Anticipated Outcomes Identified for "RL-02 - Lent: Dying, Rising, and Living Anew"

Here are the "Outcomes for Ministry" as defined by GCOM which we BELIEVE a candidate for "Commissioned Minister" can address through participation in this course.

Biblical Knowledge

Be rooted and grounded in scripture and able to interpret and apply the scriptures in ways that are appropriate to original and contemporary contexts.

Outcomes

• Read biblical texts from both testaments effectively for preaching and worship, interpreting them in light of the gospel and relating them to the life of faith today;
• Analyze biblical texts using current scholarly methods;
• Assess and use critical commentaries and other resources (for example, print and outline “sermon helps” and lectionary studies);
• Describe in broad terms the historical development of the Bible, including the social, economic, and political contexts out of which biblical literature grew;
• Identify the role which the experience and culture of the reader plays in the interpretation of biblical texts.

Proclamation of the Word

Know the practice and theory of Christian preaching. Be able to proclaim the Word of God, share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and help Congregational members apply their faith to daily life.

Outcomes

• Develop sermons that help congregations recognize and respond to God’s presence and purpose as the divine as experienced in the stories of the faith;
• Use diverse homiletic possibilities relating appropriate form and styles of preaching to different situations;
• Employ an understanding of homiletic possibilities with respect to form and genre relating appropriate form and styles to different situations;
• Engage a biblical text in ways that respect its historical and theological integrity and preach so as to help the listener celebrate the diversity of the faith of the biblical community.

Communication

Be an effective communicator and be able to facilitate effective communication within and on behalf of the church.

Outcomes

• Use appropriate and effective communication styles and tools in order to inspire, inform, and invite participation in the life, mission, and purposes of the Church;
• Effectively use communication skills for public and small group conversations and speaking.

Cross Cultural and Anti-Racism Experience

Be sensitive to the different manifestations of racism and prejudice in the culture and be committed to confronting and overcoming them.

Outcomes

• Be sensitive to the different manifestations of racism and prejudice in the culture and be committed to confronting and overcoming them;
• Articulate images of a God who is manifest and present among members of every culture and race.

Education and Leader Development

Know the foundations of Christian education and the principles of leader development. Show competency in teaching children, youth, and adults, including lay leaders and staff.

Outcomes

• Participate in the dynamic educational process that involves both teaching and learning for the teacher and the learner.

Ethics

Be able to help parishioners think critically about the relationship of their faith to issues of justice, ethics and morality.

Outcomes

• Relate resources from scripture and tradition to specific ethical issues today;
• Preach and teach effectively about social and economic justice as core concerns of Christian faith;
• Describe the role personal/communal experience and cultural perspective play in ethical reasoning and be able to apply a variety of approaches.

Evangelism 

Be able to motivate Congregational members to share their faith through word and action.

Outcomes

• Understand the church as an evangelical community in which people are invited to participate in and to themselves become good news for one another and the world.

Mission of the Church in the World

Be able to understand and articulate the centrality of the call to mission given by Jesus Christ and the prophets. Be able to empower congregations to engage in mission from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.

Outcomes

• Articulate an understanding of the world as a place of God’s activity—witnessing and participating in God’s mission of redemption, liberation, reconciliation, and renewal of creation in our immediate communities and in the world.

Worship

Know the purpose and elements of Christian worship.

Outcomes

• Recognize the structure of particular worship services and demonstrate the ability to plan worship services for varying occasions in the life of the church. This includes a demonstrated knowledge of an array of worship resources.

Note to Students

These outcomes can be addressed IN PART by completion of this course. It is not the intent of the course nor is it the purpose of the instructor that the students demonstrate these outcomes completely or thoroughly through participation in this course. However, as a student who is completing a portfolio for ministry and who is familiar with the Criteria for Ministry as outlined by the General Commission on Ministry, participants will have the opportunity to address the specified "Outcomes" to some degree  through this course. Then, as the student blends the experience of this course with other educational experiences, he or she can begin to document for his or her Commission on Ministry (in his or her own Region) this as one course which has led to fulfillment of the Criteria for Ministry.