LEAD - Leadership

This course prepares students to articulate a personal, faithful philosophy of Christian leader. Students will evaluate leadership theories for Christian application in order to embody Christlike presence for greater influence in various 21st century contexts.

This course studies the human person from a theological perspective. Emphasis is placed on the practical implications that a Christian conception of personhood has on leadership and followership. The course examines several topics related to personhood from a Christian perspective, including the image of God, bodies, and relationships. It also explores leadership practices that affirm human dignity and shape Christian character.

This course will examine the communication skills needed for leaders in Christian non-profit and/or local church contexts. Students will explore multiple communication modalities, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of several forms of communication, and formulate a personal plan for effective leadership communication.

This course explores the sociological, anthropological, and historical models of culture change. It also addresses the role and responsibility of the student as a change agent in his/her ministry context.

This course explores key non-profit management principles and skills, particularly those that are unique to churches and faith-based organizations. It will deal with the planning missteps that bring growing non-profit organizations, including churches, to a halt. It will also address strategic issues such as: when and how to introduce new ideas, meeting organizational needs without stifling spiritual needs, how and when to add multiple celebration experiences, prayer strategies to maintain focus, why building too soon or too big will stunt organizational growth, planning realistic budgets for growth without overestimating potential, and how to "cell" a growing organization. (Practical)

During this course students will develop a biblical perspective on financial stewardship and decision making for application in their personal lives and for teaching in their ministry contexts. Students will explore biblical teachings related to stewardship, giving, saving, debt, and spending. Students will assess their existing financial status, learn a process for making decisions, and develop a personal financial plan for spending, giving, and saving.

This course is a strengths-based approach to strategic leadership and management, with parallel assignments for both para-church and church leaders. Students will identify their own leadership strengths, learn how to develop leadership strengths in others, and learn how to meet the needs of followers. The course also develops strategic management expertise through meeting needs, diversifying and uniting, as well as innovating and adapting.

This course addresses appropriate leadership to all generations present in the Christian non-profit and/or local church context. The course examines the different generations' needs, strengths and challenges, values, influencers, and expectations. The course content asks in light of these insights, what are the appropriate leadership responses, how can generations connect across generations and intergenerationally, and how are core and peripheral values determined and conveyed so as to embrace all generations?

This course is a comprehensive and integrative approach to organizational growth and diversification that participates in the missio Dei. Students will research, compare, and synthesize a strategic plan for expansion and diversification of their organization from varying multiplication models including (but not limited to): birthing a new organization (e.g. new church plants, non-profit start-ups), ministering to new or emerging cultures (e.g. multi-ethnic or multi-site approaches), and/or relocation to new geographies (e.g. satellite campuses or partnerships). The course includes biblical and theological foundation/boundaries for multiplication as well the tools required to grow and diversify an organization's missional impact. This course also allows the student to further customize their learning experience by choosing from three different tracks (Non-profit Leadership, Church Leadership, and Church Planting), which allows crosspollination of ideas and strategies from three closely related fields.

This course examines several theories of the nature of change and change management as they interface with church management and administration. The course particularly examines the nature of power structures within the congregation and how to facilitate constructive change while maintaining fidelity to the mission of the group. (Practical)

This course will help the student explore various options in church multiplication including, but not limited to, church planting, adding worship services, developing campuses, creating multi-ethnic churches, and adding venues. This course will assist the student in analyzing his or her particular ministry context and developing a multiplication plan that is tailored to his or her unique ministry. The outcomes will include a plan for ministry multiplication for a specific ministry. Conference costs are additional.

This course will examine the communication skills needed for leaders in Christian non-profit and/or local church contexts. Students will explore multiple communication modalities, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of several forms of communication, and formulate a personal plan for effective leadership communication.

This course is a comprehensive, integrative approach to the leadership and management of a congregation, beginning with biblical foundations and ending with the tools needed to lead in the church today. Topics range from the recruitment of staff and volunteers to managing conflict. The course involves problem based case studies from the student's context and so requires that the student currently be in an approved ministry setting. Prerequisite: MDIV-500

This course is a comprehensive, integrative approach to the leadership and management of a congregation, beginning with biblical foundations and ending with the tools needed to lead in the church today. Topics range from the recruitment of staff and volunteers to managing conflict. The course involves problem based case studies from the student's context and so requires that the student currently be in an approved ministry setting. Prerequisite: MDIV-500

This course is the first in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership. Its purpose is to launch the student into the specific topic of the DMin sequence. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.

This course is the second in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership in the first year of the program. It extends exposure to the specific focus of the DMin sequence with a special view to identifying a focus topic. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.

This course is the third in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership, taken in the second year of the program. It continues the specific focus of the DMin sequence. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.

This course is the fourth in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership, taken in the second year of the program. It continues the specific focus of the DMin sequence with a special view to identifying literature appropriate to the student's focus topic. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.

This course is the fifth in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership, taken in the third year of the program. It continues the specific focus of the DMin sequence. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.

This course is the sixth and final content course in the Doctor of Ministry degree sequence in Leadership, taken in the third year of the program. It brings the specific focus of the DMin sequence to completion with a special view to future research on the topic. Ministry seminars typically include both spiritually formative and integrative elements (Bible, theology, church history, praxis theory). It is usually offered as a one week intensive at a site appropriate to the specialized topic.