Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL (outside of Chicago) is a great school. There are a number of reasons why Trinity is a great choice for graduate and post-graduate work, but I'm short on time so let me give you one reason you should enroll: I would love to see you in my D. Min. class this Spring.

While I am there we will also be having a dinner for local Evangelical Free pastors on Tuesday night and a seminar (in conjunction with the class) on Thursday in partnership with sub•text. Details will be coming on the sub•text website.

And, here is my syllabus. Come and sign up for class.

TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DOCTORAL PROGRAMS COURSE INFORMATION SHEET

COURSE TITLE: Missional Church Planting

DATE: March 9-12, 2009

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Ed Stetzer

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An advanced seminar examining a variety of theological, missiological, and practical issues related to planting missional churches, primarily in North American contexts. The assumes that students are already familiar with general principles of church planting, and will consider special topics such as biblical foundations, strategies, leadership development, multiplication, missional expressions, missiological engagement of culture, indigenization, church planter assessment, coaching, and related topics.

REQUIRED BOOKS:

Stuart Murray, Church Planting: Laying Foundations (Scottsdale, PA: Herald, 2001)
David Garrison, Church Planting Movements: How God is Redeeming a Lost World (Midlothian, VA: WIG Take, Resources, 2004). This is not to be confused with the shorter booklet by the same title.
Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2006).
Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community

PRE-COURSE ASSIGNMENT:

1. READINGS: Complete all required readings in their entirety. Students should be prepared to discuss key issues from the readings in class. Submit on the first day of class a signed reading report indicating that readings have been completed. Failure to complete all reading will result in a reduced grade.

2. BOOK REVIEW: A written review of one of the required or elective textbooks listed above. The review should be no longer than five pages (double spaced), and not merely summarize the book, but rather discuss its strengths and weakness, new contributions, problems, etc. It should then describe few practical applications or insights useful to the student's ministry. You must pick a book you have not read and you may use any standard book review template or format. This review is due the first day of class.

4. CASE STUDY FOR CLASS PRESENTATION: Prepare a case study on a topic of the student's choice (related to church planting) to be presented in class. The case should describe and analyze a specific issue, challenge, or creative approach related to church planting with which the student is directly familiar. The topic must be approved in advance by the professorby no later than February 20th. Relevant literature should be surveyed. The presentation will last not more than 45 minutes (depending on class size) to be followed by discussion. A three to five page (double-spaced) written description of the case is to be submitted to the professor on the day of the presentation. There is not set format other than what is described here.

POST-COURSE ASSIGNMENT:

1. A final reading report is to be submitted indicating all reading that has been completed for the course, totaling at least 1200 pages. The report should include author, title, exact pages read and date read. It is to be submitted with the course project.

2. A course project is to be written on a topic integrating course content with a practical church planting related issue relevant to the student's ministry. The topic must be approved in advance by the professor during the week of class. The written report should be 15-20 double spaced pages in length (not including appendices or bibliography)

I hope to see you in Chicago in March!