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Course Descriptions — Churches’ Leadership
Courses are for 3 credits unless otherwise noted.

CL207 Indian Ministries Seminar I
CL208 Indian Ministries Seminar II
Faculty
Designed for students enrolled in the Diploma in Indian Ministries program, but open to all interested participants. The seminar provides a place for developing an ongoing community of caring, discernment, and learning concerning the needs of ongoing ministries and student involvement in an academic program of ministry development. It includes a skill-building component with sections on liturgical and congregational leadership, functioning effectively in a cross-cultural environment, and personal spiritual development. Special attention will be given to the integration of the values and perspective of Native culture within an effective program of ministry development. It will lift up to seminar participants the vision of the Minnesota Council on Indian Work that the Indian church becomes a growing community of “Gospel-based Disciples.”
No prerequisites

CL209 Indian Ministries Internship
Faculty
Required in the second year of the course of study for the Diploma in Indian Ministries.
Prerequisites: CL207, CL208

CL329 Music in Worship: Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs
Faculty
The course will deal with hymns as a combination of equally important texts and tunes. An exploration of hymns, writers, and composers from major eras and from the global community will be balanced with discussion of their respective value in the life of the contemporary church. Applied components will be designed to build skills in using hymns effectively in community worship. Efforts will be made to expand the depth of appreciation for hymns through listening examples, participation in modes of performance, and hymn stories. Some specific discussion topics will include adaptation and change in texts and tunes, functional hymnody, cross-cultural experience, psalmody, tunes for body and soul, and contemporary praise songs. Musical skill is not a prerequisite for the course, but participation in singing and presenting hymns is expected. Selected reading assignments along with the use of a variety of hymnals will provide an acquaintance with foundational hymnology references and a view of this expansive, varied literature.
No prerequisites

CL330 Worship of the Church
Jann Cather Weaver
This is the beginning survey course in worship and liturgical basics. The course explores the meaning of worship within differing ethnic contexts, the theological commitments behind liturgy, and the structure of worship using the transposition of scriptural texts. We examine liturgical history, emancipatory liturgical language, sacraments, weddings, funerals, and other aspects of worship practice. Students will learn to access worship resources, write liturgies, and survey different denominational and cultural styles of worship.
Prerequisites: IS151

CL331 Worship Theory and Practice in the UUA
Faculty
Worship is the unique function of the church and the heart of congregational life, as well as a vitalizing center for the individual’s religious journey. This course will explore how worship may be understood in a theologically pluralistic context and how its elements may be handled competently, creatively, and responsibly. Students will consider rites of passage and worship for all ages, as well as the more traditional Sunday morning service with preaching.
No prerequisites

CL335 Preaching in a Unitarian Universalist Voice
Faculty
This course looks at preaching within the context, primarily, of Unitarian Universalist worship. The course will consider the context, construction, and delivery of sermons and explore such questions as, “What is the sermon for?” “With what authority does the preacher speak and with accountability to whom? To what?” Guest presenters will share their experience as writers and preachers of sermons from a variety of theological perspectives in a variety of settings. Students will be required to write and deliver three sermons.
No prerequisites

CL336 Preaching
Christine Smith
Preaching is an act of religious and theological interpretation and naming. It nurtures, sustains, and transforms religious communities. This course will give attention to preaching as an act of ministry in the context of worship. We will examine the content and theology of sermons, the presence and leadership of the preacher, and the centrality and authority of biblical texts. Preachers will share sermons in class, examine the social dimensions of preaching, explore a variety of sermonic forms and designs, and develop concrete strategies to engage whole religious communities in the work of proclamation.
Prerequisites: IS151, CH161, CH261

CL337 Music in the Life of the Church
Faculty
The course explores the development of church music over the centuries and will focus on the relationship of music to worship. It will engage the student in a consideration of practical issues related to the role music plays.
No prerequisites

CL338 Advanced Preaching Seminar
Christine Smith
In the past three decades, the theory and art of preaching has been changing dramatically. Preaching has shifted from an event that says something, conveys something, and articulates something, to an event that evokes something, does something, and immerses the congregation in an experience. In this seminar, preachers will have the opportunity to experiment with sermonic form and style, preach at least three times in the presence of colleagues, and identify and address critical issues of concern and places of needed growth in her/his own preaching style and ministry.
Prerequisites: CL336

CL345 Pottery and Proclamation
Christine Smith
The ongoing spiritual life of the preacher is of critical concern in a preaching ministry that stays vital, passionate, and relevant. Working with clay can directly enhance and deepen our spiritual lives and nurture a different worldview. In this course we will explore various religious themes and spiritual practices that emerge as religious leaders learn the basic skills of the potter’s craft. Students will actually learn the skills involved in a basic wheel course: fundamental techniques of throwing basic forms on the potter’s wheel, the process of creating surface decoration using glazes and some applied elements, and basic firing procedures.
No prerequisites

CL347 Celebrating and Proclaiming Resurrection
Christine Smith
Resurrection is at the center of Christian life and faith. It is about God’s enduring, uncompromising power of life and our response to that passionate life. Preachers will look at the power and possibility of resurrection life in our world today. Four questions will shape the content of the course: What kind of spiritual and homiletic disciplines might move preachers closer to resurrection life? How might we resist the crucifixions that threaten to silence or defeat resurrection life? How can we re-image the nature and activity of resurrection life from the perspective of the oppressed? How can we recover the radical nature of the gospel narratives in our quest for, and commitment to, this resurrection life? Sermons will be preached in class.
Prerequisites: CL336

CL353 Preacher and Poet Dialogue
Christine Smith
What can the preacher learn from the poet’s rigorous commitment to language as artistic creation and expression? What spiritual and religious insight and vision might the preacher experience as she/he encounters the poet’s role in political and social transformation? In this course we will examine issues of common concern to preacher and poet including the language of paradox, the role of the imagination, immediacy as a quality of language, and the power of image to create and embody new reality. We will examine and experience together a wide diversity of poets and their craft. Primary emphasis of the course will be on the nature of poetic language and its implications for preaching; secondary emphasis will be on the explicit use of poetry within sermons. Sermons will be shared in class.
Prerequisites: CL336 or permission of the instructor

CL362 Seasons and Celebration of the Church
Jann Cather Weaver
This course will explore the Jewish and Christian liturgical church years through historical, liturgical, and theological developments. As a course oriented to practice, we study liturgies and imaginative liturgical expressions particular to each season in relationship to the life of churches and other religious traditions. We will also study secular celebrations (e.g., Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July) within a framework of liturgical and theological integrity in light of congregational realities.
No prerequisites

CL364 Media, Culture, and Worship
Jann Cather Weaver
The primary text of this course will be the daily media coverage of local and world political and cultural events. Students will learn to locate a multitude of news sources from around the world, gaining a fuller, culturally-conscious perspective on particular events. Given daily events, students will reflect on these events from critical, theological perspectives. The task is for students to bring the events of the world into worship with liturgical, pastoral, and theological integrity. This is not a course on how to turn worship into a political forum. Rather, this course will explore how worship can proclaim the Word of God amid current events vis-à-vis media’s representations.
No prerequisites

CL440 Foundations of Christian Education
Barbara Anne Keely
This course explores the theories and practices of Christian Education, including theological frameworks, faith formations, teaching methods and models, curricular materials, and the planning and leadership of educational programming. Particular emphasis is paid to the spiritual life of the congregation.
No prerequisites

CL442 Ministries with Children and Families
Barbara Anne Keely
This course explores theological, spiritual, and practical approaches to ministry with children and families with children, including teaching methods, curricular resources, intergenerational and broadly graded educational ministries, parenting, and child advocacy. Particular attention is paid to the spiritual life of the child.
No prerequisites

CL447 Ministries with Youth
Barbara Anne Keely
Adolescence is a critical time of claiming one’s own identity and faith commitment. This course is an overview of the Church’s ministries with youth, including theological, spiritual, cultural, developmental, theoretical, and practical aspects. Primary attention is given to the spiritual life of youth and the culture in which youth are thrust and/or create.
No prerequisites

CL452 Group Process in Ministry
Barbara Anne Keely
The local church is made up of small groups from committees to Bible studies. This course will explore the basic dynamics of group process and how they impact the life of church groups. Various styles of leadership will be explored, as well as how to begin and/or nurture healthy groups in ministry.
No prerequisites

CL465 Adult Education in the Church
Barbara Anne Keely
Introduces students to the scope of Christian Education with adults in the church. Special attention will be given to the adult life span, as well as the multifaceted understandings/contexts of adulthood.
No prerequisites

CL470 Teaching the Bible in the Church
Barbara Anne Keely
The Bible is the core text for teaching in the Christian Church. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to a variety of methods and models of teaching the Bible to children, youth, and adults. Opportunities to teach the Bible permeate the life of the Church, including worship and education. This course will address these areas and also will invite students to explore ways to integrate effective teaching of the Bible throughout Church life.
Prerequisite: One seminary-level course in biblical studies

CL471 Black Women’s Spirituality and Christian Education
Yolanda Smith
What compels women of faith like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks to dedicate their lives to social justice? What insights can we glean from women who have applied deep spirituality to social action for shaping prophetic educational ministries? Through the lens of African and African American cultural traditions, this course will explore black women’s spirituality and how it has informed their empowerment, social activism, and personal/communal transformation. Students will also explore strategies for shaping prophetic educational ministries (influenced by women’s spirituality) that seek to nurture deep and abiding faith while equipping individuals and communities for transformative social engagement. (Women’s Studies elective)
No prerequisites

CL481 Spiritual Life of the Congregation
Barbara Anne Keely
The spiritual life of the congregation will be explored, including children, youth, and adults. The course will also examine the spiritual life of the pastor and church leadership, both personally and how it shapes their vocations. The course project is an in-depth analysis of the spiritual life of a single congregation.
No prerequisites

CL482 Nurturing Your Spiritual Life as Religious Leaders
Barbara Anne Keely and Martha Postlethwaite
The purpose of this course is to engage students in a variety of practices in spiritual life that will encourage a deepening of their relationship with God. Students will be encouraged to engage in spiritual disciplines that are both familiar and new, preparing them to nurture both their spiritual lives and the lives of others. Taught from a Christian perspective, this elective will include readings, presentations, discussions, papers, and practices of spiritual disciplines. Through the use of primary texts and contemporary materials, the course will explore historical roots and current practices of the spiritual life within the Christian tradition. This J-term course will meet during the regular class schedule for the first two weeks. The third week of the course will consist of a two-day overnight retreat that will include guest presenters and student final presentations.
No prerequisites

CL483 Unitarian Universalist Religious Education
Faculty
Religious education from faith development to Religious Education philosophy, from children’s worship and curriculums to the nuts and bolts of running a Religious Education program.
No prerequisites

CL525 Multicultural Foundation for Helping and Healing Practices: Culture, Context, Communication, Leadership
Faculty
Course description to follow soon.
No prerequisites

CL540 Practicum on Antiracism Dialogue
Faculty
Provides facilitator training and supervised co-facilitation of Antiracism Study Dialogue Circles being held in various contexts.
Prerequisites: TR331, two of the electives for a certificate or concentration in Leadership Toward Racial Justice

CL541 Empowering Lay Leadership
Jean Morris Trumbauer
An emerging paradigm of church requires us to move beyond our view of members as “volunteers,” or satisfaction with “maintaining church programs,” and our reliance on “time and talent” forms to invite laity to ministry. Leaders of the church are challenged to re-envision the foundations and practice of sharing the ministry. This course explores a holistic approach to gifts-based ministry and the multiple components of a shared ministry system for today’s congregations.
No prerequisites

CL556 Ministry and the Rural Church: A Travel Seminar on Changing Religious and Cultural Realities in Rural America
Faculty
Taught in conjunction with the Northland Partnership for Town and Country Ministry, the course examines key issues churches address in their ministries in small town and rural communities. A special focus of the course will be several immersion trips to rural communities to meet with church and community leaders.
No prerequisites

CL563 Church Growth and Evangelism in the Twenty-First Century
Faculty
The message and the fellowship of the church are gifts of God, not to be enjoyed by church members alone. The circle of Good News is meant to be enlarged by inviting and welcoming people who are beyond the doors of the congregation. This course will examine the biblical, theological, and practical aspects of evangelism: a concept that has been diminished in the partisan conflicts of the church in the past half century. Students will be encouraged to find their own sense of evangelism that is respectful, hospitable, and integral to the life of the church. Communication theory, marketing techniques, and assessment of diverse audiences will be brought into dialogue with theological reflection. Special attention will be given to the roles of church leadership in the area of evangelism.
No prerequisites

CL565 Unitarian Universalist Social Action
Faculty
What is the good news which Unitarian Universalists bring to the broken, hurting world in which we live, and how does the larger world continually reshape and redefine Unitarian Universalism? We will explore the intersections between social justice and Unitarian Universalism from many perspectives — theological, historic — as they are experienced in congregations and in the larger liberal/ progressive/prophetic religious movement. Topics covered will include: theology of liberal family values, Universalism for the twenty-first century, effective congregational activism, public ministry skills for religious leaders (media, advocacy, organizing, coalition building, partnerships, education), the UU Social Witness process, UUA, and other resources for justice making. The course will ground participants in a living faith which is expressed through working towards well being for all.
No prerequisites

CL571 The Public Witness of Congregations
Faculty
This course will examine models for the church’s ministry within wider society. Attention of the course will focus on local and congregational levels of social engagement/disengagement as well as on wider denominational and ecumenical patterns of public witness. Particular models of congregational ministries will be analyzed as examples of public theology.
No prerequisites

CL625 Chaplaincy in a Pluralistic Age
Robert Albers
Chaplaincy is a specialized ministry of the church that seeks to address human need in the context of varying human situations. It is a ministry distinct from that of organized faith communities, therefore meriting special attention. This course will consider the historical roots and development of chaplaincy and ask students to articulate a theological and ecclesiological rationale for this specialized ministry. It will consider the varying expressions of chaplaincy as well as the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in this ministry. Current practitioners will participate in the teaching/learning experience, as the integration of theory and praxis unique to chaplaincy from varying perspectives will be considered.

CL630 Ministry to Persons with Mental Illness and Their Families
Robert Albers
The phenomenon of mental illness is pervasive in its various manifestations among all people. Effective ministry is contingent upon having accurate information concerning these illnesses as well as appropriate pastoral responses to those afflicted and those affected. The course will consider the major mental illnesses as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual with a major emphasis upon depression as the most common of mental illnesses in this society. The biblical and theological foundations informing the caregiver will be considered, as well as practical means for effective caregiving.
No prerequisites

CL663 Clinical Pastoral Education (non-practicum)
Faculty
Clinical Pastoral Education is a form of theological and pastoral care education usually (though not always) done in an institutional chaplaincy context. This 400-hour course involves pastoral care visitation, group supervision and interaction, one-on-one supervision with a certified CPE instructor, and didactic presentations. The sites available for CPE are off campus and are certified through the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. Application to CPE programs (both full-time and extended types) needs to occur well in advance of the actual dates for the unit. This is a separate application and enrollment process than for regular courses at United. Consultation with the CPE coordinator is essential for those planning to enroll in CPE.
No prerequisites

CL668 Pastoral Care in Grief and Bereavement
Robert Albers
One of the primary pastoral care ministries of the church is to care for people as they reach the end of life and develop appropriate rituals to make meaning throughout this process. In this course we will explore the dynamics of grief that occur during the dying process and in the face of a loss by death. We will look at anticipatory grief of both the dying person and family/friends, and the role of the pastoral caregiver in that process. We will look at the expected patterns of grief after a death and the different patterns of grief that emerge in varying situations. We will investigate our own feelings and beliefs about dying and death, knowing that our own perspectives about grief greatly influence the way that we are able to offer pastoral care to the bereaved. We will place these perspectives and investigations in the context of our theological positions and develop an appropriate working theology for pastoral care in the midst of bereavement.
Prerequisites: CL670

CL670 Introduction to Pastoral Care
Robert Albers
Pastoral care is one of the central ministries of the whole church—both clergy and lay. In this course, we will explore what it means to create communities of care. Through readings, lectures, discussions, case presentations, and verbatim reports, we will focus on the actual practices of pastoral care and the theologies and theories of the field. Students will become familiar with the shape of contemporary pastoral care as they develop the important skills, attitudes, and knowledge to empower ministries of care and counseling.
No prerequisites

CL672 Pastoral Care with Couples and Families
Robert Albers
Our primary work in this course will be to explore the theory and practice of pastoral counseling in the context of the family. A Family Systems perspective, which focuses on relationships between people rather than on the individuals themselves, will be introduced, although other perspectives for approaching couples and families will also be employed. The processes of working with families through their life cycles, with the various issues and problems that may arise, will be a central focus for the class.
No prerequisites

CL674 Addiction and Recovery
Robert Albers
Designed to help individuals explore their own attitudes, skills, and knowledge regarding chemical dependency, family systems, and their role as pastors or concerned laity in ministry to the chemically dependent and their families.
No prerequisites

CL677 Ministry with Older Adults
Robert Albers
The inevitability of aging is a reality of the human condition. The impending retirement of the “baby boomer” generation compels those involved in religious leadership to address this growing number of people in society and the faith community. The course will give consideration to both the problems as well as the potential that comes with aging, particularly in the retirement years and beyond. Attention will be given to the physical, emotional, developmental, and spiritual concerns that arise as a consequence of the aging process. The impact of culture, context, and community are core issues that will be studied in relationship to the phenomenon of aging. Biblical, theological, and pastoral perspectives in this course will provide multiple lenses and angles of vision for ministry with this segment of the population.
Prerequisites: CL670

CL680 A Narrative Approach to Pastoral Counseling (Short Term Methods of Pastoral Counseling)
Faculty
Religious leaders have consistently experienced a dilemma in terms of their pastoral counseling work. On the one hand, ministers have multiple roles and functions and are trained as generalists in ministry. They often feel poorly equipped to do pastoral counseling because it has been seen as a specialty in ministry. On the other hand, pastoral counseling is an integral aspect of ministry, a central dimension of nurture and empowerment in the church. Narrative counseling theory offers one way to resolve this dilemma by providing a short-term, well-boundaried, teachable, and effective way to help people who are experiencing distress in their lives and relationships. In this class we will explore narrative theories and theologies of pastoral counseling so that churches can better claim this dimension of ministry.
Prerequisite: CL670

CL683 Pastoral Care through the Life Cycle
Robert Albers
Pastoral care is a ministry to people, relationships, and communities that extends throughout the good times, the bad times, and the ordinary times of life. In this course we will explore particular life cycle moments in the lives of people and communities where intentional pastoral care might be important. These could include births and adoptions, important developmental moments in childhood and adolescence, new family formation, family transitions and dissolution, re-commitment of life partners, and end of life processes. Attention will be given to both pastoral care needs and ritual possibilities.
Prerequisites: CL670

CL820 Rites and Rituals: Baptism, Eucharist, Weddings, Funerals
Jann Cather Weaver
The practice of ministry involves the “performance” of major rites and rituals. This course explores the nature and importance of rituals in communities of faith, as well as their historical development within various Christian traditions. The course balances “technique and practice” (within various theological foundations) with current issues, styles, and controversies. Each student is responsible to explore their religious tradition’s practices of baptism and eucharist, as well as the regional and theological practices of weddings and funerals. The course format is field study, comparing and writing liturgies, as well as in-depth class discussion.
No prerequisites: Students with prior experience in church worship will benefit the most

CL831 The Changing Church: Ecclesiology, Spirituality, and Cultures
Barbara Anne Keely
This course will explore the ministry implications of the “changing church” in the United States, including how changing cultures, generational differences, and understandings of the institutional church are affecting member involvement, leadership, worship, mission, education, and spiritual formation. Students will explore popular approaches, as well as those grounded in more liberal traditions.
No prerequisites

CL891 Conflict and the Congregation: Restoration and Resilience
Faculty
Congregational conflict will be explored from a restorative perspective that seeks to repair harm, restore relationships, renew hope, build resilience. Students will gain understanding about the nature of conflict, identify their conflict styles, develop skills in conflict resolution and transformation, create strategies for use within religious communities, and cultivate beginning skills in restorative processes, including mediation and the circle process. Case studies, personal experience, and role plays will be utilized. Particular attention will be given to the nature of congregational life and to biblical perspectives and theological dimensions.
No prerequisites

CL894 Evangelism through the Arts
Cindi Beth Johnson
Students will be introduced to evangelism through a variety of faith traditions. They will then be asked to articulate their own theology of evangelism in conversation with their traditions. Students will learn how the arts can be a significant means for evangelism. A variety of church settings will be explored showing arts as an important tool for evangelism such as church galleries, drama, poetry, sacred art shows, and other arts related events. Students will also visit congregations with arts outreach programs and learn how the arts provide a unique means for congregational growth.
No prerequisites

CL896 Theology and Practice of Stewardship
Faculty
The course addresses a wide range of issues related to the theology and practice of Christian stewardship. While considered within the broader context of the whole ecology of stewardship, the course focuses on economic issues of money and exchange in human communities and their impact on human interaction, generosity, and mercy. Students will develop a theology of stewardship and place it in the context of ministerial and congregational practice.
No prerequisites

CL990 Directed and Independent Studies in Church Leadership
Faculty
Designed for the student who wishes to pursue more intensively a special topic in Churches’ Leadership. Approval of the topic for research must precede registration.
No prerequisites