Courses

This course examines the mission of the church in the book of Acts with the expressed purpose of realizing and applying that mission into our present-day ministry context. The student will engage the pericopes relating to the early church’s birth, mission, expansion, from Jerusalem “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The purpose of the course is not only to inform emerging and seasoned Christian leaders but to encourage and inspire them with the mission in Acts that God has called them to in our post-Christendom context. “Mission is more than and different from recruitment to our brand of religion; it is alerting people to the universal reign of God” (David J. Bosch, Believing in the Future: Toward a Missiology of Western Culture, 33).

Knowing…

• To provide students with a solid understanding of the church’s birth, mission, and expansion in Acts
• Become familiar with the dynamics of the house church model in Acts
• To help Christian leaders understand the relevance of the mission in the early church for the present day

Being…

• Be able to study the book of Acts with a renewed sense of confidence and competence
• Be personally transformed by the mission in Acts
• Be inspired by the example of the early church leaders as they engage a diverse cultural and religious population across the Roman Empire

Doing…

• Be able to effectively discuss the historical, theological and interpretive issues relating to the mission in Acts
• Be better equipped to support the mission of the church in our post-Christian context
• Develop your own practical approach to mission in light of the readings, assignments and class discussion