Course Syllabus
 
3 Credit Hour

Course Learning Resources:

**This book is required for all courses in M.Min. program.

Holy Bible (please note what translation you use on your assignments)                                  

BibleGateway.com  (www.biblegateway.com) is a free service for reading and researching Scripture online--all in the language or translation of your choice (which includes the Bible in 50 different versions as well as in 35 different languages).  It provides advanced tools you can use to search the Bible by keywords or verse, as well as other tools to enhance your study of the Bible.

Collateral Reading:

Choose and carefully read any FOUR of the following books: 

Biblical Eldership: Strauch, Alexander. Lewis and Roth Publishers, P. O. Box 569, Littleton, CO 80160, 1988, 288 pages. About an eldership form of government rather than a one-man pastor. 

Church Leadership: Richards, Lawrence O. and Hoeldtke, Clyde. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 40506,1980. Restructuring the church to provide for Jesus’ leadership, the functioning of the Body, and servant leaders. 

Spiritual Leadership: Sanders, J. Oswald. Moody Press, Chicago, IL. 1980. Character qualifications for spiritual leaders. 

The Church Comes Home: Banks, Robert & Julia. Hendrickson

Publishers, Peabody, MA 01961, 1998. Very good on servant leaders in a house church setting. 

The Leadership Paradox: Gunderson, Denny. YWAM Publishing, Seattle, WA. About servant leadership. 

The New Testament Deacon: Strauch, Alexander. Lewis and Roth Publishers,

P. O. Box 569, Littleton, CO 80160, 1992, 191 pages. A thorough study of the office of deacon. 

The Paradox of Servant Leadership: Rinehart, Stacy. NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO 80934 

WOMAN: God’s Plan, Not Man’s Tradition: Krupp, Joanne. Preparing the Way Publishers, 2121 Barnes Avenue SE, Salem, OR 97306, 163 pages. Excellent on God’s plan for women.

Course assignments can be completed using Web-based resources linked from the Resources page.

Course Description:

This course will take a look at God’s plan for leadership in His Church. Every major passage of Scripture dealing with the subject will be carefully studied. You will also study various materials on the subject.

Course Goals and Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will:

• Know what the New Testament teaches on this subject. 

• Know what several others are saying about this subject

Attitudinal:

As a result of your application of the truths you learn in this course, you may recognize certain changes taking place in your attitudes, adjusting them to the following: 

• You will begin to understand that God’s idea of “leadership” is servanthood. 

• You will begin to understand that God’s idea of leadership is coaching and

releasing others into their “ministry” rather than doing all of the ministry yourself.

• You will begin to look at Church government from the teachings of the New

Testament rather than all of the various, present-day traditions of men. 

• You will be more open to the idea of there being apostles today. 

• You may begin to wonder where you fit in God’s scheme of leadership-

servanthood in His Church.

Behavioral:

If you allow the Holy Spirit to apply the teaching of this course to your life, you will be changed. Some of these changes will be as follows: 

• You will no longer have to be “up front.” You will be anxious to serve God’s people

“behind the scenes.” 

• You will no longer have to do everything yourself. You will instead be compelled to

  coach and release others in ministry. 

• You will be more committed to a shared, team leadership rather than a one-man,

  do-it-all approach.

Course Policies

Assignments are listed on your syllabus under the Course Schedule. Before you start working on assignments, please email me and introduce yourself. I would like to know more about you, your motivation for taking this course, perhaps your potential educational goals and what you hope to gain by the course. Once I receive your response, I will send one back to you.

After you complete and submit assignments, I will evaluate them and provide feedback. Once you have completed the course assignments and the final research paper, your work for the course is done and your grade will be submitted.

Please feel free to contact me at any time during the course.

I pray that the Lord will enlighten your heart so that you may truly know Him and His purpose for your life.

NOTE:  ALL WRITING DONE FOR THIS COURSE MUST BE DONE ACCORDING TO MLA WRITING STANDARDS.                                                                                       

C. Course Requirements and Policies:

Attendance
This is a 16-week course. However, if more time is needed, this can be worked out on an individual basis. 

1. Thoroughly study the required text and all Scriptures mentioned

    in the text. 

2. Memorize the assigned Scripture passages.

3. Write detailed, reflective and insightful reports on all collateral reading.

4. Successfully write a reflective response on Church government.

I will be available for you to answer any questions, engage in discussion and provide assistance as needed.

Your written assignments should be submitted as file attachments in either Microsoft Word or HTML format. Each assignment will be evaluated, graded, and returned with feedback.

Time Management
Please be sure to manage your time for your assignments so that you have adequate time to complete your work over the 16-week period.

Communication
Discussion is an important aspect to an effective online course because it will allow us to interact in virtual environment. We will primarily communicate via e-mail.  Please feel free to use my email address for questions, comments, concerns, etc. and I will do the same.

Standards for Grading Assignments

As indicated below, “C” or 2.0 level work is considered average. Leaders are not average people.  You are therefore expected (required) to put forth the effort necessary to demonstrate at least “B” (3.0) level work or higher on all assignments which you submit. Any which do not will be returned to you with input from your instructor on how you can raise your grade to the expected level. A course grade will not be given until your assignments demonstrate that you have understood the material presented in the course and allowed your life to be transformed by the Spirit and the Word studied — the requirements for attaining a “B”. 

Your individual assignments (tests, written assignments, etc.) will be graded according to the following standards. These grades will be averaged together to determine your course grade. ACU is training you as a leader and leaders are above-average people. Therefore, your work will reflect that. 

“A” • Grasped the material with thoroughness, industry and correctness of detail.

      • Made the material his own by thinking about it and integrating it, using

        originality, natural ability, and insight.  

“B” • Intelligently has fulfilled the requirements of this course.

      • Understands the subject matter presented and has applied it to his life in a

        limited manner but has not really made the truths his own. 

“C” • Average work; either steady work of an acceptable quality, or work of a high

        quality which is uneven, irregular or fragmentary.

      • May be mechanically or outwardly correct but shows little reflection upon or

        personal assimilation of the material. 

“D” • Indicates barely passing work that is inferior to the average both in quantity

        and in quality.

      • Manifests a lack of initiative or sense of responsibility or both. 

How to Take This Course

The Assignments, Lectures, and Resources pages contain the content of this course. Please take a look at each page, (Assignments and Resources, especially) and be sure to contact ACU if you have questions. After that, to get started, just visit the Assignment page and begin.