Crichton College

School of Bible and Theology Rev. Dale Tadlock

BT 1120 Introduction to Missions Phone: 901-737-3924
Section M02 E-mail: daletadlock@bellsouth.net
3 Credit Hours
Spring 2007 MCUTS Office Hours: Before or after
Location- PP2 class or by appointment
M, TH 8:30 – 10:30 am

MISSION STATEMENT

Crichton College educates students in a Christ-centered liberal arts community to think critically,
grow spiritually, and change the world.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

General: A study of the Biblical basis of missions in view of present-day issues.

Specific: An exploration of the Biblical, theological and historical foundations of the “mission”
and “missions” of the church as understood by the contemporary church. Emphasis will be
placed on the student applying the material in a way that encourages the living of a “missional
lifestyle” in the local and global community.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

The Bible (New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, or New International
Version are the preferred translations for this course).

Johnstone, Patrick, Jason Mandryk with Robyn Johnstone. Operation World: When We Pray
God Works. 21st Century Edition. Waynesboro, Georgia: Authentic Media. 2006.

Livermore, David A. Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural
Intelligence. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2006.

Winter, Ralph D., and Steven C. Hawthorne. Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A
Reader. Third Edition. Pasadena, California: William Carey Library, 1999.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course will:

1. Become familiar with world geography
2. Understand the Biblical background of “mission” and “missions” such that the student can
trace God’s passion and call to reach all peoples throughout Scripture and explain key texts.
3. Be able to trace significant examples of outreach throughout church history and identify
lessons for missions outreach today from each of those examples.
4. Develop the knowledge and skills to live a “missional lifestyle” that impacts the church
locally and globally by taking specific steps toward more active involvement in the world
Christian movement.
5. Gain practical knowledge in the exploration of and the development of partnerships with
local and global missions agencies.
6. Further develop their ability to communicate their own knowledge and passion for “mission”
and “missions” with others.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE

(1) Geography Quizzes (25%). On the assigned days a geography quiz will be given at the
beginning of the class period. Each quiz will focus on a particular continent, asking students
to identify 5-10 specified countries on that continent. Quizzes will be based on the continent
maps in Operation World. Page numbers for these maps are included in the course outline
below. The combined average of all quizzes will make up 25% of the final grade. Quizzes
will be used as the mechanism to take attendance on the days assigned. As such, students
will not be allowed to make up any missed quizzes and will be considered absent if a quiz is
missed except in extreme circumstances as determined by the professor.

(2) Reflection Papers (25%). On assigned days each student is responsible for turning in a
reflection paper. Credit will only be given for Reflection Papers between ½ to 1 typed page.
Students should choose one (1) of the assigned readings for that class period and use the
given reflection questions to guide their written reflections. Full credit will be given for
completing the assignment unless the student, at the discretion of the professor does not
address the reflection question assigned or the paper is not presented in acceptable
composition form. Reflection Papers will be used as the mechanism to take attendance on
the days assigned. As such, students will not be allowed to turn in papers after the beginning
of class on the assigned due date. A student will be considered absent if a paper is not turned
in. Exceptions will only be made in extreme circumstances as determined by the professor.

(3) Program Description (25%). Alone, or with one or two other students, arrange for a visit to
one local program or facility that could be considered a local missions agency. (Sites MUST
be pre-approved by the professor.) Using the attached suggested questions and/or those
crafted by the student, a personal interview and site visit should be arranged with an official
representative from the program or facility to gather information about the program or
agency. Each student should prepare a 2-3 page “Program Description” based on the outline
attached to this syllabus.

(4) Final Exam (25%). A final exam will be given on the last meeting date of this course. The
examination will be comprehensive to all readings and lecture content. The final exam will
include a world geography section, a series of true/false and multiple choice questions and a
series of discussion questions. Students will be required to fully complete the geography

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section and all true/false and multiple choice questions. Students will be asked to choose
two of the discussion questions to complete the final exam.

(5) Missions Prayer (Credit). Each student will be assigned a class session for which they are
responsible to lead a 5-7 minute “missions moment” based on that day’s prayer focus from
Operation World. Each student should educate the class on the country to be prayed for and
share prayer needs for that day. The “missions moment” should close in a prayer for this
country. Students may choose to lead the prayer themselves, ask someone else to lead it for
the class or however else they so choose. Any student failing to lead a “missions moment”
will have their final grade reduced by one letter grade.

Policy on Late Work. Required assignments are expected to be completed and then submitted to
the Professor at the beginning of or before the class meeting on their respective due dates. Work
that is submitted to the Professor after this time still will be accepted, however, the student’s final
grade for that assignment will be reduced by 20% for each weekday calendar day (i.e., not each
class meeting) that the assignment is late. Note: if an assignment is five or more weekday
calendar days late, then it has no grade value (i.e., it is a zero) and it will not be accepted by the
Professor. Again, take note that this penalty for late assignments takes effect immediately after
the completion of the given day’s class meeting. Finally, late work must be submitted either
through e-mail or handed in directly to the Professor (unless other arrangements have been made
with the Professor).

COURSE OUTLINE
Date Subjects Readings Due Assignments
Due
March 22 Course Preview
“Understanding the Biblical
Mandate for the Church”
March 26 “Encountering Mission in the Perspectives- North
Scriptures” “Israel’s Missionary Call” p.10 America
“The Bible in World Evangelization” p. 21 Quiz
“Witness to the World” p. 59
“Beyond Duty” p. 90 (OW, p. 31)
March 29 “Developing a Theology of Perspectives- Reflection
Missions” Part 1 “The Lausanne Covenant” Paper 1
Sections 1-8
April 2 “Developing a Theology of Perspectives- South
Missions” Part 2 “The Lausanne Covenant” America
Sections 9-15 Quiz
(OW, p. 30)
April 5 “Understanding the Role of Perspectives- Reflection
Christ in Missions and ”The Uniqueness of Christ” p. 162 Paper 2
Culture” “The Supremacy of Christ” p. 169
“If I Perish” p. 179
April 9 “Historical Moments in the Perspectives- Africa Quiz
History of Missions” Part 1 ”Women in Mission” p. 269 (OW p. 18)
“Student Power in World Missions” p.
277
“A Historical Survey of African
Americans in World Missions” p. 287

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April 12 “Historical Moments in the Perspectives- Reflection
History of Missions” Part 2 ”An Enquiry…” p. 293 Paper 3
“The Call to Service” p. 300
“The Bridges of God” p. 323
April 16 “The Church is Bigger Than Perspectives- Europe Quiz
You Think” ”The Church is Bigger Than You (OW p. 50)
Think” p. 214
“World Mission Survey” p. 354
April 19 “Mission Trends and Perspectives- Reflection
Paradigm Shifts” ”Four Men, Three Eras, Two Paper 4
Transitions: Modern Missions” p. 253
“Finishing the Task: The Unreached
Peoples Challenge” p, 509
April 23 “Globalization and the “Serving with Eyes Wide Open” Asia Quiz
Church” pp. 11- 42 (OW p. 40)
April 26 “Addressing Cultural Issues in “Serving with Eyes Wide Open” Reflection
Mission Contexts” Part 1 pp. 47- 76 Paper 5
April 30 Class will not formally meet this week. Students should take advantage of this time to work
May 3 on their field trip and their program description.
May 7 “Addressing Cultural Issues in “Serving with Eyes Wide Open” Reflection
Mission Contexts” Part 2 pp. 77- 112 Paper 6
May 10 “Developing Local and Global “Serving with Eyes Wide Open” Reflection
Missions with Cultural pp. 113- 176 Paper 7
Intelligence”
May 14 “Program Description “Program
Discussion” Description”
“Sharing Your Vision” Due
Final Exam Preparation
May 17 Final Exam

EVALUATION

Grading for this course will be based on the following scale:

A 92-100 B- 80-81 D+ 68-69
A- 90-91 C+ 78-79 D 62-67
B+ 88-89 C 72-77 D- 60-61
B 82-87 C- 70-71 F 59 and below

Student evaluation in this course will be based on the following components and values:
Geography Quizzes 25%
Reflection Papers 25%
Field Trip 25%
Final Exam 25%

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION

Attendance is expected in all classes. Regular class attendance not only increases the student’s
ability to learn and achieve academically, but it also serves as an indicator (to the Professor!) of
your interest in the course. Attendance will be recorded at the beginning of each class by the
taking of a quiz or the turning in of a required reflection paper. If a student misses more than

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four (4) classes the Professor reserves the right to assign a failing grade for the course to that
student.

Additionally, take note that your physical presence in the chair does not constitute participation in
the class. In addition to regular attendance, students also are expected to come to all class
meetings fully prepared. Finally, as with attendance, the Professor reserves the right to alter a
student’s final grade in either a positive or negative fashion based on his/her class participation.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious offences and, thus, will
result in correspondingly severe sanctions. Work any part of which is the product of academic
dishonesty will receive the grade of zero and, at the Professor’s discretion, the student also may
be referred the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Among other offenses, submitting work any
part of which was developed in response to the assignment of another professor, without the
Professor’s prior, express permission, will be regarded as academic dishonesty. Any sort of
plagiarism (as defined in Section 1.7 of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th
edition, available in the library) also will be regarded as academic dishonesty. Please note that
any student aggrieved by the Professor’s determination regarding sanctions for academic
dishonesty may seek redress in accordance with our published policy and procedure on
“Academic Appeals” (see the current Academic Catalog).

DISABILITIES

Crichton College is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to all students who

properly disclose and document disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) of 1990. The student is responsible for contacting the Vice President for Academic
Affairs to arrange for appropriate accommodation. When the disability has been documented and
verified, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will contact the faculty member regarding any
reasonable accommodation to be made.

COMPUTER USE POLICY

Students using any college-owned computer in connection with completing work for this course
should first read and understand the “Computer Use Policy” published in the current Academic
Catalog. Ignorance of this policy shall not be deemed an excuse for failure to comply.

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REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Choose one (1) of the assigned readings below and use the reflection question given to write a ½
to 1 typed page reflection. Note: “Study Questions” below indicate the study questions at the
conclusion of each article in Perspectives.

March 26
1. “Israel’s Missionary Call”
Choose the Genesis, Exodus or Psalm passage and jot down your thoughts about the contribution
of that passage to demonstrating Israel’s missionary call.
2. “The Bible in World Evangelization”
Study Question 1. Include reflection on why you agree or disagree.
3. “Witness to the World”
Study Question 2
4. “Beyond Duty”
In your opinion, how can a congregation be led to view missions as a joyous passion instead of a
duty?

March 29
5. “The Lausanne Covenant”
Choose one section of the sections assigned. Reflect on what strikes you as being the most
powerful statement in that section. What would you add or not include in that section if you were
writing it today?

April 2
6. “The Lausanne Covenant”
Choose one section of the sections assigned. Reflect on what strikes you as being the most
powerful statement in that section. What would you add or not include in that section if you were
writing it today?

April 5
7. “The Uniqueness of Christ”
Reflect upon the uniqueness of Christ in your own life and theology.
8. “The Supremacy of Christ”
Study Question 2 or 3 (in your own words, not that of the author)
9. “If I Die”
Spend some time in prayer for the persecuted church. Write about who you prayed for and how
you prayed for them. Include a reflection on your thoughts after reading the article.

April 9
10. “Women in Mission” or “A Historical Survey of African Americans in World Missions”
What was the most significant new truth you learned about African-Americans or women in
missions? Why is that truth significant for the church today?
11. “Student Power in World Missions”
In your opinion, what role should students play in your church in leading world and local
missions?

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April 12
12. “An Enquiry…” or “The Call to Service”
What impressed you most about the call to missions issued by Carey/Taylor? What is still
relevant about their calls to our generation?
13. “The Bridges of God”
Explain the significance of these bridges for your mission strategy or for your church’s mission
strategy.

April 19
14. “Four Men…”
What was the unique emphasis of each of Winter’s “three eras” of modern missions? How
should this perspective on mission history encourage us and how should it keep us alert to new
directions for ministry that God might have for us?
15. “Finishing the Task”
Write your reflection paper using the opening sentence, “The most essential mission task for me
and my church is…” Be sure and explain why this is the most essential task.

April 23
16. “Serving with Eyes Wide Open”, pp. 11-42
How have you been guilty of a misguided perspective of the world church? What are you willing
to do to change that?

April 26
17. “Serving with Eyes Wide Open”, pp. 47-76
Which perspective most challenged your thinking? Why and what are you willing to do about it?

May 7
18. “Serving with Eyes Wide Open”, pp. 77-112
Which perspective most challenged your thinking? Why and what are you willing to do about it?

May 10
19. “Serving with Eyes Wide Open”, pp. 113-176
If you were planning a mission trip for your church, how could you use the information
Livermore has presented to make your trip more effective?

Or

What from this course has challenged you most in your thinking about missions?

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FIELD VISITS AND INTERVIEWS

(Be sure to affirm and encourage those with whom you meet. Establish a good rapport. Don’t
ask questions word-for-word.)

1. What is the main aim or focus of this program?

2. What are your specific goals and how do you see these being accomplished?

3. Who is your target population and what is the target area of this program?

4. How did you become involved in this program and what training or experience was

necessary?

5. What are some of the greatest satisfactions for you in this program?

6. What are the most draining and difficult parts of working in this program?

7. Can you tell me the annual budget of this program and how funding is raised?

8. Where do you find your inner strength to carry on this difficult work?