Perspectives on the World Christian Movement | World Missions
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement is a fifteen-lesson world missions course offered in person and online. Participants may take it for personal growth or pursue college credit through a partner institution. For class schedules and enrollment information, visit the Perspectives study program.
Lesson 8
Lesson 12: Christian Community Development
End-of-Course Integrative Project
This end-of-course project asks students to design a strategy for reaching a people group currently unreached by the gospel. It applies principles from the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course to a specific cultural context.
Project evaluations will take into account differences in the availability of information about each people group, as well as students' differing interests and strengths. The goal is to demonstrate the ability to recall and apply key course concepts.
Each part of the paper is worth about 15 points, with the timeline receiving slightly more weight.
- Part 1 - Why this people now?
- Explain the rationale (historical, biblical, and strategic) for focusing on this group. Define its cultural boundaries and restate the case for pioneer work among groups without an indigenous church.
- Concepts from Lessons 1–9: Biblical and historical perspectives
- Part 2 - Understanding the chosen people group
- Describe the culture of the chosen group. How will your recommended evangelism and church-planting methods engage people within this culture?
- Concepts primarily from Lesson 10: How shall they hear?
- Part 3 - Mobilizing needed missionaries
- Identify potential sources of missionaries. What roles are needed for effective relational engagement with this group?
- Concepts primarily from Lesson 11: Building bridges of love
- Part 4 - Development and resource mobilization
- Identify needs within this group and explain how responding to them could create opportunities for relationships and ministry. What resources could be used to respond to these needs? Creativity and insight are important.
- Concepts from the strategic section, especially Lesson 12 on Christian Community Development
- Part 5 - Envisioning a multiplying church-planting movement
- Describe culturally appropriate responses to the gospel. What might this movement look like within this group's cultural context? How might it differ from movements in your sending culture?
- Concepts primarily from Lesson 13: Spontaneous multiplication of churches
- Part 6 - Putting it all on a timeline
- Outline a realistic scenario for starting a culturally relevant church-planting movement. Include potential obstacles and the role of outsiders in sustaining long-term partnerships.
- Concepts from Lesson 14: Pioneer church planting
Problems That Can Cost You Points
- Mechanical errors in the paper (proofreading issues involving spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or footnoting)
- Weak composition, unclear phrasing, or poor sentence and paragraph structure
- Inadequate source documentation. Even if full bibliographic data is unavailable, identify and credit the source. Students taking the course for college credit must do additional research. A strong bibliography has at least nine sources, preferably 15 or more. Aim for at least one documented citation per every 250 words.
What About Length?
The following length requirements apply to this integrative project.
- Certificate students: 1,000 words (add 250 or more words per additional team member)
- Undergraduates: 2,500 words total (add 400 or more words per additional team member)
- Graduate students: 3,500 words total (add 500 or more words per additional team member)
Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
Afterword: What Is the "Perspectives" Missions Course About?
Perspectives on the World Christian Movement explores Christianity's global mission. Developed by the U.S. Center for World Mission, it covers the biblical basis of missions, Christian history, cross-cultural communication, contextualization, and modern challenges. Taught by field experts, the course invites participants to think critically about worldviews and global engagement. Through readings, lectures, discussions, and practical application, participants deepen their understanding of global missions and explore ways to participate in fulfilling Christ's Great Commission.
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