LWF - Online Theological Course - Exploring Lutheran Theology

This course was originally aimed at undergraduate students, pastors and church workers who are interested in reflecting on different aspects of Lutheran theology. It is divided into eight week-long modules that included video lectures, compulsory readings and online and video tutorials.
The course is now available online to everyone.

The course covers:
Module 1:   What is Lutheran Theology  by Rev Dr Chad Rimmer
LWF Study secretary for Lutheran Theology and Practice

Module 2:  Luther, Lutheranism and Justification  by Dr Pekka Kärkkäinen
University Lecturer of Ecumenics, University of Helsinki, Finland

Module 3:   Transformative Readings of Scripture  by Rev Dr Kenneth Mtata
General Secretary of Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Zimbabwe

Module 4: Feminist Reading of Scriptures. Bible study Is. 55  by Rev Dr Mercedes Garcia Bachman
Lutheran Church of Theology in Chicago, US/Argentina

Module 5:  Creation   by Dr Eneida Jacobsen
Lecturer, Villanova University, US/Brazil

Module 6:  Ecclesiology. Church and churches  by Prof. Dr Jennifer Wasmuth
Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France/Germany

Module 7:  Two Kingdoms and Two Regiments by Dr Guillermo Hansen
Associate Professor, Luther Seminary, US/Argentina

Module 8;  Faith and Serving your neighbor. Diakonia  by Prof. Dr Sylvester Kahakwa
Tumaini University Makumira, Tanzania

Module 9:  Lutheran Theology and Inter-religious Relations  by Rev. Dr Andar Parlindungan
Executive Secretary for Training and Empowerment, United Evangelical Mission, Germany/Indonesia


To access this course and download the course visit:   https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/resource-online-theology-course

Book/Course: One Way Love - inexhaustable grace for an exhausted world

Real life is long on law and short on grace—the demands never stop, the failures pile up, and fear sets in. Life requires many things from us—a stable marriage, successful children, a certain quality of life. Anyone living inside the guilt, anxiety, and uncertainty of daily life knows that the weight of life is heavy. We are all in need of some relief.

Bestselling author Tullian Tchividjian is convinced our exhausted world needs a fresh encounter with God's inexhaustible grace—His one-way love. Sadly, however, Christianity is perceived as being a vehicle for good behavior and clean living—and the judgments that result from them—rather than the only recourse for those who have failed over and over and over again. Tchividjian convincingly shows that Christianity is not about good people getting better. If anything, it is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good.  

In this "manifesto," Tchividjian calls the church back to the heart of the Christian faith—grace. It is time for us to abandon our play-it-safe religion, and to get drunk on grace. Two hundred-proof, unflinching grace. It’s shocking and scary, unnatural and undomesticated … but it is also the only thing that can set us free and light the church—and the world—on fire.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 An Exhausted World 

Chapter 2 How I Almost Killed My Mother 

Chapter 3 Confessions of a Performancist 

Chapter 4 I Fought the Law (and the Law Won) 

Chapter 5 Ex-Convicts, Failed Disciples, and One-Way Love 

Chapter 6 The Unexpected Benefits of Hugging a Cactus 

Chapter 7 Grace In Everyday Life 

Chapter 8 An Offensive Gift 

Chapter 9 Objections to One-Way Love 

Chapter 10 The End of To-Do Lists 

You can view and download the six week course is available at

https://www.tullian.net/one-way-love

Course: By heart

By Heart is a course built around three kinds of source material that the creators see as essential to a meaningful experience of Luther’s Small Catechism.

• Scripture and Tradition. For example, the Ten Commandments as cited in Exodus 20 or the Apostle’s Creed as we have it from Christian traditions.
• Luther’s explanations of the scripture or doctrine from Christian traditions.
• The "backstory" of Luther’s own life and times, the fertile soil of the Reformation itself.

There is also a "For You" Focus where the contributions to By Heart address the reader in the second person. This is to keep faith with both the everyday, ground-level language that Luther uses in the explanations and to embody the declarative nature of the gospel which he strove to encode in that language. By adhering to the "for-you-ness" of the gospel in the design of this course we hope to do some justice to Luther’s intentions in the Small Catechism.

About -  the book
This comprehensive resource for the study of Martin Luther's Small Catechism examines the Small Catechism as a historical, confessional document rich with history and applicable to life today. Augsburg Fortress is pleased to offer By Heart: Conversations with Martin Luther's Small Catechism to meet the needs of those looking to explore scripture, tradition, and Luther's explanations, set among the backstory of Luther's life.
The authors of each chapter bridge the historical context of the Small Catechism with life today by addressing the reader in the second person. It is in keeping with the everyday language that Luther used in the explanations and embodies the declarative nature of the gospel that he strove to encode in that language.
The book follows the order of Martin Luther's Small Catechism and is enriched with images (contemporary and historical) and marginal notes that connect the text to history and also to life today. This book is both visually pleasing and informative, written in an approachable manner that will provide enrichment to personal study and inspire conversations in small groups. It provides an initial point from which to jump into the rich history of the person of Martin Luther, beginning with one of his most appreciated works.

The starter pack includes:

• a copy of the book By Heart: Conversations with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism,
• a Facilitator Guide, 
• the Course DVD

To order and view a sample visit here

eBook: Meta-Moments Transformational Encounters with Christianity's Core

Meta-Moments are points of transformation.  Eric Burtness , Dave Daubert and Robert Driver-Bishop have written this book to encourage people to see the Christian faith as more than a static thing, but as a source of real and important transformation. Each chapter explores a key theme and also invites the reader to engage the material in ways to see new things about themselves as well as about the God we meet in Jesus. This book is a way for people exploring Christianity to dig deeper into some key themes.
Perfect for small groups, individual study or for framing a congregational campaign or sermon series, this book will invite the reader into a look at Christian faith for mainline participants. Whether the reader is a long-time member of a congregation with a desire to dig into their faith in new ways or a new person who is curious about what mainline Christianity has to offer, this book will be a good foundation for exploring. Chapters explore the themes of Beginnings, Jesus, The Reign of God, Diversity's Challenge, Meaning and Purpose, and Why Church.

Course: The course of your life

The Course of Your Life is essentially a framework to help you apply the word of God to people’s lives prayerfully and intensively. The subtitle is ‘a personal revolution’, and that’s what the course seeks to do—to revolutionize hearts and minds by focusing on the central and profound issues of who God is, what he has done in Christ, what his extraordinary plans are for the world and for us, and how that generates a whole new agenda for the course of our lives: to be disciple-making disciples of Jesus.

Course Structure
Seminar 1: Getting started
Seminar 2: God’s creative purposes
Seminar 3: What went wrong?
Seminar 4: God’s answer
Seminar 5: God’s agenda
Seminar 6: Christ’s death, my life
Seminar 7: Transformation
Seminar 8: God’s method
Seminar 9: Where to now?


To run the course you will need:
➡ a workbook for each person
➡ a leader’s guide (the leader does not also need a workbook—the leader’s guide contains all the material in the workbook (black printing), plus notes and scripts for the leader (blue printing)
➡ a leader’s DVD (assuming you want to use the video input clips rather than teach the material yourself).
There are free samples to download of each of these components on their web site

For more information visit http://www.matthiasmedia.com/coyl/the-course-material/

Web Site: Dr John Kleinig resources

Dr John Kleinig is a Lutheran lecturer, pastor and teacher who lectured and taught at Australian Lutheran College.  

This resource page includes talks, courses, lectures, and papers from Dr John W. Kleinig,

Full Courses include:

• Christian Spirituality
• Bible Introduction
• Old Testament Theology
• Worship
• Liturgics
• Psalms 
• Leviticus

Extra Courses include:

• 'An introduction to worship and daily chapel'
• 'Pastoring as blessing' 
• Pastoring as blessing  
• Levticus at Fort Wayne
• Grace upon Grace at Langmeil
• Preaching on Hebrews
• The Blood of Jesus 
• Ecclesiastes - Joy for Workaholics
• Exodus - From Slavery to Divine Service
• 'The Glory and The Service: Worship in the Old Testament'
• The Ongoing Reception of the Holy Spirit
• Bach, The Evangelist

For these resources and many others from Dr John Kleinig visit http://www.johnkleinig.com/

DVD course: Leading Change: Church Leadership amid turmoil

Dr. Peter Steinke applies Systems Theory to the task of leadership, especially leadership during or for change. Change is the new constant and change creates anxiety and resistance. The functioning of leaders during this time is critical to the ability of the organization to maintain its commitment to its mission. Unlike some theories, which neglect the human emotional processes of an organization, “Leading Change teaches leaders to expect anxiety and sabotage but to stay calm and committed to advancing the mission. Change can stall the development of an organization through fear of the unknown but courageous leaders can call people to embrace a new adventure in meeting the latest challenge. This course would be very helpful for congregational leaders who are experiencing transitions, conflict, demographic or economic challenges. The “Leading Change course equips leaders to respond to the expected anxiety in an organization facing change. Study guide included.

Session One: Systems Theory 28:00
Session Two: A Self-Differentiated Leader 18:35
Session Three: Functioning Position 11:26
Session Four: The Functioning of a Leader 18:19
Session Five: Change 10:14
Session Six: Conflict 18:07
Session Seven: Roles of Leaders in Conflict 17:34
Session Eight: Conclusion 16:04
Bonus Session: Narcissism 4:08

Dr. Peter Steinke is a student of Dr. Murray Bowen and Rabbi Edwin Friedman, and has adapted their systems theory to the ways in which congregations function. He help found the Bridge Builder Network, which provides training and resources for troubled congregations. He established the Healthy Congregations initiative, which provides resources and training for churches wishing to stay healthy. He is a consultant to congregations, judicatories and other church-related organizations.

$79.95 
 for more information and to order the course visit selectlearning

Course: Introducing God

Introducing God is  a new way of introducing the true and living God to a post-Christian society.”
Introducing God is a relational course that introduces our friends to God in a relaxed culturally appropriate way.
Introducing God is flexible and can be run for seven or eight weeks, with or without the weekend away:
- Introductory session, plus six weeks
- Introductory session, plus eight weeks
- Introductory session, plus eight weeks and a weekend/day away.

“Introducing God is a way to share the gospel that is friendly for people who won’t go near a church.” –John
“Introducing God is a very effective way to reach today’s generation” –Trevor
“Introducing God is biblically true & culturally relevant.” –David, Adelaide





An Overview
Introducing God puts the propositions of the Biblical metanarrative (summarised by the Two Ways to Live presentation) into relational clothes.

Introductory Night (Acts 17) (stand alone session)
Session 1 God, us and the meaning of life (Genesis 1)
Session 2 Our declaration of autonomy (Genesis 3)
Session 3 What will God do about our autonomy problem? (Psalm 2)
Session 4 God’s competent king (Luke 8 )
Session 5 The death that changes everything (Luke 23)
Session 6 God made Jesus Lord and Christ. (Acts 2)
Session 7 Remember our future (2 Peter 3)
The difference Jesus makes weekend
Weekend A The difference Jesus makes to life now: (Luke 14)
Weekend B The difference Jesus makes to relationship with God (Luke 15)
Weekend C The difference Jesus makes to our futures (Luke 16)

For more information and to order the course visit here 

Basic Christian Teaching

Our Saviour Lutheran Church....Tacoma WA

Offers a Basic Christian Teaching Course...free of charge available online that covers:
What is God like?
Why are there so many different kinds of Christian churches when everybody believes basically the same thing?
Why did Jesus have to die for our sins?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
What happens after I die?
What is faith?
Who is Jesus?
Is the Bible just another book written by dead guys?

Visit the following link for more information
http://www.oslc.com/templates/cusoslc/details.asp?id=29361&PID=219144

Faith Basics course: notes and audio

The mission of St Thomas Lutheran Church (LCMS) offers a materials for a faith basics course...notes and audio are available for download at
http://www.stl-eastpointe.org/members/faith2.html

Foundations of Living 21 Lessons course

Foundations of Living 21 Lessons course is a course developed by two Lutheran Missouri Synod pastors that cover the following topics
The Natural Knowledge of God
The Bible
God
Creation and Preservation
Angels and Devils
Mankind, the Fall and Sin
The Law and The Gospel
What Do We Owe God?
What Do We Owe our Neighbour?
The Intertestamental Period
The Person of Christ
The Work of Christ
The Holy Spirit
Forgiveness of Sin
The Church
Baptism
Prayer
Communion
Confession and Ministry
Last Things
The Christian Life

You can use this course freely in your congregations and the workbook is available at: http://outsetministry.org/21lesson.htm

Free online Creative Worship Course

Creative Worship is an initiative of AugsburgFortress,

This course will be significantly influenced by Lutherans in the USA.

Now for the even better news:
Its free
You don’t have to travel to get to the course
And you can do it in your own time and with people from your congregation.

For more information on the course visit: http://www.creativeworshiptour.com/page/cwt-u

The course outline is:
Part 1: The VisionWeek
0: Introduction
Week 1: What is creative worship?
Week 2: Casting the vision
Week 3: The importance of team
Week 4: Developing your game plan

Part 2: The Team
Week 5: Team Make-Up (People and Purpose)
Week 6: Fostering a Creative Environment
Week 7: Nurturing Relationships

Part 3: The Process
Week 8: Structured creativity is not an oxyy-moron
Week 9: Remember your focus
Week 10: Ask the right questions
Week 11: Effective Brainstorming
Week 12: Keeping up: developing an effective timeline

Part 4: The Evaluation
Week 13: What questions to ask? / What to evaluate?
Week 14: Don’t take it personally
Week 15: Conclusion

Course: Masters of Arts Christian Outreach

Concordia University St Paul in conjunction with Concordia University Portland offers the Masters of Arts Christian Outreach.

This is ideal for those currently active in ministry and outreach to develop knowledge, skills and networks as the course is delivered by learners collaborate with a community of peers using weekly online class discussions, e-mail, Internet bulletin boards and a two week residency.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE
The primary mission of the church is to make disciples of every nation by bearing witness to Jesus Christ through the sharing of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments.The
Master of Arts in Christian Outreach equips church leaders with a deepened understanding
of a theology of God’s mission and provides the practical tools necessary to engage in the
outreach ministries of the church.

MODULES
Spiritual Leadership Formation
Worldviews and the Gospel
History of Mission
Social Issues in Mission
Missio Dei
Outreach Ministry in Context I: Theory
Missiological Research
Outreach Ministry in Context II: Strategies
Evangelism in the Life of the Church
Capstone:Thesis,Project,or Portfolio

FIELD PRACTICUMS
Care for the Whole Person
Outreach through Evangelism and Worship
Writing/Production of Evangelism/Leadership Development Materials
Planting the Worshiping Community
Outreach in the Urban,Suburban, or Rural Center
Independently Developed Practicum

For more information visit: http://www.csp.edu/MACO/index.html