Spiritual Life and Leadership-SPIR 550
My journey started in October of 2017 with Professor Jim Lo. I experienced a spiritual transformation. The key takeaway I learned was to recognize how to slow down and savor life’s everyday moments. The spiritual disciplines are an important part of my daily walk. The challenge for me is to develop a sustainable way to practice the disciplines. Another takeaway was the personality assessment and exploration of the different spiritual pathways, which help me understand others and myself on a deeper level. I know that my first thought needs to be, “Do you love me?” This helps define my role as a servant leader and was the most impactful to me. The development of a ten-step plan redefined my goals and objectives for the next five years. It will become a resource for me to refer to when I am struggling with life.
Global Christian History-CHST 500
Tracing baptism and the Lord’s Supper throughout the centuries helped me establish a wide diversity of practice and theological understanding of these two sacraments amongst different Christian denominations. One takeaway I learned is that some view the sacraments as reminders or symbols of what has gone before us, while others see both sacraments as a more literal means by which God strengthens our faith and bestows grace. As a Christian, I cannot image living my life without these two sacraments. The Protestant’s view is “faith alone” (solo fide) as the means by which we receive salvation, expressed by partaking in these two sacraments. Yet, Catholics view all seven sacraments as necessary for salvation. Regardless of whether you are Catholic or Protestant, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper provide spiritual rewards to those who receive them and respect the relationship between God and His people. The most impactful challenge is to utilize what I learned about Christian history from Professor Zachary Derr in my ministry to learn from the past, to gain perspective, making me more confident in my ability as a Christian leader.
Introduction to Christian Theology-THEO 500
This was my first course with Dr. John Drury, and Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding is a resource that impacted me and I will utilize for years to come. Working in this ministry field with a diverse, and even secular, population allows me to focus on the universal truths of Christian theology rather than the minutiae of denominational differences. To me, it is simplified in the truth of God as eternal creator, Christ as eternal sacrifice, and Holy Spirit as eternal presence available to all believers. In addition to this understanding of who God is, my theology falls back on the importance of divine grace offered to all. This coursed allowed me to create a resource for my future ministry, to establish a baseline for my theological understanding, and to practice the communication of Christian doctrine in a compelling way.
The Bible as Christian Scripture-BIBL 500
One of the biggest and most impactful skill-sets I learned in this course from Dr. Daniel Freemyer was how to complete an exegesis of Scripture. Additionally, I realized that in the midst of the trials and tribulations in my life, I must remain faithful and be open to growth and unexpected change. The challenge is to study from both Old and New Testament passages, so I learn how I fit into the story instead of fitting the story into my own life. Scriptures like Job 34:10-15 help form my identity and empower me to allow the Scripture to show me who I am and what I need to do to live and grow as a Christian leader (New International Version).
Cultural Contexts of Ministry-MISS 500
The hermeneutics of the biblical texts and the literature in this course helped me understand perceptions within the Latino communities, identify existing service or resource gaps, identify the unique interests, verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, needs and assets of Latinos in my community and start building credibility and trust with Latino communities and families. From a theological standpoint, inclusive service to the community reflects the nature of God, who offers grace, forgiveness, acceptance, and full adoption to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, socioeconomic status, and other labels that our society has used to marginalize and exclude. Dr. Jeff Fussner lead me to understand my work at the Y aims to mirror this accepting nature of God; in fact, the Y’s mission statement ends with the words, “for all,” a point that I continually challenge myself to demonstrate in my leadership and remind my staff team to live out each day in our community.
Significant Takeaways: MA in Ministry Core Courses
As I began this journey working full-time and having a full life, I realized this practical program challenged me to improve my ministry skills and learn effective new ways to serve God and others. The spiritual and relational bonds I made with my fellow classmates and the professors along this journey empowered me and prepared me for the future. The significant take-aways for me include feeling prepared for ministry in congregational leadership, pastoral care, intergenerational ministry and spirituality. I am knowledgeable in core Biblical and theological reflection, which helps me contextualize my ministry in this ever-changing global world. I was integrated in history, ethics, theology, and leadership and feel equipped for ministry in the 21st century.
Today’s Challenges and into the Future
The changing landscape in the global world must be considered in ministry today and in the future. There is the challenge today of spiritual indifference. Eternal issues seem to have no significance at all. Non-believers feel the idea of God is irrelevant in their lives. Additionally, today there seems to be a religious ignorance at least among people in North America. People do not know what the Bible is about, and children today are not exposed to Sunday School or Church youth programs like they were in the past. Even people in churches today have little Biblical knowledge; therefore, it is a challenge for ministry today. Biblical preaching is needed across the generations. Personal Bible reading and prayer along with programs must be encouraged by pastors.
The challenges in the future are widespread, but the three I think are critical in my ministry are reaching diverse communities, the fact that church is not the chief source of social time or money for people, and generational challenges. Churches today seem so internally focused and are not reaching the diverse communities surrounding the church. There seems to be a lot of “lip service” about reaching people outside the walls of a local church but not much movement towards creating attractive programs and services for all people. Coupled with the lack of community outreach, people are constantly on the go or working to make ends meet. When people do have discretionary time and money, the church is no longer the chief source of where people spend them. In today’s world, social enjoyment is spent axe throwing, participating in extreme sports or challenges. These activities offer escapism from real world issues; therefore, church membership is declining both financially and in attendance. The generational challenges continue to hinder ministries. Learning to recognize differences with the people we serve and lead can greatly aid us in being effective ministers. By acknowledging key areas where multi-generational ministries can improve and people can learn from one another, we will enrich or ministries in the future.
