Overview
Theology is never developed or expressed in a vacuum, either personally or practically. In order to move you from Biblical Theology (getting it from the right source) to Systematic Theology (getting it straight) to Practical Theology (living it out), there needs to be a certain flexibility of application based on your personal calling and goals as a Christian leader. Therefore, you will have the chance to choose what fits your current or future ministry needs best with this assignment (and the second one just like it later in the course). For instance, if Christ has called you to a teaching or preaching ministry, then the Curriculum or Sermon Projects below might prove most helpful to you as you prepare to integrate what you are learning theologically into your ministry context. On the other hand, if you are pursuing education to serve Christ’s kingdom as a Christian counselor, then you should choose the Biblical Counseling Project. We want this assignment to be as helpful and applicable as possible for you as you seek to be equipped to work in a specific ministry context. For this first practical theology assignment, you will focus your work only on The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship).
Instructions
Complete a theological reflection and application assignment related to ONE of the following options in reference to the Wonder of God:
- Curriculum Project
You may develop a course related to The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship). This may be particularly beneficial to those who are involved in active ministry, for your materials may be directly suited to your own ministry needs. The project should make use of class notes, textbooks, other readings, and any other information you may wish to include. However, it must be your own arrangement of the materials in your own words. The curriculum must be appropriate for the target audience. You are encouraged to include audiovisual aids, but these are not required. You must support your curriculum with at least 3 scriptural passages as well as with course/outside texts that properly address the topic from a conservative evangelical point of view. This assignment must be 2,500 – 3,000 words, be original work, be in current Turabian format, and use footnotes where needed.
- Thought Journal
Thought journals are an excellent way to force oneself to ponder issues and interact with ideas over time. In this assignment option, you will complete an indefinite number of journal entries throughout the first 4 weeks of the course related to The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship). Each entry will consist of a single page, double spaced, typed, and should meet several criteria: Each journal entry should deal with a topic relevant to The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship), should demonstrate personal interaction with the issues involved, and should demonstrate a depth of thinking and clarity of expression.
Beyond these criteria, you are encouraged to exercise creativity in writing the journals. Some entries may critically analyze an issue from a given discussion or from the textbooks. Others may consist of book reviews or even film reviews that are relevant to The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship). You must support at least three of your thought journals with scriptural passages as well as with course/outside texts that properly address the issue from a conservative evangelical point of view. Use of outside sources is not required for all your journals entries but is strongly encouraged for at least some of the journal entries. This assignment must be 2,500 – 3,000 words, be original work, be in current Turabian format, and use footnotes where needed.
- Sermon Project
With this option, you will produce two sermons focused on The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship). In other words, one can use this as an opportunity to preach about the divine attributes of God. These sermons need to be full transcripts of a 20–30-minute sermon (about five pages per sermon double spaced), and they need to include an introductory paragraph with a description of the target audience (Senior Adults, Young Adults, Youth, etc.). You must support your sermons with at least 3 scriptural passages as well as with course/outside texts that properly address the topic from a conservative evangelical point of view. This assignment must be 2,500 – 3,000 words, be original work, be in current Turabian format, and use footnotes where needed.
- Biblical Counseling Project
If you choose this option they will produce a number of biblical response papers to be used in personal counseling sessions. These Bible studies must all integrate theological truths related to The Wonder of God (Theology Proper: Divine Attributes and Personal Discipleship). Each response should be about two pages double spaced and relate to specific felt needs that might be addressed in your future ministry as a biblical counselor (abuse, addiction, anger, depression, divorce, grief, illness, etc.). These two- page papers would be handed to the counselee and worked through during a counseling session. You must support each of your biblical response papers with at least 3 scriptural passages as well as with course/outside texts that properly address the issue from a conservative evangelical point of view. This assignment must be 2,500 – 3,000 words, be original work, be in current Turabian format, and use footnotes where needed.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
