Course Syllabus

Course title: PT 701 Church Ministry Course description: This course is designed to explore how to develop and work out a vision in a church body that approaches administration, worship, discipleship, fellowship, and outreach so that a God-centered, Christ-centered, and Gospel-centered ministry is experienced with a pro-active and militant passion for the glory of God according to the principles of the New Testament. Course instructor: Bob Selph served as the pastor of Miller Valley Baptist Church in Prescott, AZ from 1978 to 1995, and has been serving as the pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Taylors, SC, for eight years. Bob also served for nine years as Missions Coordinator for the Reformed Baptist Missionary Service (RBMS) and the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA). He was also involved in the Southern Baptist Founders Movement. Bob is a graduate of Fort Lewis College (BA) and the author of Southern Baptists and the Doctrine of Election. Bob and his wife, Cathi, have three children and eight grandchildren. Course lecturer: Ted Christman is the founding pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY where he’s been serving since 1973. He earned a B.A. at Bob Jones University and an M.Div. at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Ted has contributed a chapter to Dear Timothy – Letters to a Young Pastor, authored Forbid Them Not, Rethinking the Baptism and Church Membership of Children and Young People and published A Daily Bible Reading Schedule, widely used throughout the U.S. and around the world. He enjoys theology, apologetics, nature, jogging and just hanging out with his wife, Dianne. He and Dianne cherish spending time with their children and grandchildren. Course lecturer: Matt Foreman has served as the pastor of Faith Reformed Baptist Church in Media, PA since 2003. He has a degree B.A. in music (vocal performance) from Furman University, SC, and M.A.R. in theology from Westminster Seminary, PA. He currently serves on the Administrative Council of ARBCA and chairs the foreign missions committee. In addition to his role as a pastor, Matt is a musician who writes music for use in worship, some of which can be found on his website Ekklesiahymns.org. Course lecturer: Chad Clint has served as the associate pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Taylors, SC, since 2007. He graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.A. in Social Science and Secondary Education and from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville with an M.Div. degree. His passion is to make much of Christ through preaching, teaching, and building relationships with people. Chad and his wife, Melanie, have three children – Jaxon, Grace and Eli – and are prayerfully and intentionally teaching them to be faithful followers of Jesus who love to share the good news of his life, death and resurrection with everyone they meet. Course lecturer: Bob Gonzales has served as a pastor of three Reformed Baptist congregations and has been the Academic Dean and a professor of RBS since 2005. He has a Ph.D. in Old Testament Interpretation and is the author of Where Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis with Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives, as well as a contributor to Reformed Baptist Theological Review, The Founders Journal, 1 and Westminster Theological Journal. Bob is also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society for Biblical Literature. He and his wife, Becky, have five children. Gary Hendrix has been an elder at Grace Reformed Baptist Church since 1970, when he was called to serve as the church’s pastor. Gary has a Bachelor of Theology (ThB) from Piedmont Bible College. Gary and his wife, Sherry, have three children. Course credit: 2 credits Course requirements: Student must satisfactorily complete the following course requirements: (1) Reading The student read at total of 600 pages or more from at least three books listed in the “Primary Reading List” below. At least one of the two books should deal with worship. Primary Reading List: (1) Church Ministry in general Arturo G. Azurdia III, Connected Christianity: Engaging Culture Without Compromise (Christian Focus, 2009). [86 pages] Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel and Community (Crossway, 2008). [244 pages] Tim Challies, The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion (Zondervan, 2011). [200 pages] Gareth Crossley, Growing Leaders in the Church (Evangelical Press, 2008). [282 pages] Timothy Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Zondervan, 2010). [395 pages] C. J. Mahaney and Greg Somerville, Why Small Groups (Sovereign Grace Ministries, 1996). [133 pages] Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything (Matthias Media, 2009). [196 pages] Colin Marshall, Growth Groups: A Training Course in How to Lead Small Groups (Matthias Media, 1995). [179 pages] C. John Miller, Outgrowing the Ingrown Church (Zondervan, 1986). [176 pages] John White, Excellence in Leadership: Reaching Goals with Prayer, Courage, and Determination (Intervarsity, 1986). [132 pages] (2) Corporate Worship Donald A. Carson, ed., Worship by the Book (Zondervan, 2002). [256 pages] Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice (Baker Academic, 2009). [320 pages] Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (Crossway, 2008). [268 pages] Timothy Keller, “Evangelistic Worship.” Available for download here: http://redeemercitytocity.com/content/com.redeemer.digitalContentArchiv e.LibraryItem/9/Evangelistic_Worship.pdf [approx. 12 pages] Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship, in Guides to the Reformed Tradition, eds. John H. Leith and John W. Kuykendall (John Knox Press, 1984). [200 pages] David Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (InterVarsity Press, 1992). [317 pages] Special notes with regarding to the required reading: 1) It is advised that the student select reading from works that he will review and/or that focus on the theme of his course paper. 2 2) The student may be allowed to substitute other reading for the requirements listed above, but he must obtain approval from his mentor and course instructor before doing so. See the “Supplementary Reading List” provided below. 3) Neither the lecturers nor the seminary endorses all the varied perspectives, methods, conclusions, and applications represented in the suggested reading below. The lecturers have attempted to suggest reading that comes from writers who stand within the Reformed tradition (broadly defined) but who may apply the teaching and principles of Scripture to church ministry, life, and worship differently. We believe it’s important for the student to be aware of various models and methods and to learn from both the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Accordingly, the instructors want the student to read these works discerningly and (ideally) with the guidance and input of his pastor(s). The two assigned book reviews will provide the student with the opportunity to give a critical assessment of some of the literature he’s assigned. (2) Reviews The student should prepare two book reviews from the “Primary Reading List” above or, with the instructor’s permission, from the “Supplementary Reading List” below. Each review should be double-spaced, between 5-8 pages or 2,000 to 4,000 words in length, and should follow Turabian formatting (see “Guidelines & Expectations for Students”). (3) Term Paper The student shall prepare one paper on one of the topics suggested below or an approved topic on a subject related to the course. The paper should be 12 to 15 pages in length (double-spaced) or 4,000 to 6,000 words (including footnotes). The paper should conform to the RBS writing guidelines that are outlined in “Guidelines & Expectations for Students” and are more fully explained by Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th or 7th edition. (Note: the student may use the Turabian template available on RBS Virtual Campus for writing the paper.) Suggested Topics: 1) A Biblical Basis and Some Practical Guidelines for Developing a Church Ministry Vision 2) Contextualization and Church Ministry: Its Biblical Basis, Potential Dangers, and Valid Applications 3) Biblical and Practical Guidelines for Corporate Worship that Pleases God and Edifies God’s People 4) A Biblical Basis and Some Practical Guidelines for Employing Small Groups in Church Ministry 5) Biblical and Practical Guidelines for Equipping the Saints for Church Ministry 6) Outreach and Church Ministry: Its Biblical Basis and Some Sound Strategies The student does not have to parrot the titles above, but he is free to adjust the title and focus of the paper. If he has any questions about the paper or if he would like to propose a topic not listed above, he should contact the course instructor. Course grading: Lectures and Reading = 30%; Reviews = 30%; Term Paper = 40%

Select Bibliography The works below address topics related to the various facets of church ministry including worship and constitute the “Supplementary Reading List.” The student is encouraged to draw from these resources for the writing of his term paper.

Supplementary Reading List:

Thabiti M. Anyabwile, What Is a Healthy Church Member? (Crossway, 2008). [128 pages]

3 Thomas Ascol, ed. Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry (Founders Press, 2004). [348 pages] Earl Blackburn, Jesus Loves the Church and So Should You: Studies in Biblical Churchmanship (Solid Ground Books, 2010). [143 pages] D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Zondervan, 1996). [569 pages] Ted Christman, Forbid Them Not: Rethinking the Baptism and Church Membership of Children and Young People (Heritage Baptist Church, n.d.). [35 pages] Mark Dever. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Crossway, 2004). [288 pages] ______. The Church: The Gospel Made Visible (Broadman & Holman, 2012). [208 pages] Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel (Crossway, 2005). [204 pages] Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert. What Is the Mission of the Church: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission (Crossway, 2011). [288 pages] John M. Frame, Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense (Presbyterian & Reformed, 1997). [212 pages] ______. Worship in Spirit and Truth: A Refreshing Study of the Principles and Practice of Biblical Worship (Presbyterian & Reformed, 1996). [171 pages] Robert Godfrey, Pleasing God in Our Worship (Crossway, 1999). [48 pages] David T. Gordon, Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2010). [192 pages] Dennis Gunderson, Your Child’s Profession of Faith (Calvary Press, 1994). [55 pages] D. G. Hart and John R. Muether, With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2002). [208 pages] Michael Horton, A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of God-Centered Worship (Baker, 2003). [256 pages] Brad House, Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support (Crossway, 2011). [256 pages] Kent and Barbara Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome (Tyndale, 1987). [198 pages] Bob Kauflin, “Words of Wonder: What Happens When We Sing” (audio from a Desiring God Conference accessed March 22, 2012: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/words- of-wonder-what-happens-when-we-sing#/ Timothy Keller, Fellowship Group Handbook (Unpublished manuscript, n.d.). Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People (Moody, 2011). [208 pages] Wayne Mack and David Swavely, Life in the Father’s House: A Member’s Guide to the Local Church, 2nd ed. (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2007). [277 pages] Dawn Marva, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn of the Century Culture (Eerdmans, 1995). [316 pages] Darrin Patrick, Church Planter: The Man, The Message, The Mission (Crossway, 2010). [238 pages] 4 J. W. Pinson, ed. Perspectives on Christian Worship: Five Views (Broadman & Holman, 2009). [368 pages] John Piper, “Gravity & Gladness on Sunday Morning” [four audio messages; available at http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/ AudioCDs/550_Gravity_and_Gladness_On_Sunday_Morning/ Philip G. Ryken, Derek W. H. Thomas, J. Ligon Duncan, Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2003). [480 pages] Alexander Strauch, Meetings That Work: A Guide to Effective Elder’s Meetings (Lewis & Roth, 2001). [87 pages]

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