Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism: Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindsets
Methodism has been fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit that empowers communities of faith to pursue the holistic vision of human flourishing found in Scripture. In this course, you’ll explore the wisdom offered by Methodism’s rich history of entrepreneurship and learn to imagine fresh ways you and your church can bear witness to the reign of God.
Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindsets is a free 4-week course for small groups, classes, and leadership development in churches. Those without access to a group are also welcome to register individually. This course is part of the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism series, one of Duke Divinity School’s Wesleyan Formation Initiatives.
About the Course
This is a four-week course. Each week, you should plan to spend 20-30 minutes on your own completing an interactive video lesson online. As you watch the video, reflection questions will appear, and you will be prompted to record your responses in your workbook.
Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindsets will be most impactful if you complete it with a group. For this reason, your workbook also includes discussion guides for weekly one-hour meetings where you will share insights with one another, make connections to Scripture, and discern what new things God might be calling you to pursue together. Some of the group settings where this course might be used include:
- Adult classes or Bible studies
- Small groups
- Leadership development programs
- New member or confirmation classes
- Administrative councils
If you do not already have access to a group, we are unable to coordinate or recommend one for you. We encourage you to contact the appropriate leaders in your local congregation to explore opportunities to create a group. You are also welcome to complete the course on your own.
What’s Included
- Four interactive video lessons from Duke Divinity School faculty and Methodist leaders
- A course workbook PDF including exercises to accompany each video lesson and discussion guides for group meetings (Please note that you will need to print your own workbook.)
Cost
The Office of Wesleyan Engagement is grateful to the Kern Family Foundation for enabling the course to be offered at no cost for a limited time to support the mission of Duke Divinity School in service to the church.
About the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism Series
This course is part of the Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism series, one of Duke Divinity School’s Wesleyan Formation Initiatives. Shaped by leaders from nine United Methodist annual conferences, the series is designed to help engaged laypeople and clergy develop core capacities for innovative leadership within the Wesleyan tradition. Look for more Rediscovering the Heart of Methodism courses from Duke Divinity School over the coming months.
Presenters
The Rev. Dr. Greg Jones is a theologian whose work centers on the nature of forgiveness, the significance of Christian ministry and pastoral leadership, and social innovation and entrepreneurship. Between 1997 and 2010, and then between 2018 and 2021, Dr. Jones served as the dean of Duke Divinity School. Major new initiatives begun during his tenure include the Center for Reconciliation, the Thriving Rural Communities Program, the Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation, the Clergy Health Initiative, the Reynolds Program in Church Leadership and numerous international partnerships. These partnerships include the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, the United Methodist Church in Cote d’Ivoire, and the Center for Reconciliation’s Great Lakes Initiative which embraces the central-east African region. An ordained elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, he is also the founder of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. Dr. Jones now serves as president of Belmont University.
The Rev. Dr. Edgardo Colón-Emeric is dean of Duke Divinity School, Irene and William McCutchen Associate Professor of Reconciliation and Theology, and director of the Center for Reconciliation. An ordained elder in the North Carolina Annual Conference, he serves on the United Methodist Committee on Faith and Order and on both national and international Methodist-Catholic dialogues. His work explores the intersection of Methodist and Catholic theologies, and Wesleyan and Latin American experiences.
