CCM Subjects

This unit lays a foundation for cross-cultural ministry, by broadly examining cultural and lifestyle issues vital to contemporary missions.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Develop a biblical basis for cross-cultural ministry, including the missionary ‘call’ and responsibility;
2. Outline the issues involved in living a missionary lifestyle;
3. Identify the stress factors in missionary work and describe tools to manage that stress;
4. Apply the tools of anthropology to appreciate the need to understand various cultural issues relating to missions;
5. Critically analyze the ways to use contemporary communication theory in relation to missional challenges;
6. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the breadth of activities comprising the Church’s mission;
7. Critically analyze the roles and responsibilities of a missionary within a missions agency.

Subject Content

1. Biblical basis for cross-cultural ministry
2. Living a missionary lifestyle
3. Stress management in missionary work
4. Anthropology and missions
5. Contemporary cross-cultural communication
6. Missional work of the Church
7. Roles and responsibilities of a missionary within a missions agency

This unit builds on ‘Introduction to Cross-Cultural Ministry” (CCM101) and complements ‘Foundations of Cross-Cultural Field Ministry’ (CCM221) by examining the religious world in which missions takes place and the personal challenges and growth that are part of the process.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Apply the techniques and features of language learning;
2. Critically analyze the potential role differences that arise in the missionary contexts;
3. Identify the stages of personal growth in cross-cultural life and ministry;
4. Describe the potential challenges to personal spirituality that are part of cross-cultural ministry;
5. Critically examine the role of strategic administration in international field contexts;
6. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the challenges of Christian ministry in the context of the major world religions and the endemic animism in many such situations.

Subject Content

1. Techniques and features of language learning
2. Role differences that arise in the missionary contexts
3. Stages of personal growth in cross-cultural life and ministry
4. Challenges to personal spirituality
5. The role of strategic administration in international field contexts
6. Challenges of cross-cultural ministry
7. Overview of major world religions and ministry approaches to them
8. Understanding animism, and best practice ministry in animistic contexts

This unit builds on ‘Introduction to Cross-Cultural Ministry’ (CCM101) by developing a personal and ministry strategy for effective missionary life and work.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a detailed understanding of ‘mission,’ including Christian perspectives and common misconceptions;
2. Critically examine the missionary’s role and place within the church at home and abroad;
3. Apply basic leadership development theory to mission work;
4. Apply developmental theory to mission work;
5. Apply basic organisational theory to mission work;
6. Examine various approaches to mission and develop a basic mission philosophy and strategy for use in the field;
7. Critically analyse the challenges and opportunities of an effective indigenous model for contemporary missionary ministry.

Subject Content

1. Missionary Strategy
2. Urban and rural mission contexts
3. Planting churches cross culturally
4. Indigenous leadership selection and development
5. Pentecostal praxis in cross cultural ministry
6. Development Theory

TBA

This unit will provide the basis for understanding Islam as a religion as observed in the world today. To do so it explores the historical, cultural, theological, philosophical and political background of Islam. This is necessary for understanding the complex cross-currents of Christian-Muslim Relations in contemporary society. It will also point the student towards effective approaches to Muslim evangelism and discipleship.

Unit Content

Outcomes

1. Summarise the religious history of Islam, including key figures and events;
2. Explain the central elements of Islamic faith and practice;
3. Describe and analyze the changing face of Islam in the modern world;
4. Contrast key areas of similarity and difference between Christianity and Islam;
5. Critique typical misconceptions about Islam;
6. Appraise the various Christian approaches to effective interaction with Muslims;
7. Compare opportunities for engaging in positive communication and developing a relationship with Muslims.

Subject Content

• Historical and social background to the rise of Islam
• Life and teachings of the Prophet Mohammed
• Development and expansion of Islam
• Development of Islamic faiths and traditions
• Contemporary reform movements in Islam
• Christian Muslim relations

TBA

This subject aims at training future pastors and church leaders to lead Australasian churches with a world mission focus, in all of its biblical, historical, cultural and strategic dimensions.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Define cross-cultural ministry  and identify the significance of this understanding for local churches and their community and global responsibility;
2. Describe a viable  philosophy and strategy for cross-cultural ministry in  local church and mission organization contexts;
3. Outline available methods for actively promoting the cause of global mission perspectives;
4. Identify the breadth of activities comprising the Church’s cross-cultural ministry;
5. Analyze the challenge and opportunities of cross-cultural ministry to people in Australasia and beyond;
6. Recognize personal and corporate responsibility for cross-cultural ministry in the fulfillment of the great commission.

Subject Content

1. What is ‘mission’
2. The local church and missions
3. Two structures of God’s redemptive mission
4. The local church’s role in missions
5. Making your church ‘breathe’ mission
6. Ethnic and student ministry
7. Obtaining relevant mission sources
8. Developing a local church mission philosophy and strategy
9. The by-products of missions - Through other cultures: Better theology
10. For other cultures: God’s blessing on missions

This Biblical foundation of the Mission unit is designed to demonstrate the responsibility that God has charged his people to bring his Kingdom to earth. From Israel to the birth of the Christian church through the ministry of Jesus Christ, the task of God’s people was and still is, to be a light to the nations and to make disciples that reflect the character of God. This unit will trace this mandate through the biblical narrative and give special attention to Jesus’ own ministry and the spread of the early Christian church. For those wishing to broaden their understanding of a biblical theology of mission, then sign up now!

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

This unit provides a study of the biblical foundations of missions, examining the Old and New Testament and, in particular, the missionary mandate arising from the gospel of Jesus Christ.It aims to engage students in the process of examining Christian missionary activity in the light of the Scriptures, and provide the theological basis grounding missionary strategy and facilitating effective practice

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Outline knowledge of the narratives, themes, and concepts that contribute to a biblical theology of mission;
2. Identify the influence of culture and context on the reading of the Bible and the understanding of mission;
3. Understand the importance of the Bible for missionary praxis;
4. Define a philosophy of mission using Scripture and outline in comparison to other Christian perspectives and understandings.

Subject Content

1. Culture and context and the implications for biblical interpretation
2. Overview of missionary narratives and themes in the Old and New Testaments
3. The Gospel narrative and the great commission
4. Pauline theology and practice of mission
5. Reading historical and contemporary missionary practice in the light of biblical theology
6. The missionary challenge of proclaiming a contemporary and relevant message and the danger of syncretism.

This subject provides students with an opportunity to study the principles and processes of communication theory and how to apply that in the process of the contextualization of the Christian message. These tools are important for ministry anywhere in the world including in cross-cultural missions.

It will also introduce students to the communication prototypes inherent in the Scriptures as well as preparing students for Christian witness in their own ministry context.

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

This unit provides an overview of cross-cultural communication theory, principals, and application

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of cross-cultural communication theories and application;
2. Identify cross-cultural communication challenges and ways of addressing these challenges;
3. Analyze the major elements involved in becoming a more effective communicator, regardless of the medium used;
4. Show an understanding of approaches to cross-cultural communication competence, and the variables that contribute to cross-cultural communication competence;
5. Demonstrate the ability to recognize and, where relevant, adapt different cultural perspectives in thinking;
6. Explain a deepening appreciation of the need for cultural insights in the cross-cultural communication task of Biblical interpretation;
7. Analyze and interpret the core concepts of cross-culturalism that ensure that messages are able to be communicated effectively across cultural boundaries.

Subject Content

1. Theories and models of cross-cultural communication
2. Social cognition and its relevance to cross-cultural communication
3. Communication patterns of differing worldviews
4. Cross-cultural communication in contexts: Christian mission, education & business
5. Cultural transition and adaptation
6. Cultural differences in conflict management

This unit provides students with an understanding of anthropological concepts and insights as tools for contemporary ministry. It also sets out an anthropological analysis of Christianity and enables students to develop the capacity to exegete any cultural context in which they find themselves ministering.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Examine the major theories and methodologies used in cultural anthropology;
2. Construct a theological foundation for cultural anthropology which includes a range of worldviews;
3. Develop a knowledge of the cultural commonalities and diversities in various cultures, including one’s own;
4. Examine the validity of other cultures and the value of cultural engagement;
5. Explain the significance of understanding culture and the process of cultural change from an anthropological perspective within culturally appropriate Christian ministry;
6. Utilize various disciplines of missiology and develop an integrated strategy which facilitates effective Christian mission.

Subject Content

1. The background and nature of anthropology
2. Anthropological perspective on culture and worldviews
3. Reality and perception in anthropology
4. Culture and worldview change in contemporary Christian ministry
5. Utilisation of cultural forms to convey meanings in contemporary ministry
6. Communication, economics, technology, education, family, status and role, and social groups and control from an anthropological perspective in Christian mission
7. Conversion as culture change in contemporary ministry

This unit provides an advanced study of the animistic world. Ministry approaches that are essential for their effective integration into Christian faith will be examined in detail.

Unit Content

Outcomes

Students should be able to:

1. Identify the key concepts and practices of animism, both as experienced in the world today and as evidenced in the Bible;
2. Analyze the reasons for the pervasiveness and persistence of animism despite contact with other major religions including Christianity;
3. Explain important principles involved in discipling Animists;
4. Distinguish the key ways animism interacts with other aspects of social and religious experience;
5. Analyze Christian ministry concepts, including power encounter, functional substitutes, ministry to fear, the tendency to nominalism, the tendency to ritual rather than relationship;
6. Examine the challenges of animism for the current missionary strategy.

Subject Content

1. Introduction to animism as practiced today, including phenomenology and key concepts
2. Overview of the scriptures from an animistic perspective
3. Key Christian ministry concepts, including power encounter, functional substitutes, ministry to fear, the tendency to nominalism, the tendency to ritual rather than relationship
4. Development of ministry approaches, replacing traditional power needs with Christian power solutions