Discipleship for the 21st Century
The Goal
You abhor the superficiality of 21st century Christianity and long for the people you lead to enjoy an intimate walk with Jesus Christ. But how? The formulaic program-driven agendas that arrive in your mailbox are obviously not the answer, but what is? How can you help your people become authentic disciples of Jesus Christ? Talbot can help. Revisioning Discipleship for the 21st Century is a Doctor of Ministry track designed to equip you to help your people become authentic disciples of Jesus Christ. With Michael Wilkins as your faculty-mentor, and with esteemed guest lecturers, you will discover what biblical discipleship is and how to encourage your ministry to become a community of disciples radically committed to living as modern-day disciples.
The Strategy
Year One: The Biblical Context of Discipleship and the Person
(Wilkins, Willard, & Hull)
During the first week you will explore your own background in discipleship practices in light of the historical and Biblical context of discipleship, seeking to understand Jesus' distinct form of discipleship. This will lead to an understanding of discipleship as Jesus intended it to be developed in the early church, and how Paul and Peter and other Biblical authors developed discipleship and spiritual formation in their writings as a theoretical and practical way of life for individual believers and the church. During the second week you will examine and apply these Biblical principles of discipleship in your personal life. You will be guided by Drs. Dallas Willard, Bill Hull, and Michael Wilkins as they reflect upon their lifetime of study and application of discipleship and spiritual formation. You will conclude by developing a strategy of personal growth in your discipleship to Jesus, and how that can be implemented in the lives of those within your ministry.
Year Two: Discipleship as the Ministry of the Church
(Wilkins, Ogden, Osborne, Hull & Hellerman)
The first week of residency you will explore God's plan for the church and how discipleship can be understood as a wholistic ministry. You will be assisted by Drs. Greg Ogden, Joe Hellerman and Michael Wilkins in understanding the nature of the church and its relation to discipleship. During the second week veteran pastor-church leader Dr. Bill Hull will escort you through his past and present ministries to examine specific practices of discipleship within church. You will visit with Dr. Larry Osborne and examine first-hand various aspects of discipleship, including mentoring, leadership development, and small groups. The rest of the week we will discuss life-span Christian education, youth ministry, family ministry, counseling, evangelism and follow-up.
Year Three: Discipleship and Community Relationships
(Wilkins, Andrews and other guests)
During the first week you will explore the relationship of the biological community, the family, with the spiritual community, the church. Family developmental experts will guide you in examining the working relationship between family and church discipleship and how they can support and promote each other. The second week expands the study to include a strategy for developing discipleship relations between the local church and external communities, including parachurch ministries. Veteran Christian leaders such as Alan Andrews will guide you in developing strategies to build a local discipleship community that reaches into your neighborhood school, workplace, and the world.
The Faculty Mentor
Dr. Michael J. Wilkins With 30 years experience in both academic and church ministry, Dr. Michael J. Wilkins is currently Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and also Dean of the Faculty at Talbot. His expertise in Biblical discipleship has resulted in authoring three books for the academy and the church, one of which is Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Zondervan). He has authored or co-edited four other books, most recently the award-winning commentary on Matthew in the NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan). Dr. Wilkins' broad experience will be used to assist you in understanding the nature of discipleship to Jesus, and how that can transform your personal life and ministry.
Additional Faculty
Dr. Dallas Willard is one of the leading figures in discipleship and spiritual formation, Dr. Dallas Willard is Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. His book Renovation of the Heart received Christianity Today's 2003 Book Award in the category of "Spirituality," and his book The Divine Conspiracy was selected Christianity Today's "Book of the Year" for 1999.
Dr. Bill Hull, a Talbot alumnus, is director of Choose the Life ministry. His books include Jesus Christ Disciplemaker, The Disciple Making Pastor, The Disciple Making Church and The Complete Book of Discipleship, which provide an authentic paradigm for disciple making. Bill pastored EFCA churches for 20 years and created T-NET International, a training network dedicated to local church transformation.
Dr. Joe Hellerman, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Talbot and Co-Pastor at Oceanside Christian Fellowship, has served in both the church and the academy for more than two decades. His book The Ancient Church as Family demonstrates the necessary relationship between the spiritual and biological families in developing authentic discipleship for the church and home.
Dr. Greg Ogden is the Executive Pastor of Discipleship at Christ Church of Oak Brook, Oak Brook, Illinois. He is the author of Discipleship Essentials and Transforming Discipleship. He has taught for many years a D. Min. course entitled "Growing a Disciple-Making Congregation" and brings to this track rich academic and practical experience.
Dr. Larry Osborne, a Talbot alumnus (M.Div. and D.Min.), is the senior pastor of North Coast Church, one of the most dynamic disciple-making churches in America. Author of The Unity Factor, Larry is a popular contributor to Leadership Journal, and writes and speaks extensively on the subject of leadership and developing healthy ministry teams.
Dr. Alan Andrews is President of the U.S. Navigators. In this role he oversees the work of more than 1,800 missionaries serving in the United States and overseas. Alan has forty years of experience in reaching the lost, ministering to the poor, and developing authentic relationships in every day life among believers that facilitates transformational discipleship.