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M.A. in Christian Outreach Course Descriptions

THY 521 Spiritual and Ethical Leadership Formation (3 credits)
Foundational for Christian leadership, this course equips spiritual leaders to identify means of spiritual and ethical leadership development and to utilize these means for their own and others' growth. These means include regular study of the Scriptures as well as use of the sacraments, prayer, meditation, service to others and mentoring. A theological understanding of leadership formation is presented, as are approaches for designing programs for developing spiritual leaders.

THY 572 Missio Dei (3 credits)
Based on Jesus' announcement of the Good News of the Kingdom of God, this course develops a Lutheran theology of mission intended to motivate God's people to proclaim the kingdom. It builds an understanding of mission among the lost and the hurting. Resources include the Bible, the Lutheran Confessions and missiological texts.

THY 577 Mission Design for Outreach Leaders (3 credits)
In this course students will identify their focus of studies for the program, choose their capstone style, involve themselves in a literature search of their topic, and design an approach to a field learning project which they will seek to follow through the course of the program.

THY 531 Worldview's Impact on Outreach Leadership (3 credits)
Students examine historical and contemporary methods used in the rational and experiential defense of the Christian faith against unbelief, the use of categories of thought foreign to Biblical thinking, and Christian responses to worldviews hostile to Christianity with the intention of developing an appropriate, Biblical and contemporary apologetic for particular contexts.

THY 573 Congregational Outreach Leadership (3 credits)
This course focuses on reaching those who do not know Christ and integrating them into the body of Christ. Consideration is given to the worldview of the unchurched and the structure of the postchurch society. A key emphasis is on each believer's role as a witness, as well as the church worker's role in equipping them to respond to everyday opportunities.

THY 541 Missional Leaders through History (3 credits)
Through study of the historical expansion of the Christian Church and its impact on community and society, students will identify their own leadership style and understand how God's hand works through the variety of gifts to move His kingdom forward in world history.

THY 551 Social Issues in Mission (3 credits)
This course encourages students to consider economic and political challenges in establishing social justice for people in given societies. Students will design appropriate strategies for addressing social issues in mission contexts.

THY 582 Outreach Leadership in Ministry I: Theory (3 credits)
Students will learn the process of understanding another culture, how to adapt, and how to make sound value judgments within it. Results from anthropological and sociological research as well as current communication theory will inform this endeavor. Case studies from a variety of cultures will be utilized.

THY 581 Outreach Leadership in Ministry II: Strategies (3 credits)
This course focuses on outreach ministry both overseas and in North America. It shares distinct strategies for reaching people in the variety of contexts to be found in multicultural urban centers. It also examines the changing dynamics of rural culture, the exploding outer rings of major cities, and inner ring suburbs struggling to revitalize. A theological understanding of human care and evangelistic ministries will be developed for these multiple settings.

THY 592 Capstone Seminar: Thesis, Project, or Portfolio (3 credits)
Students will typically complete an eFolio (electronic portfolio) as their final project. This eFolio will be developed bit by bit through the course of the program. In some instances, students may opt for completion through a project or thesis method; eFolio development will be modified appropriately in those instances. Faculty approval (of topic and finished product) is required for graduation.