Pastoral Leadership

SEPL610 Practice of Preaching

This course is an introduction to preaching theory and practice as well as a prerequisite for other Homiletics offerings. It will encourage students to explore the intersection of their theological and ethical worldview, ministerial identity, and spiritual practices through the preaching task. It will also build upon communication skills, providing support for students to improve and care for their vocal instrument while developing stamina as speakers. Students will learn a variety of styles of sermons, sermon preparation, and delivery in order to explore their homiletical style. Through the writing and preaching of their own sermons, students will experience the discipline of sermon preparation, develop pulpit skills, and engage in feedback with contextual awareness and cultural sensitivity.
3 credits

• Prereq: Supervised Ministry setting, SEBK610, SEBK620, SETH630

SEPL620 Pastoral Care & Counseling

This course will survey the history of pastoral care and counseling and offer training and practice in listening skills, pastoral visitation, and pastoral responses to the developmental and situational crises of life. Ministry opportunities in times of illness and grief, life transitions (including premarital counseling and brief marital counseling and referral) will be discussed. Supervised Ministry placement in a parish, chaplaincy, or agency setting where one can assume a pastoral identity is required and students participate in group supervision with the instructor.
3 credits

• MDiv, MACh students only.
• This course is prerequisite for Clinical Pastoral Education.
• Background check required.

SEPL630 Ministries of Advocacy & Change

In this course students will: 1. learn the fundamentals of a public policy advocacy/lobbying process and develop an advocacy plan on an specific issue; 2. articulate a theology of social justice; 3. develop a deeper understanding of "the other's" culture, including issues of ageism, poverty, race and privilege through experiencing diverse cultural dynamics in two different settings and journaling insights gained about self and others; and 4. learn the fundamentals of an asset-based community development strategy and apply it to the student's ministry setting.  The course requires the student to engage in two intercultural experiences in the community for a total of 40 hours.
3 credits

SEPL711 Equipping Communities for Ministry

This course will introduce the disciplines of vision, mission, stewardship, evangelism and discipleship. By taking a holistic approach to these topics, students will learn to integrate them within the worship and administrative life of religious organizations. Students will learn to draw from their ministry context, their theological understandings and their own denomination’s or tradition’s resources to develop approaches and programs that enable to their ministries to carry out their mission.
3 credits

• Prereq: Supervised Ministry setting.

SEPL715 Advanced Preaching Practicum

This course further develops the student’s performance of preaching with the classroom functioning primarily as a laboratory for preaching where students will practice both verbal and nonverbal communication through the use of symbol, space, body language, and timing. Through conversation with homiletical scholars, their peers, and their own tradition students will further develop their homiletical presence and the integration of preaching with other communication throughout the worship experience. These skills will be used to develop a preaching plan and to aid student’s preparation of at least one controversial sermon.
3 credits

• Prereq: SEPL610, Supervised Ministry setting.
• Background check required.

SEPL716 Advanced Preaching: Prophetic Preaching on Social Issues

Hermeneutical and homiletical resources and strategies for encouraging congregations to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God. Prophetic sermons from diverse traditions and homiletics texts on social transformation will help students consider various social issues such as racism, war and violence, wealth and poverty, sexuality, healthcare, ecology and sustainability. Resistance, motivation for change, contextual considerations, and strategies for action will be considered as part of sermon preparation and performance.
3 credits

• Prereq: SEPL610, Supervised Ministry setting.
• Background check required.

SEPL718 Advanced Preaching: Narrative Preaching

This course will engage students in the study, preparation, and performance of narrative preaching. Narrative styles (first person and storytelling), Narrative methodologies (Narrative Plot, Roundtable preaching, and Testimony) as well as Narrative theory (canonical stories, community story and creative process of oral tradition) and use of technology will be explored in the work of key scholars/preachers in the field.
3 credits

• Prereq: SEPL610, Supervised Ministry setting.
• Background check required.

SEPL722 Liturgy in Contemporary Context: Recycling, Reclaiming & Improvising

This course offers students the opportunity to dig more deeply into their own liturgical traditions and to engage in current readings regarding the nature of liturgy and its importance to the life and mission of the church. Students engage in activities and practices to see that liturgy is far more than words and examine the interaction of sound, space, and theology with the ongoing work of the people.
1 credit

SEPL821 Youth Ministry in the Local Congregation

This course challenges students to examine the theology from which they approach youth ministry and help them to place this ministry within the congregation’s life. Students study the culture of today’s youth and ways to meet their needs through Sunday School, youth groups, confirmation classes, choirs, and other activities. The course also provides a wide variety of practical information including meeting formats and administrative procedures.
2 credits

SEPL822 Ministry in the Smaller Congregation

The course examines the theological, sociological, behavioral, and programmatic characteristics of smaller congregations. Coursework explores the pathways and challenges of being healthy pastors and healthy congregations, including a field survey of a smaller congregation to analyze the way it demonstrates and/or challenges the insights from the materials studied.
1 credit

SEPL830 Worship Music Practicum

The course examines the technical and logistical aspects of planning for and creating church music. The course addresses theoretical and theological questions regarding worship and focuses on practical application. Coursework is coordinated with chapel services.
1 credit

SEPL921 Supervised Ministry Orientation 1

This course provides an overview of the elements and requirements of the two-year Supervised Ministry placement. It offers students the opportunity to observe and experience worship and parish life in a number of congregations. This course is graded Pass/No pass.
0 credit

SEPL922 Supervised Ministry 2

This course provides an overview of the elements and requirements of the two-year Supervised Ministry placement, including learning covenants, supervision, and evaluation. Students will shadow two pastors, learning more fully about their congregations with an eye toward identifying a potential Supervised Ministry placement site by the end of the semester. This course is graded Pass/No pass.
0 credit

• Prereq: SEPL921