Church attendance "lab reports"
- "Lab reports" for Ministry, Church, and Society should
focus on the life and ministry of a multigenerational faith community.
- The lab reports should include observations on topics like
congregational unity and purpose, worship, community building, developing mutual
accountability, and avenues of ministry open to church members.
- The lab reports can include reflections on the church's
identity through the lens of shared language, history, experiences, values, and aspirations.
- The reports can examine and analyze the relationship between personal growth and congregational vitality,
as people contribute to and are inspired by their journey together.
Regular "lab reports" are due in the Ministry, Church, and Society course throughout
the semester. These reports should reflect your participation in the life of a local church during the preceding week or weeks, depending on the submission schedule. These lab reports are NOT to be sermon summaries. They are to be thoughtful reflections on what you
observe in a local congregation's life and ministry as a community of faith.
Writing
something about your attendance at an SNU chapel or on-campus Bible
study does not fulfill the objectives of this assignment. Your report must reflect your current participation in a multigenerational faith community.
Starter questions
These questions are optional prompts. You do not need to answer any particular question or address all of them.
- What prompted you to reflect on what the church is supposed to be and do?
- This week, how did you sense God's purposes for His
Church being fulfilled in a local congregation?
- In what ways did you feel God's presence?
- What is the "glue" that holds this church together?
- Do the members of this congregation view their church as a cruise ship or as a
battleship?
- What is this church doing that proclaims it to be a community that lifts up Jesus Christ as
Lord?
- What evidence shows that this congregation is a covenant community of God's people made new in Christ?
- In what ways is this congregation developing a sense of community?
- How does this church help people experience listening to a sermon, giving an offering, and singing as acts of worship?
- How is this congregation ministering in Jesus' name?
- In what specific ways was this congregation's obedience to Christ highlighted this
week?
- What evidence do you see of mutual accountability?
- Did you see some unexpected avenues of ministry open up?
- Did you reflect on specific things we have covered in the textbooks or the
classroom?
- Whose ministry did you most appreciate this week?
- If you had to compose a prayer of
thanks to God for this church
experience, what would you thank God for?
- Ask yourself: "What kind of a Christian will I be after attending this church for 10
years?"
Ed Robinson wrote:
Churches are faith communities that are shaped and formed over time. They wind up with:
- A shared language
- A common history/story
- Shared experiences
- Shared values
- Common aspirations
As you write these "lab reports," think about the congregation you are reporting on in
light of Ed Robinson's list of characteristics.
"As a follower of Jesus, I can't be all I ought to be without the church, and the church
can't be all it ought to be without me." — Travis Collins, pastor in Richmond,
Virginia
-- Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
Afterword: Why call it a "lab report"?
Participating in congregational life during a course on the nature and theology of the Church can be compared to laboratory work in a science course for three reasons:
- Just as science laboratory work puts classroom concepts into practice, participation in congregational life helps you see how theological concepts shape worship, relationships, and ministry. It connects classroom discussions with the lived experience of a faith community.
- You can both observe and participate in the life of the community you are studying. Worshiping, building relationships, and serving alongside others deepen your understanding of Christian beliefs and traditions.
- Just as science students reflect on laboratory observations, you can reflect on your experiences in a congregation. Consider how those experiences illuminate concepts discussed in class and what they reveal about the dynamics of local church involvement.
Participation in congregational life complements classroom learning about the nature and theology of the Church, much as laboratory work complements science instruction.
How should Christians view the surrounding culture?
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