Third Assignment: Equipping Churchgoers to Introduce the Christian Faith
Resources for others (1,000
words)
A written rationale / commentary
(1,500 words)
Write a 1,000 word outline for a
3 x 1 hour course that would equip churchgoers to introduce the Christian faith
to enquirers.
You will need to include (though
not necessarily by simply equating the three bullets with the three sessions):
- something on the foundations and development of Christianity;
- aspects of key Christian beliefs;
- an indication of what might be distinctive about the life of a Christian today.
Your rationale/commentary should
present clearly the reasons for:
- your choice of material to be covered (and perhaps not covered);
- the delivery methods you have selected.
Advice
This is
the reflective practice element of the module, drawing both upon material
presented in class and outside reading. It is intended to contextualize the
nuts and bolts of church history in a form that promotes both spiritual growth
and capacity for mission (which are supposed to go hand in hand, but often don't)
on the part of ordinary churchgoers. It will ideally be informed by the discussion
sessions that you've had in class and the questions that have arisen as a
result.
Resources for others describes what you plan to do and the rationale
/ commentary why you plan to do
it the way you do. In order to do both, you must first be clear as to the
nature of your audience (which is assumed to be your own parish context). A
small rural parish is very different from a cathedral community, and wealthy
suburban Evangelical parish very different from a declining inner-city Anglo
Catholic mission. Without going into excessive detail (don’t write 300 words on
the history of your parish), you need to be clear as to the type of churchgoer
you are seeking to enlighten. What sort of questions might your parish
neighbours pose about the nature of the Church, its role in the world and the
calling of the Christian?
I would
maintain such a project is distinct from say Alpha because the people being
taught have a basic vocabulary and a sense of what it means to be “churchy”
(though one might challenge whether the existing sense of “churchiness” is the
right one). Your discussion of resources extends from the apparently mundane
(arrangement of the room/provision of refreshments) to the structure of the
session: the material that is to be shared, the way(s) it is communicated, the
opportunities for discussion/feedback, the space for prayer and reflection. Don’t
demand too much for a three-session event. Requiring “homework” beyond perhaps
reading a short Bible passage is probably to be avoided. Ice-breaking sessions with a
simple exercise (flash cards) that illustrates points to be made later are also
helpful.
There is
no way (short of actually undertaking the sessions yourself) to know if what
you’re proposing will actually work, but the rationale is your opportunity to
make a theological case for why it is
at least plausible. A marker may challenge whether certain aspects are
overambitious or misplaced, but if you have a good rationale you will be
meeting the object of the exercise. You want to show why your sessions have
a coherent theological objective (obviously at a fairly basic level at this
point in the programme) that will enable people completing the course to say: this
is what it means to be a Christian. The discussion in Session 1 regarding language used
in respect of doctrine (and the accompanying slides) may help, as may Mike
Higton’s Christian Doctrine where he talks
a great deal about the use of theological language.
Presentations
need not be elaborate and sometimes simple props work as well as sophisticated
slideshows (I remember one from last year that was phrased in terms of
"Roots", "Branches" and "Fruit" suitably
illustrated with discussion of Scripture and Tradition). You could work up a
discussion around the persons of the Trinity (perhaps using doctrinal debates
over Father, Son and Holy Ghost as illustrative). You might use a variety of
religious art as the basis for starting a discussion (or even music, if that's
your forte). You just need to explain why it helps those attending to introduce the Christian faith to
enquirers. What is a theologically sound form of presentation that works
for your typical pewsitter? In doing that, play to your strengths, keeping in
mind the legacy of doctrinal debate with which we’ve been engaging of late.