Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
THCP519 - Mission Imperative: Engaging with Organisational Purpose
Teaching organisation
This unit seeks to address growing organisational concerns around mission and mission-integrated organisational cultures, specifically their importance in faith-based organisations. In order to address the personal mission literacy demands of these organisations, it is taught in mixed mode with a priority placed on collaborative and interactional learning. This involves engaging in discussions, both online and face to face, which are facilitated and guided. This is in order to support you to further deepen your self- awareness and understanding of the role of mission and culture in your personal and professional life through further developing tools of critical reflection.
Unit rationale, description and aim
In response to today’s challenging dominant cultural environments which tend to view Christian faith-based organisations as irrelevant and the human person as nothing more than a commodity, Catholic and faith- based organisations emphasise more than ever the importance of mission as central to performing their tasks. This unit therefore explores the alignment of individual and organizational mission, meaning and purpose, as a means to facilitate the flourishing of both the individual within the faith-based organization, and the organization itself. In this process you will be provided with reflection opportunities to better understand the nature of mission in general and Christian mission in particular, thus increasing both your mission awareness and effectiveness within your organisation through your skills development.
The aim of this unit is to assist you to develop the knowledge, understanding, and analytical skills necessary to undertake the mission of your organisation consonant with your personal sense of mission so as to ensure mission alignment.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Demonstrate a personal understanding of the multi-faceted dimensions of mission in faith- based organisations (GA4).
LO2 - Analyse the challenges of realising mission in faith-based organisations (GA4, GA8).
LO3 - Evaluate personally and critically how to engage mission more effectively in the role you play in your organisation (GA4, GA8, GA9).
Graduate attributes
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
Content
Topics will include:
· Foundational ideas about mission and culture;
· Distinctive features of faith-based mission;
· Challenges facing faith-based mission in contemporary society and culture;
· Strategies to enable effective participation in, and promotion of, the mission of your organisation.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit seeks to address growing organisational concerns around mission and mission-integrated organisational cultures, specifically their importance in faith-based organisations. In order to address the personal mission literacy demands of these organisations, it is taught in mixed mode with a priority placed on collaborative and interactional learning. This involves engaging in discussions, both online and face to face, which are facilitated and guided. This is in order to support you to further deepen your self- awareness and understanding of the role of mission and culture in your personal and professional life through further developing tools of critical reflection.
As such, this unit focuses on providing you with opportunities for critically reflexive reflection and engagement with the fundamental concepts of mission and culture, requiring you to draw upon your specific context and your personal background and experience. The unit uses active learning principles, based on the constructivist paradigm, which recognises that knowledge is something learners need to actively create and reflect on for themselves. Because of this, one of the key teaching and learning strategies of this unit is the ongoing use of a Reflective Journal.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to: a reflective journal, booklet, reports and essay.
The assessment strategy of this unit has been chosen to constructively align with the Learning Outcomes and the teaching and learning strategy. Both assessment tasks require you to analyse and extrapolate on what you have written in your on-going Reflective Journal. The Reflective Journal is a key component of this unit as it supports you both to reflect on how well you are engaging with the content of the unit and to further develop your theoretical and practical awareness of the mission of your organisation and how it relates both to your role and organisational culture. This is key to integrating theory and practice. Your entries in the reflective journal will thus be a platform from which you can develop both assessment tasks.
Assessment Task 1 aligns with LO 1, which requires you to demonstrate a personal understanding of the multi-faceted dimensions of Christian mission in your organisation. The report format has been selected to maximize learning integration with regard to concepts and personal reflection.
Assessment Task 2 aligns with LO 2 and 3 which involves analysing the challenges of realising mission in faith- based organisations and evaluating personally and critically how to engage mission more effectively in the role you play in your organisation. The journal summary format has been selected to extend your learning from Assessment 1, now focusing on the application of what you learned to your organisation and personal and professional context. Given that the format of the second assignment builds on the previous assessment task and requires extensive reflection of your learning and your professional practice, the assessment is weighted at 60%.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Report The kind of assessment required is one that aims to maximize learning integration about concepts with personal reflection. Ideally, the assessment task should be a reflection on the specific culture of the student’s organisation and its mission. As such it should afford the student an opportunity to demonstrate engagement, personal reflection, analysis and synthesis with and of the module content with specific reference to their professional experience. For example, a report exploring the topic “What is Mission and how does it relate to your personal values and the values and purpose of your organisation?” based on the reflective journal entries arranged in key topic areas | 40% | LO1 | GA4, GA8, GA9 |
Assessment Task 2: Summary Journal Entry The kind of assessment required is one that aims to extend student learning from Assessment 1, by focusing on the application of the theory to the student’s specific organisation within the personal and the professional contexts. Building on assessment one, the task should challenge the student to analyse their own perception of mission and the role they play in carrying out that mission within the specific context of their professional practice. For example, a report on implementing mission: challenges and strategies for effectively engaging with faith-based mission based on module and workshop material. | 60% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA4, GA8, GA 9 |
Representative texts and references
Avis, Paul. A Church Drawing Near: Spirituality and Mission in a Post-Christian Culture. London: T&T Clark, 2003.
Bevans, Stephen B. and Roger P. Schroeder. Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today.
Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2004.
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission – Twentieth Anniversary Edition. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2011.
D’Orsa, Jim and Therese. Explorers, Guides and Meaning-Makers: Mission theology for Catholic Educators.
The Broken Bay Institute Mission and Education Series. Mulgrave, VIC: John Garratt Publishing, 2010.
Kirk, J. Andrew. Mission Under Scrutiny: Confronting Current Challenges. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 2006.
Schroeder, Roger P. What is the Mission of the Church? A Guide for Catholics. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2008.
Sivalon, John C. God’s Mission and Postmodern Culture: The Gift of Uncertainty. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2012.
Spencer, Stephen. SCM Studyguide to Christian Mission: Historic Types and Contemporary Expressions.
London: SCM Press, 2007.