Denver Seminary

The study sought to demonstrate that an intervention of free-will theodicy education would negatively affect spiritual struggle scores for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) who demonstrate significant spiritual struggle and self-identity as Christians. Approximately one-third of Christians who suffer from Substance Use Disorder demonstrate spiritual struggle as evidenced by anger toward their concept of God. Ninety-seven Midwestern Substance Use Disorder (SUD) patients receiving in-patient treatment participated in a study to determine the effectiveness of a freewill theodicy intervention on spiritual struggle. Patients scoring in the highest one-third in spiritual struggle on the Anger Towards God Scale (ATGS-9) were offered an intervention based on education of freewill theodicy, consisting of 5 1/2 hour group sessions and a reading of Randy Alcorn's, If God is Good, Why Do We Hurt? Post tests were given after the intervention in order to quantify what, if any, reduction in spiritual struggle resulted.

The purpose of this research was to seek improvement in the area of Emotional Intelligence (EI) for undergraduate students preparing to enter youth ministry. The project tested the hypothesis that a six-class emphasis on EI followed by four weeks of journaling exercises would increase EI levels in students preparing for ministry. In addition, the researcher established the link between wisdom in the book of Proverbs and its’ connection with EI. The researcher used an EI inventory, developed by Richard Boyatzis and Daniel Goleman (ESCI-U), designed for the university setting. Five categories are assessed by the ESCI-U: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Management, and Cognitive Competencies. There are twelve competencies organized into four clusters. Self-Awareness is the first cluster area, and the competency measured is Emotional Self-Awareness. The second cluster is Self-Management. In this cluster, there are four competencies: Achievement Orientation, Adaptability, Emotional Self-Control, and Positive Outlook. In the third cluster, Social Awareness, Empathy, and Organizational Awareness competencies are assessed. Finally, the fourth cluster area includes five competencies: Conflict Management, Coach and Mentor, Influence, Inspirational Leadership, and Teamwork. Following the presentation of the class material, the students engaged in four weeks of practicing The Daily Examen and journaling. After the four weeks of reflection, the students retook the EI inventory. The beginning and ending scores were compared. The project successfully improved EI levels because each student showed an increase in at least three of the twelve competencies, according to the ECSI-U inventory. Four students (67% of the class) showed an increase in at least half of the competencies, and two of the four increased in nine and ten of the competencies, respectively.

Johnson K Jason D.Min.

The purpose of this research was to seek improvement in the area of Emotional Intelligence (EI) for undergraduate students preparing to enter youth ministry. The project tested the hypothesis that a six-class emphasis on EI followed by four weeks of journaling exercises would increase EI levels in students preparing for ministry. In addition, the researcher established the link between wisdom in the book of Proverbs and its’ connection with EI. The researcher used an EI inventory, developed by Richard Boyatzis and Daniel Goleman (ESCI-U), designed for the university setting. Five categories are assessed by the ESCI-U: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Management, and Cognitive Competencies. There are twelve competencies organized into four clusters. Self-Awareness is the first cluster area, and the competency measured is Emotional Self-Awareness. The second cluster is Self-Management. In this cluster, there are four competencies: Achievement Orientation, Adaptability, Emotional Self-Control, and Positive Outlook. In the third cluster, Social Awareness, Empathy, and Organizational Awareness competencies are assessed. Finally, the fourth cluster area includes five competencies: Conflict Management, Coach and Mentor, Influence, Inspirational Leadership, and Teamwork. Following the presentation of the class material, the students engaged in four weeks of practicing The Daily Examen and journaling. After the four weeks of reflection, the students retook the EI inventory. The beginning and ending scores were compared. The project successfully improved EI levels because each student showed an increase in at least three of the twelve competencies, according to the ECSI-U inventory. Four students (67% of the class) showed an increase in at least half of the competencies, and two of the four increased in nine and ten of the competencies, respectively.

David L Kennedy D.Min.

Many leaders at AdventHealth avoid holding those they are leading accountable through hard conversations. This affects both the performance of the team they are leading, as well as the organizational health of the hospital. As this project demonstrated, it can also affect the mental health of the leader, leading to feelings of isolation and shame. This problem was addressed through a twelve-week intervention on how to navigate accountability conversations consisting of reading, group meetings, role-playing, and mentoring. The project utilized a qualitative, phenomenological method to explore the lived experiences of each of the participants. The specific behavioral changes sought were decreased avoidance of crucial conversations and an increase in perceived effectiveness at navigating them. Participants were selected using the Style Under Stress Assessment (SUSA), setting a baseline for avoidance and perceived effectiveness. Pre- and post-project semi-structured interviews were also conducted, and participants took the SUSA again after the intervention to determine whether avoidance had decreased and perceived effectiveness had increased. The result was that participants not only increased in their perceived effectiveness and decreased their avoidance of these difficult discussions, but feelings of isolation were replaced with relational connection and shame was replaced with “tentative confidence”.

Lambert Louise Lambert D.Min.

Marriage is in a crisis in North America. The reported divorce rate ranges between 30-50%. Separation and divorce is disrupting the stability of the family and its members, including Christian homes. Many couples, finding the prospect of marriage to be risky, are opting to cohabitate to test their relationships, which increases the potential for divorce should they marry. However, research shows that healthy, satisfying marriages have positive benefits for those couples and their children.
Some couples that seek counseling for their marriage problems are able to adjust well and rebuild their marital relationships, while others are not. An interpretive phenomenological analysis examined the lived experiences of six couples, who were nominated by mental health professionals or self-referred, and confirmed by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale as couples who achieved positive relationship outcomes following marriage counseling. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted, and a conceptual mapping task was completed, for each participating couple. After a rigorous analysis of the data, four significant themes emerged. Achieving healthy relationship functioning for couples following marriage counseling involves: (a) improving their communication, (b) being willing to work on their relationship, (c) accepting their partners for who they are, and (d) relying on their faith as a resource. The results of this study may have important implications for couples in marriage counseling, as well as those working with couples: counselors, therapists, pastors, medical practitioners, community organizations, and faith-based organizations.

Lambert Louise Lambert D.Min.

Marriage is in a crisis in North America. The reported divorce rate ranges between 30-50%. Separation and divorce is disrupting the stability of the family and its members, including Christian homes. Many couples, finding the prospect of marriage to be risky, are opting to cohabitate to test their relationships, which increases the potential for divorce should they marry. However, research shows that healthy, satisfying marriages have positive benefits for those couples and their children.
Some couples that seek counseling for their marriage problems are able to adjust well and rebuild their marital relationships, while others are not. An interpretive phenomenological analysis examined the lived experiences of six couples, who were nominated by mental health professionals and confirmed by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, as couples who achieved positive relationship outcomes following marriage counseling. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted, and a conceptual mapping task was completed, for each participating couple. After a rigorous analysis of the data, four significant themes emerged. Achieving healthy relationship functioning for couples following marriage counseling involves: (a) improving their communication, (b) being willing to work on their relationship, (c) accepting their partners for who they are, and (d) relying on their faith as a resource. The results of this study may have important implications for couples in marriage counseling, as well as those working with couples: counselors, therapists, pastors, medical practitioners, community organizations, and faith-based organizations.

This study examines the effect of a wilderness program featuring a solo component upon eight Young Millennials aged twenty to twenty. The project the study focuses on took place in Big Bend National Park in 2020. The author looks closely at the Biblical record and uses four primary examples as case studies. _Special attention is given to generational theory, nature deficit disorder, and digital nativity. The author looks at the complex issues and difficulties that Young Millennials face in growing as spiritual leaders, and he explores how a wilderness program with a solo component can address those issues and help to bridge the generation gap between Young Millennials and former generations. _This is a qualitive study that relies highly on interviews, journals, surveys and
reflections from person experience. The study suggests that there is great value in this type of program for transformational identity work, and spiritual formation amongst the Young Millennial
Generation.

The author examined the spiritual growth of a group of participants who engaged in a highly structured exercise of scripture reading,
prayer, and silence-solitude. The researcher used a qualitative research method. The results
of the study revealed that the participants who were the most intentional about engaging
in the prescribed exercises experienced the greatest growth in the areas of fruit of the Spirit.

The thesis for this research was Enabling Emotional Healing and Spiritual Resilience through Guiding and Empowering Veterans to tell their Stories. The research method used for this project was qualitative design, particularly narrative with a thematic approach to analyzing the data. Themes are a part of a lived experience or story. A pre-and post-interview was conducted by the researcher with the individuals selected for the small group that met for twelve sessions. The individuals in the small group were given the COPE Inventory developed by Carver, Scheier, and Weintraub and two questions developed by this researcher. his research project set out to answer the question, “What will be the effects of mentoring and empowering individuals to tell their stories on their emotional and spiritual resilience?” The results from the small group showed that the veterans in the group felt more empowered to tell their story by the end of the small group. As the group progressed through each session the researcher noticed that the veterans themselves became more willing to share their difficult stories but they also began to help each other because of similar life experiences. The research showed that members of the small group had not only been empowered to tell their story but also felt a stronger sense of resilience and personal agency to help others tell their story.

The Effects of Hospitality on Emotional and Spiritual Transformation. A phenomenological study that explored how emotional and spiritual transformational is fostered in healthy and effective Cadence hospitality ministries. The goal was to identify a few transferable principles that could benefit Cadence International and other ministries or ministry leaders. The most obvious transferable principle was that hospitality itself is transferable and holds rich potential for emotional and spiritual transformation. Authentically sharing life extends hospitality and health beyond the reach of a particular ministry.