The course places a number of resources this course places at the student's fingertips. The 27 one-hour class sessions on fourteen videos were presented before an actual class taught between January 30 and February 10, 2000 at the School of Strategic Mission in Colorado Springs, CO in the USA. In essence, video viewers are joining in that class -- but from a distance!

Second, the course is designed for use in academic studies at two levels. Eastern College (St. Davids and Philadelphia, PA.) offers the course in its graduate Economic Development, Business and International programs. Through Eastern, students can take the course directly for graduate-level credit. As listed below in "Use by Academic Institutions and Mission Agencies", the course is also being offered by a number of other academic institutions at either a graduate or undergraduate level.

Third, the video course package provides facilitators with instructions for use by churches, mission agencies, community organizations and other Christian organizations for the benefit of their respective constituencies. For these less intensive or formal uses the course has been divided into six short-term modules of three to six sessions in length, and 45 to 90 minutes in length (see "Use by Congregations and Community Organizations" below). 

Each of the six short courses deals with one basic question which, if answered biblically and experientially, can contribute toward the church or association learning to build themselves into a people of  power, thus enabling them to significantly influence public justice or personal righteousness. Here are the six courses created out of this larger video course:

Session 1: "Listening to Your Groans"

Session 2: "God's Plan for Your City or Nation: One Biblical Writer's Vision"

Session 3: "God's Dream for Humanity Throughout the Scripture" 

Session 4: "What Went Wrong? One Biblical Writer's Analysis"

Session 5: "What Went Wrong? Seeing A Pattern Throughout Scripture"

Session 1(6): "What Was Jesus Seeking to Do? How One Biblical Writer Saw It"

Session 2(7): "What Was Jesus Seeking to Do? Listening to All the Gospels"

Session 3(8): "God Redeems People -- And Even More!"

Session 4(9): "A Belief in Salvation As Big As the City Itself"

Session 1(10): "What Is the Church Called to Do?"

Session 2(11): "The Church's Call to Mission"

Session 3(12): "The Church's Call to Power"

Session 4(13): "What Nehemiah Can Teach Us About Making A Difference"

Session 5(14): "How About A Church For and With People?"

Session 6(15): "Biblical Strategies for Change We Avoid Today"

Session 1(16): "Start With People -- and Building A Relationship With Them"

Session 2(17): "Jesus on Building Relationships for Change"

Session 3(18): "Building A Church Around Relationships"

Session 1(19): "Jesus is Caesar: St. Paul's Surprising Beliefs About Power"

Session 2(20): "Using Power to Make Change: the Example of St. Paul"

Session 3(21): "How A Church or Organization Can Act Powerfully"

Session 4(22): "Jesus and Moses: Not Always Nice Guys"

Session 5(23): "Making A Difference In Your World: Part I"

Session 6(24): "Making A Difference In Your World: Part II"

Session 1(25): "Developing Leaders: Where It All Needs to Focus"

Session 2(26): "Working in the World to Enable the Embrace of Godly Values"

Session 3(27): "The Spirituality of Making A Difference"

    These short courses can be used in many different settings. A three- or four-session course can be used for a one-day workshop or retreat. The four- to six-session course can be used for a two-day workshop or retreat. These short-term courses will fit neatly into the Sunday/Sabbath or church school schedule of any church. Or these short-term courses could be offered mid-week during midweek events at a local church or community organization.

    Further, the six courses can be "mixed-and-matched", using them over any period of time (even several years). Although the courses follow a natural sequence, that pattern need not be the only one of use. For instance, Course # 6 could be used for the training and stimulation of church or organizational leaders. Course 4 could be used to train church-members or community organization participants on how to call on people in individual (one-on-one) meetings, either within the congregation or in the community. Course 2 could be used with a communicant's class or in a course on the person and work of Christ and the doctrine of salvation. Their order can be tailored to the particular needs of specific groups. Only the initiators' imaginations limit the uses to which this material can be put. The series can become a powerful tool to work for the transformation of a congregation, association or organization into a body of people who can really make a difference in their own worlds and in the world around them.

    Offered as a residential course, "Building A People of Power" can either be offered as 27 sessions or, combining two of the sessions into a single three-hour session, it can be offered in 14 sessions (including an introductory session). In order for it t function as a residential course, it would need a faculty or adjunct faculty person who would play the role of the facilitator and the "faculty-of-record". The facilitator would manage the course, including making all assignments, grading all papers, leading the class discussions during the "small group" times, grading a final examination, and assigning grades to students at the end of the course. Most of the teaching of the course would be done through the lectures given on the video.

    As a distance learning course, "Building A People of Power" can be offered in two ways. Individuals can take the course, supervised by the facilitator/faculty-of-record (who might do so from a distance). It also can be offered to a group of students relatively contiguous to each other who could gather for the sessions. This would require a facilitator/faculty-of-record to be present to the students.

    In the Facilitator's Handbook of the video course, a comprehensive design for the use of the course for graduate academic credit is presented. Pages 12-17 lay out the specifics for using the video course to meet graduate academic requirements, and includes a sample syllabus, suggestions for assignments (including a major paper), field work and/or praxis sessions, required and recommended reading, and sample final examinations. 

    "This class was life changing. Dr. Linthicum offers a wealth of information on urban ministry that is rarely seen in the "usual" urban teaching models. He uses the Bible to demonstrate how Christians were proactive in society. My life and ministry will be different because I feel empowered as a Christian and equipped as an urban laborer to influence the systems of power that affect the cities." 

Laurie Williams, Student, Urban Economic Develop. Graduate Student, Eastern College

    "The content of this video series has taken years to develop. The biblical scholarship presented has been developed primarily by Dr. Linthicum, but has been honed and enriched by many others who represent various disciplines and ministries. I personally plan to make use of "Building A People of Power" in the classes I teach, and to make it available to other classes for continuing education for pastors. I think this video series is critically needed by our churches because most people -- those who can and would do something to solve the problems -- do not have the kind of perspectives that leads to responsible action in our communities."

David Nellis, Professor, Bay Cities Bible Institute 

    "This course was truly life-changing. I've not only altered my career goals in response to what I learned, but I've also recognized more fully my responsibilities as a Christian to care for and empower my neighbors.

Debbie Gowensmith, Social Worker

    "I want to reiterate how valuable your training sessions have been in "Building A People of Power" to the hundreds of people who have attended them from the DART Network and its fifteen related congregation-based community organizations. You bring two valuable tools to these sessions, your substantial community organizing knowledge and experience and your very well-developed understanding of the justice dimensions of the Bible. Your illustrative stories from your own experience convincingly drive home your points. Most of our leaders, pastors and staff are strongly religious people. You have greatly helped them understand the biblical imperative that justice is an important part of the work of the people of God and that, to do justice work effectively, we need to develop powerful community organizations. Our people leave the "Building A People of Power" sessions more motivated and more able to motivate others."

John A. Calkins, Director, Direct Action and Research Training Center, Miami, FL.

    "In this video course, Dr. Linthicum presents a practical theology that Christians can apply to their everyday lives. This is a theology that can transform the world around us. If Christians would participate in the transfor-mation that Dr. Linthicum explains in this video, we would be recognized as a redeeming force in our world."

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