This course explores key aspects of Christian ministry, focusing on leadership, preaching, pastoral care, and worship. Students will gain a solid foundation in the theological and practical dimensions of ministry, preparing them for effective leadership in church settings.
The course covers the core elements of worship services, the ethical and theological perspectives of ministry, and the development of pastoral identity. Students will learn to plan and lead worship, deliver sermons, and engage in pastoral counselling, with an emphasis on reflection and critical evaluation.
By the end of the course, students will be equipped to lead with confidence, integrating biblical insights with contemporary ministry challenges.
The course consists of the following modules:
- Christian Leadership (7 ECTS)
- The Worship Service (3 ECTS)
- Homiletics (5 ECTS)
- Pastoral Counselling (5 ECTS)
The teaching is organized with both online and session-based modules.
The online modules usually contain reading guides for the course literature, instructional texts for the online lessons, as well as audio or video lectures. The students will be challenged to engage in ministry in a local church.
Knowledge
The students have:
- knowledge of key elements of the worship service.
- knowledge of theoretical and theological perspectives on ministry tasks like leadership, pastoral counselling and preaching.
- knowledge of central aspects of a pastoral identity and what characterizes leadership in the church, including conflict management and leading volunteers.
- knowledge of key issues in Christian preaching, particularly the interplay between the biblical text and the contemporary context.
- An understanding of the tools and methods of pastoral care, as well as the conditions and framework for pastoral conversations.
Skills
The students can:
- plan and lead a worship service, while critically reflecting on their own performance.
- reflect on self-leadership and personal leadership practice, including values and ethical considerations, to plan and execute Christian leadership.
- prepare, deliver and critically evaluate a sermon.
- discuss key issues and aspects of the counselling conversation.
General Competence
The students can:
- communicate their views in various settings, both orally and in writing.
- can critically engage with scholarly work in the field of practical theology.
- use their knowledge to develop good practices within the field of church ministry.
Exam and Assessment
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Attend the digital introduction session.
- Attend the two gatherings and a minimum of 70 % of the lectures (cf. chap. 5.5) *
- Preach a sermon (15-17 minutes) linked to a given liturgical context and receive feedback.
- A paper on homiletics (reflection based on the preached sermon) (1500 words)
- A paper on leadership (1500 words)
- A paper on counselling or liturgy (1500 words)
Deadline for submission is given at the start of the semester but notice that the requirements must be completed not later than two weeks before the exam date.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Length | Grading scale | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio Assessment | 5000 words | A-F | Submission of the papers on homiletics, leadership and counselling. Supplementing the papers, there must be a 500-word introduction based on the given guidelines. |
Final assessment is based on the exam. The course and the exam will be graded A-E for pass and F for fail.
Some readings are available digitally on the school’s learning management system (LMS) and are marked with *.
Christian Leadership (circa 530 pp.)
Gangel, K. O. & Canine, S. A. (2002). Communication and Conflict Management in Churches and Christian Organizations. Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 129-154, 179-254 (circa 100 pages).
Hjort, B. G., & Skræddergaard, K. B. (2021). Fellowship as driving force: Volunteering in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. Studia Theologica - Nordic Journal of Theology, 76(2), 130–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/0039338X.2021.1939781
Lilleaasen, R. (2023). Church Followership and Power. Scandinavian Journal for Leadership and Theology, Vol 10, 545-559. https://doi.org/10.53311/sjlt.v10.94
*Northouse, P. (2021). Leadership. Theory and Practice (9th Ed). SAGE Publications, pp. 1-18
Willimon, W. H. (2016). Pastor: Revised Edition: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. Abingdon Press, pp. 11-339.
*Yukl, G., & Gardner III, W. L. (2018). Leadership in Organizations (9th Ed.) Pearson India, pp. 230-283.
The Worship Service (circa 200 pp.)
Senn, F. C. (2012). Introduction to Christian Liturgy. Fortress Press. (210 pp.).
Homiletics (circa 400 pp.)
Gaarden, M., & Lorensen, M. R. (2013). Listeners as Authors in Preaching: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives. Homiletic (Online), 38(1), 28-45. http://ejournals.library.vanderbilt.edu/index.php/homiletic/article/view/3832
Lloyd-Jones, M. (2012). Preaching and Preachers. Zondervan, pp. 95-199; 236-343. (215 pp.)
Robinson, H. (2014). Biblical Preaching. Baker Academic. (160 pp.)
Pastoral Care and Christian Counselling (circa 350 pp.)
*Augsburger, D. W. & Malony, N. H. (2007). Christian Counselling. An Introduction. Abingdon Press pp. pp. 50-67 (18 pages)
*Clinton, T. & Hawkins, R. (Eds.) (2011). The Popular Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling: An Indispensable Tool for Helping People with Their Problems. Harvest House Publishers, pp. 11-44, 413-442 (63 pages).
*Collins, Gary R. (2007). Christian Counselling A Comprehensive Guide. (3rd ed). Thomas Nelson, pp. 3-118 (116 pages)
McClure, B. (2011). Pastoral Care. I B. Miller-McLemore (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology. (p. 267-278). John Wiley & Sons
Patton, J. (2015). Pastor as Counselor: Wise Presence, Sacred Conversation. Abingdon Press. (136 pages).
