Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Identify the paradigms that have characterized the church in history and discuss the significance of the present paradigm

• Compare and contrast the ideas of the church as an institution and the church as an organism

• Describe the promise of the Reformation with respect to believers as ministers and explain why this promise has not been fulfilled

• Compare and contrast the traditional top-down style of church leadership and the bottom-up approach

• Discuss the three kinds of calls and explain their significance to the life of the church

• Summarize the value of small groups to church ministry

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: The Need for a Paradigm Shift

• Introduction

• What Is a Paradigm?

• Paradigms at Work

• Lessons from Paradigms

• Investigating the Development and Forms of Church Government

Unit 2: An Organism Paradigm of the Church

• The Lens of Organism

• The Church as Body

• Finding Every Place Where the Term “Body” Refers to the Church

• The Church as Body: An Illustration

• The Church’s Relationship to Its Founder

• Finding References to Christ as the “Head” of the Church

• Attitudes That Hinder the Body: Inferiority

• Attitudes That Hinder the Body: Superiority

• Attitudes That Build the Body: Interdependence

• Finding Comparison Charts of Spiritual Gifts

Unit 3: Where the Reformation Failed

• The Necessity of Institution

• The Reformation and Institutionalism

• The Reformation’s Radical Promise

• The Unfulfilled Promise

• Reasons the Reformation Failed to Deliver (1–3)

• Reasons the Reformation Failed to Deliver (4–7)

• Summary Thoughts on the Failure of the Reformation

Unit 4: The Corruption of Biblical Language

• Transformation of the Mind

• Corruption of the Term “Saint”

• Corruption of the Terms “Minister” and “Ministry”

• Discovering the Common Greek Root behind Key Terms in Acts 6:1–4

• Corruption of the Term “Priest”

• Corruption of the Term “Clergy”

• Corruption of the Term “Laity”

Unit 5: Pastoring between the Paradigms

• The Apostolic Paradigm

• The Christendom Paradigm

• The Role of the Pastor in the Christendom Paradigm

• The New Apostolic Paradigm

• The Collapse of Christendom

• Responding to Marginalization

• Authentic Service

Unit 6: A Vision for Equipping Ministry

• From Dependency to Equipping

• Equipping in Exodus 18

• Conducting a Character Study with the Bible Facts Tool

• Fostering Dependency: Pastoral Self-Expectations

• Fostering Dependency: People’s Expectations of Their Pastor

• Jethro’s Advice (1): Change Your Role

• Equipping Ministry

• A Contemporary Image for the Equipping Pastor

• Sharing the Leadership

• Styles That Inhibit

• Jethro’s Advice (2): Change Your Style

• Sorting the Singular and Plural Forms of the Term “Elder”

• Jethro’s Advice (3): Decentralize Your Structure

• Our Challenge

Unit 7: Vocation and Call

• A Disconnection between Work and Faith

• A Distorted View of Call

• Gifts of the Whole Body of Christ

• Biblical Teaching on a “Call”

• Identify Biblical References to God’s Calling

• A Heart Call: Focus on a Need You Care About

• A Heart Call: A Positive Burden

• A Heart Call: Bigger Than You Can Accomplish

• A Heart Call: Energy and Joy

Unit 8: Small Groups

• A Theology of Small Groups

• Benefits of Small Groups

• Types of Small Group Systems

• Definitional Elements of Small Groups

• Types of Small Groups (1)

• Types of Small Groups (2)

Unit 9: Ministry Teams

• Biblical Vision of Team Ministry

• The Importance of Ministry Teams for Discipleship

• Staying Connected in Prayer through Faithlife

• Ministry Teams or Committees?

• Definition and Elements of Ministry Teams

• Starting a Ministry Team

• Necessary Ingredients for Starting a Ministry Team

Unit 10: Life Transformation Groups

• Basic Components

• Character Questions, Scripture Reading, Prayer Focus

• Creating and Sharing a Custom Reading Plan

• The Strength of Threes

• Important Features and Benefits

Unit 11: Disciple-Making Groups

• Ingredients for Christlike Transformation

• Transparent Trust (1)

• Transparent Trust (2)

• Truth in Community

• Life-Change Accountability

Unit 12: Wesley’s System of Interlocking Groups

• Wesley and His System

• The Society: The Cognitive Mode

• The Class Meeting: The Behavioral Mode

• The Class Meeting: Its Format

• The Class Meeting: Its Leader

• The Class Meeting: Its Value

• Wesley’s Bands

• Select Society: The Training Mode

• Penitent Bands: The Rehabilitative Mode

• Wesley’s Group Strategies and Leadership Principles

Conclusion

• A Reflection Exercise

Details

• Title: ED201 Empowering God’s People for Ministry

• Instructor: Greg Ogden

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2014

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 7