Details on the Certificate in Leadership of Faith-Based Organizations

* indicates course offered through Certificate in Theological Studies program                                                                        (Schedule subject to change.) 

 

There is a difference in caring for one’s neighbor as a social duty and as an act of faith, and social ministry is often perceived as a response to or outgrowth of spiritual values. This course will explore the Scriptural and theological rationales for social ministry work. It will consider the resources that compel various faith perspectives to provide service to communities in need and will examine the implications for doing ministry among people of many – or no – faiths. Dates and class times to be determined. Instructor: John Richter, Vice President – Church Relations, Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries

This course will examine public policy advocacy as a faith-based witness and aspect of discipleship for Christians working in and leading social service organizations.  Participants will explore the connections among a "theology of government", individual and community transformation through social service, and best practices for public policy advocacy. Students will draw on their own faith traditions and directly from the mission plans of their organizations/congregations in connecting faith and a public service vocation to policy advocacy for social change and for their agency's programs and service lines. This course met in five sessions in Spring 2011 with Instructor: Andrew Genszler, Director ELCA Advocacy Office.   

The topic of organizational ethics deals with the perception - from within and without - of a value system in place for a given organization. Are organizational ethics personal or collective properties? Are there common ethics that guide organizational leaders and are shared by employees and constituents? How are these established and communicated? What is the relationship between social responsibility and ethics? Exploring questions such as these, this course will provide an introduction to organizational ethics.   Students will reflect on individual versus communal responsibilities and will examine ways of transforming leadership roles into opportunities to perpetuate and communicate an organization’s ethical standards.  This course met in four sessions in June 2011. Instructor: James Childs, Fendt Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Lutheran Seminary  

The United States of America has a rich history in which faith-inspired people have banded together to assist their neighbors in need. Prior to the country’s independence, communities of faith were already providing much needed services to children, the sick, the impoverished and the elderly. It is a particular feature of faithful living that draws individuals and religious communities to express their spiritual values through service to others. This course will examine the history of social ministry work in America. Drawing on resources from within established social ministry networks such as Lutheran Services in America and Catholic Charities, the course will examine motivations, challenges and successes in social ministry work throughout this country’s history. This course will meet on September 24, November 5, and December 3. Instructor: Maria Erling, Associate Professor of the History of Christianity in North America and Global Missions, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

The context in which social ministry organizations and congregational ministries serve changes rapidly and continually. Many leaders struggle just to react to those changes, but leaders  who scan the horizon, anticipate trends and drive to shape the future can turn trends into opportunities. This course will examine the current societal, religious, nonprofit and social ministry landscape and explore what might be coming next. Students will be invited to consider how the call to love and serve the neighbor needs to be translated in new and faithful ways to meet new challenges. This course met in three sessions in Fall 2010. Instructor: Jill Schumann, CEO Lutheran Services in America