Spiritual life (Christianity)

Dennis E Beryl

The objective of this research project was to inquire about the lives and experiences of family caregivers, so a devotional could be developed that would speak directly to the needs of family caregivers as a way of caring for their spirits. The research looked at experiences of biblical characters, reviewed theological reflections, and examined survey and interview responses of family caregivers. Exploring "what caregivers need" opened the research to the very core of caring for the spirit of the family caregiver because needs based on real experiences were identified.

Veronica P Palmer

Church buildings are important to the worshipping community. Sometimes, larger buildings become an unsustainable burden, to the detriment of mission and ministry of a congregation. This project uses the template of the Tabernacle to lead a congregation through a simulated wilderness experience, to worship in a neutral space. This process gives insight into a congregation's relationship with a building that has become unsustainable. The resulting exploration allows them to prepare to vacate their building, while revitalizing their ministry. Churches of any size may glean from this example, as it also aids in a path toward revitalization.

Gerald C Headley

Knowing that spiritual care is beneficial to all patients, chaplains should take a more assertive role in providing palliative care outpatients the help they need addressing spiritual, religious, and existential concerns. The author worked at a major urban hospital to give spiritual care to palliative care outpatients. The author also surveyed fourteen area palliative care organizations to see how they provide spiritual care for this population. The author recommends chaplains take a proactive role in making spiritual care available for outpatients who would otherwise not receive spiritual care in the community.

Anita Killebrew Herbert

Wonder is a universal emotion experienced by all ages. It is also a primary emotion for our spirituality, though seldom developed in communities of faith. The failure to integrate experiences of wonder with our faith can render us as bifurcated beings, split between heart (our experience) and head (our knowledge). Additionally, a failure to approach the Bible through the lens of wonder diminishes the opportunity to experience an encounter with God. The goal of this project is to create a Bible study that encourages the sharing of experiences of wonder in the world and in the Word.

Scott A Hamilton

The project was designed to help people reduce worry utilizing two spiritual formation practices: daily Bible reading and Praying the Ordinary. Teaching and training participants (twenty-five adult Christ-followers at Foundation Church, Sapulpa, Oklahoma) over a twelve-week period to pray and apply scriptures specifically addressing worry reduction and trusting in God throughout their day proved successful. Pre- and post program assessments showed significant positive change (3 of 5 sub-scales of the MCQ-30) with participants reducing worry and increasing trust in God.

Dianthia Gilmore

The author completed a resource on the historical, biblical, theoretical, and contemporary review of spiritual disciplines. The assessment tool (Survey Monkey) was comprised of twenty-one quantitative and four qualitative statements. Seven goals directed the resource: demonstrates God's desire for intimacy, readers' desire for intimacy, indicates relationship between engaging in the disciplines and spiritual growth, provides a flexible guide, contains helpful strategies, contains practical discuss on the disciplines; and integrates scripture. The overall rating of the resource be twelve distinguish Christian experts was 5.4 on the six-point Likert Scale.

Cynthia Byers Walter

This paper explains how fostering spiritual practice builds spiritual confidence. To address pervading local and cultural anxiety, the author provided congregational leaders with a set of workbooks designed to develop spiritual vocabulary and nurture spiritual growth. Based on the nature of spirituality, spiritual gifts, the theology of baptism and the kingdom of God, and supported by educational, faith development and neuroscientific theory, the project demonstrated how guided spiritual exercises combined with group support provided congregational leaders with needed confidence for speaking meaningfully about their prayer lives, growing spiritually, and sharing with others about their faith.

Chad H Donohoe

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how Fellows alumni describe the formative experiences of their Fellows Program. Three research questions guided this study: How do Fellows alumni describe the formative practices of the Fellows Program? How do Fellows alumni describe the impact of their Fellows Program? How do Fellows alumni describe the role of the local congregation in their Fellows Program? The study revealed no overall decline in the faith of emerging adults during college, highlighted factors influencing the increase or decline of their faith, and demonstrated that they need the cultivation of right loves.

Joseph Ping Ho

This dissertation will demonstrate that contextual expository preaching is the most appropriate preaching method in today's churches. It consists of four components: To research and define various terminologies associated to contextual expository preaching. To research and explain three foundational requirements for contextual expository preachers: knowing the congregation, ability to interpret society, and understanding the relationship between imagination and contextualization. To research and design a step by step guide to prepare a contextual expository sermon. To utilize the guide to prepare a sermon series using the Book of Habakkuk to demonstrate and affirm the efficacy and design of the guide.

Mark A Looyenga

Among Christian parents with young children, staying attuned to God's goodness in daily life can be especially difficult. God's goodness can become blurred and muted by parenting difficulties and limitations. The problem studied was the effect a four-month group intervention with parents, focused upon the Triune God's goodness and gratitude rhythms, had on reducing parenting stress. Quantitative results of the four month group intervention were statistically significant and supported by the qualitative results. Those who practiced the gratitude rhythms expressed reduced parenting stress (12.6%) and pulse pressure (9.8%). They also showed growing awareness of God's goodness (11.7%) and gratitude (10.9%).