Case Studies

Browse our articles.

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Volume 4 - Issue 1
Easten Law

Praxis Education for Ministry in Urban Contexts: A Pedagogical & Programmatic Review of Wesley Theological Seminary’s Urban Fellows Program

Traditional seminary education has often been plagued with critiques concerning its impractical and irrelevant nature in the context of complex ministry in urban setting. Can we re-imagine urban ministry training? Wesley Theological Seminary’s experiment in theological education for urban ministry–the Urban Fellows program–facilitates community based asset research with urban ministry projects done in partnership with local congregations to strengthen learning and ministry between seminary, churches, and communities to address shared concerns. This article explores how pedagogical perspectives of experiential and praxis education are incarnated in the practice of the Urban Fellows program.

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Volume 3 - Issue 1
Randy Rowland

Seeking Synergy: 8 Steps to Forming a Ministry Cluster

Many individuals and groups are asking how to get a ministry cluster going. This case study will offer a step-by-step approach, with this proviso: This is a basic template, not a blueprint. There is no need to copy this in total. Each cluster will have its own unique character, or DNA. Yet, what you will read here is a common methodology that appears to be working.

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Volume 1 - Issue 2
David Leong

Urban Exegesis in Seattle’s Rainier Valley

Urban exegesis, a theological reading of the city, can be an insightful and effective lens for observing and interpreting any urban community. After considering some foundational elements of the Rainier Valley’s physical context, an examination of significant urban “cultural texts” in the community will explore cultural and theological meaning in the built environment of the neighborhood. This approach to observing and interpreting an urban community is essential not only for prospective church planters, but also for anyone who is seeking to embody an incarnational presence in the city.

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