This module develops a theology of Christian community considered in light of the contemporary leadership context in the local church. The module will address spiritual and moral qualities of community and leadership; understanding the emotional system of the congregation; building teams; probing the nature of change; practising observation of key elements of church culture; as well as leadership self-care. Above all, the module is designed to be a learning conversation about Christian community and leadership, with every learner participating in sharing and evaluating the reading and leadership experiences of others.

On successful completion of the module a learner will be able to:

1. Describe the biblical and theological foundations for the practice of koinonia in the local church.
2. Discuss key Trinitarian considerations for the way in which Christian community is established and nurtured.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary leadership challenges and their implications for the local church.
4. Discern and describe the significant characteristics of a local church and their implications for leading and building community.
5. Assess and articulate his or her own spiritual gifts and passions.
6. Propose a personal theology of leading and building community.
7. Employ practical theological research methodology to identify a specific pastoral concern.
8. Design and implement a practical theological intervention to address a particular pastoral concern

Module Content

The aim of this module is to help learners develop a proficiency in their understanding of leading and building communities of faith in light of the contemporary leadership context in the local church (Ecclesiology).

The module commences by defining the basic tenets of community from a socio-cultural and theological perspective. The learner explores the establishment of communities in the Old and New Testaments. Special attention is given to how the church organised herself in communities through the ages. Here an analysis is made of various significant leadership styles, structures and methods on the basis of biblical and historical evidence. The role of leadership is explored in the different expressions of the church in church history. The doctrine of the trinity is studied as a theological foundation for leading and building community in order to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate Christian leadership practice.

Focus on leading and building community continues by examining the concepts of spiritual formation and pastoral theology and their philosophical and practical usefulness in leading and building community.

An important aspect of the module is the emphasis on spiritual growth, since leading and nurturing a community involves an understanding of how people grow spiritually. Learners will be exposed to different models of qualitative and quantitative church growth. Learners will be required to assess these models and to be able to discuss areas of difficulty that arise from the study.