Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Robust Human Formation For Ministerial Training, Mary L. Parks

Obsculta

The Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis recognizes that effective ministerial formation is holistic, attending to all aspects of a minister’s being. The document therefore outlines four pillars of formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. In Co-Workers In the Vineyard of the Lord, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) extends the same four pillars of formation to the development of lay ecclesial ministers. The USCCB also applies these pillars to diaconal formation in The National Directory for the Formation, Ministry, and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States of America.

Faculty And Staff Formation In Jesuit Higher Education: The Scholarship And Art Of Accompaniment, Belle Liang, Maria Gregoire, Elisa Liang

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

This study examines the formative impact of selected faculty and staff formation initiatives offered at Boston College, with particular attention to those shaped by Ignatian spirituality. Drawing on qualitative survey data from 134 participants, the analysis identifies interrelated conditions through which formation is experienced as a coherent process rather than a set of discrete programs. Across initiatives, renewal and vocational clarity were most often described through four conditions: People, Pause, Place, and Purpose, understood here as the alignment of values, commitments, and lived practice. Presence emerged as the relational medium through which People, Pause, Place, and Purpose became formative. Presence …

Enhancing Corporate Prayer Of The Clearwater Church Of Christ, Lyle Hinsdale

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation was designed to enhance corporate prayer in the Clearwater Church of Christ. The dissertation explores the formative role of corporate prayer in congregational life and how intentional engagement with the Psalms can deepen the theological and spiritual practice of prayer within a local church. Corporate prayer can slip into habitual practice with limited theological range or emotional depth. This project investigates whether structured use of the Psalms as a model for prayer can expand the language, theological imagination, and engagement in the prayers of a worshiping community. The study used participatory action research methodology and was conducted within …

The Neo-Monastic Invitation : A Rule For Church Multiplication In South Georgia, Andrew Robert Anderson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Kingdom-Centric Spiritual Formation Model: Developing Churchwide Strategies For Forming People Into Christlikeness, Justin Adams

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation explores how churches can better form people by examining the central research question: “What strategies can churches use to develop a Kingdom-centric spiritual formation model that prioritizes shaping individuals into Christlikeness as the church’s primary vision and mission?” Drawing on Paul’s desire to see Christ formed in the Galatian church (Gal 4:19), as well as exploring Jesus’s mandate in Matt 28:19 in connection with Acts 2:42-46, these texts show the connection between the spiritual formation of early believers and the Church. The researcher employed a quantitative methodology at The Worship Center in Leesburg, Virginia. Research revealed significant perceptions …

The Silent Witness: The Journey Of Celibacy In The Life Of Diocesan Clergy Of Pagadian, Jumar T. Lague, Enrique C. Tapanan, Raven M. Leyte, Jinggle C. Selgas

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Celibacy is a defining vow in the life of Catholic priests, requiring thorough preparation and ongoing commitment. While celibacy enables priests to devote themselves fully to ministry, it also presents challenges that can influence their fidelity to priesthood. This study aimed to explore how Catholic priests experience, sustain, and interpret their vow of celibacy within their ministry. Using a transcendental phenomenological design, ten diocesan priests from Pagadian, representing junior, middle, and senior clergy, were purposively selected and interviewed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, validated with participant feedback, and analyzed thematically while bracketing researcher biases. The findings reveal that priests …

Worship As A Means Of Formational Discovery At Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Shelby, North Carolina, Ricky Alston Jr

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The formational nature of worship obtains power from the relationship one develops with God through daily practices, as well as in the corporate gathering of God’s people. This leads to a holistic spiritual formation for those who practice it. Members from Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Shelby, NC, participated in a four-week study that defined what a practice of holistic worship looks like, established biblical principles to engage personally and communally, and explored the relationship between corporate gatherings and personal worship. The study provides evidence of growth in participants, and opportunity for further spiritual development individually and as a congregation.

Vincentian Formation In Africa For Missionary Preaching In The Footsteps Of Saint Vincent De Paul, Linus Umoren C.M.

Vincentian Studies

Vincent de Paul was deeply concerned with the proper preparation of the clergy so that the poor could be evangelized. Linus Umoren outlines Vincent's method of preaching and the challenges the Church faced in reforming the clergy during the Counter-Reformation. Many of today’s new priests, including Vincentians, are coming from Africa. It is therefore necessary to develop a formation program that is uniquely suited to the African cultural context. Because of colonialism, the Church in Africa still needs to develop its own theological perspective instead of the one that had been brought to it by Europeans. It also faces several …

Spiritual Direction : A Discipleship Experience For Christian Leaders, Minnie Anderson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Virtual Technology On Discipleship Training In A Small Group Context, Austin Stephen Mansfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many contemporary churches face the difficulty of implementing the Great Commission’s mandate for making disciples (Matt 28:19-20). Occasional church attendance and a lack of participation in fellowship and ministries beyond the Sunday worship service reflect this difficulty. Discipleship has become even more challenging in the current climate of social distancing that has resulted from COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Being separated physically from others exacerbates a growing predisposition to spiritual isolation, which in turn hinders development of discipleship; physical interaction has always been the main model for making disciples. The Great Commission’s description of discipleship (making disciples through going, baptizing, and teaching) …

Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

Biblical and scholarly sources agree on the importance of forming Christians to seek after holy living to make them more effective evangelists, such that the ministries of evangelism and spiritual formation are intertwined. They also agree that one of the primary roles of the church is to provide for this formation. However, the practices for doing this have been complicated by the heavy move toward digital ministry because of COVID-19. Congregations can continue this formational work even in highly digital contexts by helping Christians tell their story through lifelogging, providing rituals and disciplines to sanctify time and physical spaces, and …

Apprentice Life: Finding Life In The Way Of Jesus, Tim C. Mccarthy

Doctor of Ministry

The Apprentice Life: Finding Life in the Way of Jesus course is a project designed to address the difficulty of mobilizing more experienced believers at a large, western Canadian, evangelical anabaptist church to embrace their role in helping new believers grow up in their faith. The author has explored Old and New Testament teachings, various historic Christian traditions, contemporary faith formation theory, disciple-making literature, and the insights of local and expert contributors. Based on these discoveries, new believers are most likely to become resilient apprentices of Jesus when more experienced mentors in faith accept responsibility to pass on a living …

4d'S Of Spiritual Growth : The Local Church's Role In Spiritual Growth And Discipleship, Christopher M. Johnson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Friendships : Rediscovering A Means Of Christian Discipleship In The Local Church, Carolyn Diane Nettles

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability, Stephen L. Shaffer

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This paper summarizes a Doctor of Ministry project thesis conducted in 2011 that introduced healthy accountability within growth-focused relationships to shape an emergent spiritual growth culture at the Carbondale Church of Christ. The theological basis for the intervention (1) uses Romans 12 to establish the Christian community, not the individual, as the ultimate vision of fully realized human life and (2) asserts that spiritual growth, following Alasdair MacIntyre’s definition of a practice, must involve virtues such that the means of growth are reflective of the desired ends of growth. The positive results demonstrate the effectiveness of healthy accountability, illuminate participants' …

Sustainable Faith: How The Neuroscience Of Emotion Promotes Spiritual Transformation, Christine M. Mutch

Doctor of Ministry

Current research indicates that well-intentioned practices and programs aimed at forming people into the image of Christ are not producing the intended results. One roadblock is the misunderstanding and lack of value placed on the role of emotion in the transformation process. The purpose of this dissertation is to present neuroscience research about the integral role of emotion in one's life, and suggest practical ways to capitalize on emotion to effect transformation.

Chapter one describes the goals of spiritual formation, in contrast to current attitudes and practices of those inside and outside the church. It provides a basic introduction to …

Rooted And Grounded In Love : Cultivating The Christian Heart Through Dispositional Spiritual Formation-In-Common, John Chester Harp Jr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Awesome God : Connecting Through Multisensory Study And Lectio Divina Of Spiritual Narratives, Linda B. Dunn

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Restoring The Balance Between Doing And Being : The Functional Pastor And Adrian Van Kamm's Formative Spirituality, H. Fred Meadows

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Formation And Southern Baptist Clergy, Candace Kay Hardin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Contemplative Youth Ministry Retreat Model, Russell H. Freeman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developing Missional Identity Through Small Group Spiritual Formation, Jack M. Horner

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Disciple-Making Boards : The Impact Of Training A Church's Governing Board In Small-Group Spiritual Formation Leadership, Gary Lee Olsen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sf 502 The Spiritual Life Of The Minister, Stephen L. Martyn

Syllabi

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS Cassian, John. Conferences (The Classics of Western Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1985. Harper, Steve. Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (A Workbook). Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995. Mulholland, M. Robert Jr., Invitation To A Journey: A Road Map For Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993 MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Muto, Susan & van Kaam, Adrian. Divine Guidance: Seeking to Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 1994. Peterson, Eugene H. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction. Grand …

Cooperating With The Spirit : A Model For Spiritual Formation Within The Local Church, Alan Jones

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sf 502 The Spiritual Life Of The Minister, Stephen L. Martyn

Syllabi

Cassian, John. Conferences (The Classics of Western Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1985. Harper, Steve. Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (A Workbook). Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995. Mulholland, M. Robert Jr., Invitation To A Journey: A Road Map For Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993 MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Muto, Susan & van Kaam, Adrian. Divine Guidance: Seeking to Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 1994. Peterson, Eugene H. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction.

Training Vocational Ministers In The Practice Of Spiritual Disciplines Through The Use Of David Kolb's Learning Cycle, David Paul Wilson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Life Coaching To Support Growth In Spiritual Practices, Marilyn Iva Elliott

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Sf 502 The Spiritual Life Of The Minister, Stephen L. Martyn

Syllabi

Cassian, John. Conferences (The Classics of Western Spirituality). New York: Paulist Press, 1985. Harper, Steve. Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition (A Workbook). Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1995. Mulholland, M. Robert Jr., Invitation To A Journey: A Road Map For Spiritual Formation. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993 MacDonald, Gordon. Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Muto, Susan & van Kaam, Adrian. Divine Guidance: Seeking to Find and Follow the Will of God. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 1994. Peterson, Eugene H. The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, …

The Impact Of Completion Of The Upper Room's Two Year Academy For Spiritual Formation Upon The Ministry Of Ordained Participants , T. J. Wesley

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.