Homepage / Academy Catalog / Listening and Serving: Community-Based Ministry
Listening and Serving: Community-Based Ministry
Turn your compassion into an authentic, outward-focused ministry.
About this Course
Move beyond quick fixes and develop the perspectives for services your community needs. This course builds the heart and mindset for community ministry rooted in relationship.
What You’ll Be Able to Do:
In a world of uncertainty and division, are you feeling called to do more than just help? To serve in a way that builds genuine belonging, challenges injustice, and embodies God’s love without an agenda?
Listening and Serving: Community-Based Ministry is not a theoretical class. It’s a transformative journey that equips you to move from good intentions to impactful, sustainable action.
This is for those who are done with quick fixes and are ready to build, serve, and lead from a place of authentic faith. If you're ready to answer a deeper call, this is your next step.
Modules
Foundations: What Is Ministry? What Is Community?
- Define ministry and community in the Christian tradition, especially in uncertain times.
- Reflect on biblical stories of belonging and love against the odds.
- Identify your own hopes, fears, and questions about community.
Benevolence: Kindness and Generosity Without Agenda
- Explore what it means to practice benevolence when suspicion and scarcity prevail.
- Reflect on stories where simple kindness cut through division.
- Design a micro-experiment in benevolent action.
Care: Sustaining Community Through Presence and Compassion
- Identify the difference between charity and deep care.
- Practice listening, vulnerability, and bearing one another’s burdens.
- Examine models of care that restore dignity and foster healing.
Missional: Sent Into the World—Not Escaping From It
- Understand the “missio Dei” (sending of God) and its implications for community ministry.
- Discern where God might be calling you beyond familiar boundaries.
- Experiment with “going out” instead of waiting for people to come in.
Prophetic: Telling the Truth, Bearing Witness, Seeking Justice
- Explore the prophetic call to speak and act for justice, even when it’s risky.
- Analyze examples of prophetic ministry that challenged status quo divisions.
- Practice lament, hope, and advocacy as spiritual disciplines.
Leading Forward—Practicing Community Ministry Beyond the Course
- Synthesize learning and clarify your own vision for community ministry.
- Develop a personal or group action plan for living this out in your context.
- Commit to ongoing reflection, risk-taking, and hope.
One-time purchase
$55
With Faith+Lead Membership
$0*
Get a free public display license to use for group study.
$0*
*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.95 per month
- Modules:
6 Modules
- Format:
Self-Paced, On-Demand
- Access:
Lifetime Access
Get to Know Your Instructors
F. Willis Johnson
The Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson is the senior minister for Christ Church in Columbus, Ohio. Previously, he worked as the senior minister for Living Tree Church, also in Columbus, and the executive director of the Center for Social Empowerment in Ferguson, Missouri. He is also a visiting instructor for Luther Seminary.
Johnson authored “Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community,” published by Abingdon Press in 2017. He was the Vosburgh Visiting Professor of Ministry and Social Engagement at Drew University’s Theological School, and he presently serves as adjunct faculty at Methodist Theological Seminary in Delaware, Ohio.
Johnson earned his M.Div. from Christian Theological Seminary in 2005 and his D.Min. from United Theological Seminary in 2011.
Ready to Enroll?
Enroll in this on-demand course today or unlock free access to this and all Faith+Lead’s on-demand courses, plus more with a Faith+Lead Membership.
Enroll in this on-demand course
$55
One-time purchase
- Access to this on-demand course
- Access the leaders guide for group study
- Access the course workbook for individual study
- A private, supportive online community
- Public display license for all on-demand courses and workshop recordings
- Access to 40+ on-demand courses
- Access every live and recorded workshop
Popular
Access this on-demand course
$0*
*by joining Faith+Lead Membership for just $19.99 per month
- Access to this on-demand course
- Access to all 40+ on-demand courses
- Public display license for all on-demand courses and workshop recordings
- Access all leaders guides for group study
- Access all course workbooks for individual study
- A private, supportive online community
Need financial support?
Check out the newest courses
What to Expect with a Faith+Lead Academy Course
You’ll get a transformative learning experience that combines trustworthy theological teaching with spiritual practices, interactive elements, and a supportive online community.
Know
Expand your theological toolkit with fresh insights for today’s ministry landscape. Connect timeless wisdom with practical frameworks for navigating change.
Be
Do
Practice skills to lead confidently in your ministry context. Take actionable steps to invite your community into God’s unfolding story.
Every Academy course is designed to
Help your growth in one of these core areas:
Develop a Christ-centered identity, grounded in theology, scripture, and spiritual practice, that empowers community members to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life.
Tell the story of Jesus and invite neighbors into Jesus’ way of life and love through words and actions they can recognize.
Listen deeply, name God’s presence in the midst of everyday life, and form life-giving relationships across all dimensions of diversity—both within and beyond the church.
Through mutual relationships with the neighbors among whom you’re hosted, join in acts of compassion, justice, and reconciliation as a witness to the ministry of Jesus—especially in places of suffering and despair.
Harness skills of agile leadership, stewardship, fundraising, entrepreneurism, and management to be nimble enough to respond to a changing cultural landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when I take an Academy course?
Academy courses consist of 6-10 lessons or modules, each walking you through the “know, be, do” learning framework. You’ll learn some new information with instructor videos and other resources (know). You’ll engage in a spiritual practice that will help you develop your faith around the topic (be). Then, you’ll be asked to apply what you’ve learned through activities completed online or in the “real world” (do).
How long will it take me to complete a course?
Each module is designed to take 15-45 minutes. Some learners complete the course in as little as one day. Some do a module a day or even a module a week. We suggest allowing some time between modules to process what you are learning, but not so much time that you lose momentum.
What resources are available if I’m a group leader?
Each course includes a flexible leader’s guide with multiple pathways for group facilitation. You’ll find thought-provoking discussion questions and practical activities that connect faith with daily life, designed to work with whatever preparation time you have available. These resources equip you to foster meaningful discipleship experiences that meet your community where they are.
What do I need to know about the free private online social group?
The private online group allows you to connect with others. Because our courses don’t have a required start or stop date, you will encounter others in different places in the course and even in different courses altogether. This is by design. Feel free to interact as much or as little as you like.
What should I do if I have questions or problems with my registration?
Reach out via email to faithlead@luthersem.edu with your question and we’ll get back to you with a response within two business days.
What if I have a suggestion or request for a course topic?
The best way to connect with us is to complete this form with your suggestion. We always want to hear your feedback. You may also include it in the comments section of the course evaluation.
Don’t see your question addressed?
Email us at support@faithlead.org for more information. We’ll be delighted to connect!