Ohio

Robert Elliot Martin D.Min.

Welcoming strangers into a home and offering them food, shelter, and protection were historically key components in the practice of hospitality. Many consider the church to be a home. How do we extend welcome and hospitality to those in our context? In this paper, I link the power of storytelling in film to developing a theology of hospitality. To share meals with strangers is one of the most powerful and practical things we can do to help the church shape a more just and hospitable spirituality. Through film, the study of scripture, prayer practices, and table discussions, can we link our present and future faith practices to a theology of hospitality? A final analysis will allow us to begin clarifying what effective and transformative practices of hospitality in the name of Christ looks like.

Danny Anthony Everett D.Min.

University Circle United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio partnered with Mary B. Martin School to address academic achievement disparities for low performing African-American males. If students participate in faith and culturally based extended school programs, then their academic performance improves. Explorations from qualitative research during a church led after school program were expounded. The approach incorporated prophetic activism based on themes of spirituality, educational inequity, and social learning and critical race theories. The data suggests partnerships between churches and schools improve outcomes for African-American male students. A final project was submitted to the Doctoral Studies Committee at United Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry.

Michael P Marette

This project sought to impact the spiritual formation of two groups of Christian disciples at Grace Summit Community Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio by engaging in a rhythm of incarnational practices. The project was designed to impact the participants' spiritual formation by teaching them how to practice ancient incarnational disciplines in both their personal context and in their daily routines. The results of the project revealed that when participants practiced the specific incarnational disciplines they experienced a greater degree of spiritual formation. Participants also discovered new spiritual practices that helped them enter God's presence more deeply.

Armando C Arellano

The purpose of this project was to discover common concerns that East Shore United Methodist parishioners have to address in order to transition into a vital multicultural congregation. The design of the project included the administration of a survey given to the parishioners of East Shore United Methodist Church who have expressed their concerns as the church transitions into a vital multicultural congregation. The results of this survey revealed that most respondents have expresed their readiness for the East Shore United Methodist Church to transition into a vital multicultural congregation.

Nickol K Calhoun

The purpose of this project was to discover to what degree a select group of people within the Fusion Church of Lexington, Ohio understood the influences ungrieved losses have upon their lives. The project design incorporated a twenty-four-question survey used to measure their responses. The most prominent finding was found in goal one: Majority of the participants felt they were tolerant of grievers during their time of loss. However, they felt they were not accepted when they grieved their losses. The unexpected outcome was participants of this survey realized they were not aware of their own personal biases toward grieving.

Bruce Ray Smith

This project proposes a systematic strategy for establishing a cell-group ministry to facilitate evangelistic outreach in rural Monroe County, Ohio. The cell group and a traditional door-to-door survey reach effectively into low-income areas. The project establishes youth and adult Bible study groups that meet simultaneously in homes as a satellite ministry of a sponsoring church.