Unity in Christ’s Mission: A Life-long Learning Experience in Living Christ’s Kingdom Mission

John H. Armstrong

Resources

Download the syllabus

Course Description

The course examines the importance of missional theology and how the prayer of Jesus for the unity of all his followers (John 17:20–23) intentionally and directly impacts the work of effective mission. This will be a nine-month cohort seminar for 15-25 active learners. Each learner will enter into a mentoring relationship with the teacher and a prayerful, supporting fellowship with one another. Through this process learners will begin to work out the ways in which both the individual and the church serve the kingdom of God. This will be done by incarnating the gospel through our shared life and by the proclamation of the gospel out of the context of relational unity.

Members of each cohort must demonstrate a clear commitment to Jesus and his gospel coupled with a desire to become intentionally focused leaders who will impact others for the purpose of changing the world. Cohort groups will consist of clergy and non-clergy, men and women. Married couples may join. This course is designed to be a rich experience that transcends ethnicity, gender and denominational affiliations.

This is a basic course this there is no academic prerequisite. There must be an intense desire to learn and grow in missional-ecumenism. Graduates will later be invited to explore other related topics in one-time gatherings which will be less structured; e.g. one-day seminars, informal dialogs, etc. Other more formal programs in missional theology will also be advanced through this cohort model where graduates of this course express the desire for further formal training. There are a number of excellent degree and non-degree options that ACT 3 will present.

Course Prerequisite

Every student must be seriously committed to Christ and the gospel of the kingdom. Upon applying for the cohort each person must read the small book, The Unity Factor: One Lord, One Church, One Mission, by John H. Armstrong. This is essential for the student to understand the basic purpose of the course and provides the reason for why they should spend their valuable time and money to enter into this learning cohort.

Course Objectives

To develop a rich understanding of missional theology that considers the origins and development of this school of thought and its subsequent practice.
To deeply understand John 17 and how the prayer of Jesus for Christian unity specifically impacts the health of the church and its relationship to the kingdom of God.
To consider the history of the ecumenical movement in the 20th century by asking, “What did it get right and where did it go wrong?”
To survey new model ecumenism by asking where such models can contribute to a more effective missional strategy.
To learn how ancient/future paradigms of worship and spiritual formation transform leaders and mission thus advancing the kingdom of God into all cultures.
To deal with various models of gospel understanding that strongly focus the learner’s heart and life on the love of God and his unconditional grace of forgiveness.
To develop a working model of personal spiritual growth that is linked directly to the gospel of the kingdom and mission. This model will be intentionally developed so the learner can pursue missional-ecumenism as a lifestyle. The specific context in which the student serves Christ’s kingdom will become the laboratory for praxis.

Seminar Sessions

The cohort group will meet four times during a nine month period. Each session will last eight hours, for a total of 28 class hours. These four meetings will begin at 9 a.m. and end by 5 p.m. (A working lunch break will be included.) Participation requires a signed commitment to attend all the four classes and pay a tuition fee of $1,000. (Scholarships are available and should be privately discussed when the interview takes place.) You must be willing to contribute to the group with a teachable spirit. An application and interview must be processed before anyone becomes a member.

Two evening meetings (2 ½ hours) of small-groups within the cohort will take place following the second and third class sessions. Facilitators within the cohort will lead these two meetings. The goal of these meetings is open discussion and specific application of course objectives. Augmented online discussion for the cohort will also supplement this process. If you cannot attend a small group, because of travel or other conflicts, then other options will be made available.

Course Texts

(2) Allen, Roland       Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?

(1) Armstrong, John H.   Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ’s Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church

(1) Bonhoeffer, Dietrich   Life Together

(2) Danaher, James P.    Eyes That See, Ears That Hear: Perceiving Jesus in a Postmodern Context

(3) Gittins, Anthony J.    Called to Be Sent: Co-Missioned as Disciples Today

(3) Gittins, Anthony J.    Reading the Clouds: Mission Spirituality for New Times

(1) Lawrence, Brother   The Practice of the Presence of God (John J. Delaney, translator. Doubleday, 1977)

(3) Newbigin, Lesslie   The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission

(2) Newbigin, Lesslie       The Household of God

(4) Roxburgh, Alan J. and Romanuk, Fred.
The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World

(4) Van Gelder, Craig and Zscheile, Dwight J.
               The Missional Church in Perspective

The (numbers) above refer to text being completed before this session of the cohort meets.

Several smaller articles and popular essays will likely be assigned during the seminar. Some videos will also be watched by the cohort group during the four sessions.

The Cape Town Commitment, a small booklet adopted by the Lausanne Congress in October 2010, will be used throughout the entire process as a contemporary guide for missional-ecuemnical theology and practice. This text should be read before session number one if possible. It is available as a published booklet and online for free at www.lausanne.org/ctcommitment. You should secure and read this immediately if you want to be in a cohort group.

Application

If you want to be admitted to a Unity in Christ’s Mission cohort learning experience you must fill out an application form (www.act3online.com) and schedule an interview. You will be expected to pay $250 upon acceptance and the remaining $750 before the third session convenes or as pre-established monthly payments by charge or debit card. You will pay ACT 3. You will receive a certificate of completion when you complete the course.

Assignments and Requirements

Students will read the assigned texts before each group meeting and write a 2-page critique of each book. This critique will show that the student has interacted with the author’s thesis.
Meetings of the class will be at a pre-selected site. Members will be notified of the place before the first meeting. There will be opportunity for the student and professor to meet face-to-face in each of the four seminar meetings and by any other means as much as time allows.
Students must prepare a 15-page final paper, due 45 days after the end of the final session, in which they will show an understanding of spiritual growth and missional-ecumenism and how they will put this understanding into a plan to build a personal, relational network that will advance Christ’s kingdom and his mission through the good news of grace and forgiveness.

Academic Credit

If a student would like to take this class for college or seminary credit there are several ways this can be done. Please discuss this with the teacher before enrolling.

Resources

Download the syllabus