 |
Seminar in North American Church Planting
|
Non-Credit: C8
MA credit: MI -700
DMin credit: MI - 800
|
Facilitator: Dr. Terry Hofecker
This seminar introduces the student to the basic understanding and skills necessary to start a congregation in the North American cultural context. It takes the student from call through self-assessment to reaching and bringing together a group of 25-75 individuals committed to being a church. Informed by David Garrison’s concepts of church multiplication, it seeks to train church-planters to form new congregations aggressively and rapidly with a dependence upon followon pastoral church developers; attention is also given to participants who desire to pursue a founding pastor model as well. Students will be expected to engage the experience both intellectually and spiritually with significant encouragement given to building spiritual community within the class and work groups.
GOALS:
- To gain a basic understanding of skills and practical insights necessary to start a church.
- To participate in a self-assessment for church planters.
- To be enriched through personal interaction with others of like heart and discussion leaders who have previously planted churches.
WHO WILL BENEFIT:
- Any christian who has considered starting a new church.
- Young men and women who are already preparing to start a new church (spouses are encouraged to attend).
- Pastors and church leaders who want to encourage the church planting enterprise.
Important note about this class: This course can be taken not-for-credit or for credit from Grace Seminary. If this class is taken for credit, it can be used either for Doctoral credit or for Masters credit in the seminary. Class time for MA and DMin are the same however, pre and post-course requirements will differ. Financial aid for this class may be available from Grace Brethren North American Mission. Email midwest_ron@mac.com for more information. Download the course prospectus for reading requirements for DMin or MA.
TERRY HOFECKER is the founding pastor of Northwest Chapel, Dublin, Ohio. Northwest Chapel supports a network of daughter churches, including a Hispanic congregation on site and others in Mexico and Cuba. Terry is a graduate of Penn State University (BS), Grace Seminary (MDiv and MATheology), and Westminster Seminary (DMin). Terry has founded or co-founded Vision Ohio, Equippo International, and the Central Ohio Mission Coalition. He is a archaeologist serving as adjunct Field Instructor in Archaeology and Historical Geography at Grace Theological Seminary. Terry has strong involvement in his community including various roles related to police chaplaincy. He was chosen as a Lilly Foundation Pastors of Excellence mentor in 2003 and served as small group mentor for 2004-2005 cohort. He is Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy, Character-Based Living, LLC, Dublin, Ohio—consultants in on-line assessment and characterbased leadership and training. Terry and his wife Deborah have two children; Sarah, 24 and Benjamin, 22.
|
