God's Mission and the Church's Calling

In this foundational pastoral course, participants will reflect on understandings of God's mission, the Church's part in that mission, and their own sense of call in relation to these. The course will draw on texts from Genesis, Isaiah, Luke and Romans, as well as patristic, liturgical, spiritual writings and sermonic writing. Examining the history of mission and the church, and contemporary congregational mission theory, we will consider alternative images and paradigms of mission. Lectures and book discussion sessions will seek to build participants' critical skills particularly in relation to conflict, healing, culture, pluriformity, and proclamation as part of mission. Participants will be required to meet and interview individuals involved in diverse forms of ministry in the community to develop their own vocational discernment and gain practical awareness of the issues, challenges and skills involved in a differing forms of Spirit-led developments as congregations seek to participate and live God's mission.