This February, I’m teaching the course entitled “Church Planting in Post-Christendom” for Fuller Theological Seminary’s D.Min. Program. I will be leading us through the cultural terrain of Post-modernity and Post-Christendom as well as the theological terrain of ecclesiology (what is church theologically and historically?) all with the aim of dissecting the assumptions which undergird our practice of church-planting in N America. We’ll be looking at some of the major practicioners of the past, including those within the so-called “church growth” methodologies as well as those church-planters within so-called “missional” paradyms as well. (I think we will be surprised by what we discover about the writings and practices among current missional thinkers – wink, wink). I think it changes everything we do in church planting once we think through these various areas and answer why we do the things we do. The final leg of the class is then to sculp one’s own theology and practice of church-planting for one’s own context. I can’t wait!
If you happen to be someone taking the class with me, or thinking about taking the class with me, could you give me a comment or two on what your expectations are for the class! Many thanks.