sustain:if:able kiwi

creating class learning communities

As a summer reading treat, I brought myself a book on adult learning (Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice), with particular reference to university teaching. The book argues that the point of education is not teaching but learning, and then explores the implications for

• power
• content
• the teacher
• the student
• evaluation

While studies show the only 5% of university class time actually does involve student participation,

Learner-centred teachers connect students and resources. They design activities and assignments that engage learners. They facilitate learning in individual and collective contexts. Their vast experience models for novice learners how difficult material can be accessed, explored and understood. (Weimer, Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice, 76)

Based on the book, I’m trying some new things with my classes. One involves inviting the class to work in groups, including designing their own assessment.  Here’s what I suggested for one assessment:

Course outline: The mark will be allocated based on the overall group project and each person’s individual contribution. With regard to individual contribution, each person will also be asked to assess both themselves and their group members. During the second week the class will design the assessment which will then be used with regard both to lecturer and peer-assessment. For those who wonder why, it seems an appropriate ethical response to the theological notion of the church as the body on Christ, in which each member is unique and has a unique contribution.

In order to facilitate this, I conducted the following process:

1. Class invited to list 5 things they would expect of themselves or others in doing a group project
2. Share in pairs to gain confidence
3. Share with class. If people felt their criteria was already on the whiteboard, then people could feel free to fold.
4. I then wrote up the outcomes, grouping them under similar headings and checking for “assessibility” ie could a student use this as a grading criteria.
5. This was take back to the class. If we agree, I will provide this as a grading sheet.

So here is what the class suggested as their criteria for assessing each other in relation to their group work.

As individuals

• Regular meetings
• Participate equally, willing and consistently in research phase
• Willing to fold for the group
• Contribute not hog the discussion
• Openness to listen
• Affirm and encourage – including body language positive and respectful
• Work toward group cohesiveness
• Presentation is clear, enthusiasm and kept to time, as planned
• Participate equally and consistently in presentation

As a whole group, a desire to be

• fun, spontaneous
• creative
• develop clear communication roles in both group and in presentation
• develop a group that worked toward a participation around unique abilities

It’s a fascinating list. I commented to them, first, that if they managed to achieve half the list, it would be a great group. And second, that if they took those attitudes into their future, I’d love to work with them in ministry.  The class is called “Church, Ministry, Sacraments” and my sense is that in inviting them to design their own assessment, they have in turn invited each other into some ways of being that actually put flesh on the images of church as a body of Christ. In other words, the class has shifted from information to formation.

masters of ministry and the revolution that is practical, not applied, theology

Yesterday included the beginning of the 2010 teaching program here in Adelaide with regard to the Master of Ministry (of which I am the Co-ordinator). It’s a quite unique post-graduate program that I am beginning to really admire.

Most post-grad qualifications are shaped around a variety of taught papers plus a larger body of work in the form of a thesis. The Master of Ministry here offers a number of innovations.

First, it is totally ministry focused, given that it can only be taken part-time, and after 4 years in ministry, making it only available to people who are actually in ministry. This brings a wonderful groundedness into discussion and interaction and into research.

Second, is the Program Seminar. Every student has to complete 21 Program Seminars over the duration of their study. Each seminar involves a student sharing some of their work and in response each participant must write a 1,000 word reflection piece. Thus it builds a collegiality, is constantly developing ability to reflect theologically on current ministry practice and potentially provides a rich source of written material on ministry today.

Third, is a paper titled Theology of Ministry Practice. This must be done early in the student’s study and simply expects them to write a 6,000 word thought piece describing their theology of ministry. This is such a valuable exercise, emerging not in theory, but out of their life experience that they bring to the table.

In recent years what was applied theology has sought to rename itself as practical theology. The change of name is about a revolution. Rather than a two-stage process, that of getting one’s intellectual ducks in a row (Biblical studies and theology) and then making application to ministry (applied), practical theology argues for a three stage process. First, to listen to lived experience that is the practice of ministry. Second, to reflect on that in light of Biblical studies and theology. Third, to bring that learning back to the practice of ministry (applied).

This is a revolution because it tips traditional study on it’s head. Rather than move from theory to practice, it suggests a move from practice to theory and back to practice again. That requires a new set of skills, practises and disciplines. It seems to me that the innovations implemented in the Masters of Ministry programme are a significant step in this direction and one I’m excited to be part of.

purchased: philosophers fingerpuppets, now wanted: theologians fingerpuppets

These little people are being ordered today:

the philosophers fingerpuppets, care of my Ministry Enhancement Allowance, in preparation for some upcoming input.

At Spirit of Wonder: imagining a church immersed in culture (part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival, more info here), I am providing two blocks of input. One is on imagination, leadership and culture, the other on the Spirit, the Bible and culture.

In a moment of mad randomness with Craig yesterday, I was talking about how imagination has a history and the need for us to find our story within that history. Craig, totally lateral thinker that he is, mentioned a shop that sold philosophers fingerpuppets. Nietzsche, Plato and Kant. Who all had things to say about imagination! Who all deserve to make an appearance at the Spirit of Wonder!

So that’s the creative spark that suddenly clicked the first session. Yes!

Which only leaves the second session – theologians fingerpuppets – like Moses and the tabernacle makers, like Deborah and Hannah, like Mary and the 70/2 anonymous in Luke 10, like Peter – who all also deserve to make an appearance at Spirit of Wonder, because they all have a lot to say about imagination and a church immersed in culture.

mission-shaped training: Grow and go weekend

It’s this type of reason that I’m looking forward to being in Adelaide. I love the mission-shaped theme, the wide range of options and the sense of a training institution intentionally resourcing the wider church. Upcoming May 14-16, 2010. For more info, go here. (And for the record, the brochure is slightly ahead of itself! I am still 2 weeks away from concluding at Opawa.)

My last Sunday at Opawa is December 27 and it looks like being quite a Sunday: including the commissioning of two sets of missionaries, a baptism and a welcoming of new members. To quote:

“I want to come into membership on the Sunday before you leave, so that you, Steve, and Lynne, leave knowing the church is in good hands!”

creativity in ministry book list

I spent today working on a first draft book list on the topic of creativity in ministry. It is for a course (a Spirit of wonder: imagining a church creatively immersed in culture) I am part of in Adelaide in March, along with Jonny Baker and Cheryl Lawrie. I suggested that the input, which knowing Jonny and Cheryl will be first-rate, if supported by a reading list and a post-graduate qualification (me!), could also be a Masters paper.

So today was spent looking through my book shelf, looking for books on creativity, ministry and mission. Here’s my first draft. I’d love to know what you, my blog readers, might add. (more…)

a spirit of wonder: imagining a church creatively immersed in culture

This is one of the first courses, I’ll be involved with next year in Adelaide. Teaming with Jonny Baker, Cheryl Lawrie and Tim Hein pondering topics such as spirituality and the imagination, intuitive leadership, forming pioneering leaders….and plenty more.

When: 8-12 march 2010

What:

* input on spirituality & the imagination, intuitive leadership, spirituality & contemporary culture, fresh expressions of church, forming ‘pioneer’ church leaders, worship ‘beyond the fringe’, scripture, spirit & culture
* artistic installation at Adelaide Fringe Festival event – “The Landscape of Desire”
* visit to CitySoul – new young adult faith community in the city centre
* involvement in the Adelaide Fringe Festival and Adelaide Hills wineries

Sponsored by Uniting College for Leadership & Theology in association with Pilgrim Uniting Church. The events may be undertaken as an Masters Ministry course (that’s been my contribution so far, suggesting a vehicle by which people can integrate their experience into formal, existing structures through reading and participation as action/reflection).

Cost & Registration details available from here.

save the last latte for me

I was teaching my last class ever at Laidlaw College (Christchurch) today. Which made it a moment of personal significance. Happily, it was the Missional Church Leadership course, one that I have pioneered, and now taught 5 times in 4 different cities in Australasia. A personal favourite, so I nice course to end on.

We headed off to the local cafe and sat around a long wooden table. Coffees all around, on my “leaving budget”! Together we all shared a memory, something about the Missional Church Leadership course that might stay with us – Luke 10:1-12 as hopeful hook and challenging platform, a sense of safe space, a model of leadership as reflective and bottom-up, benedictions as physically facing the door, taking the course out of classroom and to community tables.

And then we read Luke 10:1-12 together. A bit of a recurring Steve Taylor/mission, church, leadership text! What struck us? What question might we have for a New Testament scholar?

It was a fitting conclusion: in cafe rather than classroom, around a shared table, drink in hand, Biblical text central, a growing community of pilgrims. A moment worth saving the last latte for.

And what struck me? The need to dwell deeply. That as I leave one (Christchurch table) and journey to another (Adelaide table), my task is to dwell deeply, to make a priority of relationships and food and drink and consistency and hospitality. I have offered peace and found peace in one place. May it be so in another.

travelling plans

I’m airborne again, on a 2 week plane-trip across 2 continents. A mix of research, writing and speaking.

Thursday – flying to Adelaide (4 am start).
Friday – Leadership in change with South Australian Baptists
Monday – I was meant to be teaching a 4 day intensive at Tabor, but they cancelled. Thankfully the Uniting College picked up the tab tickets and I will be hanging with them.
Tuesday – Discerning the emerging church seminar at Tabor College; then Picturing our Christian gospel evening at Coro Uniting
Thursday/Friday – flying via Sydney to Los Angeles to Durham, North Carolina for the Hype and feedback U2 conference
Saturday – U2 concert (Yep, it’s tough being a lecturer!)
Sunday – delivering my paper Sampling and reframing: the evolving live performance of U2’s Bullet the Blue Sky
Monday/Wednesday – returning via Los Angeles, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch. Last big one for the year. Yeah!

Looking forward to it, but not looking forward to being away from family. Not looking forward to flying (I have a very tight connection that I’m already nervous about), but looking forward very much to the U2 weekend.

emerging disciples

I’m off to Auckland this evening to speak at the 21st Century Challenges to the Gospel conference, organised by Laidlaw College. Here is a PDF of my 2 page handout.

They gave me the topic of “emerging church” but I asked for it to be changed to “emerging disciples.”

Partly because I’m sick of talking about “church”, but mostly it’s where I am at the moment in terms of ministry at Opawa. We have good numbers of searchers among us, particularly from our local community, and so our season is a “discipling” season, with particular emphasis on two groups (using John Drane’s Do Christians Know How to Be Spiritual? typology) – spiritual searchers and the poorer.

Updated: for notes go here.

living the Bible in adelaide

I am down to teach a 4 day intensive Living the Bible, Sept 28 to Oct 1, at Tabor College, Adelaide (scroll down). It’s probably my signature course, exploring how to use the Bible from both a theological and missiological perspective, with heaps of case studies of what that actually looks like.

Enrolments are slow and Tabor are wondering about whether to cancel – which would be a pain, and have some cost, because tickets are already booked. So if any Aussie/Adelaide punters were contemplating it, can you please contact Graham Buxton (gbuxton at adelaide dot tabor dot edu dot au) ASAP.

working hard, gaining lots

Here’s my current schedule in terms of speaking this week.

Monday – 2 hours + initiating small groups + initiating case study, then evening “interview/conversation”
Tuesday – 2 hours + 3.5 hour workshop
Wednesday – 2 hours + 3 hour coaching + meeting regarding book project
Thursday – 2 hours + debrief case study + meeting
Friday – 2 hours, then homeward bound (5 hour flight).

The evenings involve preparing for the next day, mainly powerpoint and getting my head around the material. It’s all new stuff. I’m enjoying it tremendously and the response has been very positive. There has been a lot of energy as the rawness of the Bible, the dysfunction of the family life of Abraham and David, has intersected our human stories and our family ministries today. But I’m working hard and would appreciate prayers for health and energy.

it finally clicked: Bible teens and forming disciples

I’m about to enter into a really busy little spell:

4 July – Salvation Army youth leaders annual camp, Christchurch
9 July – academic presentation, Auckland
15-18 July – conference paper, Melbourne
1 August – all-day seminar, Adelaide
3-7 August – conference speaker, Adelaide.

Which tends to breed a certain sense of anxiety. Because I’m always reading and because I’m creative by nature, I have never been able to roll out a stump speech, the same old tried and true. Which ups my preparation time and means that if things don’t click, I’m toast! And fairly expensive toast, for those who are paying to fly me places!

So it was with a huge sense of relief that I woke up this morning and knew that Saturday, my day with Salvation Army, had finally clicked.

I woke today thinking about the fact that Isaac was a Biblical teenager. And as I stirred in my dreams, it also occurred to me that so was Jesus. And that undoubtedly, teenagers were bystanders at the day of Pentecost. Suddenly I had some Biblical narrative which had a continuity and could be used to engage and frame the question I want to explore: what sort of communities are required to form contemporary disciples of Jesus who care about poverty?

Later in the morning, I left the cafe where I lock myself to avoid distractions. Major Biblical narratives had become linked with minor points and with some of my recent reading and with video clips and with interaction. I think it will fit in the 3.5 hours I’ve been allocated! A bit of keynote work to do, but a deep sense of relief ….

which only leaves 4 more ….

adelaide revisited

I’m back in Adelaide early August. Saturday, 1 August I’m doing a day: “Culture with a K(iwi)” – a day seminar on mission as local culture-making. Brochure here.

Then over the week August 2-7 I’m the keynote speaker at “breathe“, a Uniting Church National bi-annual training event for children, youth and family workers. I’m trying to pull together some stuff around families and faith; weaving together Bible families, mission and faith formation. There seems to me to be a dearth of down-under thinking on faith and family, with a mission awareness. There’s some talk of it becoming a book, given that a week of speaking = quite a bit of work. Not sure it can all be pulled off, but we’ll at least have a crack.

Plus I’m doing a [re]generate pub and storytelling evening Monday night 3 August.

Should be fun, and helpfully building on my visits their in 2008 and 2007.

Dear God, save me from your followers! (in auckland for a day)

I spent today preparing for a 3 hour lecture I’m delivering tomorrow at Laidlaw College (Auckland, flying up at 10 am, back by 10 pm). The topic I’m asked to address is the longest, most convoluted I’ve ever been given: “Doing theology” and expressing the gospel in a postmodern, post-Christian context—the church as missional and multicultural. Current issues of evangelism, theology and conviction.. Gulp! It reads like a whole lot of buzz words thrown into a sentence!

I thought this photo (via Jonny Baker) summed it up much better – A T-shirt with the words: Dear God, save me from your followers!”

(Which hopefully is not saying anything about those God-followers I’ll meet at Laidlaw tomorrow!)

How on earth do we keep “community” in the gospel, when the people of the community are time and again such bad witnesses? (I reflected a bit on this recently, here, my first application point, that Christians need to be better tellers of wilderness stories).

Anyhow, the topic meant I’ve had to work up a whole lot of new material. Which was fun. But I’m also meant to have a 5,000 word book chapter done by Friday. Plus 2 more pieces of written work due by the weekend. So all told, I’m feeling time compression.