Overview
A knowledge of church history should result in practical application for today. What can we learn from the past? What can we recover and continue? What should we leave in the past?
The biblical mandate to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20) has been taken seriously by many throughout the centuries of the church. In this exercise, we reflect on how some church fathers discipled others and the lessons we can learn from them for the church today.
Instructions
After reading Smither, Augustine as Mentor, you will write a reflection paper of at least 1,000 words (about 4 pages) on lessons in discipleship and spiritual formation from the early church.
The paper should include:
- A brief introduction (100 words) and statement of thesis (what you will aim to do in the paper).
- A 400-word (about 2 page) summary of 3-4 discipleship strategies employed by Augustine and other church fathers.
- A 400-word (about 2 page) reflection on what early Christian principles and practices of spiritual formation might apply today in various ministries (i.e. training pastors and church leaders, discipling adults, youth, children, international students, etc.). You are encouraged to think about your own personal ministry.
- A brief conclusion (100 words) summarizing the reflection paper.
The reflection paper should adhere to current Turabian format, and references to Augustine as Mentor should be footnoted. See the grading rubric for specific criteria for how the paper will be evaluated.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the SafeAssign plagiarism tool.