MIS501 Global Mission & Culture
This course offers an in-depth exploration of the evolving landscape of global missions, focusing on key developments that shape missional practice in the 21st century. Students will examine significant sociological trends, the rise of the majority world church, modern missionary movements, and the shifting role of North American missions within global Christianity. Additionally, the course introduces essential principles in areas such as charitable giving, program research and evaluation, cross-cultural contextualization, and global theology. Drawing from various disciplines, students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to engage in effective and informed missional practices in diverse cultural contexts.
Credits: 3
Student learning outcomes
- Critically assess contemporary shifts in global missions, identifying and evaluating major trends in the global Church.
- Defend the use of outcome-based approaches as a valid measure of effectiveness in mission work.
- Apply a conceptual framework to analyze and evaluate mission programs, supporting critical reflection and formative assessment.
- Differentiate between qualitative and quantitative social research methods, evaluating their application in mission-related program assessments.
- Demonstrate an understanding of core social research concepts, such as validity, reliability, generalizability, and representative sampling, in the context of mission evaluation.
- Critique various philosophies of short-term mission efforts, assessing their strengths and limitations in different cultural settings.