My first year at Samford University is about to end. Now is the time of exams, papers, grading, grading, and grading. I am looking forward to the summer break because it brings a change in routine. Yet, summer is already full. Among other things, Lord willing, I plan to work on two book projects (I hope to share more about these soon.).
I received exciting news a few hours ago from the university. Our new Intercultural Engagement minor has been approved for Fall 2019.
Before arriving on campus last year, I heard of student interest in obtaining Great Commission training while earning marketable degrees. This was one of the means by which the Lord called me to this position. I wrote about my journey HERE, spoke about it to Beeson Divinity School HERE, and also on Strike the Match HERE.
There were at least three matters of concern when I started working on this minor last August:
First, it needed to provide the biblical, missiological, and practical training for reaching unreached people groups--in Birmingham, across North America, and throughout the world, while aligning with our department and school.
Second, it needed to be available to any major on campus. We have a few majors that do not allow for a minor. We encourage students in such programs to consider taking any of our courses as their schedules allow.
Third, it needed to be brief without compromising necessary training. Students are busy. A minor that requires 20+ hours of study is going to limit student participation.
A year before I arrived, Scott Guffin developed the Christian Ministry major in what would quickly become the university's Christian Ministry Department. Last year, Scott shared about the new major HERE. You may read about the degree and its Great Commission focus HERE. For the minor, I took three of the courses he developed for our department (Disciple Making I, II, and Contemporary Strategies in Missions) and added an additional five new courses.
The result: An 18 hour minor in Intercultural Engagement with the following courses:
My Major and the Mission of God. 1 credit hour. This course is a biblical and missiological study of vocation, global marketplace opportunities, and how the Kingdom citizen may be involved in disciple making through his or her future occupation. Students will be challenged to consider how their major may be used for engaging cultures with the gospel in North America and throughout the world. This course is designed for students who are not Christian Ministry majors.
Disciple Making I. 1 credit hour. This course introduces the basics of Christian disciple making, focusing on biblical principles and practices. Classroom instruction and small group interaction with faculty are utilized to examine the subject matter from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
Disciple Making II. 1 credit hour. This course builds on the subject of Christian disciple making from the Disciple Making I course, surveying common approaches and methods. Classroom instruction and small group interaction with faculty are utilized to examine the subject matter from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
Introduction to Intercultural Engagement. 3 credit hours. This course addresses the basic elements of the Christian faith as they relate to the engagement of global cultures for the purpose of disciple making. Students are exposed to a theology of intercultural engagement, global issues influencing the role of the Church in intercultural ministry, and practical steps for serving in a culture different from their own. Particular attention is given to God’s past and contemporary, global, redemptive, activities through the Church.
Religious Diversity and the Mission of God. 3 credit hours. This course examines the development, growth, and influence of pluralism and the plurality of faith traditions on the Church and God’s mission. The course will examine such traditions from a biblical, theological, historical, and missiological perspective in light of the Great Commission. Emphasis will be placed on approaches for engaging peoples of diverse perspectives with effective gospel communication.
Church Multiplication. 3 credit hours. This course is a study of church planting in cross-cultural contexts. The course will expose the students to the biblical, theological, and missiological factors that affect church planting across cultures.
Contemporary Strategies in Missions. 3 credit hours. This course examines recent research and contemporary strategies for Christian global missions. Special attention is given to learning about unreached people groups and to learning and analyzing new and innovative approaches being utilized in world evangelization.
Intercultural Engagement Field Experience. 3 credit hours. This course is an off-campus learning experience in the study of intercultural engagement. Attention is given to understanding and applying mission theology, missiological principles, and mission methods to a cross-cultural, supervised setting. Students will spend a semester or summer working with an approved supervising field mentor and under the direction of the professor in a field-based learning environment.
I am excited to share this news with you. Some of you are educators. I hope what we are doing may be of some assistance to you and to your schools. We do not have all the answers; we are just getting started. If you have some thoughts for us, please let us know. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated. We would love to learn from you and your school!
If you are a Samford student and interested in this minor, let's talk. Or, maybe you or someone you know is interested in our university. If so, shoot me an email (jd.payne@samford.edu) or hit me on social media.