In this course, students will confirm the Mission, Vision and Passion (MVP) in nurturing children’s faith and identify creative ways to build an effective Children’s Ministry. Based on Biblical teaching and child development theories, students can relate principles to practical application for responding to the spiritual needs of children and leading them to follow Bible’s teaching. Through hands-on activities and small group projects, students will examine different models of delivering Children Sunday School. They will design a curriculum that is age-appropriate, interesting, and strong in faith nurturing. Students learn practically how to foster children’s potential in experiencing God and lead them to Christ. Offered in Chinese.

Considers Biblical perspectives on leadership, various theories of leadership, and the art of leadership. Addresses such subjects as identity, style, vulnerabilities, decision-making, personal management, administration, power, ethics, gender, and culture.

Addresses the fundamental leadership competencies of understanding organizational culture, visioning, team building, developing and implementing projects, addressing conflict and crisis, and facilitating change. Draws on Biblical examples and theological perspectives. Considers some elements in the research projects.

Uses systems theories including family systems, complex adaptive systems and the Biblical metaphor of church as body to provide lenses through which to view organizational culture and develop projects. Focuses on competencies of complex adaptive leadership such as embracing paradox and uncertainty. Considers related issues such as power, human relations, team development, conflict, and embracing paradox and uncertainty.

Intercultural competence is an essential component of a leaders self-awareness, attitude, knowledge and skill for serving in a multicultural context. Addresses such topics as a theology of diversity, models of culture and intercultural and cross-cultural competence, cultural value orientations, communication styles, and conflict resolution. Includes individual and group intercultural development assessment and coaching.

Explores the leader’s role of intentionally investing in developing others. Examines research, theories, models, practices, and theological reflection to understand the purpose of leadership development and designs a strategic approach to multiply leaders in a specific context.

Examination of specific topics in ministry leadership.

Guides in the articulation of your own grounded philosophy of Christian leadership. May be generic or context specific. Will include a theological framework or rationale, the treatment of a few key Biblical passages, and review of some leadership theories and models in the literature. Project report will be included in your research portfolio.

Explores the theoretical, theological, and practical principles that are foundational to leading and managing a ministry organization. Topics include the unique aspects of organizational leadership as they affect the senior leader (the figurehead role, risks and benefits of personal/ professional linkages and compartmentalization, staff and stakeholder expectations of a leader, “CEO Disease”), organizational health (organizational life cycle, leading indicators of decline, organizational transformation, change management, risk management, and mission drift prevention), human resources (culture, engagement, staff care and development, nurturing high performance teams, staff succession), financial health (budgeting, analysis, cashflow, reserves), impact assessment, and structuring/working with a leadership team.

Enables students to re-conceptualize the definition and impact of leadership and to reflect on the meaning of spirituality in their daily lives and work. It provides a theological and biblical examination of the concepts and teachings of spiritual formation of leaders at work, and a multifaceted consideration of the goals, approaches, values, spiritual life and growth of leaders. Concepts of leadership will be examined in both the corporate vs church contexts, with the view of discerning the challenges, struggles and various healthy resolutions. Offered in Chinese.

Seeks to develop biblical-theological, historical and cultural understandings of leadership in the church, ministry organizations and the marketplace. Students will gain insight into their leadership potential, gifts, values, preferences, style and skill levels. They will grow in the ability to think and respond as leaders in whatever settings they serve. Students will implement their understanding of leadership and reflect on those implementations.

Same as PAST 0643.

Same as PAST 0668.

Examination of specific topics in leadership.

This seminar course will introduce students to concepts of leadership, organizational change theory, and skills required to lead organizations and communities in the context of changing demographics. The emerging practice of diversity as central to leadership theory and practice, the holistic nature of diversity, social justice within a diverse society, and the role these have in contributing to effective and appropriate leadership will be explored to gain an informed understanding. Reflection on multicultural, and intercultural perspectives and partnerships, specifically, those between Indigenous Peoples and Western culture is a focal aspect of this course. Leaders require knowledge, skill and attributes that support inclusion and promote unity.

Introduces students to some of the myriad of ways in which gender may impact Christian ministry: from one’s self-identity as male or female, to constructing theological categories, to methods of biblical interpretation, to clarifying pastoral care issues, to greater sensitization towards the joys and challenges of working together in a “sexualized society”. Along the way students will learn not only from biblical studies and theology, but also from the fields of sociology, biology, psychotherapy, anthropology, history, and psychology. Same as LEAD 0643.

Explores what makes for vital congregations. The normative form of Christian existence is the local congregation where God’s people are gathered, built up in faith, and sent into the world as witnesses to God’s reconciling action in Jesus Christ. Topics include the critical role of pastoral leadership and practices that contribute to pastoral spirituality; understanding congregations through the lens of theology, social science and family systems theory; the necessity of team leadership; and critical elements that contribute to congregational vitality. Same as LEAD 0668 Prerequisite: LEAD 0510.