Are you wanting to refresh your and your congregation’s approach to mission? Are you engaged in the New and Renewing or Fresh Expressions movements? Do you want to gain a deeper understanding of mission in the Australian context? This unit will engage you in critical ideas about the vocation of the church in 21st century Australia, and as a minister practitioner, will develop your analytical tools to lead and empower your congregation to be the people of God in the world.
Apparent challenges lie before the Christian churches in societies variously shaped by Christendom. However, while the symptoms might be clear (aging communities, membership loss, financial stressors), the underlying causes are perhaps less clear than often thought. This course examines certain sociological trends shaping the current context, including the complex idea of secularisation. Missionary models of the church, missional, emergent church and fresh expressions, for example, attempt to address these changes in the church’s social context. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses — but all draw on over 100 years of prior theory concerning a missionary ecclesiology. The unit examines this history and the potential of missional approaches for the churches in Australia today.
Course Code: DM2500P, DM3500P, DM9500P; Online – DM2509P; DM3509P, DM9509P
Lecturer: John Flett
For UCA ministers Continuing Education Grants are available to assist with costs: https://ctm.uca.edu.au/resources/funding-scholarships/. If several colleagues are interested in enrolling together, support will be given if they wish to meet in an ongoing way after the unit in a Peer Learning Group to consider how learnings from the unit impact theological reflection and ministry practice in their contexts.
Please contact the Continuing Education Coordinator for further information: fran.barber@victas.uca.org.au
To enrol, please contact the Pilgrim Theological College registrar, Erlinda Loverseed: registrar@pilgrim.edu.au, or ph 9340 8892
