Educational Level: Lower undergraduate, Associate
Number of Credit Hours: 3 credit hours
Instructor: Dr. Curt Watke
Course Description
This foundational course introduces students to the biblical theology of mission by exploring God's redemptive purpose throughout Scripture and its implications for Christian living today. Drawing primarily from Christopher J.H. Wright's comprehensive work The Mission of God's People, students will discover that mission is not merely an activity of the church but the very heartbeat of God's character and the central narrative of Scripture.
Through systematic examination of biblical texts and themes, learners will understand how God's mission (missio Dei) encompasses creation care, blessing the nations, redemptive living, faithful witness, gospel proclamation, work in the public square, and worshipful living. Each module addresses fundamental questions: Who are we as God's people? What are we here for? How does our understanding of the biblical story shape our participation in God's mission?
This course is designed as an entry point for undergraduate students beginning their theological education, providing essential foundations for all subsequent studies in theology, ministry, and missional practice. The asynchronous format allows students to engage with course materials at their own pace while maintaining structured weekly learning objectives and collaborative interactions with peers.
How It Benefits Students
Students develop a comprehensive biblical theology of mission that transforms their understanding of Christian identity and calling. Through weekly application activities, they connect theological insights to personal contexts, equipping them for faithful participation in God's redemptive work. The course provides foundational knowledge for ministry leadership, cross-cultural service, and everyday discipleship.
Beyond academic learning, students gain practical skills in contextual analysis, missional discernment, and theological reflection that apply immediately to their current ministry settings or daily Christian living. The course cultivates a holistic missional worldview that integrates creation care, social justice, evangelism, worship, and vocation as unified expressions of God's mission rather than competing priorities. Students learn to read Scripture missionally, enabling them to discover God's purposes throughout the biblical narrative and apply these insights to contemporary challenges.
The reflective assignments and peer discussions foster transformative personal growth, helping students articulate their own calling within God's redemptive story. Graduates emerge with both theological depth and practical wisdom, prepared to lead communities of faith in faithful missional engagement whether serving as pastors, missionaries, marketplace Christians, or everyday disciples seeking to live all of life as participation in God's mission.
Why This Course Is Important
Understanding the mission of God is essential for all Christians, not just missionaries or pastors. This course establishes that mission flows from identity within God's story, providing the theological foundation for the entire Bachelor degree programs at Missional University. Students learn to read Scripture missionally and understand how all of life participates in God's redemptive purposes.
As a foundational freshman-level course, THM1000EN addresses critical questions of identity and purpose that shape students' entire theological education and future ministry. In an era where Christianity is often reduced to personal spirituality or institutional programs, this course recovers the biblical vision of God's comprehensive redemptive mission encompassing all creation, all peoples, and all dimensions of human life.
The course directly responds to the contemporary need for Christians who understand mission holistically—integrating evangelism with justice, worship with work, and personal piety with public engagement. Without this foundational understanding, students risk fragmenting their faith into disconnected activities rather than participating coherently in God's unified mission. By grounding students in Wright's rigorous biblical theology, the course equips them to think critically about mission, resist reductionist approaches, and develop theologically-informed strategies for faithful engagement in their specific contexts. This theological foundation proves essential for all subsequent coursework in the theological studies program.