Academics
CML Academics:
There is a lot to learn about God, the world we live in, who we are, and how we live our lives. During the CML you will read a lot of books, write papers, and spend time in class with your peers and PhD and Masters level instructors. Your hands-on work will become a lab of sorts, a place for you to see how what your reading about stacks up in the real world.
You will study a lot of topics. The exact schedule and topics are always changing a bit, you can download the syllabus here, or check out the basic outline:
| Topic | Description | Reading | Assignment | Learning Objectives | |
| September-October
Colloquium 4 days |
Leadership Foundations | This module will provide an overview of leadership study and will explore leadership and communication from a systems perspective with the goal of promoting maturity and self-differentiation. | A Leadership Paradox – Greg Robinson
A Failure of Nerve – Edwin Friedman |
Complete your personal learning agreement. This will include what you have learned already to this point in your life, what you hope to learn, the questions that are most pressing for you and how you think you will get the new learning. | SL 2, OL 2, OL 7 |
| Foundations of Teams/Systems | This module will look at the basic dynamics of teams, how they develop and the stages of progression to promote effective teamwork. | Teams for a New Generation – Greg Robinson
A Different Drum – Scott Peck |
GF 1, 2, SL 3 | ||
| Foundations of Spiritual Formation | This module will concentrate on organizational design, culture and dynamics. | Spiritual Direction – Henri Nouwen | SF 1, 2 | ||
| Foundations of Social Justice and Vocation | This module will explore the role of social justice and peacemaking as a foundation for vocation. |
Creating a Work that Works for All – S. Abdullah |
SF 3, SL 4 | ||
| November | Topic: Identity, Spiritual Formation and the message of the gospel | This module will take a deeper look at the element of identity and how our identities are informed by the Gospel. It includes a look at the barriers to a well formed spiritual identity. | Jesus and the Undoing of Adam – Baxter Kruger
Out of Solitude – Henri Nouwen
The Mystery of Christ and Why We Don’t Get It – Robert Capon |
Write a 3-5 page reflection paper on your understanding of your own identity including questions you still have, the temptations of identity that you are most prone to, etc. | SF 3, SL 1 |
| December | Topic: Communities of Spiritual Formation | This module takes a closer look at the types of community that facilitate spiritual formation. In particular, we will look at the type of community that John speaks of in I John. | Christ Plays in 10,000 Places – Eugene Peterson p.223-338
Beyond Civilization – Daniel Quinn Sacred Hoops – Phil Jackson (?) |
Write a 3-5 page assessment of the community that you are participating in at your placement site. Include a section on what you could do to improve the quality of the community. | SF 5, OL 1 |
| January | Topic: Sustainable Organizations for Social Responsibility | This module will take a look at what it takes to sustain good ideas so that programs that help others can be maintained over the long haul. Topics include creating engaged cultures. | Stewardship – Peter Block
Intrinsic Motivation – Kenneth Thomas |
OL 1, 5, 7 | |
| Topic | Description | Reading | Assignment | Learning Objectives | |
| February | Topic: The Spiritual Facilitator: Promoting Spiritual Formation in Life and Work | This module explores the role of leaders in facilitating spiritual formation with others. It will look at both personal qualities as well as mediums of experience that can be used to provide the environment for others to participate in what God is doing. | In the Name of Jesus – Henri Nouwen
A Particular Kind of Teaching – Greg Robinson |
Write a response to feedback that you gather from others as to your qualities as a leader and facilitator. | GF 3, SF 4, SL 3 |
| March | Topic: Assessing System Health | This module will revisit the idea of human systems and in particular how groups and organizations function like families from the perspective of emotional process. | How Your Church Family Works – Peter Steinke | GF 4, SL 3 | |
| April | Topic: Organizational Leadership | This module will explore many key leadership roles in organizations – building shared vision, establishing the infrastructure for collaboration and facilitating change. | Write an assessment of the organization that you are working with as to the health and sustainability of that organization in light of the mission they are pursuing. Include assessment, diagnosis and recommendations for improvement. | OL 6, GF 4 | |
| May | Topic: Decisions and Conflict in Community Systems | This module investigates the three critical functions of teams and organizations (Conflict, Decision Making and the Creation of Shared Vision) and how to be most effective. Additionally, the role of technology will be discussed for these elements of organizational life. | The Anatomy of Peace – Arbinger Institute
Articles on Synergic Inquiry |
OL 3, 4 | |
| June | Topic: Purpose and the Search for a Vocation | This module will be an open discussion about vocation and how we come to determine a purpose for our life. | Let Your Life Speak – Parker Palmer | SL 4 | |
| June Intensive Final Review 3 days |
The Journey I Find Myself In | This capstone project will have learners describe what they have learned, what they believe it will mean to them and where they are going in the future. | Individual Presentation
Reflection paper summarizing the elements outlined in the capstone project description. |