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Julius J. Kim, Ph.D.
Dean of Students
Dear Students,
I love the month of January. No, it’s not because my
birthday falls on this month (for those of you interested, it’s July 6). It’s
not even because the hectic holiday season is over (though admittedly that does
contribute a bit). It’s because life on campus shifts gears from our normal
14-week semester to a 4-week Winter Term filled with special classes and events
that only take place during this month. And while this short “letter” cannot
cover every course in every department, allow me introduce you to the courses
offered from my department, Practical Theology.
As part of the required 3-week evangelism and missions
course for M.Div. students (PT 511 Ministry of Witness), two 1-week
electives are offered every January that brings to campus specialists in a field
of evangelism and missions. This year, we welcome two such men. Veteran OPC
missionary, Rev. David Crum from Tijuana, Mexico, will be on campus to teach a
course entitled Missions to Mexicans on the Move. In this course,
Professor Crum will be covering topics such as the history of Tijuana, cultural
and religious distinctives of this city and of Mexico, and strategies for
effective evangelism. The other visiting lecturer is Dr. Anees Zaka, who will
be teaching a course entitled Witness to Muslims. As the founder and
director of Church Without Walls (a Christian ministry to Muslims) and president
of Biblical Institute for Islamic Studies, Dr. Zaka has extensive background on
Islam. This course will overview Islamic faith and life, compare Islam with
biblical and Reformed Christianity, and present different methodologies of
communicating the Gospel to Muslims locally, nationally, and globally.
Another special course offered only during January is a new
one to our curriculum: The Pastor as Peacemaker. Led by adjunct
professor Dr. Alfred Poirier, who recently published the book The Peacemaking
Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict (Baker, 2006), this
course will offer students—especially those preparing for pastoral ministry—the
principles and practices of resolving conflict. The course will present a
theology of conflict and its biblical resolution in the context of pastoral
ministry. Topics such as confession, forgiveness, conflict counseling,
negotiation, mediation and church discipline will be covered with the goal of
equipping future (and present!) pastors.
Lastly, Dr. Iain Duguid returns to Westminster California
to lead a course entitled Preaching Christ from the Book of Esther. As
the title implies, this class will analyze this interesting Old Testament book
from a literary point of view, consider the redemptive-historical theology of
the book, and discuss how to apply this book—especially through preaching—in a
contemporary context.
As you can see from just these three examples, the
“Jan-term” offers some unique opportunities for students and lay people alike to
grow in their knowledge of Christ, his Gospel, and his Church. We hope you will
take advantage of these and other courses during this winter term.
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 September
07: Senior Reflections
May
07: Senior Reflections
March
07: CWiPPThink
January
07: Winter Term
November 06:
Reformation Day
September 06:
Welcome Back
August 06:
Summer Greek
July
06: CPR
June
06: Sign Up and Gear Up
May
06: Reflection by Michael Schout
April
06: den Dulk Lectures
March
06: Student Association
February
06: Preaching Christ
December
05: Mentors
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