As church pastors and leaders, how should you manage Christian church administration? Shouldn’t Christian theology matter in church administration? If so, how? At the same time, how should you utilize management principles and techniques to make your church a more faithful church, rather than turning it into a secular enterprise?
Church Administration Theology and Time Management
Church Administration Theology and Time Management
Taught in English
Some content may not be translated
1,868 already enrolled
4.8
(14 reviews)
Beginner level
Recommended experience
Approx. 17 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Explain why church administration must be approached from a theological perspective.
Elucidate how Christian ethics and pastoral leadership inform a theology and practice of church admin.
Develop a time stewardship plan.
Skills you'll gain
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Assessments
4 quizzes
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There are 4 modules in this course
What’s distinctive about church administration? We will examine this crucial question by establishing why theology should matter in church admin. First, we will introduce the course by delineating our overall theological approach to church administration, namely, appropriating management tools as a means to achieving theological ends of church admin. Then, we will draw upon Stanley Hauerwas’s insights on Christian ethics to unpack why church admin constitutes church practices and what this means for its theological goals and stewardship. Closer to home, you’ll poll people in your church to discover their perceptions of “theology” and “church administration.” In doing so, you will better appreciate why Hauerwas’s critiques and insights are relevant for your church. Lastly, we’ll take some time to make sure you have a clear picture of how this course works and where it fits in the Church Administration Specialization.
What's included
6 videos10 readings1 quiz2 discussion prompts
How important should church admin be to your pastoral role and leadership? To address this question, we will begin by looking at the wisdom of the early church to glean what characterized effective church leadership. We will then examine why church admin is critical to pastoral leadership and competence and, therefore, why it’s crucial for your pastoral credibility, trust, and authority. As an important course assignment, you will identify your key pastoral priorities as the basis for a clear, shared understanding with your church leadership team.
What's included
4 videos5 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt
Given the theological foundations of church admin from Weeks 1 and 2, we turn to a concrete application of your time management. Time is one of the most precious resources we have, and in particular for pastors (and lay leaders), time management perennially ranks as a top ministry challenge. This week, you will learn key time management principles, a theology of time stewardship, and how these principles can be used as a tool for stewardship of time. Correlatively, you will examine how you actually spend your time and develop a plan to better steward the time God has given you.
What's included
5 videos4 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt
Now that you’ve developed a plan to steward your time according to your theological convictions and your pastoral priorities, the challenge is to follow through and align your schedule with the intentions expressed in your plan. This week, you’ll develop the skills you’ll need to get and stay on track by exploring the power of “no,” the art of delegation, and principles of meeting stewardship.
What's included
6 videos6 readings1 quiz2 discussion prompts
Instructor
Instructor ratings
5.0 (7 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Personal Development
Duke University
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Michigan
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Frequently asked questions
If you are a Duke alum with a degree from Duke University, you can take this course for free. You will need a Duke OneLink account, and then you will need to log into the Coursera for Duke Alumni portal.
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