We hope and pray that your personal ministry is enjoying
God’s favor and increasing the Kingdom. We encourage you to diligently study each unit of this
course. Prayerfully prepare your mind and soul during this session together. Remember: You
are never wasting time while preparing to work for the Lord!
If we achieve our objectives for the course, we will be blessed with a fruitful time together. The
textbooks along with the lectures, discussions and assignments will provide valuable insight
regarding the pastoral ministry. Yet, it is our prayer that you will receive more than mere
education. We hope you will experience the transforming grace which you can pass on in your
ministry.
During lesson one and its assignments, we will get acquainted. This first threaded discussion is
designed to get an idea of who you are and to examine your perspectives on ministry. Since we
pastors must be thinkers, you should challenge any idea that creates questions for you, but our
challenges should exhibit a Christ-like spirit and attitude. Our learning and maturity is edified
by counseling together, but only as each of us do our part in love with the right motive (Eph.
4:15-16).
Finally, as we begin this adventure of learning, let us pray this prayer for each other.
Dear Father, thank you for calling us into ministry and placing us in the body as it pleases you.
We pray that today you will give us all your anointing to minister effectively for you. Grant that
each one of us may be confident of your call and may find that special place beside you from
which you guide them in their ministry. Enable each student to be calm over any fears he/she
may have. Instill each student with a diligent work ethic to complete the course. And we pray
that at the end of the session, we will have learned information that the Holy Spirit may use in
our respective ministries to bless the people we serve. Help us, both instructor and students,
with our busy schedules that we will allocate adequate time to complete both instruction and
assignments without neglecting any other responsibilities. We pray this in the name of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN
UNIT ONE RESOURCES
• Textbook: Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision
• Textbook: Ministry by the Book: New Testament Patterns for Pastoral Leadership
• Textbook: Crosses Coffee Couches & Community: Modern Ministry in an Emerging Culture
• 1.1a PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Pastoral Theology”
• 1.1b PDF: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: “Minister” and “Ministry”
• 1.1c PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Ministry”
• 1.1d PDF: Lecture 1
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UNIT ONE ASSIGNMENTS
1.1 TEXT/MEDIA: TEXTBOOKS; PDFS
INTRODUCTION AND ALIGNMENT
Lesson 2 – Pastoral Ministry Overview
RESOURCES
? Textbook: Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision
? Textbook: Ministry by the Book: New Testament Patterns for Pastoral Leadership
? Textbook: Crosses Coffee Couches & Community: Modern Ministry in an Emerging Culture
• 11.1a PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Pastoral Theology”
• 1.1b PDF: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: “Minister” and “Ministry”
• 1.1c PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Ministry “
• 1.1d PDF: Lecture 1
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
None
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read Chapter 1 in Pastoral Ministry.
2. Read Chapter 1 in Crosses Coffee & Community.
3. Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Ministry by the Book.
4. Read the “Pastoral Theology” article and all three “Ministry” articles.
5. Read Lecture 1 PDF.
6. Be prepared to provide relevant comments and discussion in Threaded Discussions.
————————————————————————————————————————————
1.2 THREADED DISCUSSION: PASTORAL MINISTRY OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION AND ALIGNMENT
Lesson 2 – Pastoral Ministry Overview
RESOURCES
? Textbook: Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision
? Textbook: Ministry by the Book: New Testament Patterns for Pastoral Leadership
? Textbook: Crosses Coffee Couches & Community: Modern Ministry in an Emerging Culture
? 1.1a PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Pastoral Theology”
? 1.1b PDF: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: “Minister” and “Ministry”
? 1.1c PDF: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: “Ministry “
? 1.1d PDF: Lecture 1
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
None
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For your initial post, carefully consider Daffe’s two relevant challenges (page 26 of Crosses Coffee Couches & Community) and discuss how you think both Thompson’s point (Chapter 1 of Pastoral Ministry) and Tidball’s point (Chapters 1 & 2 of Ministry by the Book) relate to or even answer Daffe’s challenges.
