Rediscovering Wesleyan Mission from Coursera

We invite you to join Duke Divinity School in “Rediscovering Wesleyan Mission,” the second of five courses in the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism series, designed to help engaged laypeople and clergy (including local pastors in licensing schools) develop core capacities for innovative leadership within the Wesleyan tradition.

This course is designed to help individuals and Christian communities rediscover the Wesleyan mission at its finest. It introduces Methodism’s history as a missionary movement and teaches us to recenter our histories within the story of God’s mission to the world.

In addition, it explores key practices and commitments that undergird a Methodist sense of mission, including convictions about salvation. Above all, it gives us opportunities to attend to the Holy Spirit and discern how God may be prompting us and our communities to engage in mission today.

Each course includes four weeks of interactive video lessons from Duke Divinity School faculty and Methodist leaders, plus an interactive course workbook PDF that includes exercises to accompany each video lesson and discussion guides for group meetings.

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Syllabus

Methodist History as Christian Missiology

Throughout its history, Methodism has connected doctrine, story, and mission because Methodism is, at heart, a missionary movement. This week, we’ll explore doctrine, story, and mission in Methodist history and reconsider the history of Methodism, the history of our Christian communities, and our personal life narratives. This will mean setting aside nostalgia, triumphalism, and despondency to recenter our stories within God’s missionary story.

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Taught by instructors who have a strong leadership role in the Methodist movement

Examines the history of Methodism, its core mission, and ways to re-center it

Develops a theological understanding of the Methodist mission

Focuses on the practical and applicable aspects of Methodism

Suitable for individuals and communities seeking to rediscover and engage in the Methodist mission

Requires a foundational understanding of Christianity

Reviews summary

Deepening wesleyan mission & spiritual discernment

According to learners, this course offers a profound and transformative understanding of Wesleyan mission, making it a highly recommended experience for clergy and lay leaders. Students particularly praise the incredibly insightful lectures delivered by Duke Divinity School faculty and the instrumental interactive workbook, which aids personal reflection and practical application. While the course provides a strong historical and theological foundation, some note its academic depth, suggesting that a prior theological background may be beneficial for a smoother learning experience. The focus is more on theological grounding than direct "how-to" strategies for current church work, though it equips learners for spiritual discernment and ministry impact.

Workbook enhances learning and personal reflection.

"The accompanying workbook was instrumental in guiding personal reflection and applying the concepts to my own spiritual journey and ministry context."

"The interactive elements, especially the workbook exercises, made the learning experience engaging and practical."

"The concepts of practical divinity and scriptural holiness were unpacked in a way that truly resonated."

Lectures deliver insightful and engaging content.

"The lectures by Duke Divinity School faculty were incredibly insightful and inspiring."

"A very well-structured course that beautifully connects Methodist history with its missionary heart."

"The quality of the video lessons was good, and the discussion guides seem useful..."

Offers deep theological and historical understanding.

"This course was truly eye-opening, offering a profound understanding of Wesleyan mission."

"Absolutely fantastic! The focus on the Holy Spirit and social innovation was particularly impactful."

"This course has profoundly impacted my ministry. It exceeded my expectations in connecting historical roots with current spiritual discernment for mission."

Could benefit from more modern production values.

"While the subject matter is important, I felt the course could benefit from more modern production values."

"Some of the discussions felt a bit dry, and the pace was occasionally a little slow for me."

Benefits learners with some theological background.

"Some sections felt a bit dense if you've not had much prior theological study."

"Good for seasoned theologians, perhaps less so for beginners."

"Good course for deepening one's understanding of Wesleyan theology and its missional implications."

Provides strong theoretical base, less direct 'how-to'.

"I found some of the lectures to be quite theoretical, and I was hoping for more direct, actionable strategies for contemporary church mission work."

"It's excellent for historical and theological grounding, but perhaps less for immediate 'how-to' practical application..."

"The academic rigor is certainly there..."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Rediscovering Wesleyan Mission with these activities:

Read "The Heart of Methodism"

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Read "The Heart of Methodism" for a comprehensive overview of the history, theology, and practice of Methodism.

View American Methodism: A Compact History: Revised... on Amazon

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Read the book.
Take notes on the key points.

Practice Preaching

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Practice delivering sermons to improve your public speaking skills and your ability to communicate the Methodist message effectively.

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Choose a topic for your sermon.
Write out your sermon.
Practice delivering your sermon in front of a mirror or with a friend.

Design a Mission Statement

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Create a mission statement that reflects your understanding of the core values and purpose of Methodism.

Browse courses on Mission Statement

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Brainstorm a list of words and phrases that describe the core values of Methodism.
Organize your ideas into a concise statement.
Get feedback from a peer or mentor on your mission statement.

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Career center

Learners who complete Rediscovering Wesleyan Mission will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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Rediscovering Wesleyan Mission

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What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Deepening wesleyan mission & spiritual discernment

Activities

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