Tips for Competency 1:
“Develop a basic understanding of biblical keys to the establishment and expansion of the first-century church and how to use these keys in the establishment and expansion of the global church.”
You may use any evidence you have to demonstrate this or any competency.
Most students use something associated with their work on Unit 1, Issue 2, Project 1 (“Write an annotated list of the keys to the establishment and expansion of the first-century church for each of the six “books” of Acts.”). Please note that this is the beginning of your work on a project that may be used to demonstrate the competency related to biblical keys, but it is probably not the end of your work. For instance, this project doesn’t call for you to write anything about “how to use the keys,” but you will need to do so for the competency.
Keep this project in mind as you proceed through the course because your competency is likely to improve. The entire course is designed to help you with your understanding of the biblical keys and how to use them. Few students have competency related to biblical keys that peaks during the first unit of the course. So, it is likely that you will need to revise this project (or replace it with a new one) at the end of the course in order to capture your best competency for the portfolio assessment process, as well as to have an artifact that you can use in ministry.
The sample in the Project Guides and models is intended to be something to help you get started. It is not a sample of the sort of project that you would submit for the portfolio assessment process. For instance, it doesn’t attempt to address the second part of the competency on “biblical keys” in which you need to show how to use the keys.
Also, note that if you tie your “how to use the keys” section with reflective comparison to your own ministry context and experience, you will meet the implementation criteria (which is required for Masters-level students and optional for Bachelors-level students).
Tips for Competency 2:
“Design a model to use as a guide in planting and establishing churches today from the core elements of Paul's strategy used on his missionary journeys.”
Most students draw heavily on their work on Unit 3 projects to demonstrate this competency. However, note that while all of the projects in this unit may help you “design a model,” none of them explicitly ask you to do so. Thus, in order to demonstrate the competency, you need to make sure that you use your summary and arguments to design a model.
Note that by “model,” we mean something that takes an entire set of ideas and presents them in a simple manner that provides context and connection for all of the subsidiary and supporting ideas. For instance, Jeff Reed’s “Pauline Cycle” chart (Evangelize Strategic Cities, Establish Churches, and Entrust Leaders) is a model for the entire teaching of Paul’s missionary strategy based on Luke’s teaching in Acts.
Also, note that he met the creative criteria because he did more than just provide the content, he also used alliteration to make it memorable.
Tips for Competency 3:
“Determine a biblical definition for missionary and missionary work.”
Most students draw on their work in Unit 3 to demonstrate this competency. Although none of the projects explicit state that you should “determine a biblical definition,” the matter of definition is part of nearly all the Socratic discussion questions. The project instructions are intended to help you build on the definitions, but you still need to be explicit in your statement of the definitions.
Also, please make sure that your definition is indeed biblical. Many students address contemporary nuances of missionary work, such as social work, but never root it in a biblical definition that shows how it is true to Luke’s teaching in Acts, as well as being relevant for contemporary manifestations.
Tips for Competency 4:
“Develop convictions on the role of the local church in missions today and design a model for how a local church could be central and vitally involved in missions while networking with other churches and mission agencies.”
Notice that there are three main parts to this competency.
First, with regard to “convictions,” most students demonstrate their convictions by pointing to their own participation in missions (or plans for participation), whether local or global. Often they give testimony about how their convictions changed during the course.
Second, this competency uses the term “model” to mean a tool that provides guidance to a local church. It is not merely the big ideas, but the foundational principles and policies that will help a local church be centrally and vitally involved in missions.
Third, students are to show that they can think beyond their own local churches in terms of networking with other churches and mission agencies. In a world of easy global travel and communication, many local churches are becoming involved in mission work around the world with virtually no collaboration with other churches, bypassing traditional mission agencies, and often with almost no respect for the fact that apostolic leadership and church planting movements are already taking place in most parts of the world. This competency calls for students to develop sophistication with regard to participation in missions, not just passion and action.
Most students demonstrate this competency by drawing on their projects for Unit 4 Issue 2 (“Design a model, either in a chart or annotated summary form, of how a local church might join in with a larger organization for common ministry and still maintain its autonomy.”) and/or Unit 5 Issue 1 (“Design a master strategy, again about two pages, that could serve as a guide for any local church in building a missions policy, preferably in guideline or propositional form.”).
Students should feel free to make their project be as long as it needs to be. The reference in the instructions for the Unit 5, Issue 1 project to be “about two pages” is intended for someone participating in the course at a minimum level (since not everyone using the BILD Acts course is enrolled in a degree program). Students earning credit in the Antioch School (and anyone doing more than the bare minimum) will probably produce something longer.