Courses
Sometimes, faith and work seem to be disconnected.
IMT offers the following learning modules, which are independent courses (no pre-requisites, no co-requisites), to marketplace Christians to gain a clear understanding of the biblical perspectives of work, to integrate their faith and work, and to equip them to face the challenges of the modern workplace.
Courses can be completed for individual benefit or towards a Certificate of Marketplace Transformation
Some courses are available for individual benefit by donation at our new IMT Courses Website.
To register for the Certificate of Marketplace Transformation, click on the buttons at the bottom of the page.
MM-1 MARKETPLACE THEOLOGY
This introduces a person to understand what work means, why we are designed and called to work, why work is hard, and why the marketplace is something that fits God’s design for interdependence of human beings on earth, in spite of all the problems caused by sin. Undertaking this — fundamental to completing the Certificate — will show how the time we spend working and engaging in enterprise is actually ministry to our neighbour, and can be, surprisingly, a ministry to God.
MM-2 AGING MATTERS: REFRAMING RETIREMENT FOR THE SECOND HALF AND THIRD THIRD OF LIFE
Every ten seconds someone becomes a senior. This demographic reality has inspired both fear and hope. We will explore the challenges and opportunities of becoming an older adult (55+/-), including critical issues such as: diminished energy, the search for significance, continuing to work after work, calling and service in the world and church. This is designed to help those needing to address the issues of aging — whether older adults themselves, or people working with an aging population (e.g., pastors, counsellors, social workers) — from a Christian perspective. We will address the issues of vocation, meaning and security, and spirituality.
MM-3 THE CHURCH AND THE MARKETPLACE: STRUGGLE OR SYNERGY
This explores the awkward relationship of the gathered-life of the church with the dispersed-life, whereby approximately 70% of the people are engaged in the secular workplace. There is an extraordinary kingdom opportunity here, should the church seriously equip its members for life and service Monday to Saturday. Interdisciplinary and theological issues will be explored, along with practical hands-on ways for the people of God to view their daily work in the marketplace as a kingdom ministry.
An audio version of this course taught by Paul Williams, Paul Stevens, Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Uli Chi Chris Pritchett, Clive Lim, and Ross Hastings is available upon request. Please email contact@imtglobal.org for more information.
MM-4 TAKING YOUR SOUL TO WORK: SPIRITUALITY AND THE MARKETPLACE
This is designed for managers, professionals, pastoral staff and home-makers who seek to take their souls to work. Work occupies a big chunk of life. Amid traffic jams, meetings and house chores, it's easy to become disconnected from God. We will develop a theology and spirituality of work by studying biblical narrative, reading the ancient classics of Christian spirituality, and interacting with the latest research from leadership and management. You will gain a rhythm of action and reflection that will transform your workplace and society.
MM-5 MARKETPLACE COHORT (FELLOWS PROGRAM)
In cohorts of 12 people, we will meet twice a month for 8 times total, to integrate faith and work. We will help to support one another, deal with goals, issues, and opportunities using texts and human resources.
This is our Fellows Program, and runs once a year in North America, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Korea.
MM-6 PERSONAL MENTORING
This is a one-to-one mentoring experience over six months, arranged at a convenient time, dealing with goals, issues, and opportunities. A full course is being prepared by Jimmy Pak, Netmakers, Hong Kong.
MM-7 THE GRAND STORY OF MARKETPLACE MISSION
This is a personally guided study using texts and the Bible to gain a basic overview of biblical theology. Theology is best understood, as the Puritan William Perkins said, as “the science of living blessedly forever.”
MM-8 THE SOUL OF LEADERSHIP: THE ETHICS AND SPIRITUALITY OF INFLUENCE
With several resource people, this is both a “how to” and a “how come” investigation of leadership in business, not-for-profits and churches, in both large and small enterprises. Building on a solid theological foundation, we will explore dimensions of leadership, particularly focusing on the unique perspective gained from the Christian faith, including such virtues as: faith, hope and love; critical perspectives: integrity and life-giving rhythms; and issues of success and failure. Business and professional life often neglect the soul; this leads to a divided life. Expected outcomes include: (1) new working priorities; (2) a Christian worldview; (3) and integration of mind, heart and action.
MM-9 BUSINESS ETHICS
This is a study of a Christian ethics grounded in the Decalogue and the Sermon on the Mount. The Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes will be interpreted and applied as instruction in the key ways of loving God, loving our neighbour, pursuing justice, and promoting life and freedom. The Law and the Gospel are inextricably together in this great covenant between God and His people. We will explore integrity and vocational holiness in the workplace.
MM-10 MARKETPLACE PASTORING
This will explore the theology, dynamics, and practice of being a pastor in the workplace. More than chaplaincy — doing ministerial church activities in the workplace — students will explore multiple dimensions of caring for whole persons in their workplaces. We will also engage people with personal formation essential for ministering in a challenging context.
MM-11 VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT
This aims to help students answer two fundamental questions about themselves:
(1) Who am I?
(2) What should I do with my life?
Combining biblical exposition, theology, cultural analysis, self assessment tools, personal counselling, prayer retreats, and discussion groups, this is a reflective experience in discernment concerning the way you have been made, and the path to which the Creator and Shepherd of your life is leading. While some of the application will concern finding or remaining in suitable employed work, the emphasis will be larger and deeper than finding the right job. In today’s world, most people are in fairly continuous vocational transition. Our approach will be to take the largest understanding of calling (or vocation): the invitation of God to live and work wholeheartedly and fruitfully before Him.
MM-12 THEOLOGY OF WORK
This explores the meaning and ministry of work, which engages people for most of their waking hours. The approach taken is (1) biblical – surveying the meaning of work in God’s revealed purpose; (2) contextual – understanding how world-views and specific cultures affect one’s work ethic and provide both points of content and a prophetic challenges; (3) integrative – exploring how work is related to ministry, calling, mission and the phenomenon of globalization; and (4) theological – undertaking the understanding and practice of work in the light of the timeless Word of God, and the contemporary situation. Having a theology of work is critical both for those engaged in a societal occupation, and also for pastors, whose primary challenge of equipping the saints includes empowering people for their service to God in the world.
MM-13 ECONOMICS AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
This explores the larger context of marketplace activity: economics, globalization and the development of capitalism.
MM-14 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
Innovation is critical to all human organizations, businesses, not-for-profits and the church. However, it is seldom considered where innovation comes from, how it needs to be undertaken, and what makes up its theological and biblical foundation. We will consider the need for, and practice of, entrepreneurial leadership from multiple viewpoints: practical, systemic, cultural, theological, spiritual, and sociological. Students will gain practical wisdom on managing innovation, as well as becoming aware of the hazards, temptations, and spiritual resources for being a change agent.
MM-15 MONEY MATTERS: MAMMON, MINISTRY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
Nothing is more pervasive and insidious than money, which preoccupies our home, work, and even church. A 2015 survey by the American Psychological Association found money to be the greatest concern among Americans - ahead of the three other key concerns of family, work and health. The rich and the poor are stressed by money for different reasons, and few can claim that money is of no concern to them. We will explore the meaning of money (as well as the meaning of life), how money can become mammon (a power), what the Bible has to say about money, how the church in its history has dealt with money, and stewardship as an approach to the ministry of money.
MM-16 GUIDED STUDY
Pursue a specialized area of interest that is not covered by one of the modules. This will be undertaken with one of the faculty of IMT and will require about 45 hours total to complete.
MM-17 MINISTRY AND SPIRITUALITY
This course addresses the need for integrating personal spirituality, biblical revelation and actual ministry as it is exercised in either workplace in society or church/parachurch. The goal is to develop both understandings and disciplines that will be formational for an authentic Christ-honouring ministry over a lifetime.
MM-18 THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN WORKING CLOTHES
This course starts with the gospel of Jesus Christ which was and is the good news of the kingdom of God, that life-giving, rule of God in the hearts of human beings and the affairs of the world. The kingdom brings human flourishing. It brings heaven to earth (at least a portion of it but the kingdom will not fully come until Christ returns at the end of human history). But it also brings conflict with the principalities and powers.
The kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible and Jesus embodied the kingdom saying in effect: Want to know what the kingdom is like? Look at me and my work.
So we will explore the relationship of the kingdom to the marketplace in four ways:
We will ask, “So is there really a new world coming?”
We will ask, “How can we bring in the kingdom every day?”
We will explore kingdom virtues worth dying for.
We will discover how to be a missionary without going anywhere.
All of this will have a practical bearing on the areas of economics, work, business and whole-life discipleship.