Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

Ministry Project

The Word of God is living and active, and penetrates to the very heart of our lives and innermost thoughts (Heb. 4.12). James the Apostle emphasizes the need to be doers of the Word of God, not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. We are exhorted to apply the Word, to obey it. Neglecting this discipline, he suggests, is analogous to a person viewing our natural face in a mirror and then forgetting who we are, and are meant to be. In every case, the doer of the Word of God will be blessed in what he or she does (James 1.22-25). Our sincere desire is that you will apply your learning practically, correlating your learning with real experiences and needs in your personal life, and in your ministry in and through your church. Therefore, a key part of completing this module will be for you to design a ministry project to help you share some of the insights you have learned from this course with others. 1 Peter 2:9-10 describes the Church as a race, a nation, an order of priests, and a people. None of these terms allow us to understand our salvation as a purely individual idea. The focus of this ministry project is to help you sharpen your skills in explaining the relationship between salvation and the Church. Please complete each of the following steps: Identify and briefly describe in writing a situation in your past or current experience where a person you know is giving evidence that they do not consider the Church an important part of their spiritual life. (You can use a fictitious name for this person if you would like to keep their identity confidential.) This neglect of the Church may be expressed in their words; “I don’t feel like I have to go to church in order to worship God!” Or it may be expressed in their behavior; they claim to have a vital Christian experience but rarely, if ever, attend church. Write a sample letter to this person laying out simply in your own words the reasons that you believe they have misunderstood what the Bible teaches about salvation and the Church. The content of this letter should draw from, and demonstrate familiarity with, the theology which you have learned in this course. The point of this letter is to move the theological ideas into practical experience. It is not a “theology paper” but the communication of sound biblical teaching to a person who either misunderstands or deliberately disobeys the Scriptures. Turn in a copy of the letter to your instructor. Then, prayerfully consider whether God might have you approach the person you wrote about (if it is a current situation) and either send them the letter or talk to them in person about their salvation and church life. The Ministry Project is worth 30 points and represents 10% of your overall grade, so make certain to share your insights with confidence and make your summary clear.

Purpose

Planning and Summary

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Grading