Module THMN40415: Organisational Issues in Church and Community Consulting

Department: Theology and Ministry

THMN40415: Organisational Issues in Church and Community Consulting

Prerequisites

• THMNXXX15 The Organisational Context of Mission and Ministry

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To analyse and evaluate models, tools and concepts from organisational studies and their application to contexts for mission and ministry.
• To develop an in-depth knowledge of recent research and approaches to organisational issues and change which occur in the context of Church and Community work and to analyse and critically evaluate these.
• To enable students to integrate theological ideas of ministry and mission to the organisational contexts in which they are enacted.

Content

• Inter-organisational and intra-organisational relationships and their impact on the flow of work and the organisation’s relationship with its context.
• Analysis of the different roles that occur in church and community work and how they inter-relate.
• Analysis of different models of organisational change and how these link to beliefs about divine and human agency and mission.
• Critical appraisal of tools and methods in organisational design

Learning Outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the module students will have knowledge of:: •
• A variety of approaches to studying organisations which integrate mission theology, organisational studies, ecclesiology and consultancy praxis
• An in-depth knowledge of models of organisational change and the ways in which relate to theological understandings of human and divine agency and mission.
• An analysis of the variety of roles in church and community work and their interrelationships.

• Upon successful completion of the module students will have
• Analysed in depth the roles operating in church and community work and evaluated their effectiveness
• Reflected critically both individually and in peer group on issues relating to organisational structure and change using the full range of theological resources.
• Both critiqued existing practice and planned for the development of supportive organisational structures and cultures in complex and unpredictable contexts.

• Upon successful completion of the module students will have
• demonstrated their ability as self- reflective, critically aware practitioners
• developed research based skills
• effectively communicated complex interdisciplinary ideas both orally and in written format

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The core module will be taught by an ecumenical team of staff working with the whole group of students which will be co-led by Sue Miller and David Dadswell. The student led seminars will ask students to apply one of the organisational studies topics in the distance learning material to a church and community setting which they will interrogate in some way.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Seminar proposal for a seminar on an organisational issue for example, governance, conflict, leadership, organisational form and structure, change, power, gender, or culture, in a chosen church. To include the topics to be covered and why, and how this will offer theological analysis and lessons for future application and reflection. 1000 words

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University