A New and Ancient Evangelism
This course will introduce students to the ancient tradition of the church’s evangelism, rooted in the conversion stories of the Bible. We’ll explore together how God uses ordinary people of faith within their everyday spheres of influence to draw people to himself. Finally, this course will help students to share the good news in their own contexts, and in a way that is authentic, respectful, and ideally suited to the cultural dynamics of today’s world.
Wednesday Evenings 7:00pm – 9:00pm
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Students from the Diocese of Niagara receive a rebate. To receive a code for the discounted payment, please contact the registrar at registrar@nsml.ca
What can students expect from this course:
· Knowing – Students will become familiar with eight biblical conversion stories and the lessons they offer us about a Spirit-led, Christ-centered, and authentically relational sharing of the Christian faith.
· Being – Students will grow in confidence that God is reconciling the world to himself and that, just as they are, they can join in that life-giving mission.
· Doing – Students will strengthen their ability to clearly share both their own journey of faith and the good news that is found in and through Jesus Christ.
Classes will include the following learning tools:
· Weekly readings* completed ahead of each class
· Weekly journaling in response to each reading
· Reflection and discussion of our journaling responses in community
· Discussion of some experiments to engage in as individuals and as churches
· Short videos, watched and discussed as a class
*All readings will be taken from A New and Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering the Ways God Calls and Sends, by Judith Paulsen, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024). To be released on June 25th, 2024, this book can be ordered through local bookstores like Indigo, or on-line through Amazon Canada.
How it works
What the Course Will Cover
· Week 1: the conversion of someone who had never seen
· Week 2: the conversion of a seeker cut off from God
· Week 3: the conversion of friends and family
· Week 4: the conversion of a God-fearing outsider
· Week 5: the conversion of a desperate general
· Week 6: the conversion of a prison warden
· Week 7: the conversion of a child prophet
· Week 8: the conversion of a religious extremist
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The Format of the Course
· Fully online course delivered over Zoom.
· Classes will be synchronous, but they will be recorded, so students can watch the material again or catch up if they miss a class.
· Student evaluation/completion of course.
Assignments
- Weekly bullet-point discussion board posts and interactions, in response to the readings, posted by 5 pm on Wednesdays throughout the course.
- Composing a short, written account of your journey to faith and sharing this with one other student.
- Engaging with an unchurched or de-churched person in three conversations, as part of the Gospel Conversations Experiment, and then reflecting on these conversations in community.
- Students should be able to complete the above assignments (and the required readings) in approximately two hours per week.
Instructors
Judith Paulsen is an Anglican priest and the author of the recently released book, A New and Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering the Ways God Calls and Sends. She served for fifteen years in parish ministry, followed by eleven years as Professor of Evangelism at Wycliffe College. For seven of these years, she also directed the Wycliffe Institute of Evangelism, working with churches, dioceses, and denominational leaders across Canada and parts of the United States. She is currently serving as Coordinator of the Season of Spiritual Renewal in the Diocese of Toronto.