Church attendance "Lab reports"
- "Lab reports" for Ministry, Church, and Society should
focus on the life and ministry of a multi-generational faith community.
- The lab reports should include observations on topics like
congregational unity and purpose, worship, community-building, the fostering of mutual
accountability, and avenues of ministry open to church members.
- The lab reports can include reflections on the church's
identity through the lens of shared language, history, experiences, values, and aspirations.
- The reports can explore the relationship between personal growth and congregational vitality,
as people contribute to and draw from their transformative journey together.
Regular "lab reports" are due in the Ministry, Church, and Society course throughout
the semester. Those lab reports are to be based on your participation in the previous week or
weeks (depending on how often the reports are submitted,) in the life of a local church. These lab
reports are NOT to be sermon summaries. They are to be thoughtful reflections on what you
observe in a local congregation's life and ministry as a community of faith.
Writing
something about your attendance at an SNU chapel or on-campus Bible
study does not fulfill the objectives of this assignment. This assignment must reflect your
current attendance in a multi-generational faith community.
Starter questions
You need not answer any (and certainly not all) of these
- What triggered some ecclesiological reflections
(thoughts about what the church is supposed to be and do)?
- This week, how did you sense God's purposes for His
Church being fulfilled in a local congregation?
- In what ways did you feel God's presence?
- What is the "glue" that holds this church together?
- Do the members of this congregation view their church as a cruise ship or as a
battleship?
- What is this church doing that proclaims it to be a community that lifts up Jesus Christ as
Lord?
- What evidence is there that this is a covenant people of God made new in Christ?
- In what ways is this congregation fostering a sense of community?
- How is this church making listening to a sermon, taking an offering, or singing a song into
acts of worship?
- How is that congregation ministering in Jesus' name?
- In what specific ways was this congregation's obedience to Christ highlighted this
week?
- What evidence do you see of mutual accountability?
- Did you see some unexpected avenues of ministry open up?
- Did you reflect on specific things we have covered in the textbooks or the
classroom?
- What person's ministry did you most appreciate this week?
- If you had to compose a prayer of
thanks to God for this church
experience, what items would be on the list?
- Ask yourself: "What kind of a Christian will I be after attending this church for 10
years?"
"Churches," Ed Robinson wrote, "are faith
communities that are shaped and formed over time. They wind up with:
- "A shared language
- "A common history/story
- "Shared experiences
- "Shared values
- "Common aspirations"
As you write these "lab reports," think about the congregation you are reporting on in
light of Ed Robinson's list of characteristics.
"As a follower of Jesus, I can't be all I ought to be without the church, and the church
can't be all it ought to be without me." — Travis Collins, pastor in Richmond,
Virginia
-- Howard Culbertson,
Afterword
Involvement in the activities of a church congregation during a course on the nature and
theology of the Church can be compared to lab work for a science student for several
reasons:
- Practical Application: Just as lab work in a science class provides practical application of theoretical concepts, attending church services
allows students to experience and engage with the theoretical concepts of theology in a practical
setting. It brings the theoretical discussions to life and allows students to see how they manifest
in real-world practices.
- Observation and Participation: Students have the
opportunity to both observe and participate in the subject matter they are studying.
In the case of church attendance, students can observe various rituals, ceremonies, and forms of
worship, and even actively participate in them. This hands-on experience enhances their
understanding of the theological concepts discussed in class.
- Experiential Learning: Just as science students learn
by conducting experiments and making observations in a science lab, students studying the nature
and theology of the Church learn by experiencing religious practices firsthand. This experiential
learning deepens their understanding and allows them to grasp the nuances of religious beliefs
and traditions more fully.
- Application of Theoretical Knowledge: Lab work in
science allows students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, testing
hypotheses and gaining practical insights. Similarly, attending church services enables students to
apply the theological concepts they learn in class to the actual practice of religion, fostering a deeper understanding of how theory translates into lived experiences.
- Critical Reflection: Just as science students reflect on their lab experiments to draw
conclusions and refine their understanding of scientific principles, students attending church
services can reflect on their experiences to deepen their understanding of theological concepts
and their implications for individuals and congregations.
In summary, attending church during a course on the nature and theology of the Church
serves as a practical complement to classroom learning, much like lab work does for science
students.
How should Christians view the surrounding culture?
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