LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 426

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426

Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) Task Force

time and place. Using the Scriptures, historic baptismal liturgies, and
sermons and teachings on baptism, this course uses the Church’s own
ways of speaking and ways of baptismal administration as paradigms
for theological thinking and pastoral practice. This course will examine
the radical and essential nature and role of baptism in the mission of the
Church. The course encourages thoughtful and vigorous Christ-centered
missions built on an integrated and lively implementation of thorough
teaching of the faith that leads to or flows from Baptism in the Lutheran
expression of the catechumenate.

6. The Prophets—Christ and His Mission Foretold
After an introduction to Old Testament prophetic literature, portions of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel will be studied with attention
to how these prophets bear witness of the Messiah and His kingdom.
The relationship of this prophetic literature to Christ and the Church
as expressed in the New Testament will be highlighted. Commentaries, sermons, liturgies and hymnody from the history of the Church that
engage these prophets will also be considered. Integration of prophetic
literature into the life and mission of the Church today will be accented.

8. Teaching the Faith
The pastor hands down the faith to people of all ages and circumstances through his teaching. This course will examine the biblical and
confessional foundations for teaching the faith in the Lutheran congregation and seek to assist students in acquiring skills and developing
practices that are consistent with these foundations. Special attention
will be given to the content and pattern of teaching reflected in the catechism of Martin Luther.

7. The Lord’s Supper: Life in Christ Nourished and Sustained
As the sacrament through which the life of the Church is sustained,
the Lord’s Supper centers on Christ’s presence among his people with
the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Using the Scriptures, liturgies and sermons from the Church’s history, this course uses the
Church’s own ways of speaking and administrating the sacrament of the
altar as paradigms for theological thinking and pastoral practice.

Post-ordination Courses
1. The Holy Trinity: The Mission of God in Today’s World
This course centers in the work of the Holy Trinity in creation, redemption, and sanctification. It will include a study of Creation and
anthropology, the nature of theology, the Word of God as a Trinitarian
event centering in Christ, the person of Christ as the incarnate God-Man,
His offices and states, the salvation accomplished by Him and its distribution to man in justification, His resurrection and His return as foundation for eschatology, the Church as the body of Christ, and the work
of the Holy Spirit through the ministry of Word and Sacraments. The
student will be able to articulate the relationships with the persons of the
Trinity, the two natures of Christ, and the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ.
2. The Person of Jesus in John’s Gospel
As a continuation of the focus on the centrality of the revelation of
God in Jesus Christ begun in Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts, major
portions of the Gospel of John and the First Epistle of John will be studied. Special attention will be given to teaching that is unique to John and
from the Synoptic Gospels, such as the Pre-existence and Incarnation
of the Son, Christ as the Lamb of God, the Father-Son Relationship, the
Divine Name of Jesus, the “I Am” Sayings, the Holy Spirit/Paraclete,
the Sacraments and the Office of the Keys. This will serve as the capstone course in the formation of faithful preaching and teaching of the
Gospels for the life of the Church.
3. The Lutheran Confessions in Today’s World
Teaching the Lutheran Confessions today requires an emphasis on
the rich heritage of mature Lutheran theology in its historical context
and its application to our contemporary world. This course will show
the connection between the Confessions and catechesis, providing an
appreciation of Luther’s contribution to the Book of Concord. It will
also examine a selection of themes in the Lutheran Confessions such as
predestination, Christology, justification by faith, Church and ministry,
infant baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and Church and state.

8. The Church in Missiological Perspective
Beginning with a description of the Church in the 21st century, especially from the perspective of trends and challenges for world-wide
missions, this course looks for historical connections with contemporary Christianity from the Reformation to the present day. Students will
learn about the Reformation origins of major Protestant denominations
as well as of modern Roman Catholicism, but also will consider the
impact on the mission of the Church from broad historical developments like pietism, liberalism, and ecumenism. Special attention will
be paid to the modern missions movement that has seen the planting of
Christianity around the globe and what this has meant for the Church in
America as well as abroad.
Pre-ordination residential seminars:
1. Confessing Christ in Today’s World; Bibliography and Technology
2. Heaven on Earth: The Worship of Lutherans Today
Pre-ordination field seminars (possibly conducted in cooperation with
CSL):
1. Practical seminar related to the ministry and mission of the participants
2. Practical seminar related to the ministry and mission of the participants
*See list of modules for suggestions
Post-ordination residential seminars:
1. The Holy Trinity: The Mission of God in Today’s World
2. Ministry and Mission in Today’s Pluralistic Context
Post-ordination field seminars (possibly conducted in cooperation
with CSL):
1. Practical seminar related to the ministry and mission of the participants
2. Practical seminar related to the ministry and mission of the participants
*See list of modules for suggestions

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

4. The Epistles of Paul—Planting the Gentile Mission
After an introduction to the life of the Apostle Paul, major portions
of the Galatians and Romans will be studied. Important central teachings from Paul’s other Epistles will also be examined, such as the Person
and Work of Christ, Justification by Faith, the Church, Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper, the End Times, and Pastoral Ministry. The importance of
the Apostle Paul’s teaching for the life and mission of the Church will
be highlighted, especially the issues involved with the planting of the
Gentile mission throughout the Roman world.

The SMP program curriculum developed by Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis is the result of many hours of consultation with the church
at large (the field) and discussions within the faculty. The curriculum development team led by Dr. Charles Arand began by identifying
some broad design principles to be followed as each course is written. The faculty also developed a comprehensive listing of 15 desired
Pastoral Formation Outcomes which guide the development of each
course.

5. Ministry and Mission in Today’s Pluralistic Context
This course is designed to help the students understand and address
the challenges of ministering in a context of religious and world-view
pluralism. It deals with the roots of the current multiplicity of religious
views and world religions becoming increasingly predominant in the
western world; the implications of ethnic, cultural and linguistic plurality; and the rise of universalism in the post-modern mind. The student
will learn ways of presenting and defending the faith “with gentleness
and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15).

The Narrative That Sets Forth the Vision:

2013 Convention Workbook

The SMP Curriculum (16 courses/four years) begins and ends with
courses dealing with the pastoral ministry as a ministry of speaking
the Gospel (“Intro to Pastoral Ministry” and “Pastor as Theologian
and Leader”). In between these bookends, the courses are organized
around a narrative that integrates and binds the curriculum together.
The pastor speaks the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the context of the
grand narrative of God’s activity in human history.