Wesley Theological Seminary

Richard A. Hoffman

The basis for the project is a commitment to the transformational aspect of the gospel of grace. It provides tools that will train, equip, and empower people in the local church to meet the diverse, complex and ever-present needs of their community. The author created and taught an eighteen week course where the students began by focusing on the foundational aspects of the gospel, then on to Theological Vision which acts as a bridge between belief and ministry expression. The course concluded by exploring the practical steps required to launch into a community based project of their own. The result of the inaugural course was several students taking the necessary steps to launch a ministry expression focused on a particular need within their community.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Patrick Hester

This project presents training to help single servicemembers safely navigate the dating process. The training, unlike the Army’s Single Soldiers Strong Bonds program, welcomes a single servicemembers’ romantic partner. This training incorporates key elements of the Strong Bonds' training, but in less time and with additional resources. The author prepared a questionnaire addressing key aspects of dating for the members of the 3rd Squadron 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The feedback was used to develop training that focuses on helping single servicemembers acquire the knowledge needed to assess if a potential romantic partner’s qualities are conducive for a healthy romantic relationship.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Michele Townsend Grove

Does the interim religious education program developed by Unitarian Universalist religious educators work as a valid process for religious education and religious education professional transitions in the local church? The author used interviews and surveys of Unitarian Universalist religious educators, ministers, regional staff and lay persons to identify notable patterns of success and challenges in this specialized field. The final project outlines successes and challenges of interim religious education and includes suggestions for improvement.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Kelly L. Grimes

Pastors are hardworking people. Although it is a blessing to be the priest and prophet of your local congregation and community, it can also be stressful. Consequently, there are times where pastors miss the opportunity of living a more fulfilling life through Sabbath and life-work balance. The biblical and Wesleyan traditions offer solutions to this challenge as pastors respond to God’s call of dedicated service through ministry. When pastors connect with their biblical and Wesleyan traditions and they are supported by their church community, pastors are better equipped to live a more well-rounded life.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Rachel Radeline Gonia

Clergy person are not healthy in wholistic ways. This paper examined whether pastors who engage in examining their own health through a wholistic framework while also establishing or strengthening a health ministry within in their congregations would increase their self-care. The pastors participated in a Day Apart and/or a covenant group. Their health measures were compared to those who did not participate in anything. The analysis suggests that pastors who participated in covenant groups and the day apart did increase their health measures while the connection to congregational health ministries was not clearly established.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Ronald L. Feeser Jr.

This paper researched the applicability of Jesus' method of sending disciples out in pairs to the outreach utilized by Helping Agencies in the United States Air Force. The author examined the theology and practicality of establishing a local Human Performance Team. This construct changed the outreach to better reach and care for Airmen. Analysis suggests that this method positively affected the ability of agencies to support members and be responsive to crises. Additionally, it indicates that the application of this model has a positive effect on the community by reducing the overall number of crisis and emergency counseling sessions.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Kyle Durbin

While the majority of emphasis given to theatre ministry is based on its capacity to deliver faithful entertainment, theatre ministry is more effective as a means of disciplemaking through the production process. Based, in part, on thorough analysis of the establishment of a new theatre ministry, Frostburg Theatre Company, at Frostburg UMC, and specifically through a production of “Godspell,” the author seeks to prove that theatre ministry is most effective in focusing on the production process rather than the final presentation as evangelism or entertainment.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Richard Daly

The Seventh-day Adventist church in the British Isles has seen steady numerical growth since its inception. However, interest from the indigenous and non-religious community, has been in decline. In response, a thorough examination was made of the methods used by the Adventist pioneers in starting new congregations to see what lessons can be revived for today's church. The Project Director undertook to produce a documentary based on the findings together with a workshop, to help prepare pastors and members to develop missional churches within their community.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Marian Sams-Crane

This project suggested a new approach to address the challenge of developing a church vision. Drawing upon Wesleyan ecclesiology, the author suggested sharing a basic overview for understanding the eschatological aspect of the Eucharist and applying the experience of the Eucharist at the start of meetings to inspire the development of a church vision in the ensuing meetings. Data from initial surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and observations evidenced some positive effects on the amount of visioning that church leaders experienced. While further study is needed to be conclusive, the author affirmed the potential for this new approach to church visioning.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]

Roger Cooke

This paper seeks to address the issue of conflict transformation by offering a credible process for healing the wounded history of both a congregation, and the land it occupies, through the development of a well-defined process of reconciliation and the implementation of a Christian Day of Atonement. Having addressed the issue of ‘healing the people and healing the land’, the author goes on to tentatively outline a vision for the development of a High Street Monastery - a place of prayer, worship and radical community engagement - within the ancient Church of Ireland parish of St. Patrick’s, Coleraine.

[Note about entry: Abstract submitted to the Atla RIM database on behalf of the author. The text appears in its entirety as it does in the original abstract page of the author’s project paper. Neither words nor content have been edited.]