It’s A. D. 30 all over again. The church is having to play catch up to the Spirit entering the missional church. The emergence of the missional church is showing signs of being the largest realignment of Christianity since the Reformation. This course explores the distinguishing contours of the missional church revolution as well as the leadership required by it. Major course attention will center on three primary shifts underway: the shift from an internal to an external focus, the shift from program-driven to people development as the core activity of the missional community, and the shift from church-based leadership to apostolic-era leadership.

• Explore and chart the cultural trends in emerging culture and their implications for leadership in the missional church
• Identify the major characteristics of the missional church movement
• Understand the requirements for leadership in the missional church, including theological, methodological, and behavioral aspects
• Develop leadership strategies for missional renewal in the learner’s realm of influence

This course is a one-week intensive that will meet daily, Monday – Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.; and Friday 8:00 a.m. – Noon.

The agenda for leaders in a missional era is fundamentally different than leadership in the church age. This course explores these differences and helps leaders construct a way forward.

Bennis, Warren. The Future of Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2001.

Blackaby, Henry and Richard. Spiritual Leadership: Moving People to God’s Agenda. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001.

Creps, Earl G. Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Guder, Darrell ed. The Missional Church. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998.

Heifetz, Ronald A. and Martin Linsky. Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

Hinks, Stephen W. The Journey Ahead.
Kotter, John. The Heart of Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

McNeal, Reggie. The Present Future. Jossey Bass, 2003.

McNeal, Reggie. Practicing Greatness. Jossey Bass, 2006.

McNight, Scot. The Jesus Creed. Brewster, Mass.: Paraclete Press, 2004.

Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader: Equipping your Church to Reach a Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006.

Wheatley, Margaret. Leadership and the New Science. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 1994.

1. Complete a one page reading report for each book you’ve selected to meet the 3000 (1500 for CE credit) page requirement. Reports are due on the first day of the course. Book reports should provide the title of the text, and the number of ages read. Identify the three best, most challenging, or most insightful ideas in the book and why:

What will be different because these ideas have come to you? What actions will you take? What attitudes will you change? How will your ministry be different?

2. Leadership Challenge: Prepare a “Leadership Challenge” for use during the seminar. A “Leadership Challenge” includes the following components:

a. Describe your challenge. What situation/opportunity/problem faces you that you need to address.

Why is this important? What do you intend to accomplish? What difference will it make?

b. Describe the results you seek. What do you want to see happen? How will you measure your success? What benchmarks will signal your progress?

c. Identify your critical questions. What are the issues you are struggling with? Where do you need advice?

3. A 40 – 50 page theological reflection paper that:

a. Summarizes key insights of the course material

b. Presents a theological foundation for missional leadership

c. Synthesizes the learners’ response to the leadership challenges of the missional church

d. Projects a 12-month personal and ministry development path to move more missional in leadership