style. Additional emphases include group development, organizational
culture, decision making, organizing for mission, management of change,
systems thinking and contingency approaches.
- 3 semester hours.
- M-270 TIME, MONEY AND GOD
- The purpose of this course is to provide
the student with biblical and theological information so that he or
she may more effectively lead a congregation in developing stewardship
as an essential in faithful discipleship. Attention is also given to
particular implications of stewardship theology in the daily life of
persons, communities and nations.
- 3 semester hours.
