Copyright holder: Tyndale University, 3377 Bayview Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2M 3S4 Att.: Library Director, J. William Horsey Library Copyright: This Work has been made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws of Canada without the written authority from the copyright owner. Copyright license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License Citation: Pascoal, Paulo Carlos Noivo. “Connecting the Local Church with the Community through a Service Learning Project: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Endeavour to Increase Gormley Church's Engagement in Community Service and Personal Development.” D. Min., Tyndale University College and Seminary, 2016. ***** Begin Content ****** TYNDALE UNIVERSITY 3377 Bayview Avenue Toronto, ON M2M 3S4 TEL: 416.226.6620 www.tyndale.ca Note: This Work has been made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws of Canada without the written authority from the copyright owner. Pascoal, Paulo Carlos Noivo. “Connecting the Local Church with the Community through a Service Learning Project: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Endeavour to Increase Gormley Church's Engagement in Community Service and Personal Development.” D. Min., Tyndale University College and Seminary, 2016. [ Citation Page ] Tyndale University College and Seminary Connecting the Local Church with the Community through a Service Learning Project: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Endeavour to Increase Gormley Church’s Engagement in Community Service and Personal Development A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry Tyndale Seminary by Paulo Carlos Noivo Pascoal Toronto, Canada November 2016 [ Title Page ] Copyright © 2016 by Paulo Carlos Noivo Pascoal All rights reserved [ Page ] iii ABSTRACT This study, using the participatory action research method, has sought to identify the engagement in community service projects for church members in terms of personal development, community engagement and missional awareness. The participants were members of Gormley Church, in southern Ontario, Canada, a 143 years old church that had experienced an increasing disconnect with its surrounding community in terms of acting as an agent of spiritual and social transformation. The participants engaged in practical service in the community for a period of six months. Based on the participants’ interests, informal partnerships were formed between the local church and selected organizations that serve the community. Making use of service learning as a tool, the participants were surveyed before, during and after the project, through personal narratives, focus groups and surveys. The goal was to discover any change in how they applied their understanding of their calling as people of God through service opportunities, to measure the adoption or increase of missional habits, and to evaluate the impact of their service in the community. One of the key lessons that emerged throughout this study is that the Christ-centered nature of the church needs to be nurtured by missional habits. Community engagement is the natural environment of a missionally shaped life, which proved to be an efficient way to leverage and accelerate Christ-likeness. [ Page ] vi The invitation made to follow Jesus in different settings proved that disciple making is benefitted by it being done in the context of community service. The urgency of proclamation and the demonstration of God’s Kingdom are better understood through community exposure rather than in a safe discipleship course classroom. [ Page ] vii DEDICATIONS To Jesus, my precious Redeemer and supreme model of servant-leadership. To the love of my life: Rute. To the joy of my days: Rebeca, Salomé and Priscila. To the brave and relentless pastors, and their families, who serve in small churches in Portugal and in Canada, my new home. [ Page ] viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To those who served in many different ways in this study as participants, community organizations, advisors, instructors, and cohort mates. To my beloved Gormley Church, Elders, Board and members for their unconditional trust. To the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada for their generosity. To Dr. Mark Chapman, Dr. Paul Bramer, Dr. Bob Shaughnessy, Thomas Arabis, Anne Warder, Andreia Barreiro, Kenneth Benson, David Coghill, Jessie Clifford, Dr. John Cressman, Dr. Floyd Grunau, Dr. Glenn Watson, Dr. Tom McCormick, Paulo Barata, Isaque Amorim, Melony Teague, Glendyne Monreal, Billy Mintsopoulos and Charity Klapwyk: my sincere gratitude for your unceasing prayers, insight, constant encouragement and practical support. [ Page ] ix CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .... xiii LIST OF TABLES .... xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .... xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .... 1 Historical Context .... 1 Ministry Context .... 4 Ministry Opportunity .... 5 Innovation .... 9 Project Delimitations .... 9 Definition of Key Terms .... 10 Chapter Outlines .... 11 CHAPTER 2: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS .... 12 A Biblical Rationale for the Kingdom Mission .... 12 The Old Testament and the Kingdom Mission .... 13 Isaiah 52 and the Kingdom-Gospel .... 16 Jesus’s Teachings and the Kingdom Mission .... 19 Matthew 9:35-38 and the Gospel of the Kingdom .... 23 A Theological Rationale for the Kingdom Mission .... 27 The Missio Dei as a Theocentric Motive .... 28 The Local Church as the Hermeneutical and Social Context .... 29 The Establishment of the Kingdom as the Eschatological Perspective .... 31 Summary and Conclusion .... 33 CHAPTER 3: PRECEDENT LITERATURE AND CASES .... 34 Michael Frost’s Contribution towards a Kingdom-Missional Life .... 35 Alan Roxburgh and the Missional Change Process .... 40 Community Service and Local Churches .... 45 Individualism .... 45 Sectarianism .... 47 A Study on Canadian Receptivity to Missional-Focused Ministries .... 49 The Wave of Community Engagement .... 51 Service Learning and Discipleship Growth .... 53 Transformative Journeys -A Case Study .... 56 Summary and Conclusion .... 58 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY AND METHODS .... 60 The Design of the Project .... 61 Research Methodology .... 63 Research Methods and Data Collection .... 64 Participants’ Profile Assessment .... 66 [ Page ] x Service Learning Project Assessment .... 67 Personal Development .... 67 Missional Awareness .... 69 Community Impact .... 71 Data Analysis .... 72 Ethical Considerations .... 74 Summary and Conclusion .... 76 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION .... 77 Who Engaged the Community .... 77 Participants’ Demographics and Local Church .... 77 Self-Identified Spiritual Gifts .... 80 Self-Identified Heart .... 81 Self-Identified Abilities .... 82 Self-Identified Personality .... 83 Self-Identified Experiences .... 86 Participants’ Personal Development and Missional Habits .... 87 Pre-Observation Findings .... 88 Observation Findings .... 89 Post-Observation Findings .... 90 Highest Rated Missional Habits .... 92 Lowest Rated Missional Habits .... 93 Participants’ Perception of the Missional Habits .... 95 Missional Awareness and Kingdom Mission Opportunities .... 97 Identity and Self-Awareness .... 98 Self-Identified Mission .... 100 Focus Groups and the discovery of a Missional Identity .... 104 Pre-Observation Focus Group Findings .... 104 Observation Focus Group Findings .... 107 Post-Observation Focus Group Findings .... 109 Community-Based Organizations and Kingdom Partnerships .... 112 Overall Feedback .... 112 A Model for an Incarnational Ministry .... 115 Summary and Conclusion .... 122 CHAPTER 6: OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSIONS .... 124 Personal Reflection .... 124 Church Participants’ Benefit .... 126 Contribution to Local Ministry .... 127 Bridges with and within the Community .... 129 Overall Learning and Implications .... 130 Kingdom Mission is Christ-Centered and Community-Oriented .... 131 Kingdom Mission is Transformational .... 133 Kingdom Mission is Incamational and Holistic .... 135 Conclusion .... 136 [ Page ] xi APPENDICES .... 138 APPENDIX 1: Explanatory Chart of Data Source and Method of Analysis .... 138 APPENDIX 2: S.H.A.P.E for Life Profile .... 141 APPENDIX 3: Explanatory Chart of the Service Learning Assessment .... 145 APPENDIX 4: Personal Development Research Instruments .... 146 APPENDIX 5: Missional Awareness Research Instruments .... 151 APPENDIX 6: Community Impact Research Instruments .... 160 APPENDIX 7: General Consent Form .... 168 APPENDIX 8: Consent Form to Church Member Participants .... 170 APPENDIX 9: Organization’s Consent Form .... 172 REFERENCE LIST .... 174 [ Page ] xii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Methodological Flow of the Missional Church .... 40 Figure 2. Missional Change Process .... 43 Figure 3. Participants’ Profile - Spiritual Gifts .... 81 Figure 4. Participants’ Profile - Heart (Passions) .... 82 Figure 5. Participants’ Profile - Abilities .... 83 Figure 6. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Cooperative x Competitive .... 84 Figure 7. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Extroverted x Introverted .... 84 Figure 8. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Routine x Variety .... 85 Figure 9. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Self-Controlled x Expressive .... 85 Figure 10. Participants’ Profile - Experiences .... 87 Figure 11. Missional Habits Rate - Pre-Observation .... 89 Figure 12. Missional Habits Rate - Observation .... 90 Figure 13. Missional Habits Rate - Post-Observation .... 91 Figure 14. Highest Rated Missional Habits - Pre/Obs/Post-Observation .... 92 Figure 15. Lowest Rated Missional Habits - Pre/Obs/Post-Observation .... 94 Figure 16. Participants’ Inner Reflection - Identity .... 100 Figure 17. Community Impact - Presence .... 116 Figure 18. Community Impact - Proximity .... 118 Figure 19. Community Impact - Powerlessness/Humility .... 119 Figure 20. Community Impact - Proclamation/Communication .... 120 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Participants’ Demographics .... 78 Table 2. Missional Habits - Participants’ Perception .... 95 Table 3. Pre-Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause .... 101 Table 4. Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause .... 102 Table 5. Post-Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause .... 103 Table 6. Next Five Years - Self-Identified Mission/Cause .... 103 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESL: English as Second Language EMCC: Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada NIV: The New International Version Bible. Unless otherwise indicated all Bible quotations in this paper are from NIV (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973) [ Page ] xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This project considers a specific church that was facing the challenge of re-examining its participation in the Mission of God in a new cultural setting. Struggling with the effects of a consistent decline in attendance over the last two decades, Gormley Church reflects the uncertainty that characterizes many North American churches that do not know how to act as agents for the Kingdom of God in a culturally emergent setting. Taking into consideration the church’s historical background including a solid perception of God’s gracious intervention in our collective story, this chapter describes the ministry context in which this academic project was shaped, the research question that drove this study and the resulting innovation to our current ministry. In the final section I will explain and define the delimitations and concepts used in the project. Historical Context The beginning of Gormley as a small hamlet is well documented in different publications related to York Region in Ontario. In 1990 the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee asked Gary Nagata to compile the “Brief History of the New Gormley” (Nagata 1990). Three paragraphs of that [ Page ] 1 publication summarize the basic information about the establishment of this small community: The original settlement of the Gormley area of Markham Township began with the arrival of several Pennsylvania German Mennonite families in the first decade of the 19th century. Gormley’s Corners, centred around the present day intersection of Woodbine Avenue and Stouffville Road, was named after its first postmaster, James Gormley, in 1854. Gormley was also a school teacher, storekeeper and auctioneer. The construction of a Methodist Church on land donated by John Leary marked the beginning of New Gormley in 1873. Known as the Union Church, the white-painted frame building, heated by two box stoves, had a strong Mennonite presence. The formal start of Gormley Missionary Church did not occur, however, until 1891 when six charter members, all of Mennonite background, formed the first small congregation. (Nagata, 1990) The western portion of the Gormley community, which is part of the Town of Richmond Hill, used to be called New Gormley, West Gormley or simply Gormley. That distinction is related to three different factors. One was the construction of a Methodist church in 1873. It soon became affiliated with a group known as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ, which today is known as the Evangelical Missionary Church. The second was the coming of the new James Bay Railway line that came through New Gormley in 1905-1906. Gormley Station brought people and business to the community. The third factor that explains these different designations is much more recent. In 1989, the Ontario Highway 404 was finally finished. Gormley is a hamlet located partly in Richmond Hill, and partly in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Due to the construction of the Highway, New Gormley became more geographically distinctive, bringing [ Page ] 2 about a pronounced separation between the two hamlets. Another result is that Gormley Church experienced an address change to Gormley Road West. This is a dead end road, consequently all the traffic flows through the new bypass instead of passing by the Church, bringing less visibility to the Church. From a missional perspective, it is relevant to note that the settlers who founded the community of Gormley in general and the church in particular were endowed with a biblical understanding of God's mission. They were linked to and inspired by the revival movements, such as those of the Anabaptists and Mennonites, which swept through North America in the latter half of the 19th century; and their desire was to develop a community with clear Kingdom values. The settlers of Gormley were God-fearing people who worked hard to develop their farms or business while they shared their faith. The history of New Gormley gives us beautiful examples of people who knew the meaning of the word “missional.” They were ordinary people who displayed how to integrate faith with work. One of these pioneers was David Heise. Gary Nagata described him as follows: .. another distinguished citizen of New Gormley, who kept busy as a mechanic, carpenter and preacher” (Nagata 1990, 4). This missional heritage, left by our community settlers, was used to alert the participants of this research project to the advantages of a missional culture that understands work as part of the mission. [ Page ] 3 Ministry Context There was a discrepancy between what Gormley church members believe their mission to be, and what they did with their faith in the public sphere. Evidence of this was found in the lack of interaction between this particular group of Jesus followers and other social agencies in their community. Gormley Church has not had a single community-focused ministry for decades, nor any consistent initiatives in terms of volunteer service. This demands a review of our missional identity and clarification of what was preventing us from living according to what we believe. The local church sometimes does not realize that community service is another way to glorify God. Gormley Church is an example of this lack of understanding. Prior to this project this church’s identity and mission was not clearly defined even after 140 years of presence in this hamlet. As already mentioned, Gormley Church was historically a community church planted in a Caucasian and faith-based Mennonite community that no longer exists. Gormley, as part of the Town of Richmond Hill, is becoming a multiethnic and multigenerational community where the predominant ethnic group is the Mainland Chinese population, followed by the Iranian community and people from Hong Kong. Just across from the Gormley Church property is a vigorous Islamic Society that serves as a place of worship for hundreds of Muslims from the York Region. Church records indicate a 57% decline of church attendance since 1986 to the present. The current church leadership has asked the question whether this decline is due to a social, ethnic, cultural, intergenerational or spiritual factors. [ Page ] 4 68% of members and adherents of Gormley Church do not live or work in the community of Richmond Hill. As a result, many of the congregants are not aware of the community, its challenges, its needs and its ethnic diversity. Traditionally, the majority of the families are more familiar with Whitchurch- Stouffville than Gormley or Richmond Hill. The most recent person from the Gormley community to be integrated as a church member arrived 6 years ago. On the other side of the equation, the community of Gormley and the Town of Richmond Hill are disconnected from the church. For example, the church gets little response from the community when outreach initiatives or other church invitations take place. In pointing these facts out, however, Gormley Church does not ignore their inconsistency in terms of communication, integration and participation in community life. Ministry Opportunity Knowing that the social reality of this community will never be what it was when the first settlers arrived from Pennsylvania, Gormley Church envisions the development of its influence within the community. In order to accomplish that goal, Gormley Church needs to be prepared for a radical cultural shift, supplanting the traditional concept of doing church through programs and replacing it with the missional concept of being the church and living out the Gospel within the community. This study grew out of a conviction shared by the church leadership team that there were suitable conditions to explore new avenues of connection with the [ Page ] 5 potential to create effective links and partnerships for the benefit of the community. Among the favourable conditions that were observed was the fact that the church was, and still is, perceived as a reliable and historic symbol of the community. That perception became evident when I, as pastor of the church, began to establish contacts with key community leaders, agents and stakeholders. I also noticed that we had a fair number of church members and congregants looking for opportunities to share their passions, skills and capacities for the benefit of others. At that time, some were retired or semi-retired professionals. Preliminary pastoral interactions indicated that a small group of active professionals from the congregation would be open to serve the community in spite of their busy schedules. Since 2012, Gormley Church has gained a number of well-trained experienced leaders that could model a missional lifestyle ministry. The integration of these new leaders made the church seriously reflect on its potential to uniquely contribute to the community. My arrival as their first non-North American pastor, on July 2nd 2012, brought new hope and created a general expectation among the congregation that God would revitalize the church. Nevertheless, my family and I were made aware through the job description given to us in the application process that we would serve a church and community that were disconnected and unfamiliar to one another for years. Greater than the challenge of leading a church in another culture is surely the task of reconnecting a church to its community in a setting that has changed demographically, ethnically and economically. In any event, the [ Page ] 6 invitation to engage with another culture was accepted not only by me and my family, but also by the church who affirmed their willingness to embrace change. In spite of my persistent sense of inadequacy as I faced an unknown cross- cultural context, Gormley Church displayed trust in their new leader. My ministry credentials as an ordained pastor, church planter, theological educator, mission agency leader and president of a Baptist Seminary led them to believe that I would be the right person to facilitate this transition at Gormley Church. Considering that the church was and still is mainly composed of elderly people, we gave special attention to this segment of our congregation to understand if this would be the focus of our future community engagement. The initial search for potential links between the church and community led us to consider the aging segment of our community and weather we would contribute to its needs. Shortly after, a window of opportunity for community service among the aging population was clearly identified. We noticed that several Church members were already connected with various nursing homes in the community. In addition to regular visits to church members who were residents in these community retirement homes, the Church has recently been invited to participate in their events such as hymn singing and the sharing of testimonies. Three of these nursing homes in the region were open to our cooperation and we began to see it as a tremendous opportunity to serve, not just our seniors, but to also bless the community. All these possibilities were weighed in a broad discussion about the vision of the Church and the well-identified limitations of a small church. [ Page ] 7 In the meantime, the nursery ministry of the Church initiated a relationship with a nearby Christian crisis pregnancy centre. A few hundred women from Markham, Richmond Hill and Stouffville turn to this organization when they are faced with a crisis concerning their pregnancy. The Centre provides support to individuals involved in crisis pregnancy, post-abortion or single parenting. The government does not fund the Centre and they depend on the generosity of churches, organizations, businesses and individuals. Most of the clients are unable to pay for these services. In response to these needs, the nursery ministry of the Church began to collect products for pregnant women and children, such as baby formula, baby clothes, strollers, maternity clothes and winter clothes. As the Church grew in this informal partnership with the crisis pregnancy centre, the leaders from both parties began to express a desire to hold a monthly event at Gormley Church to connect with these young mothers and their children. This intergenerational initiative would include a meal prepared by Gormley Church volunteers and a lecture on related topics. At that monthly event the collected products would be delivered to the young families who are registered at the crisis pregnancy centre. Convinced that senior care and young mother support were two God-given opportunities for community service, both eventually became part of this research project. [ Page ] 8 Innovation The idea of responding to the decline of churches that have been established in rural environments with an Anglo-European cultural matrix is nothing new. Many means have been used to reverse the decline of a rural, Anglo- European church which finds itself in a new cultural context. What was innovative about this research project is its use of action research methodology through service learning opportunities that encouraged church members to re- engage with the community in order to express their growing awareness of a missional lifestyle. This study was driven by the following research question: What is the impact of intentional service learning opportunities, as they represent Kingdom activity through community service, on discipleship and on the participants’ awareness of missional living in a local church setting? Project Delimitations This endeavour was deliberately conceived to benefit the ministry of Gormley Church. The researcher is the Lead Pastor of this particular church and the selected participants are Gormley Church members. The community partner institutions that facilitated the project are located in our community or areas of influence. Other than our regular church ministry activities, the project did not include previous initiatives to provide supplementary training for those who would be involved as participants. Gormley Church volunteers were challenged to develop their missional experience within the community based on their relationship with God, their gifts, their previous experiences and their passions. [ Page ] 9 As researcher and pastor of the participants, I depended on the willingness and availability of the individuals and the community organizations involved. The consistency or inconsistency of a weekly or monthly community service commitment influenced the effectiveness of this service learning endeavour. Definition of Key Terms The following definitions are offered to clarify basic terms and concepts used in this dissertation. Community - the people and the institutions in the hamlet of Gormley and the Town of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Kingdom of God - the totality of God’s creation - spiritual and material - ruled by a sovereign, eternal and universal King who is Jesus Christ. Mission - the original intention of God in restoring the relationship of humanity with their Creator, with their neighbours, and with creation itself. As the agent of God’s Kingdom, the Church of Jesus Christ has received the mandate to announce and demonstrate the Kingdom of God through the preaching of the Gospel. Missional - the carrying out of Jesus’ mission in the world by his followers who consistently live out as a lifestyle the effects of the Gospel in their neighbourhoods and communities for the glory of God. Service Learning - describes hands-on service in a community context combined with systematic reflection in order to promote the wellbeing of others and the discipleship growth of the participants. [ Page ] 10 Chapter Outlines This chapter provides the historical and ministry context in which the project was developed, its innovation and project delimitations. It also includes the reasons that substantiate this research study in terms of a ministry opportunity graciously given to this particular congregation and the definition of key terms that will be consistently used throughout the study. The biblical and theological framework is provided in chapter two. The purpose of chapter three is to show how this research project fits into the existing literature that has gone before it in terms of missiological, sociological and educational studies. The methods and research methodologies encompass the content of chapter four, plus an explanation of the process used for the implementation of this study. In chapter five the goal was to present the findings, its interpretation and overall learning based on the data collected. Chapter six concludes this thesis with a description of the outcomes for the researcher, the participants and community agents, and finally with a summary of the major lessons learned throughout the project. [ Page ] 11 CHAPTER 2: THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS If we do not want to fall into the misconception of the church’s mission existing simply as an expression of its own mission, and not that of God’s, a missional lifestyle needs to be grounded in a solid theological foundation defined by the character of God and His Kingdom. God is determined to fulfil His mission of reconciling His entire creation with Himself. Based on those points of reference, this chapter offers a biblical and theological reflection of the elements that give substance to the project and to this thesis. A Biblical Rationale for the Kingdom Mission This first section provides the biblical foundation for the assumption that God’s missional character should shape the church’s understanding of community engagement. Two biblical references will be used to present the rationale for the Kingdom mission. The prophetic writings of Isaiah 52 display the blessings of God’s Kingship. These match with Jesus’ teaching about the Realm of God in Matthew 9:35-38. [ Page ] 12 The Old Testament and the Kingdom Mission God, as Sovereign King, and the Old Testament community of the King have a mission such as the one that has been described in the New Testament writings. The mission stated by Jesus in the Gospels grows out of the Kingdom missiology in the Old Testament. All Scripture, including the Old Testament, points to the fact that God, the King of Kings, has a missionary character and He is committed to fulfil His mission. Graeme Goldsworthy is correct in his observation that God’s Kingdom is the lens through which the Bible can be cohesively understood (Goldsworthy 2006). When we consider the Old Testament literature the concept of God’s Kingdom is abundantly present. Stanley J. Grenz informs us about the frequent use of the Hebrew verb “malak” (to be king) and its cognates “melukah” (kingship), “malkuth” (royal honour) and ‘‘mamlakah” (kingdom) (Grenz 1994, 472-473). All these words, in conjunction with God, express and define the concept of a Sovereign Lord who rules over all. Reflecting about the use of these terms, Stanley J. Grenz suggests: The Old Testament authors make no great distinction between a monarch’s right to rule and the physical realm of the king’s dominion; they are two poles of one basic concept. Further, the Old Testament writers declare that Israel is God’s kingdom in a special way, in that Israel acknowledges his kingship. At the same time, God’s right to rule properly extends over the entire world, even though many humans disregard it. One day, however, all nations will follow Israel in this confession (Zechariah 14:9,16). (Grenz 1994, 473) The concept of the Kingdom of God, according to the Old Testament, defines both creation in its totality and a particular people ruled by a sovereign, [ Page ] 13 eternal and universal King; or as Scot Mcknight states, “people governed by a king” (McKnight, 2014, 12). McKnight uses Psalms 45:6 and 103:19 to demonstrate that the Old Testament literature refers to both the realm and the ruling of this King who is the redeemer of Israel (see also Psalms 74:12; Isaiah 33:22; 44:8). But as Bruce K. Waltke argues, it is worth defining Israel, the chosen people, as a particular form of God’s Kingdom where the King exercises authority over the Israelites out of their faith and love for Him (Waltke 2012, 49-50). Numbers 23:21, Isaiah 24:23 and Deuteronomy 33:5 explain that covenant relationship between God as King, and the Israelites as His people. There is also a universal Kingdom of God that does not confine to itself to a particular people or dispensation. The transcendent creator and omnipotent King rules over all things and sustains all the earth forever (2 Kings 19:15). This is recorded in various passages such as 2 Kings 19:15 which says, “and Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 'Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.'” About the eternal nature of God’s universal Kingdom, Psalm 10:16 says, “The Lord is King for ever and ever, the nations will perish from his land.” King David of Israel was aware of the superiority of God’s Kingdom and writes in 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” The assumption of the Old Testament writings is that God’s Kingdom is not merely spiritual or religious. This King has the right to rule over all of [ Page ] 14 creation and over all the peoples of the earth in a tangible way. God’s Kingdom permeates history and every aspect of the life without geographic limitations. As Creator He has established the world and everything in it (Psalms 24:1-2). As Ruler over His Kingdom He watches over it and preserves His Creation (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalms 103:19). As Redeemer He desires to destroy all evil and establish a community where His shalom and righteousness will be experienced in its fullness (Jeremiah 3:17; Psalms 22:27-31; Isaiah 54). His earthly messianic Kingdom, which affects all mankind, is full of blessings that are not only spiritual. The physical blessings of the Kingdom, such as peace and provision (Barrick 2012, 185) will bring to completion His eschatological kingdom program. The Kingdom of God’s missiology in the Old Testament is grounded on the character of God and His kingship is the framework of His mission. As Scot McKnight argues, “Kings determine what their kingdoms are like” (McKnight 2014, 128). Therefore, the expression “Kingdom mission” used in this thesis, is sanctioned by the missional nature of the King, a concept that runs throughout Scripture. The missional King in the Old Testament has determined to bless all the nations of the earth, and this is obvious in Isaiah 45:22, “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” His mission as King reflects who He is. David J. Bosch supports that idea by saying, “If there is a missionary in the Old Testament, it is God Himself who will, as his eschatological deed par excellence, bring the nations to Jerusalem to worship him there together with his covenant people” (Bosch 1991, 19). [ Page ] 15 Isaiah 52 and the Kingdom-Gospel Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendour, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive. For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.” For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them. “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord. “For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,” declares the Lord. “And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.” How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house. But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard. See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. (Isaiah 52) The establishment of a connection between the Good News of the Kingdom in Isaiah and the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom by Jesus in the Gospels is not an unreasonable task. Isaiah 40:9-10 provides evidence of good news as an idea related to a King in the Old Testament. But perhaps Isaiah 52 is more instructive for if we are to explore the meaning of [ Page ] 16 Kingdom mission as a reality in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. The phrase “Kingdom of God” cannot be found in Isaiah, but that does not devalue the centrality of the Kingdom in the writings of the prophet. Isaiah gives us abundant information about the Kingdom and the proclamation of the good news, which is something that we often read in the Synoptic gospels. Ken Capps argues, “Isaiah supplies a significant portion of the blueprint for the Kingdom- gospel proclaimed by Jesus and other leading characters in Luke’s narrative” (Capps 2009, 33). This claim will be demonstrated in the next section of this chapter. The good news of the Kingdom in Isaiah is expressed in terms not so different from those used in the gospel of Jesus. The Hebrew word “básar,” which means “to bring good news” is found in Isaiah 40:9, 41:27, 52:7 and 61:1. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, the word used to translate “básar” is “euangelizomai” in the majority of the Old Testament occurrences. It means the announcement or proclamation of good news, an essential element of the mission of God’s people. This activity is not limited to the Old Testament. In the Gospel of Luke (4:16-18) Jesus defines His mission mentioning the term “euangelizomai” in a direct quotation of Isaiah 61:1. The Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 to encourage the Romans (10:15) and the Ephesians (2:17; 6:15) to fulfil the same commission. The resemblance between the gospel of the Kingdom in Isaiah 52 and the good news personified by Jesus goes beyond word usage. The nature and the [ Page ] 17 blessings of the Kingdom for the exiled people recorded in Isaiah 52 correspond with the nature and the blessings announced in the Good News of Jesus’ Kingdom. In both contexts, this Kingdom is long awaited. In Isaiah’s days, the people of God were devastated by the destruction of their nation and the symbols of their faith, which was caused by years of captivity. The desolation of their sacred heritage was more than they could bear, and the anticipation of a Kingdom, promised by Abraham and foreshadowed by David, became their final source of hope. The Old Testament ends with the reaffirmation of all the promises concerning the Kingdom and with a high level of anticipation for the blessings announced with the coming of the Kingdom. The Israelites had to wait four hundred years to see the Kingdom (Mark 1:14), but the consummation of it was still to come. The Kingdom was revealed and initiated in Christ, but its gospel continuous to be preached until the final return of the Redeemer and the consummation of all the promised Kingdom-blessings. Another important element of the nature of this Kingdom is its scope. Isaiah is clear about God’s kingship over Jerusalem and Zion. The nations, however, will see the Lord of Israel laying bare His holy arm and bringing salvation to His people (Isaiah 52:10). The nations of the world will not only see, but they will also experience the blessing of God's rule (Isaiah 42:11-7). The Kingdom Gospel that promises redemption is for the entire world, not solely for Israel. Christopher Wright observes, “The good news of the Kingdom of God that is to go out to the ends of the earth, to bring comfort and joy to all nations, is the [ Page ] 18 good news of the living God who reigns, who returns to his rightful inheritance, and who redeems the whole world” (Wright 2010, 186). The blessings of God’s Kingship in Isaiah 52 match the New Testament teachings of Jesus and His disciples. In the Gospels the blessings of the Kingdom conveyed by Jesus Himself are expressed by words such as “sozein” (salvation, healing), “aphesis” (forgiveness of sins, freedom from slavery), “dikaiosyne” (righteousness, justification, holiness), and “shalom” (peace, reconciliation) as a reality that is present and future. In Isaiah 52, the Kingdom’s anticipation is described by such words as peace, good news, salvation (52:7,10), joy, comfort, redemption, (52:8-9), holiness (52:10-11), and protection (52:12). Christopher Wright summarizes the Kingdom blessings registered in Isaiah 52 using four powerful sentences to describe it: “It’s peace! It’s good! We’re saved! Your God reigns!” (181). As one reads Isaiah’s writings, it becomes evident that there is one Kingdom mission with a unique Kingdom Gospel that is revealed by a King. When received, this Kingdom-Gospel, redeems and transforms. In the following sections of this chapter, the Kingdom mission and its Gospel, as presented in Isaiah, will be highlighted as the foundational principles of the Church of Jesus, who came as King to inaugurate His eternal Kingdom. Jesus’s Teachings and the Kingdom Mission To analyze comprehensively Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom, it would require multiple angles. It will suffice for the needs of the dissertation to focus [ Page ] 19 primarily on its missional aspect to demonstrate that, in Jesus’ terms, the Kingdom of God is consistently linked with the message and the mission of the Church. George Ladd accurately said, “The Kingdom of God was the central message of Jesus” (Ladd, 1993, 54) and this statement can be substantiated when we carefully consider the Gospels. It is there, though not exclusively, that we find the best framework for a theological reflection on Jesus' particular teachings about the Kingdom of God’s mission. The main storyline of the mission is the work of God, creating and redeeming the world in order to establish His shalom. Jesus taught the Church to pray “Your Kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10) because ultimately it is God who establishes His Kingdom on earth, not the Church. Jesus did not call the Church to a mission defined by such terms as “to establish,” “to build” or “to extend” the Kingdom. The Kingdom has been given to those who have become “children” (Luke 18:16), or are part of Jesus’ “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Those who “received” (Luke 18:17) and “entered” (Luke 18:24-25) the Kingdom of God are essentially the Church having been called and sent by Jesus to announce and display His Kingdom. George R. Hunsberger observes that the Kingdom “Is a gift that awaits our possessing. It will be inherited. On the final day of judgment the Son of Man will say, 'come, you that are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34)'” (Hunsberger 1998, 94). [ Page ] 20 If the mission of the Church, according to Jesus, is not to build up or expand the Kingdom, then what is the Church’s mission? The Gospel of Mark relates Jesus with His mission in these terms: “And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:13-14). In Matthew the description of Jesus' ministry follows the same theme: “And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). In the Gospel of Luke we find the following words: “But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43). These three verses highlight the same message concerning Jesus’ purpose on earth (Ladd 1993, 54). His mission, which is ours too, was to introduce people to His Kingdom through the proclamation of the Good News. Jesus’ parables substantiate the idea that His intent was to invite as many people as possible to His Kingship. This can be attested by Jesus’ numerous parables in the Gospels, which frequently were related directly to the Kingdom and the mission of God. The Gospel of Matthew, for example, provides a comprehensive description of the Kingdom by registering a dozen kingdom- connected parables that mostly begin with the expression, “The Kingdom of God/Heaven is like..." By doing that, Jesus shows His missional purpose to reveal and to promote the Kingdom of Heaven. [ Page ] 21 Another significant missiological message of the kingdom-connected parables, in Jesus' terms, is the unavoidable reality of spiritual warfare, whenever a Gospel sower delivers the message of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:19, 25-27). This is particularly relevant for the Church of Jesus as it embraces Kingdom mission. To follow Jesus in His mission means to promote the Kingdom of God and to overcome, in His name, Satan and evil spirits (Matthew 10:1,7-8). Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14 is also rich in terms of Kingdom mission teachings. To this Kingdom Gentiles and Jews are welcome, but everyone needs to be prepared to enter it with the right garments, which is Christ Himself (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27). In other words, the invitation of Jesus to enter His Kingdom is universal, but it is not unconditional. Another inescapable truth of this parable is that those who despise the invitation will face God’s justice. These two facts should guide the missional lifestyle of a local church. Following Jesus’ standards, the Church cannot dilute the Gospel in order to make it suitable to any unrepentant individual. Finally, Jesus’ perception of the Kingdom is not merely expressed in terms of a particular era, past, present or future. It cannot be reduced to ethical credentials or behavioural change, or to an unpretentious curriculum for the teaching ministry of the Church. Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God encompass the nature of the Gospel, which is Jesus Himself, His character, His death and resurrection and His mission. The last parable of Matthew’s gospel, the sheep and the goats, referred to in Matthew 25:31-46, incorporates a combination of elements that expound the Kingdom as past, present and future. It is an [ Page ] 22 eschatological parable that describes a Kingdom prepared since the foundation of the world (25:34) with a challenging, holistic and ethical mission for today (25:45) and a verdict for the future (25:46). This however is not the final reference to the Kingdom by Jesus in the Gospel of the King. In the Last Supper, recorded in Matthew 26:20-30, Jesus defines His Father’s Kingdom in direct association with His Gospel. Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom mission are consistent through all of His ministry. It drives the Great Commission that He gave to the Church (Matthew 28:18-20), as the One who has all authority on heaven and on earth. The missional narrative ends in Revelation (7:9-10; 14:6-7; 21:1, 5), where we see the fulfillment of the Great Commission and of God’s eternal Kingdom blessings. C.H. Dodd summarizes Jesus’ understanding of the Kingdom and its relation with God’s mission by affirming that “Jesus was not merely the herald of the Kingdom of God who waited for its coming. Rather, He was the inaugurator of the Kingdom, who saw in the events surrounding His mission indication that the sovereign power of God has come into effective operation” (Dodd 1935, 44). This is the biblical perception of the Church as a sign of the Kingdom, a Kingdom which needs to be proclaimed and demonstrated as a present and future blessing. Matthew 9:35-38 and the Gospel of the Kingdom Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out [ Page ] 23 workers into his harvest field. (Matthew 9:35-38) The Gospel of Matthew, according to David Bosch, embodies a theology of mission shaped by several concepts such as the Reign of God (basileia), God’s will (thelema) and God’s justice (dikayosyne), to refer to a few (Bosch 1991, 65). Matthew often interrelates these elements and they are crucial for a deeper understanding of Jesus’ missional teachings. Using Matthew 9:35-38, a transition passage between the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7) and several miracle narratives in chapters 8 and 9, our focus here is to consider the missional aspects that illustrate Jesus’ perceptions of the mission in correlation with His Father’s Kingdom. This particular passage provides a powerful blueprint of this project because it explains in detail the inherent missionary character of the Kingdom ministry of Jesus and how he relates with the community. Jesus kingdom ministry is consistent in every way. The message that is preached is always the Gospel, the same that is referred in Isaiah 52:7. The Good News (euangelion) is intrinsically associated with the Kingdom. In fact, Mathew’s Gospel is singular in the use of the combined expression “the Gospel of the Kingdom” that, according to John D. Harvey, “suggests that Gospel describes the character of the message, while kingdom defines its content” (Harvey 1998, 39). The Good News stands in contrast with the nature of a community described as “harassed and helpless,” which means that they were experiencing death, darkness and disease. The crowds defined as “sheep without a shepherd” needed God’s saving presence to experience the forgiveness of sins and physical or social healing, as with the paralytic in 9:1-8 and the tax collector in 9:9-13. In perfect [ Page ] 24 resemblance with Isaiah 35, 42 and 52, healing and forgiveness of sins are one combined reality that requires Jesus’ saving presence (justice). When the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached, the impact upon the community is necessarily twofold because salvation follows the Kingdom which is, by nature, present and future. Only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins (9:6a) restoring for eternity the relationship between sinful, but repentant individuals, and a Holy God. He is also the One who can say now to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home” (9:6b). Davies and Allison argue, “Jesus’ works of healing were an intrinsic part of the salvation Jesus would bring to his people Israel” (Davies and Allison 1988, 210). The King’s mission, holistic as it is, addresses soul, body and mind. Therefore, this Kingdom’s Gospel requires that the redeemed community respond to God’s compassion with practical and relational acts of mercy offering a positive alternative social reality. Matthew 25:31-46, among various other examples, expands the type of social support that the term “healing” (therapeuo) suggests for a Church truly committed to the Kingdom’s mission. Besides the forgiveness of sins and the healing of the body, Matthew 9:35-38 addresses the transformation of the mind as part of Jesus’ holistic mission. Knowing that we all are called to love God with our minds, Jesus invested a considerable part of His ministry in preaching but also in teaching about the Kingdom of God. This focus found in Jesus’ ministry substantiates the affirmation that the transformation of the mind is central to a missional lifestyle, whether by preaching or teaching. [ Page ] 25 Jesus’ compassion compels Him to be a teacher and eventually to appoint his disciples to continue his teaching mission. In Matthew 4:17 we read a simple summary of Jesus message, which is, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near.” But immediately after that crucial statement, we find Jesus calling His disciples to start a missional movement that becomes clearly defined in Matthew 4:23-25 in terms of nature, content and scope. The use of the word “teaching” is intentional. Having begun the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom, Jesus and His disciples must teach the crowds. Once again, Jesus models the mission of the Church by defining the ethics of the Kingdom with His unforgettable Sermon of the Mount. When Jesus finished His Sermon on the Mount, the crowds were amazed at His teaching (Matthew 7:28-29). But it was not always like that. In accordance with Isaiah 6:9, Jesus faced enormous resistance to His teachings (Matthew 12:1-14), a fact which eventually led Him to death. Note that the rejection of His teachings never deterred Him from fulfilling His teaching mission. In Matthew 9:35-38 we find a well-defined picture of Jesus as a model for kingdom living in the context of the community. Senior and Stuhlmueller, in their writings about Matthew’s mission theology, claim that, “From Matthew’s perspective, to encounter the Kingdom is to encounter Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the community’s preaching, teaching and ministry” (Senior and Stuhlmueller 1983, 237-238). When Jesus meets the distressed crowds, the Kingdom manifests itself bringing a holistic redemption through teaching, preaching and healing, which is an outcome of God’s compassionate love for the people. When Jesus’ [ Page ] 26 Kingdom ministry breaks in, the community experiences physical, spiritual, social and moral liberation. Consequently, we should not lower the standards in terms of the mission that was given to the church. As Jesus’ community, the church has been called to, “form communities of the redeemed” (McKnight 2014, 158), which is Kingdom revealing. When the Church’s mission matches with the King’s mission, preaching, teaching and healing become a natural demonstration of God’s compassion. Matthew 9:35-38 ends with Jesus’ direction to adopt “the other Lord’s Prayer” (Wright 2010, 257-258). The church is challenged to pray what Jesus instructs us to pray, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Christopher Wright’s perspective on this missional petition is that this is a “very dangerous prayer to pray. It tends to become a self- answering prayer, as the disciples found. For if they did as Jesus told them, the very next thing that happens is that they become the answer to their own prayer as Jesus sends them out” (Wright 2010, 258). A Theological Rationale for the Kingdom Mission As seen in the above biblical rationale for Kingdom mission, this Thesis- Project is guided by the position that God’s missional character and Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God give substance to a Kingdom mission, graciously given to a peculiar people. In this section, it is proposed that the mission, as the Bible defines it, requires a reliable origin, the missio Dei; a [ Page ] 27 hermeneutical and social context, the Church of Jesus; and an eschatological perspective, the establishment of God’s Kingdom. The Missio Dei as a Theocentric Motive Regarding the origin of the mission, scholars throughout the centuries have debated it, and the answers have been varied. Christopher Wright (Wright, 2006, 61-67) suggests three main sources: 1) anthropocentric, 2) ecclesiocentric, or 3) theocentric. David Bosch also describes that church history is rich in examples of different paradigms explaining the foundation of the mission (Bosch 1991, 389-393. The eighteenth-century Enlightenment perceived the mission of God as anthropocentric, but the second half of the following century and the first half of the twentieth century installed a church-centered theology of mission. The late nineteen fifties brought a Trinitarian, eschatological and Kingdom-oriented theology of the Mission which did not reduce the critical role of the Church in the missio Dei: George F. Vicedom, following Karl Barth and Karl Hartenstein who first used the term missio Dei to distinguish it from missio ecclesiae, was a pioneer delineating a Trinitarian and Kingdom-oriented theology that became the framework of a more holistic and missional Church. To introduce the concept, Vicedom, in his book The Mission of God - An Introduction to a Theology of Mission, quotes Karl Hartenstein and Norman Goodall as follows: The mission is not only obedience to a word of the Lord, it is not only the commitment to the gathering of the congregation; it is participation in the sending of the Son, in the missio Dei, with the inclusive aim of establishing the lordship of Christ over the whole redeemed creation. The missionary movement of which we are a part has its source in the Triune God Himself. (Hartenstein and Goodall in Vicedom 1965, 5) [ Page ] 28 With this quote, Vicedom provides a remarkable contribution to recover the Trinitarian character of God’s mission in the context of Kingdom. This same perception is reinforced by Johannes Verkuyl who said, “A truly Kingdom- centered theology is a thoroughly Trinitarian one; it is a theology which has God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Comforter at its very heart” (Verkuyl 1993, 72). The missio Dei represents the entire godhead. If this perspective is not maintained, distortions occur. Agustin J. Veneer argues that certain denominations have placed a focus exclusively on the Holy Spirit which has resulted in an experiential centered mission, where signs and wonders are paramount (Vencer 2006). In contrast, when the exclusive focus of the Church was Jesus as the Master or as the Saviour, the mission became almost exclusively didactic or an evangelistic crusade. A Trinitarian understanding of God’s mission will preserve a balanced and solid motivation of the Church’s mission. It will avoid denominational preferences or emphasis on one Person of the Trinity. The Local Church as the Hermeneutical and Social Context The Holy Trinity is the primary source for the mission. However, the Church, who are God’s elected people, is called to provide a hermeneutical and social context to God’s Lordship. The Triune God, in His sovereignty, has decided that His people would be active participants in the sending of His Son as they proclaim and demonstrate His eternal rulership. The visible role of the “laos” of God and its correlation with the Kingdom is clearly stated in the New [ Page ] 29 Testament, but also by Agustin J. Veneer who argued about the importance of the church as a community of the Kingdom: [T]he Church, as a community, has covenanted to live by the Law of God under the rule of Christ, the Head of the church (Eph. 1:22). The church is under God’s rule or reign. In the context of divine reign, one needs to examine closely the biblical teaching about the kingdom of God. For the church is both ekklesia (an assembly) and basileia (kingdom or God’s rule). The church is the community of the Kingdom; it is both the primary referent and the principal agency for discipling the nations. (Veneer 2006, 4) Therefore, according to Agustin J. Veneer, the Church is a community of the Kingdom of God inserted in various cultures to model, to make visible, and proclaim the Kingdom’s values. It is true that the Kingdom is not limited to the church, but it is also accurate to say that the church, “The believing and active community of Christ, is raised up by God among all nations to share in the salvation and suffering service of the Kingdom. The church consists of those whom God has called to stand at His side to act out with Him the drama of the revelation of the Kingdom come and coming” (Engen, Gilliland and Pierson 1993, 73). For that reason, the Bible informs us that the keys of the Kingdom were given to the church (Matthew 16:19). That fact does not make the Kingdom in any way dependent of the Church, but at the same time it assures the hermeneutical and missional role of the church. God in His sovereignty has decided that the church would “Be the instrument through which entrance into the Kingdom would be granted” (Morgan and Peterson 2012, 189). Once again, this fact does not authenticate the theory of ecclesiocentrism. The church is not, and it [ Page ] 30 should not become, a goal in and of itself’ (Engen, Gilliland and Person 1993, 73), Matthew 16:19, simply put, reinforces the missiological character of the church, which has been called to announce and demonstrate the Kingdom of God through the preaching of the Gospel. The Church, as the legitimate agency of God’s Kingdom, needs to recapture its mandate to turn the values of Jesus’ kingship into something tangible for community transformation. As an alternative body, within the community, the church embodies and interprets, here and now, the Kingdom of God. When our Christian influence becomes a reality in the everyday life of a community, it is possible to observe with more regularity the increase of standards given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, such as humble obedience to God, self-giving love, social justice, and compassion for people. The importance of acting as the hermeneutical and social context of the Kingdom is found in the words of Jesus who said, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16) The Establishment of the Kingdom as the Eschatological Perspective The proposed theological equation towards a biblical understanding of the mission of God ends with an eschatological perspective, the establishment of God’s Kingdom. The church needs to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom [ Page ] 31 with a sense of urgency, but also with a spirit of anticipation for the Kingdom’s final establishment. David Bosch warns, [O]ur mission will not usher in God’s reign. Neither did Jesus. He inaugurated it but did not bring it to its consummation. Like him, we are called to erect signs of God’s ultimate reign-not more, but certainly not less either. As we pray “your kingdom come!” we also commit ourselves to initiate, here and now, approximations and anticipations of God’s reign. Once again: God’s reign will come, since it has already come. It is both bestowal and challenge, gift and promise, present and future, celebration and anticipation. We have the firm assurance that its coming cannot be thwarted. (Bosch 1991, 35) The eschatological perspective provides a framework for the mission of the church and for this project in particular. Our pursuit is not a man-made goal here on earth, but rather the establishment of His Kingdom. The church is called to declare, celebrate and make the Kingdom visible as it prays “Maranatha.” God is the one that will define the end of times and not our strategic or pragmatic missionary goals. The mission of God’s people includes the preparation of His remnant who needs to be ready for the fulfillment of the Kingdom according to His amazing promise. His eminent return is part of the foundational message of the Gospel and it brings hope, but also calls us to holiness. The church prepares for the establishment of the Kingdom by living according to the rule of the Kingdom now. The eschatological message of the Kingdom gives perspective to the mission of the church knowing what Revelation 11:15 reveals, “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, ‘The kingdoms of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever!”’ [ Page ] 32 This theological concept was extremely helpful to keep my feet on the ground as this academic endeavour took place. In spite of our best efforts, a missional lifestyle does not become a reality in the life of an individual without the gracious and supernatural work of the Spirit of Jesus. He is the one who starts and He is also the one who, in His time, ensures the completion of a journey toward Christ-likeness. Summary and Conclusion A balanced missional theology requires a solid and comprehensive biblical foundation. Isaiah 52 and Matthew 9:35-38 provide the biblical rationale for a missional understanding of community service as a Kingdom effort. As people under the sovereignty of the King, the Church of Jesus received the mandate to reflect God’s missional character by engaging in His Kingdom mission. Additionally, this chapter provided the theological support for this project. One can conclude that a missional lifestyle entails never losing sight of the inevitable correspondence between the missio Dei, the Church and the Kingdom of God. None of these elements can be undervalued if we pursue a Trinitarian and Kingdom mission. Having established that foundation, the next chapter examines the precedent literature pertaining to missional living and community service developed by local churches. [ Page ] 33 CHAPTER 3: PRECEDENT LITERATURE AND CASES The missional literature selected to enrich the theoretical reflection of this endeavour was derived from two contemporary missiological authors. Michael Frost provides a Christ-centered model for missional living that was used in this project to measure the personal development and the missional awareness of the participants. Alan Roxburgh’s major contribution to this academic project was his considerations about the role of the local church in its cultivation of a parallel culture of the Kingdom within the community. Besides the missiological literature, this chapter offers a reflection on the sociological issues which impacted the local church in terms of community service. This project responds to that phenomena by proposing service learning opportunities, not just as an educational model, but as a discipleship tool that provides an intentional cycle of learning and reflection. Considering the similarities of this research project with a previous study that was done at Tyndale Seminary, this chapter will end with a brief analysis of the findings of that research project. [ Page ] 34 Michael Frost’s Contribution towards a Kingdom-Missional Life Michael Frost closely follows David Bosch’s understanding regarding the missional paradigm. He joins David Bosch in advocating that mission and kingdom are necessarily linked, and the Kingdom of God is the natural framework for the mission of the church. They believe that God’s Kingship shapes and gives meaning to the mission. Consequently, Frost uses Bosch’s words to define mission as, “Both the announcement and the demonstration of the Reign of God through Christ” (Frost 2011, 24). In other words, mission is the activity of the church in order “to alert people to the universal reign of God through Christ” (Bosch 1995, 33). The role of the Church as proclaimer of the Gospel in culture is expressed powerfully in “The Manila Manifesto,” a declaration that summarizes the resolutions made at the Second International Congress on World Evangelization in July, 1989 known as Lausanne: The church is intended by God to be a sign of his kingdom, that is, an indication of what community looks like when it comes under his rule of righteousness and peace. As with individuals, so with churches, the gospel has to be embodied if it is to be communicated effectively. It is through our love for one another that the invisible God reveals himself today, especially when our fellowship is expressed in small groups, and when it transcends the barriers of race, rank, sex and age which divide other communities. (Manila Manifesto 1989, 724) The Lausanne Movement influenced Michael Frost, along with other Australian missiologists such as Alan Hirsch. Hirsch stated, “Every disciple is to be an agent of the Kingdom of God, and every disciple is to carry the mission of [ Page ] 35 God into every sphere of life” (Hirsch 2008). Moreover, Frost explains how this is implemented in practical terms: This will be done by both a verbal announcement of God’s reign as well as a demonstration of the values and goodness of that reign under the noses of those who have not yet been set free (...). The mission of God’s people must involve alerting people to the universal reign of God through Christ by their work, play, politics, business, arts, community-service, education and so on. Indeed, I suggest it is an outworking of the excarnate impulses in society and the church that has allowed us to think that God’s reign only extends as far as the Christian community and, more specifically, the hearts of individual Christians. Surely Christ’s kingship extends over every sphere of human endeavor and indeed over the whole universe (...). I suggest that if we take the reign of God seriously, we would be committed to equipping Christians to live out their faith incarnationally in every sphere of life. (Frost 2014, 133) Michael Frost denounces the existing dualism between the Church and the world around us, pointing out that this is one of the most common illnesses of the western church. Dualism separates secular from the sacred and impacts the way church people perceive God’s mission. The missiological argument that shaped this project is the Great Commission given to the Church with the purpose of pronouncing the good news of a new creation and to disciple people, communities and nations. According to Michael Frost and Alan Roxburgh, it is possible to notice the presence of the Kingdom in a community when we see the Lordship of Christ impacting different areas of life. That means that there are communities of faith, which are active and dynamic, and display the values of the Kingdom by preaching the Gospel to every person of each ethnic group represented in that same community. As mature followers of Jesus Christ the goal of such [ Page ] 36 communities of faith is to make use of people’s spiritual vocations and job related opportunities, to redeem the culture by teaching and living out the Gospel. The most illustrative way, and the starting point of community redemption, according to Michael Frost, is the willingness to mimic Jesus by being generous, hospitable, Spirit-led, Christ-like and missionally sent. In his book Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture (2006), Frost presents a simple model that was adopted in his church communal life. BELLS is an acronym that stands for Bless, Eat, Listen, Learn and Sent. We will see, how it was used in this research project to encourage a Christ-centered life in each of the participants. Frost’s argument is that the church, as exiled people, needs to follow the eloquent examples of Joseph, Esther, Ruth, Daniel, Jesus and Paul, for example, in terms of eating and seating at the uncomfortable and unknown missional table for the glory of God. What Joseph, Daniel and Paul have in common, according to Michael Frost, is that, “They see food and eating as missional activities that enact some change on the host empire in which they find themselves” (167). That description of our communities as “host empires” fits perfectly with the perception of many congregations when challenged to sit at the table for community engagement. If the example of Joseph, Daniel and Paul has not convinced us about the importance of a missional lifestyle, we can make use of the supreme example, which is Jesus. He personifies, as nobody else can, the missional virtues suggested by Michael Frost. He is our supreme model for missional incarnation. C.S. Lewis in that regard wrote, [ Page ] 37 [O]ur imitation of God in this life — that is, our willed imitation as distinct from any of the likenesses which He has impressed upon our natures or states — must be an imitation of God incarnate: our model is the Jesus, not only of Calvary, but of the workshop, the roads, the crowds, the clamorous demands and surly oppositions, the lack of all peace and privacy, the interruptions. (Lewis, 1960) Jesus, indeed, lived a fully integrated life of faith and action, and that was expressed, among many other ways, by a certain type of generosity that allowed others to interrupt Him, and by a hospitable spirit which led Him to associate with the nobodies of His time. As Frost stated, we cannot separate Jesus’s Kingdom theology from His missional actions, “Because of the universal Kingdom of God through Christ, we bless, we open our tables, we listen for the Spirit, we learn Christ, and we are sent out” (Frost 2016, 21). Jesus, known as a friend of sinners, modeled a concept of what Frost describes as “questionable lives” in a direct reference to 1 Peter 3:15-16. To live a “questionable life” is to “provoke unbelievers to question our beliefs and enter into an evangelistic dialogue” (5). When the followers of Jesus enthusiastically live “their good behaviour in Christ” they evoke questions in the community that will require table conversations. This pattern was evident in the transformative episode where Jesus travelled with the two disciples on the road of Emmaus. On that occasion, Jesus begins this memorable interaction as a walking companion. He then becomes their guest. The disciples exhibit a hospitable culture that was stirred by Jesus’ missional behaviour. Frost’s missional emphasis is supported by the Emmaus Road encounter because it gives us an example of a crucial table conversation inspired by missional rhythms. Ruth Padilla Deborst uses this same biblical [ Page ] 38 narrative to explore the concept of hospitality. She explains this event in a thought-provoking way, “When the host is humble enough to be hosted, it opens a two-way street in mission” (DeBorst 2015, 198). In fact, this was exactly what happened in the account in Luke 24:13-35. Suddenly, when Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks and breaks it to share with them, the narrative places the hosts as the new guests. Consequently, the two disciples experienced conversion at the table: “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight “ (Luke 24:31). Ruth Padilla Deborst interprets this moment as follows, This had all transpired in their home, at their table, with their bread. As courteous hosts, they had generously welcomed the vulnerable stranger, sharing fellowship and food. (...) Only when they divest themselves of their power as hosts, when they grant the outsider the opportunity to offer them something, does the veil drop from their eyes. They are then ready to enter into the story of God’s Good News. (DeBorst 2015, 200). Michael Frost and Ruth Padilla DeBorst present their case for missional rhythms such as generosity and hospitality based on the example of Jesus. In both cases, the embodiment of God’s Kingdom mission in hostile communities requires a transformative encounter with Jesus and the adoption of His “strategic and consequential missional habits” (Frost 2016, 21). As figure 1 suggests, Michael Frost believes that, “our proper understanding of Christ (Christology) leads us into an appropriate commitment to mission (missiology) which forces us to develop the means of a common life together (ecclesiology)” (Frost 2006, 155). This methodological flow of the missional church, initially suggested by Alan Hirsch, shaped this research study. Missional living is generated by Christ, is modeled by Christ, and is for His ultimate glory. [ Page ] 39 Ruth Padilla DeBorst concurs with Michael Frost in his Christ-based missiological approach. When someone encounters Christ, transformation happens. This results in a missional lifestyle. That new way of living gives birth to communion with other faith sojourners. Returning to the episode of the Emmaus Road, she argues, The encounter with their crucified, risen, and living Lord is not something to sit around and theorize about, nor some mystical experience to relish privately. Meeting Christ is a profoundly missional experience. Communion with Jesus inevitably engages his followers in God’s work in the world. Awareness of God’s presence in our lives thrusts us into mutually welcoming relationships with others. (DeBorst 2015, 200). [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 1 details ] Figure 1. Methodological Flow of the Missional Church Adapted from Hirsch (2006, 143). This guiding principle for missional living was pursued in the development of this research study by focusing for the participants a spiritual understanding of Jesus as the initiator, calibrator, and ultimate goal of community-service. Alan Roxburgh and the Missional Change Process Alan Roxburgh is known as a writer and teacher who reflects on the church’s role as agent of the Kingdom of God in the community. The relationship established between biblical ecclesiology and the ultimate purpose of God for His creation is more relevant than Roxburgh’s writings on his missional change [ Page ] 40 process or map making process. Roxburgh seems to be reluctant when asked to define concepts such as “missional church” or “Kingdom of God.” However, he does offer help considering the relevance of these two concepts for this project. Concerning the “missional church, the author argues, A missional church is a community of God’s people who live into the imagination that they are, by their very nature, God’s missionary people living as a demonstration of what God plans to do in and for all of creation in Jesus Christ. (Roxburgh and Romanuk 2006, XV) When Roxburgh and Scott Boren were asked to define “Kingdom of God” they were more cautious. They argue that, “If we are to understand Jesus properly, we have to make sure we have a very clear, unambiguous understanding of the Kingdom. If we don’t get the kingdom right, we won’t get Jesus right. It’s that simple” (Roxburgh and Boren 2009, 34). In spite of the Kingdom’s centrality in Jesus ministry, Roxburgh and Boren avoid a simply rational definition of the concept because such a definition tends to place the individual in control over the idea which prevents us from taking the risk of “having our imaginations invaded by the God who is endlessly elusive” (38). We must not oversimplify the Kingdom of God with simplistic definitions, as Roxburgh suggests, but we surely need “To be a sign, witness and foretaste of God’s coming Kingdom” (42). That aim requires engaging missional conversations at our community tables and in our neighbourhoods. This is the starting point for a comprehensive approach of what Alan Roxburgh defines as the cultivation of parallel cultures of the Kingdom. If a local church assessment reveals evidence of social, political, ethical and spiritual disconnection between [ Page ] 41 its unique message and the community they are supposed to bless, there is a need to re-socialize the church with its natural role in its community context. We do that, Roxburgh argues, by redeveloping our church’s missional identity based on the biblical narrative and collective spiritual discernment that should lead to “experiments” and partnership projects within the community. Then, the church will be ready to create a parallel culture, which is an outcome of the cultivation “of practices and habits that shape a common life (Roxburgh, 2010, 145). The author mentions habits such as the offices or the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Scripture reading, practicing God’s presence and focusing on the Gospel, practicing hospitality, receiving the poor and through long-term learning. When these new practices are entrenched in the culture of a local church it is time to “form partnerships with the surrounding neighbourhoods and communities” (164) through projects and other opportunities that will allow the people of the Kingdom to sit around the community table and hear the stories of the people of the community in order to connect them with The Story. Alan Roxburgh is particularly concerned about leading the local church in these uncertain times in order to ensure that nothing prevents the Church’s participation in what God is doing in the community. That may explain his emphasis on models that potentially would help the church to embody a missional life. Before the model of parallel cultures, Roxburgh and Boren worked hard to develop what they describe as the, “Missional Change Process” (Roxburgh and Boren 2009, 133), which is immensely helpful for church leaders who have been called to lead in transitional church contexts. When a local church desires to [ Page ] 42 become a missional body for the sake of the Kingdom, the leaders need to know how change actually takes place. Figure 2 illustrates the perception of the authors about the five required steps for such transition to happen, which have partially been followed in this research project. [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 2 details ] Figure 2. Missional Change Process Adapted from Roxburgh and Boren (2009, 136). The authors understand awareness as the research observation that needs to take place in the community where the church is called to intervene in order to assess the sociocultural context. Understanding is the reflection process after the analysis of the reality. The authors argue that this happens through effective listening and the interpretation of what is happening in the community. [ Page ] 43 Evaluation “is a phase of decision-making because the church is now able to choose whether it will toward or away from the concrete actions of missional life” (144). The last phase of this process is experiment which is a natural outcome of the three previous steps. It refers to the moment of finally engaging the community with hands on opportunities to discern the movements of God in and through the people of the Kingdom. Commitment are the expected follow up actions of the community initiatives and it is a result of failures and successes. This missional change model proposed by Roxburgh and Boren reflects the understanding that every transition involves emotional reactions that need to be wisely addressed. Two questions need to be addressed. The first one deals with the scale of its implementation. Unlike this research project, Roxburgh and Boren’s model applies to a whole congregation at once. The only exception is during the evaluation stage where they suggest the formation of dialogue groups. From a researcher’s point of view, as one who went through the same type of transition process, it seems more appropriate to foster a transitional process on a minor scale by branding it as a simple project, although subversive, with the involvement of a representative and diverse sampling of church members. The second question about this missional change model is the proposed timeline for its implementation. The authors could not resist the temptation of defining the expected calendar to undertake each of the five stages of the model (155). After a considerable number of failures in transitional processes in a local church context, I am reluctant in regard to the use of pragmatic agendas of change. With these two observations in mind, the missional change model herein described can be of [ Page ] 44 great service to churches that want to adopt a missional lifestyle. The Gormley Church experience with this research project, with evident differences, echoes in many aspects the idea of parallel cultures and the framework of change proposed by Roxburgh and Boren. Community Service and Local Churches In conjunction with the missiological literature that forms the foundation for this study, this project took into consideration specific sociological issues that impact the perception of community service by local churches. The aim of this section is to reflect on the influence of individualism and sectarianism as major barriers for community service developed by local churches. Individualism Community engagement requires a broad understanding of what is preventing churches from being change agents in the public arena. Theoretical knowledge does not ensure the discovery of a solution for the recurrent missing link between churches and communities, however awareness of the sociological realities will assist congregations in seeking models that may reduce the inhibitory factors for church community engagement. This consideration was valuable in framing the issue of individualism and its consequences in our congregation, an issue which is shared by thousands of other churches in North America. It forced us to self-examine our level of individual responsibility as members of a local congregation and of a community. [ Page ] 45 According to Ed Finn, from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Canadian society faces the decline of collectivity which gave birth to the so-called “triumph of individualism” (Finn 2008). It is important here to define individualism, especially since Finn himself does not offer one. Yung Suk Kim, a Korean-American biblical scholar, understands individualism in the following way: “An individual is capable of anything apart from community, and precedes community or society as a whole” (Kim 2009, 34). The church as a collective body of people is not a human-made social construction, it is God’s idea; but as a group of people, it is not immune to the phenomena of individualism and its ramifications. Ed Finn’s study does not concentrate in particular on the triumph of individualism within churches, but other scholars have provided evidence that individualism has different expressions and has been present throughout Church history. Daniel J. Ott argues that the church, over centuries, has been fighting two major tendencies that have been preventing us, as a people of God, to act as a healthy community agent for transformation. Ott advocates that the ekklesia has a consistent tendency towards authoritarianism and sectarianism (Ott 2011, 347-348). Authoritarianism has been present in the church since her early days, but Constantine made it more visible by creating a close relation between church and power. Eventually it reached its climax during the reign of Pope Innocent III who established papal authority (350). Ott claims that this same authoritarianism has caught the Protestant side of the church through the dogma of the Bible’s infallibility. In his opinion, that particular belief is responsible for an intolerant fundamentalism that devalues [ Page ] 46 history, archeology and other sciences until today (351). One wonders how strongly this authoritarian impulse works against a missional lifestyle that comes from within the person. When the local church depends on its leadership structures to live out the Gospel more than on the impulse of the Spirit of God, missional living is hindered. Sectarianism The second barrier that deters the engagement of the church in community service, according to Daniel Ott, is sectarianism. Sectarianism separates the church from the world and consequently threatens community efforts. Ott recognizes the difficulty in understanding Jesus’ ministry without a certain level of sectarianism, considering the context from which Christianity emerged. He also affirms that these sectarian sentiments persisted through the Reformation era and continue to surface in the writings of present day theologians, such as Stanley Hauerwas, the well-known author of Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony (2014). I consider his position on Hauerwas to be highly debatable. The examples given by Daniel J. Ott for authoritarianism and sectarianism within the church reflect his theological liberalism. His misconception of Scripture, which I believe is God’s final authority, influence his capacity to support two valuable arguments by providing inaccurate examples. The church, in fact, has been affected by authoritarianism and sectarianism by replacing Jesus, the Head of the church, with all kinds of power and political structures that resemble military institutions rather than the communion of saints gathered under [ Page ] 47 Jesus’ lordship. As Ruth Padilla Deborst observes, “The way of Jesus is marked by renunciation of power and by welcome and fellowship” (Deborst 2015, 198). This Latin American theologian insists that the church needs to follow the model of Jesus by renouncing any pretension of power. The church emulates Jesus when it pursues the power of the Holy Spirit. When that happens, community service result as a normal response. When the Body of Christ chases power as means to subdue other groups or individuals, the outcome is disunity and sectarianism within the Body of Christ. Sectarianism is fairly presented by Daniel J. Ott in spite of the imprecision of the example he uses to support his case. Stanley Hauervas addresses the world- church dualism as Michael Frost does, many years later. The Australian missiologist affirmed that this type of dualism persists among the church and “is the philosophical foundation for excarnation” (Frost 2014, 41). He explains dualism by mentioning a division of life into two distinct realities that consumes and exhausts church leaders and ministries. On one side we have the ideological world of ideas, fantasy, story, spirituality and religious faith, and on the opposite side the material world of action and work and building and serving and touching and caring (Frost 2014, 42). In contrast with Daniel J. Ott’s opinion, Hauerwas presents his concept of “Christian colony” without acting as a world-hating sectarian. In fact, he is advocating the exact opposite. He cares for the world, the state and the society and he believes that, “the church is the body of people formed by the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. You do not know what the world is apart from [ Page ] 48 that story” (Hauerwas 1987, 88). The Gospel of Jesus, in my project, is the starting point for a missional lifestyle. Originating with Jesus and His Gospel, Hauerwas elaborates about the idea that the best way for the church to serve the world is to focus on its own integrity by not being corrupted by political agendas (89-90). A final quote from Hauerwas summarizes his position in this regard, The primary concern in my work has not been to critique liberal society; it has been to offer a vision of the church (in particular, the integrity of the church) so that Christians might help negotiate the challenges of a liberal society. Therefore, my concern for the church has really been an attempt to position the church as a community of service. (92-93) A Study on Canadian Receptivity to Missional-Focused Ministries In response to the missiology proposed by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, Allan Effa offers a variety of reflections about the Canadian receptivity to a missional-focused ministry. In his study Effa compares the levels of secularization between major cities in Canada and Australia. A level of secularization, can be seen by the percentage of the population who claim to have no religion. With that premise in mind, he affirms that among Canada’s western cities, secularization is still predominant and may be more suitable for an incarnational missional approach as understood by the two Australian missiologists (Effa 2010, 66). Also, he argues that Canadians are distinct in their pattern of association and formation of community, in comparison with the Australian model. He justifies that differentiation indicating Canadian climate and the phenomenon of cocooning as potential factors. In his view, Canadians are limited by the weather in going beyond the two primary realms of life, “home and [ Page ] 49 work”, by a “third place” where they can “experience meaningful interactions and community-building” (67). Allan Effa’s description of the Canadian culture in regard to “proximity spaces” does not end here. He is convinced that the church in Canada faces particular difficulties when intentionally seeking “proximity spaces” where Christians and non-Christians may interact. The Canadian church needs to imaginatively find new ways to identify “third places” where community and church may gather together. Without providing any data on this particular topic, Effa describes the problem in the following terms, With few exceptions Canadians in urban centers are strangers to most of the people in their neighborhoods. Parents of children competing on hockey and soccer teams develop some sense of camaraderie, but these groups flux and change according to the composition of the teams and rarely progress to a supportive network of life-long friendships. (...) Canadians tend to gravitate toward large gathering places such as hockey arenas and indoor soccer centers, concert halls and shopping malls, and not so much to small, more intimate venues. (67) That observation does not only apply to urban centers, but to the rural areas of the nation where there is a tendency to mimic the urban phenomenon of anonymity. In conclusion, Canadian churches need to explore new ways to overcome cultural constraints by interpreting their particular community context and finding their missional identity. Allan Effa suggests that the church needs to “remove the focus from programs and services” and develop “genuine communitas through purposeful engagement in mission” (69). [ Page ] 50 The Wave of Community Engagement Besides the cultural and sociological constraints that thwart missional- focused ministries, the individualist concept of private faith has also been identified as a factor that prevents the engagement of God’s people in community service. However, an intentional focus on community service has allowed several circles of churches and denominations to overcome that lack of engagement in North America. According to Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson, in the last decade community focused churches became the new norm (Rusaw and Swanson, 2004). Many of those who want to live out their faith by bringing transformation into their communities are making efforts to overcome potential gaps between individuals and community service. According to the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, those who held any form of religious faith in Canada are more likely to volunteer and serve their communities (Lasby 2004). In the US “regular churchgoers are more than twice as likely to volunteer to help the needy, compared to demographically matched Americans who rarely or never attend church” (Putnam and Campbell 2010, 445-446, 627-628). When Frank Tillapaugh wrote The Church Unleashed (Tillapaugh 1982), he could not anticipate the growth of what is known today as missional church movements represented by authors such as Michael Frost and Alan Roxburgh. A growing number of congregations in North America are catching the wave of the externally-focused church ministry through small groups, missional communities, community partnerships and social justice service opportunities. There is still a [ Page ] 51 long way to go, but the wave of community engagement is already putting local churches outside the walls to bless the community in Jesus’ name. The writings mentioned above are a sample of the relevant literature about the dynamics between community-based organizations and local churches. Faith- based organizations have been service providers for centuries and their importance for the society is irrefutable. Nonprofit and the volunteer sectors are absolutely vital for community transformation, but Canadians, according to Ed Finn, have lost trust in social, religious and political institutions (Finn 2008). Still, too many local churches, much like Gormley Church, have lost their calling to be engaged in serving the community. In a culture of hostility towards Christianity, the churches who are not yet acting as “salt and light” in their communities need to recover their missional calling and become Christ-centered and externally- focused churches. The missiological literature of Alan Roxburgh and Michael Frost suggests new paths to reconnect congregations and their local communities. One example is Alan Roxburgh’s contribution that suggests leaders of the local churches should promote a series of interacting factors starting with the “rule to become poets of the ordinary” (Roxburgh 2011, 173). He explains that the church should become less of a pedagogue and more of a poet by “attending to the conversations among people and giving voice to the stories and narratives” (176) of the people from the neighborhood. This is followed by “inviting people to discover how their stories connect with the biblical narratives” (Roxburgh 2010, 176). [ Page ] 52 Service Learning and Discipleship Growth Christ-likeness is the major aim of discipleship. This project attempted to understand and evaluate the impact of service learning in terms of the participants’ personal development and growth in discipleship. With the goal of enhancing the community service project, I searched for literature that would bring clarity to the use of service learning as a tool for missional initiatives in order to ensure transformational discipleship. Janet Eyler and Dwight Giles offer the following definition of service learning: Service learning is a form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection as students work with others through a process of applying what they are learning to community problems and, at the same time, reflecting upon their experiences as they seek to achieve real objectives for the community and deeper understanding and skills for themselves. (Eyler and Giles 1999) That definition assumes that service learning is for students who are exposed to community service. As a pedagogical methodology, it is frequently related to academic curricula. Kathleen Flecky and Lynn Gitlow propose that, “Service learning is different from volunteer experiences because of the explicit link of program objectives with structured community interactions to meet community- driven needs” (Flecky and Gitlow 2009, 2). In fact, the most common dialogue for service learning projects is between academia and community-based institutions, not churches and community organizations. The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, however, defines the same concept as “A teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and [ Page ] 53 strengthen communities” (“Definition of Service Learning” 2016). In this particular project, the usage of service learning as an instrument was not associated with an academic course, but with the goals to be achieved by volunteer participants, which were not different from the objectives pursued by students and faculty in an experiential educational setting. As with any other service learning project the intent was to verify if the experience of the participants would be converted into knowledge resulting in what Jack Mezirow and his associates labeled, “transformational learning” (Mezirow and Associates 2000). Community service is normally perceived as volunteer work for the good of those who receive their service. In this project, congregational service learning had two fundamental aims: to promote transformation in the community and personal and spiritual development in the volunteers as disciples of Jesus. The churches should consider community service projects developed by volunteers who act not only as community servants, but as learners or apprentices, which is another word for disciples. In this regard, I would concur with Leonard T. Bums who admonished the academia to make sure that they would partake in service learning and not just community service (Bums 1998). The literature accessed in this research gives evidence that service learning can be of use to congregations who want to develop volunteer service. The results obtained by a study conducted by Myers, Wolfer and Garland (2008) from Baylor University show that congregational service learning and faith development is not an awkward equation. They support their research with other studies such as the ones offered by Carl S. Dudley (Dudley 1991) and Diana Garland (Garland 2003), [ Page ] 54 who have demonstrated that service learning done by religious oriented volunteers provide “Opportunities to practice and strengthen their faith” (Myers, Wolfer and Garland 2008, 369). The findings of these academic studies resemble the testimony that was reported by Gormley Church volunteers in this research. Those Christians volunteers who willingly become involved in community service and consequently to a “hermeneutical cycle of learning” (369), will be positively affected in terms of their personal and spiritual development. The researchers describe “hermeneutical cycle of learning” in these terms, Volunteers initially have presuppositions, values and beliefs based on their life experiences. As they experience volunteer service, particularly through developing relationships with persons in radically different life circumstances than their own, they experience dissonance with their initial presuppositions, values and beliefs. These differences prompt them to either confirm or alter previous ideas and behaviors. Revised beliefs and values then become part of the basis for interpreting future experiences as the hermeneutical cycle of learning continues. (369-370) The discipleship growth that results from congregational service learning is not inferior by any means. Myers, Wolfer and Garland noted that research developed by the Search Institute in Minneapolis suggests the importance of congregational service learning as a method for discipleship development, especially among younger generations. Service learning was defined as, “A key factor in nurturing young people’s growth in faith. In fact, it appears to be more powerful than Sunday school, Bible Study, or participation in worship” (371-372). Benson and Roehlkepartain, from the Search Institute, cited by Myers, Wolfer and Garland came to the conclusion that, “The benefits of volunteering for young people [ Page ] 55 include congregational attachment, more positive lifestyle choices, increased social and vocational skills, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, and continued volunteering in adulthood” (372). These findings give substance to the argument that community service followed by crucial conversations and reflection will likely stimulate Christ- likeness, which is the fundamental goal of discipleship. In this project service learning as a necessary element of discipleship was assessed in the context of community service opportunities together with focus group sessions. Transformative Journeys -A Case Study The similarities between this research and the project developed by Matthew John Eckert, Transformative Journeys: An 8-Month Engagement of Integrated Discipleship Through Service Learning (2012) calls for attention. Eckert’s study had a certain scope, specific measurement standards and was developed in a unique ministry setting, which necessarily led to distinctive outcomes. In “Transformative Journeys” the question driving the research was, “would offering an 8-month combined service learning experience that provided a monthly routine of reflective learning and reflecting practice increase the spiritual formation that takes place in someone’s life?” (Eckert 2012, 5). As one of the pastors of a large non-denominational church in London, Ontario, Eckert pursued this investigation in order to understand new ways for mature disciple making. Unlike Gormley Church, North Point’s challenge was not [ Page ] 56 the problem of a persistent disconnection between a local church and the community. Rather, North Point, at that moment in time, had eight vibrant partnerships with non-profit organizations, both Christian and secular, in the city of London. The issue was the quality of the disciples being produced through their multiple outreach and community-focused programs. In Gormley’s case, the pursuit was the spiritual growth of the participants, but also a desired rediscovery of the Church’s missional identity by reconnecting this congregation with the community. Nevertheless, in both projects, the community was ultimately blessed by the service of the participants. To explore the validity of the hypothesis, Eckert developed Engaging Journeys a multidisciplinary program of discipleship that included personal reflections, group reflections, Scripture, videos, in class issue-specific training and hands-on serving. The data collected substantiated the theory of the researcher. Eckert determined that Engaging Journeys gave a positive answer to the research question set forth. The findings of Eckert’s study were encapsulated in seven major conclusions: 1) Life transformation takes time; 2) Reflective interaction increases life transformation; 3) Discipleship involves integrating multiple activities; 4) Do not underestimate the importance of Scripture; 5) Every discipleship journey is unique; 6) Moving outside of your comfort zone with people who are different is transformative theologically; 7) Growth is confusing, messy and uncomfortable. These conclusions were fundamental both for the participants as well as for North Point and their understanding of discipleship. [ Page ] 57 Eckert’s conclusions are relevant and potentially transformative to the status quo of disciple making. The observation that life transformation takes time is obvious, as Eckert assumed, but it needs to be repeatedly remembered. As suggested by John Drane in his book The McDonaldization of the Church: Consumer Culture and the Church’s Future (2001), the tendency for the “McDonaldization” of discipleship is recurrent in our church circles. If eight months were short to confirm life transformation, six months would likely not be enough to rediscover a local church’s missional identity. The component of Bible- centered training alongside hands-on service is the fabric for spiritual formation. Transformative Journeys provided a comprehensive and much needed biblical instruction to its participants. Service learning as a tool for discipleship is unquestionable as Eckert’s research project validates. Finally, the cost of discipleship should not be underestimated. Eckert’s research project teaches us that a missional shaped life requires intentionality and the willingness to step out of one's comfort zones. Summary and Conclusion This chapter has described the missional and sociological literature pertinent to this research project. Michael Frost and Alan Roxburgh reflect the same understanding concerning the role of the local church as a sign of the Kingdom in their neighbourhoods. As a parallel culture offered for community redemption, the local church needs to developed Kingdom efforts by adopting a Christ-centered foundation for community engagement. The sustainable [ Page ] 58 demonstration and proclamation of the Kingdom depend on its motives. Christology gives birth to missiology, which produces ecclesiology. Jesus and His Gospel are the initiators of a missional lifestyle, and the mission produces the fellowship of the saints within the Kingdom. In spite of the impact of individualism and sectarianism in North America, the local church has been challenged to embrace change and find new ways to adjust and engage in community service. The literature examined indicates that local churches with an externally-focused ministry may benefit from service learning as a tool for discipleship growth. When community service is followed by reflection, missional living will develop. This claim will be demonstrated when the data is interpreted in chapter 5. But prior to this, the methodology and research methods used in this project need to be explained. [ Page ] 59 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY AND METHODS This chapter begins with a description of the rationale that guided the design of the project and the criteria for the selection of the participants involved. The objective of this study was to explore the value of community service opportunities to foster discipleship growth and a missional identity in a local church setting. The first section lays out the reasoning for the research methodology that was carried out. In particular it explains why participatory action research was used as the framework of the research. Ethnography and narrative research tools were used for data collection, but essentially this was a participatory action research project that pursued transformation through the participation of the volunteers. Action research precedes storytelling and reflection and, eventually, will lead to transformation. This chapter also details the research methods that were adopted in this endeavour, the means by which the researcher reflected on the data collected and the process used to analyze it. Chapter four ends with a description of the ethical criteria that have guided this project. [ Page ] 60 The Design of the Project The aim of this project was to examine how community service opportunities would impact the development of the participants, as they became involved in serving their community. To achieve that purpose, I began by selecting a group of 10 members of Gormley Church to participate in this research project, which is approximately a quarter of the church’s total membership. In this particular congregation, membership signifies that one is formally admitted as a member by the Church Board after public confession of faith in Christ through baptism. It also means affirming the statement of faith and the by-laws of Gormley Church. After a period of seeking discernment through prayer, the recruitment and selection of church members was based on church leadership recommendations. The church leadership team and the researcher followed three criteria to select the volunteers: 1) influence within the congregation; 2) availability and willingness to participate; 3) diversity in terms of gender, generational background and cultural worldview. The participants’ influence with members of the congregation was understood as their ability to inject passion and produce perceivable actions from people within their circle of relationships. Taking into consideration the logistics involved in a participatory action research project and the size of the congregation, the number of participants proved to be a sufficient sample. The goal was to encourage change within the congregation and to ensure the feasibility of the project in terms of logistics and assessment. [ Page ] 61 The basic rationale used for the selection of the community organizations (faith-based or not) and local ministries that would partner with the project was two-fold: 1) the nature of the service offered to the community, and 2) the capacity to provide hands-on service opportunities to our volunteers. The criterion was the availability and interest of the partner to provide service opportunities on a weekly basis. Furthermore, efforts were made to search for community partners who would facilitate cross-generational and multi-ethnic interaction, taking into consideration, as much as possible, the participants’ profile and their areas of interest. After several visits and negotiations, it was possible to establish informal partnerships with eight community institutions or local ministries. Seven are Christian based organizations including one that is a ministry program situated in a church building and managed by a local group of ministers. Two of the eight institutions or ministries provided service opportunities for two participants each. These organizations are located in Richmond Hill, Stouffville, Markham, Scarborough and Toronto, and their areas of intervention cover a variety of social needs, as follows: • Naim Family Homes (child foster care) • Markham-Stouffville Crisis Pregnancy Centre (young mothers support) • Parkview Home (long-term seniors care) • Stouffville Ministerial (ESL program) • Agape Unlimited (medical mission agency) • Care and Share (community thrift store) • Oak Ridges Retirement Community (long-term seniors care) • Intercultural Connections (English tutoring of Muslim women) [ Page ] 62 Once the sample selection method, criteria and size were determined, the volunteers were challenged to engage in community service through a service learning project. They assessed the impact of their service within the community, and were personally assessed as to their missional awareness and personal growth through several research instruments such as interviews, personal narratives, focus groups and questionnaires. Besides the S.H.A.P.E seminar, no specific training sessions were offered to the participants before the project. They had developed their own missional experience within the community based on their relationship with God, their gifts, previous experiences and passions. Research Methodology This participatory action research project made use of an evaluative methodology which collected data and information to provide useful feedback that eventually produced change. This thesis-project has followed the definition of participatory action research described by Bramer and Chapman: “an iterative process of action, research, and reflection guided by a leader with the participation of others in the situation to effect positive individual and social change and to develop theoretical knowledge” (Bramer and Chapman 2011). In the case of community-based participatory action research, the research emphasis was on the social interaction of the participants with the partner organizations and what could be learned which would facilitate and encourage a missional lifestyle. Service learning served this project as an approach to reflect on the context of the participants’ intervention. [ Page ] 63 The decision to select participatory action research as a qualitative inquiry approach was intentional. The experience of the participants confirmed that the model of action, participation and reflection, would be an adequate framework to promote this missional endeavour. The cycle of action and reflection was based on stories told by the participants. The missional practice was grounded in the importance of sharing stories and the ability to relate them to the redemptive work of Christ. In these two areas I valued the stories of individuals, even when they were affected by subjectivity. The importance of the participants’ stories was consistently communicated during the interactions of the researcher with the volunteers, but mostly throughout the focus group reflection sessions. Then, common themes arose giving foundation to deeper missional understandings. Each person has a story to tell and my role as an interpreter guide, as defined by Richard R. Osmer, was to identify the themes that arise from each story in order to establish general principles that would facilitate the achievement of the goals defined at the beginning of the study (Osmer 2008, 80). Research Methods and Data Collection In addition to the participants’ profile assessment, the data sets were divided in three assessment categories: 1) personal development (PD), 2) missional awareness (MA), and 3) community impact (appendix 1, 3). In this section I describe the following data sets and their purpose: 1) S.H.A.P.E - participants’ profile, 2) pre-observation, observation and post- observation individual narratives, to measure personal development and missional [ Page ] 64 awareness, 3) BELLS form, as a complementary tool to gauge personal development and missional awareness throughout the 6-month project, 4) midterm and final focus group reflections to measure missional awareness, and 5) satisfactory and post-satisfactory surveys, to evaluate the impact of the volunteer’s participation from a partner institution’ point of view. These tools were used to assess, from various angles, the participants’ experience in terms of discipleship growth and the adoption of a missional lifestyle. They are typically used as ethnographic and narrative research tools; as such they helped to understand “shared patterns of behavior, beliefs and language” (Creswell 2007, 68). These “shared patterns” were identified through focus group reflections. The narrative research tools, such as the individual narratives, on the other hand, provided a way to analyze the participants’ individual stories and their main themes as they emerged. To collect the data a mixed method approach was utilized. The data was gathered by having the participants complete the questionnaires prepared for each assessed category. In a group of ten participants, only two required the researcher’s help to be able to fill out the questionnaires. The results of the S.H.A.P.E profile, along with the findings pertaining personal development, missional awareness and community impact, were collected and stored, upholding anonymity and confidentiality. The three focus group sessions were held at the Gormley Church building and recorded in video and audio files. Furthermore, I ensured that every intervention of the participants would be transcribed to produce a comprehensive written report of each session. The community partner [ Page ] 65 organizations filled out the midterm and final surveys in accordance with the proposed schedule, and the results were submitted in electronic form to the researcher. More details about the data collection process will be given as the data sets are described and as the findings in chapter five are presented. Participants’ Profile Assessment I made use of S.H.A.P.E, a formalized assessment tool (appendix 2) prepared by Eric Rees (Rees 2006) in order to help the participants better understand their spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences. Considering that this endeavour was done in a congregational setting, S.H.A.P.E was used in this project as a teaching element that helped enable the participants to enter into their community service experience. Other reasons for its use were the familiarity of the researcher with it, the availability of the resource and its ease of use. This tool was explained and distributed through a seminar that I conducted in February 28th 2015, two weeks before the beginning of the community service projects. The primary reason for this assessment process was to identify the volunteers’ profile and help them to fruitfully explore available service learning opportunities that could be suitable to each one of them. Ultimately, the S.H.A.P.E seminar is a tool to help followers of Jesus discover what God has designed them to do in terms of their Kingdom purpose. In a 4-hour teaching session, with the support of a study guide, we covered the following topics: 1) Only you can be you, 2) Unwrapping my spiritual gifts, 3) Hearing my heartbeat, 4) Discovering my natural abilities, 5) Recognizing my personality, and 6) [ Page ] 66 Understanding my experiences. Each session included a video lesson, follow-up group discussions, prayer time, and application exercises, such as profile questionnaires, to identify spiritual gifts, God-given passions, natural abilities, personality traits and catalytic experiences. Service Learning Project Assessment Before, during and after the community service project I assessed and evaluated every participant in three major areas as follows. Personal Development The aim of this project was the transformation of participants by the adoption or strengthening of a missional lifestyle. As mentioned earlier, Michael Frost came up with five Christ-centered habits, which he calls the BELLS model, as an incentive to engage God’s people in the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Frost 2016, x). The acronym BELLS stands for verbs linked with missional virtues: Bless (Generosity), Eat (Hospitality), Listen (Spirit-Led), Learn (Christ like), Sent (Missionary). Michael Frost writes that, “Missional habits are those habits we foster in our lives that, in turn shape our missional oulook” (20). Jesus’ followers need to live out these habits if they are committed to demonstrate the Kingdom of God. The cultivation of each one of these habits should encourage missional virtues in the lives of those who practice them. Michael Frost suggests that on a weekly or daily basis, Jesus’ followers are to bless people through acts of generosity, cultivating hospitality by developing healthy [ Page ] 67 relationships, sharing the dinner table, listening attentively to the Holy Spirit to become Spirit-led, being willing to learn to be Christ like, and see themselves as sent missionaries into their communities. The S.H.A.P.E assessment was a helpful start to define the profile of the participants. Discipleship, however, can not be reduced down to answering questions and recording the results. Missional living is best shaped in the everyday context of service as we intentionally cultivate Christ-centered habits. The BELLS’s concept, therefore, shaped the formulation of the questions that were asked in this category, before, during and after the project. The key question that drove the assessment in terms of transformational development of the participants was the following one borrowed from Alan Hirsch and Darryn Altclass: “What is God brewing within you?” (Hirsch and Altclass 2009, 79). Hirsch and Altclass use the word “brewing” metaphorically to suggest that “Jesus is always active in brewing something in the world”, (56) which can be understood as a reference to the fact that Jesus is always at work in, among and around us. In response to this first question, I utilized data collection instruments that provided descriptive input about the development of these missional virtues in the lives of the participants (appendix 3). This qualitative data described the participants’ past involvement in their local churches and neighbourhoods and what impacted them most from those experiences. The midterm research instrument requested stories that would define the value of the community service experience and the main lessons learned. After the project’s [ Page ] 68 conclusion, the participants were asked to summarize the impact of their service for their future and to highlight three defining moments in the whole project. Additionally, I utilized the BELLS form designed by Michael Frost (Frost 2016, 105-107) as a simple accountability tool to collect qualitative narratives on the five missional habits. This instrument was offered to help the participants to evaluate their weekly progress throughout the whole project. Missional Awareness Missional awareness results in an inner reflection of the life of Christ in us and through us as we join Him in His mission. Roland Kuhl expands this concept stating that missional awareness entails spiritual transformation, The joy of being part of what God is up to in the world, is not only about hearing and responding to God’s call; it’s also about being transformed by the Spirit of God to our seeing where Jesus is in the world and our being like Jesus in the world. Spirituality today is often about us and our experiences, but our participating with God is not so much about us as it is our being in partnership with God in bringing about what God is doing in the world to make all things and all people new. (Kuhl 2014) The aspiration for this second category was to increase their contribution to the mission of God by a clear understanding of who they are and what their calling in a particular context is. Michael Frost defined that contribution to God’s Mission in these terms: “All that we do and say that alerts others to the Reign of God" (Frost 2016,21). The research instruments utilized (appendix 1, 3) considered the participants’ sensitivity to God’s Spirit in two specific areas: 1) understanding and appreciating who they are and can become in Christ, and 2) discerning what God [ Page ] 69 is doing in their relationships. In other words, the ultimate goal was to measure the self-awareness of their contribution as God’s sent disciples and their discernment of the movements of God around and through them, before, during and after the service learning project. As stated above, the question that drove the assessment of the participants’ contribution in God’s mission was, “What is God brewing around you?” (Hirsch and Altclass 2009, 79). The aim with the focus group reflections and individual narratives was to enrich and to observe the participants’ experience. With that in mind, three focus group reflection sessions were designed around open discussions. These focus group sessions covered three distinct topics that are linked with the methodological flow of the missional church, namely Christology- Missiology-Ecclesiology. The first one was held on April 25, 2015 and focused on communication. Its purpose was to examine the way God reveals Himself to us and how He integrates us in His Kingdom mission. The second one, held on June 14, 2015, reflected on the word “story,” more specifically, the required spiritual discernment about what God is doing in His mission as we journey with Him. The post-observation session, held on August 23, 2015, highlighted the word “missional” to encourage a consistent missional living as part of a local community of followers of Jesus on mission. Considering that not every participant would function well in a focus group setting, individual narratives were also used. By having the participants complete a data set with two questions each, prior, during and after the project, their experience was comprehensively documented. The questions submitted in [ Page ] 70 this data set did not diverge from what was discussed in the focus group sessions, but they were more direct. That was intentional in order to facilitate the participants’ understanding of what their missional calling was at the end of the project, after the cultivation of the five missional habits throughout the community service experience. Community Impact In this category, the question “What is God brewing amongst you?” (79) was given to measure the impact of the volunteer’s participation in community- based institutions. This question shaped the assessment concerning the effectiveness and impact of the participants in the community institution or ministry partner in two areas. First, I wanted to see the establishment of new relationships between participants and those who run community service initiatives. Second, 1 hoped to get positive feedback from the community-based organizations that would keep the doors open for future community service opportunities performed by members of Gormley Church. The community impact of the participants was evaluated making use of two surveys with the representatives of the partner organization (appendix 5). Personal development was assessed by Michael Frost’s five missional virtues, which can be understood as a Christ-centered foundation for an incarnational ministry. In this last assessment the community impact of the service learning project was measured on the basis of a four-factor scale suggested by Alan Hirsch as the model followed by Jesus which is the framework for an incarnational [ Page ] 71 ministry. Grounded in John 1:14, Hirsch mentions four dimensions for radical identification with those we want to serve: presence, proximity, powerlessness and proclamation (Hirsch 2006, 132-134). These four elements measured the degree of the participants’ involvement in terms of consistency, first of their presence, which is “to become part of the very fabric of a community and to engage in the humanity of it all” (133). Second, proximity means “genuine availability” to emotionally identify and associate with those in the community we are seeking to reach. Third, powerlessness denotes attitudes of servanthood and humbleness. Finally, proclamation was replaced by the word “communication” considering the context. This last component was assessed taking into account what I previously presented as an image designed by Alan Roxburgh that talks about the rule of “becoming poets of the ordinary,” instead of teachers (Roxburgh 2010, 173). In other words, the participants were assessed in terms of their capacity to “attend conversations among people and to give voice to their stories and narratives” (176). Whenever it was convenient and previously agreed upon, the participant was able to move forward and “invite people to discover how their stories connect with the biblical narratives" (176). Data Analysis Social scientists offer many techniques for qualitative data analysis. As was used in the data collection phase, a mixed method approach was utilized to analyse the data. In a first rudimentary look at each data set, I considered the collected data as to its value to respond to the research question that drove this [ Page ] 72 study, along with its objectives. It was deemed that the abundance and relevance of the data gathered was sufficient to respond to the question posed in the first chapter of this dissertation and to support the findings. The subsequent undertaking of the actual data analysis involved the organization of each piece of raw data by participant and by categories. This phase was followed by a process of transcription of recordings and an electronic import of all of the data into the MAXQDA electronic platform (MAXQDA 2016). This was the quantitative data analysis software selected to proceed with the sorting, coding and discovery of themes which provided an overall diagnosis of the imported data. That analysis allowed me to generate reports and the respective charts for each individual participant, but also for the group as a whole. Following the classification used in the S.H.A.P.E - assessment, spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences - an analysis of the participants’ profile as a group was performed by grouping, calculating the code frequency and summarizing the information available in a figure format. The three main categories of the assessment - personal development, missional awareness and community impact - were analyzed through coding and theme frequency, but also through triangulation. In the personal development assessment, the five missional habits, known as BELLS, were classified as codes. For missional awareness the codes used matched the two objectives of the assessment in this particular area. Finally, concerning community impact, the established list of codes considered the questions presented in both surveys and the 4-scale adopted for an incarnational ministry. [ Page ] 73 The quantitative analysis of these main assessment categories included several readings of the imported data, of every passage, word or synonym linked with each one of the defined codes, respectively, to proceed with the necessary identification, theme and patterns discovery, classification, frequency and interpretation. In terms of the research on personal development and missional awareness, code frequency became a guiding structure of the analysis, but it was consistently complemented by the evaluation and interpretation of the focus groups’ data sets. Considering the specific nature of the focus group reports, I identified the patterns and themes that would be consistent with the selected codes. The triangulation at the end of this process, and the participants’ validation of the analysis, gave the necessary evidence to confirm the findings of the data by comparing different perspectives and by looking for contrasts or missing information. That task brought strength to the conclusions. Ethical Considerations This project was submitted to formal ethical reviews by Tyndale Seminary Doctor of Ministry Ethics Review Board and is conformity with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans particularly as it relates to gaining consent of participants, maintaining data security, and ensuring anonymity and confidentiality (TCPS 2010). Additionally, I was committed to apply every ethical obligation established at Tyndale Seminary by The Research Ethics Board which included a detailed consent process, an [ Page ] 74 explanation of the project to the agents involved, its purposes and methodology regarding data collection. Prior to this research study, the researcher arranged individual meetings with the participants and with the representatives of the partner institutions, in order to provide enough information for the participant and partners to be able to give informed consent. All of them received assurance from the researcher that every effort would be made to minimize any risks of privacy violation. Respect for their autonomy was also assured in that nobody was under the obligation to participate; and if they would choose to withdraw from the study at any time or refuse to answer any questions, they would be totally free to do so without any penalization. In that case, all data gathered up to the time of withdrawal would be destroyed. The participants and the partner organizations were also made aware that the data collected and analyzed, whether electronic or hard copy would be archived for a period of 5 years in a locked filing cabinet in a locked office in the Gormley Church’s pastoral office. At the end of those meetings, each participant and partner representative acknowledged their understanding of the project and their formal approval by signing the respective consent form (appendix 7,8, 9). The application of other ethic values, such as confidentiality and anonymity, was equally assured by the researcher. The data collected was used only for the approved purposes. Anonymity was protected by removing any identifying details of the participants such as age, name and surname, and of places, and by coding the name of the participants in all documentation. [ Page ] 75 Considering the fact that during this study the researcher was also acting as the lead pastor of the participants, I restrained myself from sharing any story or illustration related with this study in any teaching occasion or when dealing with the participants in pastoral care situations. Finally, I followed the action research norm that each participant and community partner organization would have prior access to the findings to confirm the accuracy of the assessment before sharing it in its final form. Summary and Conclusion This participatory action research study utilized a mixed methods and data analysis approach. The adopted research methods and the analysis of the data gathered during the project provided an integrated picture of the participants’ experience in the areas being researched. Ultimately, the goal was to respond to the research question stated in the beginning of this thesis. Making use of an action research methodology through service learning opportunities, this project evaluated church members’ engagement in community service in order to express their growing awareness of a missional lifestyle. The final validation of the analysis will be demonstrated in chapter five were the findings will be presented and discussed. [ Page ] 76 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION This chapter presents the interpretation of the collected data in terms of the participants’ profile, their personal development, missional awareness and community impact. The findings were analyzed taking into consideration the previously established research question. Who Engaged the Community This first section describes the profile of the participants in this research project in terms of composition, demographics and their local church involvement. Taking into consideration the S.H.A.P.E life profile, details will be given about the participants’ profile according to the categories measured in that assessment. Participants’ Demographics and Local Church All of the participants selected were Gormley Church members, a group which represented 13.7 % of the total church membership which was 73 at that point in time. The decision to select Gormley Church members and not adherents was driven by assumption that members would have more influence within the church, which as one of the criteria for the recruitment of this group of volunteers. Considering the busyness of our days, a six-month project requires a great level of [ Page ] 77 commitment and generosity, especially when we consider that six out of the ten participants were full-time workers or students. The other four participants were retired or temporarily unemployed. As a limited sample, this group of people does not necessarily reflect the reality of the Canadian society or an average Canadian evangelical church (see table 1). However, they do fairly represent the congregation to which they belong in terms of generational background and cultural worldview. I would characterize them as devoted followers of Jesus who attend Gormley Church on a weekly basis. Table 1. Participants’ Demographics [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 1 details ] They are all serving in some way in different ministry teams, and three of them are members of the church leadership team. Before the launch of this project, as part of the personal development data set, one of the participants stated: “I volunteer to be a channel through which God’s Spirit can flow for His service, in His way, for His glory.” In one of the midterm individual narratives for personal [ Page ] 78 development, another participant declared, “At the beginning of the project I was very excited and felt blessed that I get to share and give love to the (residents).” These two statements express these participants’ commitment to their local church, and ultimately to God. Two other participants, who forthrightly expressed their doubts or frustrations with the project, made the decision to stick with it until the end of the six-month period. Their reluctance or frustration came out in different phrases such as, “Initially, I didn’t have a clear picture of the value of this project for the future based on our rocky start.” And, “Every time I go to the Home I feel like I really don’t want to go or help there. My heart acts troubled and I go home sad. But, at the same time going to feed them it was something I look forward.” One of the participants honestly added that at the beginning of the project her motivation was not primarily the community, My motive for participating in this outreach program has changed over the course of the past few months. Initially, my motive for participating was to help Pastor Paul complete his DMin Project. By the end of the six months, I and our group of volunteers are convinced that these luncheons are a good outreach into the community and that we should carry on with them. Though we found different levels of consistency and commitment with their community service placements, none of the participants withdrew from the study. This willingness to serve God, no matter what, was beautifully declared by one of the participants that was frequently uncomfortable with her area of community service, We’re all uncomfortable doing things that we’ve never done before... but trusting and believing that we are all doing... not because of your [Paul] project, but because this is God calling us as group, as church, to do something we’ve never done before, and it’s a matter of being obedient. [ Page ] 79 So I think that’s the theme that I can see. We are uncomfortable but we are willing. And of course we go back to “God will enable us”, and there’s a verse that says that. This statement reinforces the idea that the participants perceived this project as an opportunity to respond to God’s calling in obedience, which speaks about their spiritual understanding of this project and their openness to change their views regarding community service. Having defined the demographics and promptness of the participants to engage in this study, the following remarks present the findings of this research, starting with the S.H.A.P.E life profile of the participants. The S.H.A.P.E seminar helped me to define the participants’ profile in terms of their spiritual gifts, heart or passions, abilities, personalities and experiences. From a researcher’s perspective, this detailed assessment in five different profile areas proved to be useful to understand who the participants were and how they would fit or not fit into a particular area of community service. Self-Identified Spiritual Gifts In terms of spiritual gifts (see figure 3) the participants self-identified Helping (7 occurrences), Encouragement (6 occurrences), Teaching and Giving (5 occurrences each) as the strongest. All of these special capacities given by the Holy Spirit have been categorized as motivational gifts. According to Don and Katie Fortune, these motivational gifts “provide the motivation force for our lives (...). They are the gifts that shape our personalities” (Fortune 1987, 17). They go further in their explanation of the spiritual gifts by providing a metaphor which [ Page ] 80 relates Helping or Serving as the hands of the body, Encouragement, as the mouth of the body, Teaching, the mind of the body and Giving the arms of the body (30). [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 3 details ] Figure 3. Participants’ Profile - Spiritual Gifts Self-Identified Heart In regard to the participants’ Heart, meaning passions, the SHAPE assessment revealed that this particular group was people-oriented which was generally confirmed during the project (see figure 4). The heart of the ten participants was for people. Three participants specified children as their passion, and then, among a wide range of other passions, adults, youth and poor. [ Page ] 81 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 4 details ] Figure 4. Participants’ Profile - Heart (Passions) Self-Identified Abilities The participants’ abilities (see figure 5) was another element under analysis in the SHAPE assessment. In this area, we were able to identify teaching skills as the primary ability, which can be paired with the spiritual gift of teaching, and secondly the ability of counselling, together with cooking. [ Page ] 82 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 5 details ] Figure 5. Participants’ Profile - Abilities Self-Identified Personality An intriguing section of this profile assessment was what Erik Rees defines as the Personality of the participants. Rees assesses the personality of an individual in four distinct categories as such: Cooperative versus Competitive (see figure 6), Extroverted versus Introverted (see figure 7), Routine versus Variety (see figure 8) and Self-Controlled versus Expressive (see figure 9). In the first category, the data gave us eight out of ten participants who self-identified as strongly cooperative. Simply put, their cooperative spirit justifies their willingness to participate in a six-month project. [ Page ] 83 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 6 details ] Figure 6. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Cooperative x Competitive [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 7 details ] Figure 7. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Extroverted x Introverted [ Page ] 84 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 8 details ] Figure 8. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Routine x Variety [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 9 details ] Figure 9. Participants’ Profile - Personality - Self-Controlled x Expressive [ Page ] 85 The assessment also measures the self-perception of the individuals in terms of being an extrovert or introvert. In this case, the profile of the group resembles the characteristics of the congregation to which they belong, which, according to the church leadership perception, is mainly introverted. Concerning the trait of Routine versus Variety, the participants showed an almost perfect balance, which proved to be valuable information for the researcher to be able to assist the participants to not drop out of the project. The final trait under consideration is being Self-Controlled or Expressive. Like the previous trait, the selected group exhibits a balance. This was evident when they were exposed to the three focus groups reflections, which required open interaction. Self-Identified Experiences The participants’ profile included a report about their own description of what would be considered the most important life experiences up to that point in time. It was assumed that this information would be useful in defining their areas of interest, and the data collected (see figure 10) reflected that this particular group had significant experiences in three main areas: Family Losses, Parenting Problems and God’s Provision. [ Page ] 86 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 10 details ] Figure 10. Participants’ Profile - Experiences This segment of our research does not intend to demonstrate correlations between particular characteristics and missional performance. Nevertheless, the collected data seems to support the idea that no matter what your personality is, the disciple who derives his or her identity from Christ has the potential to positively impact the community through acts of service. The diversity reflected in this group of participants and their distinct personality traits did not negatively influence their capacity to adapt to challenging situations where they were called to serve. When diversity of cultures, gifts, abilities, personalities and experiences, are intentionally combined with a Christ-centered lifestyle, community service excels. Participants’ Personal Development and Missional Habits The key question that drove this assessment in terms of the participants’ personal development was, “What is God brewing within you?” The answer to that question came out by a variety of statements that describe the impact of the project in terms of personal development by the cultivation of the five missional habits. One participant remarked, “This helped me in my walk with Christ and [ Page ] 87 living it out in my own life.” Another one commented, “I felt I was used by God. I learned to be more perseverant when serving the Lord. My heart is now more sensitive to God’s mission. I feel in my heart that God has called me to serve others, fulfilling their needs.” Two other volunteers reinforced the idea of a growth experience for the whole group in the following terms, “I cannot honestly say that a definitive spiritual experience occurred as a result of this project. I feel that ultimately all of the project was a growth experience for everyone.” And, “I’ve grown to love and care for those who are elderly and not able to care for themselves.” The interpretation of the above quotes is that Christ-centered discipleship is stimulated by community service opportunities. The adoption of Christ- centered missional habits yields, above all, a Christ-like character. This fact was validated through qualitative and quantitative analysis. The quantitative analysis was based on the frequency of codes in the individual narratives and missional awareness focus groups before, during and after the project. The findings are organized as follows. Pre-Observation Findings As figure 11 suggests, with the exception of Hospitality, all other missional rhythms were considerably present in the participants' personal experience as followers of Jesus before this study. However, the prominent missional habit was Spirit-led which was corroborated through the participants’ stories and by the frequency of Spirit-led references in the participants’ individual [ Page ] 88 narratives. Their obvious consistency in creating space for God and His promptings made them available to participate in this six-month community service project. [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 11 details ] Figure 11. Missional Habits Rate - Pre-Observation Observation Findings Figure 12 reflects the individual narratives and focus groups reflections analyzed in the middle of the project and seems to indicate a learning growth in the participants' perception of what they understood to be their role in this project. At that point in the project, they articulated their experiences in terms of a growing desire to establish relationships (Hospitality) as they interacted with those who they served, which was initially one of the lowest rated habits. [ Page ] 89 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 12 details ] Figure 12. Missional Habits Rate - Observation In spite of their busy lives, some of the participants verbalized the desire to develop that area by stating: “I wish I got to spend more time with the (residents) and got to know them more,” or, “I started to go twice a week because I just felt I would go an hour before to sit down and have a talk.” Along with hospitality, the participants were committed at that phase to do whatever they were supposed to do in tune with God’s direction and as an outcome of their prayer life (Spirit-Led). Among many other comments, two participants declared the following: “I need to watch even more for God's divine appointments and connections,” and, “I want to be more in tune with God’s agenda and trust more in His enabling to respond to His call.” Post-Observation Findings The post-observation chart (see figure 13) confirms the tendency of the participants to define their feedback more in terms of being, rather than doing. [ Page ] 90 The consistency of their stories, the researcher’s direct observation, and the frequency of Christ-likeness elements in their reports reveal that the participants learned a new way to express their intention to be more like Jesus by listening, trusting and obeying Him. It is not difficult to find a common theme in the reports of their ambition to pursue Christ-likeness. This was particularly evident in the following statements of the participants, “One of the things I have learned through this project is obeying God and be content with Him. To let God be God of my life”, “I have an intense desire to love and to be obedient to God”, and “I learned to be obedient and sensitive to His presence in my life.” [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 13 details ] Figure 13. Missional Habits Rate - Post-Observation Christ-likeness seemed to prompt the participants to engage in God’s mission. Missionary Engagement is the second highest rated missional habit at the [ Page ] 91 end of the project, and that fact may be a healthy indication of the value of this endeavour in the lives of the participants. Highest Rated Missional Habits Considering the group of participants as a whole and based on the individual narratives from Personal Development and Missional Awareness research sections, the highest rated missional habit in the beginning of the project, which was Spirit-Led, decreased in the mid-evaluation and eventually was surpassed by the end of the project (see figure 14). [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 14 details ] Figure 14. Highest Rated Missional Habits - Pre/Obs/Post-Observation The frequency of codes in the individual narratives and the triangulation of data in this segment indicate that the participants experienced an increase in Christ-likeness. According to the participants’ reports, an outcome of this project was the incorporation of a different understanding of what it means to emulate [ Page ] 92 Jesus or to be “little Jesuses” to those around them. The following midterm comment expresses this tendency, "I believe we know God’s movement in our life when we can feel the presence and see things go the way we couldn’t have made possible.” At the end of the project, this Christ-likeness predisposition was supported by statements such as the following, We are created for one purpose and that is to glorify God, to worship Him and to serve Him. And I think the overall thing that I’m sensing from the whole discussion is “let God do His job”, and let us just be servants... be obedient to His calling. I think that’s the most important. He may call us to do anywhere, anything, but it’s just a matter of are we willing to do it? Are we willing to obey what He has called us to do, or where He wants us to go? Lowest Rated Missional Habits Conversely, the data regarding the lowest rated missional habits throughout the project (see figure 15) suggests that this particular group needs to find a better balance between being and doing. It is worthwhile to note that Hospitality was identified as the lowest rated missional habit before and during the project, and the second lowest at the end of it. As Michael Frost suggests, Hospitality “isn’t merely good missional strategy. It is a way to walk in the footsteps of Jesus” (Frost 2016, 44). The data collected does not give enough detail to understand this apparent contradiction between desiring to live a Christ- like life and the inconsistent practice of Hospitality. Consequently, it should not be assumed that the participants did not show readiness to share a table or to invite a stranger or a poor person into their lives. [ Page ] 93 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 15 details ] Figure 15. Lowest Rated Missional Habits - Pre/Obs/Post-Observation When we compare the individual narratives collected in regard to the missional habits with the BELLS accountability forms (appendix 4) that were handed out to each participant, the perspective of the participants about the two lowest rated missional habits, generosity and hospitality, apparently seems to be different. In fact, the results of this research instrument give the impression that the participants cultivated Generosity, followed by Hospitality, above every other habit. However, we cannot make that conclusion because the participants did not use the BELLS forms equally. Only two out of the ten participants were able to provide their 22 weeks of BELLS forms, and just one of them was able to answer all the suggested questions. Two other participants returned 12 and 15 forms respectively, with brief answers about their acts of generosity and hospitality. It is [ Page ] 94 obvious that this instrument was not fully adopted by the participants, perhaps due to the high volume of work that was required. Participants’ Perception of the Missional Habits Another possible means of measuring personal development is the identification of common themes to detect a change of the participants’ perception regarding the meaning of the missional habits (see table 2). This analysis considers the individual narratives and the BELLS forms in order to evaluate the participants' understanding on each missional habit and their personal focus on them as the project unfolded. The starting point for this additional analysis was the definitions of the missional habits offered by Michael Frost. Based on these definitions, I searched each one of the data sets to identify any development on the participants’ perception of the missional habits and what they meant to them. In this particular analysis, I did not include the code frequency of the five habits collected in the Missional Awareness reports since I considered the abundance of data in the personal development data sets as sufficient. Table 2. Missional Habits - Participants’ Perception [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 2 details ] [ Page ] 95 Before the project, Generosity was frequently associated with the participants’ involvement in their church ministry or volunteer service. Three months later, their perception is that generosity is more greatly associated with acts of kindness, which was the way they consistently defined it until the end of the project. Regarding Hospitality/Relationships, a change of focus was also observed as the project developed. In the mid-reports, the participants made several references to the importance of establishing relationships with their clients, and at the end there was a sense of gratitude and great value for the connections established. This is evident in this particular comment by one of the participants: “I feel like God is great for bringing them (clients) into my life.” Christ-likeness, at first, was mentioned as Bible-centeredness but at the end of the project as love in action. Being Spirit-Led, at the beginning, meant to create space for God or to listen to God. After the service learning project they referred to consistent prayer as a spiritual discipline that does not necessarily bring immediate results or make you feel good. One of the participants was able to express that the project made him pray but did not prevent him from feeling spiritually deflated from the lack of results. On a more positive note, a participant wrote, “I will never have all the answers, but God can give me a heart full of love that speaks even louder.” Finally, Missionary Engagement at first was defined in terms of demonstrating the Kingdom by engaging in ministry and taking positions of leadership. In the mid-reports the participants identified themselves as missionaries by journaling their experiences in terms of bringing wholeness to [ Page ] 96 their clients. At the end, the focus changed to feature the importance of alerting others to God’s Kingdom. In spite of the natural constraints of a six-month project, the limitations of the selected research instruments, the participants’ restrictions in terms of their time and their skills to express what God was doing within them in a short period of time, the data collected demonstrates that all of the participants perceived that they experienced spiritual growth. Based on the volume and quality of the lessons learned, it would not be too presumptuous to observe that the participants have “learned Christ,” as Michael Frost defines it (Frost 2016, 71). In his words, “to learn Christ” means, “growing closer to Jesus, fostering intimacy with God, hearing the promptings of the Spirit, and sensing his presence through the beauty of his Word” (71). As has been said before, intimacy with Christ and desire to be more like Him is the necessary fuel for a consistent missional lifestyle, which was demonstrated by the data. The participants defined Christ-likeness as the more developed missional habit throughout the project immediately followed by Missionary Engagement. Michael Frost gives a missional reason to learn Jesus: “We need to know him if we’re going to share him as the reason for the hope we have” (72). Missional Awareness and Kingdom Mission Opportunities The question that drove the assessment of the participants’ contribution in God’s Kingdom was, “What is God brewing around you?” The goal was to evaluate if the participants increased their contribution in Kingdom mission by a [ Page ] 97 clear understanding of who they are and what their calling in their particular context is. The data analysis allows us to believe that all the participants expanded, or at least refined, their understanding of their contribution in God’s Kingdom. First, by deepening their own identity in Christ and second by confirming or refining their calling for a particular cause or mission in God’s Kingdom. Identity and Self-Awareness As they grew in terms of Christ-likeness and leading Spirit-led lives, the participants became more sensitive to God’s movement in and through their lives. The participants’ narratives reveal that they were exposed to a journey that increased their awareness of who they are and can become in Christ. They also reveal a growing discernment of what God is doing in them and in their relationships. This was observed through their interactions with new social realities and community contexts. Six of the participants served in social environments that were previously unfamiliar to them. In that sense, this initiative suits the category of a service learning project if we consider that the data demonstrates a consistent reference to the idea of growth. When asked about what God is doing in and through their lives, the participants indicated that they saw themselves growing: “I am expanding my ability to use my gifts through the opportunities I have been given. Many times I take on something that I would not normally feel comfortable doing, with the understanding that I will grow as a result.” Another one noted, “I believe this project taught me a lot about myself as [ Page ] 98 a person. Even though it was hard and I wanted to quit, I never quit and fought my way through.” A third quote gives evidence of the participants’ growth in their own understanding of who they are: “About my future Kingdom's contribution, I wonder if the goals and dreams I had, express the reality of my life and how I am able to interact with those ‘outside’ the Kingdom. This does not mean I live with a sense of self-pity, but I do question what my next steps should be or how God will lead.” The participants’ inner reflection regarding their own identity (see figure 16) indicates that this project promoted personal growth in general, but it mostly promoted self-awareness, and a compelling desire to serve God. The two most rated components in this area are followed by a sense of inadequacy to accomplish their assigned community service, which is a good quality of a Christ- like life. Less regarded but also referred to, were their fear, a sense of being loved [ Page ] 99 and of uncertainty. [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 16 details ] Figure 16. Participants’ Inner Reflection - Identity Self-Identified Mission The second inquiry for missional awareness was the participants’ sense of calling to serve in the mission of the King. With the unapologetic intention to stimulate existing and potential links between the church and the community for future Kingdom ministry opportunities, the missional awareness segment of research focused on the capacity of the participants to verbalize their calling as a result of their exposure to community service. Based on the participants’ feedback, I believe this project contributed for the clarification of this matter. After a few weeks of community service, one of the participants was able to express her calling in these terms: “The reason I like to go back is because I think [ Page ] 100 that maybe I can make a change for them.” Another one discerned a new area of ministry among the immigrant community in a combined effort with other like- minded churches in town. Two other volunteers identified that their community service did not totally reflect their understanding of God’s calling for their lives (community outreach, elderly assistance). Three participants confirmed their initial self-identified calling (elderly assistance, disciple-making and cross- cultural mission work) and, finally, four participants clarified and expanded their previous perception of God’s mission for them (foster care, young mothers support, family care giver, displaced people). Table 3 shows a sample of the initial perception of three specific participants in terms of their self-identified calling or cause. Participants A, B and C will be also considered in this regard in a comparative analysis of their progression during the project and at its end. Here, the three selected participants reflected their passion and calling before the project. It suggests that two of them reflected a church attractional mindset. Table 3. Pre-Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 3 details ] When the service learning project was half done, two of the three selected participants expressed their understanding of God’s calling in their lives with [ Page ] 101 more detail indicating a move to an outward focused ministry (see table 4). In this phase of the project, the whole group of participants declared, among other things, that they were passionate about sharing the Gospel and to assist the needy (children, women, seniors and displaced people). The displaced or the immigrants as an unreached group turned out to be a significant component of the general participants’ list. Table 4. Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 4 details ] The project ended, and the three selected participants for this particular analysis were able to confirm or tweaked their midterm perceptions regarding their sense of calling. As table 5 indicates, participant C defines God’s calling in a way that suggests family and church were not the only areas of service and passion at the end of the project. When the project was finished the participants made regular references to the needy, to women and to immigrants, which were also clear at the beginning of this endeavour. The final table reveals the answers of the three designated participants to the question, “How do you see yourself getting involved in God’s mission the next five years?” [ Page ] 102 Table 5. Post-Observation - Self-Identified Mission/Cause [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 5 details ] Here, the mission statements reflect a healthy balance between a church focused ministry and a community outreach emphasis (see table 6), which was consistent with the other participants’ responses who declared their willingness to join God’s mission wherever and whenever God’s calls them. Table 6. Next Five Years - Self-Identified Mission/Cause [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Table 6 details ] Self-Identified mission was not a fundamental goal of this research project, but considering the number of references to it in the data sets, it was an element to which the participants gave consistent consideration. [ Page ] 103 Focus Groups and the discovery of a Missional Identity The Gospel is the framework for a Christ-centered missiology and the local church is a community on mission. God has determined to reveal Himself through Jesus and that communicative endeavour precedes any expression of a Christ-like missional life. The church of Jesus is an outcome of that movement of the Spirit. The above theological articulation was the rational for three focus group sessions. The themes addressed were communication, stories and living missionally, which follows Hirsch’s methodological flow for a church that wants to discover or recover its missional identity. Pre-Observation Focus Group Findings In the pre-observation focus group meeting the goal was to provide a better understanding on how the participants can live in tune to and engaged in God’s mission. The questions that we analyzed in this first session were, “How is God speaking to us?” and “How can we be involved in God’s Mission when we are already too busy?” Before answering the two assessment questions for the day, the participants reacted to the meaning of the word “communication.” The participants used terms and concepts that are intrinsically embedded in this dissertation such as “connect” and “engage” but also “mutual understanding of each other,” “sharing understanding with one another” or even more noteworthy, “how to enter into another person’s world by being a good listener.” The participants consistently answered the first question by affirming that we can listen to God’s voice “through personal Bible studies” or “devotionals,” [ Page ] 104 but also through “circumstances,” "opportunities,” and “challenging situations.” One individual said: “I think that God uses the Spirit to nudge us in certain directions, and God uses circumstances to leads us into something.” They stated the importance of God’s prompts by suggesting that we should always ask, “How does God want me to step into that person’s world?” Another remark was, “God speaks to me through my reading of the Bible (...) and I try to do that every day by trusting and obeying.” When the group was asked about a specific thing that God seemed to be saying to this group, they answered with two essential statements. The first one was, “We can’t get too comfortable. God wants to use us if we make ourselves available. We’re reaching whole segments of society. God has taken a small group of people and has opened doors and moved us in directions where [we are] not always comfortable.” This statement was followed by another comment by one the volunteers who noted, Do not be afraid. Trust and obey. The willingness of everyone to step up and just trust and obey, for what God is calling us to do.... We’re all uncomfortable doing things that we’ve never done before... but trusting and believing that we are all doing.. .not because of your [Paul] project, but because this is God calling us as group, as church, to do something we’ve never done before, and it’s a matter of being obedient. We are uncomfortable but we are willing. And of course we go back to God who will enable us....” To reinforce the idea that God was stretching this particular group to move out of their comfort zone in obedience to God and for the wellbeing of the community, another person in the group said, I have to learn that my readiness for changing the things that are a problem for me reveal where my confidence lies. God is really teaching me that I [ Page ] 105 need to understand more who He is and that my confidence lies in Him, and in His character, and in His ability to provide, and to equip (...) when He has called me to do something He will equip me to do that, and enable me to do that. So He is not asking me to be self-confident, He’s asking me to place my confidence in Him. The second question, “How can we be involved in God’s mission when we are already too busy?” disclosed, once again, the level of spiritual and missional maturity of the group. The answer could not be more aligned with our previous definition of a missional lifestyle: “It’s not a matter of making special time to do missional work; it is more the concept of everything that we do encompasses the mission of God. So whether it is secular work, whatever we’re doing, it’s not specialized time just set aside for this, but it’s a whole encompassing lifestyle.” Another individual amplified this concept of being on mission with God by creating a distinction between our missional calling, which is embedded in the fact that we all are “sent people” and a particular God-given calling that may require adjustments in our daily missional routine, I think there’re two levels with that. One is, whatever we’re doing during the day, for us to be mindful of being on mission for God for that. But there are other things that are particular directions, specialized calling, that may obviously require some discernment, and it may also require that maybe I have to stop doing some other things. The first session ended up with two wise recommendations voiced by the participants, “We have to carefully discern the voice of God in a society of myriads of voices” and the fact that we need to create space for “accountability in regards to the motivation of our hearts as we engage in God’s mission because we want to bring glory to God and not lift ourselves up.” This statement revealed the genuine desire of the participant to embrace Spirit-led and Christ-like missional [ Page ] 106 living. Without using the exact terminology, the participant was referring to the flow of a missional church; that is, a Christology that defines the mission, and a mission that establishes our ecclesiology. Observation Focus Group Findings The observation focus group session addressed the topic of “stories” to provide an opportunity to consider how we can discern God’s work in us and through us. The church that reveals a clear missional identity engages the mission of the King without losing contact with Him. The foundational article for this mid-project reflection was an idea written by Jeff Clark who challenges us to walk into and live within the Jesus-story. According to the author, Only when we journey inside the story with the existing characters - watching, listening, walking and doing - will we actually enter into the story and become a part of it, inhabiting the story so that the story will eventually inhabit us....And, over time, his story will begin to shape our story. More and more the Jesus-story will flow into us and begin to flow out from us. Not robotically, but naturally. This is the goal of the Christian life - to be immersed in Jesus’ story until his story shapes our story - everyday and in every way. (Clarke 2016) Considering that a missional life includes the availability to “give voice to the stories of the people we are interacting with, and bring those narratives into conversation with the biblical narratives” (Roxburgh 2010, 176), the participants shared about their immersion into Jesus’ story by answering two basic questions: “How do we know we are experiencing God’s movement in our lives?” and “How do we know when God is calling us to a particular cause?” The majority of the participants addressed the first question by stating that the movements of God are visible when we see ourselves changing, or when we find ourselves with a new [ Page ] 107 outlook, a new vision, which is an outcome unrelated to personal efforts or merits. This was reinforced by a participant who said: “I believe we know God’s movement in our life when we can feel the presence and see things go the way we couldn’t have made possible.” Also, when we begin to grow in terms of our dependence on God rather than in ourselves or when we allow others to speak and to challenge us. Someone else made a remark about paying attention to God’s prompts to serve Him in something we do not feel comfortable to do, but all of the sudden we notice that others are willing to join us because they share the same passion. Finally, another participant said that usually God moves within us when we display openness to be used by Him. The participant suggested that we should pray more often: “God help me to be open to where You want to work in me today” and then added this: “I think God works more in the margins of our lives than He does in what we set out to do. And so if we think God is going to work in what we’re doing on our daily routine, that really limits God. But if you are open to Him doing things that are outside of what you're ordinarily doing, then I think you let Him do more than otherwise.” The second question was also considered: How do we know when God is calling us to a particular cause? Overall they affirmed we cannot disregard when God’s persists, sometimes through others, and He keeps coming back with an idea, a cause or a mission, one in which we feel inclined to be involved. Knowing that God is our creator and knows us better than we know ourselves, a participant said, “God works with us the way we’re wired.” Another observation was that, “God’s callings are always for eternal purposes.” The participant assumed we can [ Page ] 108 do many good things out of generosity, but not necessarily as a result of a call that will display God’s presence in the situation. According to the participant, when “He calls, He wants us to speak for Him in that. He wants to have His name known in that particular situation.” Another way to perceive God’s calling in our lives is “when we have a yearning in our hearts because some needs have not been met,” said one of the participants. To affirm that we are called to be faithful, obedient, and not necessarily successful, a participant expressed his view about the subject in these terms, I think that sometimes God gives us the opportunity to serve and it doesn’t work out, and so we have to step back and say, ‘Ok Lord, what’s next?’ rather than looking at it and saying, ‘we failed’ or something like that. Because we will have disappointments, and one of the things that failure gives us is an opportunity to do, is see that we’re journeying with God. And do we still trust Him or do we look at it as a personal issue? It’s important, I think, in how we grow and develop in our trust for Him to look... if we’re always looking to Him to say, ‘What’s the next thing Lord?’ rather than giving up and saying, ‘we haven’t succeeded. A conclusion identified at the end of this mid-project reflection was that our calling can be diverse; but above all, as followers of Jesus, it is all about journeying with God by immersing ourselves in His story. The participants understood that, after all, it is His story and we are invited to join Him and make our own story His. This desire was well expressed by one of the participants who said, “Let God do His job, and let us just be servants and obedient to His calling.” Post-Observation Focus Group Findings In the post-observation focus group, the aim was to facilitate a teaching moment that would encourage the participants to have a consistent commitment to [ Page ] 109 God’s mission based on a personal understanding of what God is calling them to do and on the assumption that they are not on mission by themselves. Christology establishes the mission, and the mission defines the community of those who have been the recipients of the Great Commission. The term that was under consideration was the word “missional” and the two questions that drove the discussions were: “What does it mean to be missional?” and “How can we help people in our church understand and embrace a missional life?” Regarding the meaning of the word “missional” the participants used a variety of synonyms. Initially, they pictured “missional” as the intentional action of someone who has received a mission or embraced a purpose. That definition is more aligned with the classic understanding of the mission. “Missional” was referred by some of the participants as a term that qualifies this intentional action, no matter where it is. In this case, the understanding points more to the concept of “mission” than “missional”. It talks about intentionality in “sharing the redeeming love of Jesus” or “promoting the Lord,” or “serving others for God’s Kingdom.” Finally, someone defined “missional” as “purposeful living.” To explain a common misconception regarding the meaning of “missional”, one of the participants claimed, Because people, I think, have an older understanding of what missional means, similar to what we were talking about, which is, that it has to be somebody who’s doing something and going away and it’s either for a set period of time or it’s that particular person whose life is called to that. As opposed to, we are all called to be missional and we are called to be missional all the time. And so that, 1 think, would be the main difference. And then, when we have that understanding, then we go about our lives in a very different way. [ Page ] 110 At this point I confirmed that at least some of the participants internalized the biblical concept of a missional lifestyle. We then moved to the second question in order to capture the implications of that conclusion as members of a congregation that needs to develop that same missional lifestyle. The participants indicated their belief in teaching and communicating a missional purpose for living within the congregation. However, another participant suggested that teaching is not sufficient. The participant stated that a missional lifestyle is an outcome of our love for Jesus, I think I’d like to rephrase the question a little bit, and that is: how do we encourage people to be in love with Jesus? Because falling in love with Jesus (...) then it’s an overflow from that. And so how do we do that? How do we (...) How does that become contagious? And perhaps it begins with, again, I know that in my own life, I was influenced because of the contagious love of other people for Jesus, and their example to me. This statement immediately turned the discussion to another level and the group was led to find practical ways to develop that contagious love for Jesus in order to establish a new missional culture among the congregation that would help us to grasp our missional identity. They pointed out ideas such as mentoring, teaching, giving opportunities, sharing stories, asking people to consider service opportunities by promoting a culture of inclusion. A motivated participant said, Along with that attitude of service, which we as Christians want to have, you want to serve wherever you can, you want to serve when you see needs and everything.. .there’s a need for a mindset of inclusion... and we always want to be ready to include people. And sometimes people don’t jump on board because they think, ‘that’s only for them’ or ‘I can’t do that / I don’t do that / I’ve never done that....” At that point they understood the validity of this project because this was exactly what they were experiencing. When a local church encourages Christ-likeness and [ Page ] 111 the cultivation of Christ-centered missional habits (Christology) in the context of community service, discipleship generates missional living (missiology) and encourages the discovery of a local church missional identity (ecclesiology). Missional living is not a good strategy for church growth, rather it is an outcome of the values of the Kingdom that need to be lived out, proclaimed and demonstrated in the community. Community-Based Organizations and Kingdom Partnerships The research findings would not be complete without an analysis of the impact of the participants’ intervention through the eyes of the eight generous partner institutions that agreed to integrate them as volunteers. The overall feedback given by the community partners will first be considered, followed by the analysis of the finding based on the adopted model for incarnational ministry. Overall Feedback The community partners agreed not merely to host, but also to support and evaluate the participants in this endeavour. As required, six of the participants received some previous orientation offered by the institution. When asked about the sufficiency of the support given to the participants for them to succeed, the partner organizations, with no exceptions, answered with an unapologetic “agree” or “strongly agree.” In terms of the attendance of the volunteers, the Satisfaction and Post-Satisfaction surveys described that they all had regular contact with the institution’s clients on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on the nature of their assignment. Nevertheless, two of the partners expressed some disappointment for [ Page ] 112 the lack of consistency or availability of their assigned volunteers, which, in one case, was a matter of unclear expectations. Another one lamented the fact that, in spite of the volunteer’s efforts, the clients did not show interest due to their apathy towards any offered programs in their institution. The main goal, however, was to provide an answer to the question, “What is God brewing amongst you?” This question was not explicitly addressed by the organizations involved, but the responses to the surveys were developed to assess the effectiveness of this project from the community’s point of view. There were two established goals toward which the assessment criteria were developed: 1) to assist the establishment of new relationships between participants and those who run community service initiatives, and 2) to assure that the community-based organizations would evaluate this project in a positive light which would eventually open the doors for future partnership agreements. The two surveys that were designed for this assessment reflect the perspective of the partners’ representatives during and after the six-month period of the project. Both surveys revealed positive feedback considering our established goals. From a participant’s point of view, only 2 out of 10 excluded the possibility to pursue volunteer service with the same partner organization or in the same area of community service. The reasons invoked by the two participants were related with the fact that these opportunities were not suitable to their sense of calling. On the other hand, the partner organizations were unanimous in affirming their desire to establish future partnerships with Gormley Church in order to receive its volunteers. When asked if they would recommend the Church [ Page ] 113 volunteer to another term of community service in their organization, every partner answered positively, yet three of them stated their views about that. One said, “Yes, if the volunteer was more motivated and able to communicate issues, and be more consistent in his/her availability... .Further opportunities to volunteer with other programs in the community are highly recommended.” Another representative simply said, “Yes, with more coaching”. A third one declared, “Yes. Performed very well for a short period of time (maybe 8 weeks or less). Would be more helpful if available on a more consistent basis, but could also minister occasionally if only available occasionally.” When the question was about the future of these community-organizations in terms of further partnerships, the answer of the community partner representatives was obvious. They voiced their unreserved desire to establish partnerships that will help them to reach their goals, and one in particular expressed that joint training and shared resources would be a priority. If we narrow down the possibility of future partnerships between the organizations and local Christian churches, the feedback is also promising, including the one organization that is not Christian-based. The surveys reported their willingness to partner with local churches in these terms, “Together we can point them to Christ.. .and then we can refer them and their children to the church to be discipled and spiritually cared for.” Another leader noted, “Very beneficial to keep the residents connected to the community and the community connected to the people who were the foundation of many organizations and churches.” [ Page ] 114 Considering this specific project, the partner organizations were able to provide recommendations for further initiatives that can be of value and applicable to future partnerships between local churches and community-based institutions. As a sample of the suggestions that emerged, both in the Satisfaction and Post-Satisfaction surveys, a partner representative declared, “Better communication and ask the volunteers to be more proactive in agreeing to support others.” Another one expressed the need for more coaching of the volunteers and more clarification about the volunteer’s task: “More concrete direction in terms of what the volunteer was expected to do,” and “More clarification regarding how we were to relate to the volunteer over what time.” The interpretation of these remarks is that the establishment of partnerships with community organizations requires regular communication between the agents involved and the necessary availability to monitor the experience in order to avoid false expectations. A Model for an Incamational Ministry This final section summarizes the findings on the basis of a four-factor scale proposed by Alan Hirsch as a model for an incarnational ministry based on the example of Jesus’ earthly ministry. John 1:14, according to Alan Hirsch, provides the framework for a missional shaped life that displays four virtues. When combined, they produce a radical “one of us” type of connection with those in the community that we are supposed to love and to serve. Presence is the first virtue and reflects someone’s ability to “become flesh” for those in our community. According to Hirsch, when we engage in our [ Page ] 115 communities as Jesus’ representatives, we mimic the One who “actually likes to hang out with the people we hang out with. They get the implied message that God actually likes them” (Hirsch 2006, 134). The question that was presented to the partner institutions in this regard was: “How would you rate the consistency of the GMC volunteer in terms of his/her attendance during this project?” In a group of eight responders, in the midterm and final surveys, four partners described the volunteers’ presence as very good and one as good (see figure 17). A majority of the partners and their beneficiaries perceived our ten volunteers as people who understand the value of relationships and engagement. Nevertheless, presence was the lowest rated component of the four scale which requires further analysis. [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 17 details ] Figure 17. Community Impact - Presence Two partner representatives clarified why they rated the volunteers’ presence as [ Page ] 116 fair or poor. In one case the participant’s presence was rated as fair because of unexpected health issues. Another volunteer was rated in this category as poor because the volunteer’s “schedule did not allow for optimal connection between themselves and the clients,” or simply “was not available.” Proximity, as Hirsch articulates it, is the ability to approach people as Jesus did, as a “friend of sinners” who establishes connections with the disregarded of the community. For the sake of this project, proximity was perceived as emotional identification with the clients, which, according to the data, did happen and made an impact in the lives of those who were served (see figure 18). One partner representative praised their volunteer’s proximity by affirming, “He/she has connected personally with two of the clients, not just driving them, but actually allowing them to share about some of their life with him/her. This is awesome.” Another partner organization mentioned: “the volunteer’s effort was excellent considering the limitations of the clients that had no foundations on the relationships.” Similarly, another partner representative affirmed that “The relational piece for the clients was huge. They felt so loved and supported.” [ Page ] 117 [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 18 details ] Figure 18. Community Impact - Proximity Inversely, a mid-project and post-project report measured the performance of a particular volunteer as fair due to insecurity and another one suggested that the volunteer “needs to be more of a listener,” in spite of his/her “compassion and ability to relate with the clients in emotional terms.” Powerlessness or humility was the highest rated component of the incarnational ministry four-scale model (see figure 19). The partner organizations noticed that the volunteers acted in a Christ-like way, which, once again, reverberates a growing Christ-like behaviour that emerged at the end of the project as the highest missional habit. The posture of the volunteers in this service learning project denoted their servanthood. Evidence for this came out in comments such as: “Has a true servant heart,” and “Great willing attitude. Follow [ Page ] 118 through was not as great,” and “Extremely Teachable. Good listener. So willing,” and “One of the humblest people I know,” and “He/She has a servant heart.” [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 19 details ] Figure 19. Community Impact - Powerlessness/Humility Proclamation was replaced in this four-scale assessment by the word communication considering the context of those who would be reporting the impact of our volunteers. When this particular data set was designed, the researcher did not expect a majority of Christian-based organizations as partners. Consequently, a decision to adapt the vocabulary in this particular survey was made in order to avoid any unnecessary hindrances. In Alan Hirsch’s words, Proclamation denotes the audacity of those who never exclude the communication of The Story, the Gospel of the Kingdom, from their incarnational community ministry. If the partners would not identify themselves as Christians, they would not be able to or be interested in measuring [ Page ] 119 the participants’ ability to share the message of the Gospel with those they would serve. The feedback that was collected in this regard does not reflect Alan Hirsch’s definition of proclamation. However, taking seriously Alan Roxburgh’s recommendation, the goal here was to access the volunteers' capacity to “attend conversations among people and to give voice to the stories and narratives” (Roxburgh 2010, 176) and, when appropriate or possible, to “invite people to discover how their stories connect with the biblical narratives “(Roxburgh 2010, 176). The comments offered by the community organizations, with two exceptions, recorded a positive result in this matter (see figure 20). One organization in particular referred the communication skills of their volunteer in these terms: “the clients shared some of their life's stories with the volunteer. This is amazing. They felt accepted.” [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Figure 20 details ] Figure 20. Community Impact - Proclamation/Communication When we combine this assessment with several individual narratives by the [ Page ] 120 participants we find meaningful conversations between the clients and the volunteers, which endorses the idea that the participants were able to connect the client’s narratives with The Story of Jesus. Four stories were collected in this regard. One describes the spiritual impact of this project in the life of a person who was served: “The fruits of this project are very meaningful. One of the (beneficiaries) who attended every event, asked the director of the Centre if she could be part of a Bible study group because she felt so connected with the church that she wanted to continue to grow in her spiritual life.” A participant remarked, “God gave me the opportunity to sit with a Muslim woman and share the Gospel for the first time. This would not have happened if I had not been part of this project.” The testimony of a participant included women from other faiths, and he/she described that fact as follows: “These Hindu and Muslim women were very open in the conversation even about Jesus.” Finally, another participant testified about Jesus during the project and at the end he/she was able to declare, “I helped someone to surrender to Jesus.” The analysis of the data in this segment provides enough detail about the appreciation of this project from a community point of view. Bridges were established and future partnerships between Gormley Church and these partner institutions were envisioned. The participants have grown in terms of a Christ-like incarnational ministry that reflects the nature of a missional church. [ Page ] 121 Summary and Conclusion The initial assumption was that Gormley Church needed to explore ways to dispel a general sense of disconnectedness from the community of which it had been a part for more than 140 years. The persistent message that was evidenced throughout the study was that the initial research question has been answered. The guiding theory for the whole investigation was the assumed influence of community service projects for church members in three distinct areas, namely: personal development, missional awareness and community transformation. In terms of personal development, the evidence points to the conclusion that the volunteers increased their Christ-likeness as an outcome of their involvement in community service. Missional awareness was expressed in the way the participants perceived God’s intervention in their lives, not just in terms of defining their own identity based on Christ, but also in their perception of their personal role in Kingdom mission. Community impact was observed by the feedback provided by the participants and their willingness to move forward future partnerships with Gormley Church and other churches. The participants were exposed to an incarnational process that benefitted all the agents involved. The data confirms an association between Christ-centered discipleship and community service for the sake of Kingdom mission. When a Christ-like individual serves the community, spiritual growth and community transformation occur, not just in those who offer their generous service, but also among those who receive it. Christ-like discipleship and community service combined facilitate a steadfast missional identity. [ Page ] 122 The interpretation of the data in the assessed categories gave substance to the conviction that in a changing world, the local church, through its members’ involvement, brings value to the community. The churches that seek to be faithful to their missional call cannot deny the value of community engagement as part of their discipleship journey. Our communities need the hands, the arms, the mouth, and mostly the heart of God’s people. On the other hand, a Christ-centered church becomes a Christ-like church when it cultivates missional habits. Missional rhythms, such as generosity or hospitality, will promote missional living through community service opportunities. In the next chapter, the implications and outcomes of what the data presented is considered. [ Page ] 123 CHAPTER 6: OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSIONS As anticipated, the benefits resulting from this initiative were personal, congregational and community-wide. This final chapter will provide the researcher’s conclusions in terms of outcome, overall learning and the implications for those directly involved in this study. The feedback provided by those who were involved in this research proved that the general outcome was beneficial, broad and stimulating for future interactions with and within the community change agents. The influence of this project in the ongoing transition process at Gormley Church is here described. Considering the findings of the research, three main declarations are offered to summarize the evidence that community service developed by Spirit-led people generates a missional lifestyle, which is biblically required for expressing the life of a Christ-like church. Personal Reflection The impact of this study in my life and ministry narrative exceeded my best expectations. I believed that I would certainly be exposed to something I had never experienced before which would enhance my own understanding of the biblical principles regarding a missional lifestyle, when applied in a very specific [ Page ] 124 environment. However, this was just a small portion of the transformational process I experienced. When I first arrived in Canada in July, 2012 to lead Gormley Church as their senior pastor, I “walked naked into the land of uncertainty,” as Robert Quinn describes the process of deep change (Quinn 1996, 3). Considering the church’s unpreparedness to understand and embrace change, uncertainty was also the reality the church was facing. Because of that similar journey, the church and its pastor have sought to return to the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that supersedes cultural differences and to His Kingdom mission, cross-cultural by nature. Even before landing in Toronto, I was already familiar with one of the fundamental documents of my new denomination, entitled Christ at the Center (Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, 2010). This document would describe the starting point for the cultural adjustment that both the church and myself would need to pass through as we began to search for our missional identity in an alien and unknown setting. This project helped me to understand the dynamic of a church, who like myself, has been challenged to embrace a culture of uncertainty by anchoring our identity in Christ. As a consequence, my own Christ-centred ministry was deepened as I observed the participants in this academic endeavour and it was confirmed by the new denomination that welcomed me. The Christ at the Center denominational position paper gave birth to what has shaped me in my journey as a student of Jesus and as a church leader. The Way of Jesus, proposed by the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, defines in very simple terms what it [ Page ] 125 means to follow Jesus on mission. They call it the Seven Markers of the Way of Jesus (Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, 2016): • I have begun to follow Jesus, and am depending on the Spirit of Jesus in my journey. • I am inviting and helping others to begin following Jesus. • I am learning to be like Jesus in my attitudes, behaviours and character. • I am learning to love God and to love others. • I am learning the teachings of Jesus. • I am helping someone and someone is helping me to be a growing follower of Jesus. • I am participating in a community of followers of Jesus on mission to the world. As a result of these intertwined factors, I was unable to define completely my contribution as a follower of Jesus on mission in this particular context, but I was better able understand it particularly in relation to my brothers and sisters in the church. This project provided a reference for a contextualized ministry based on a growing connection with my congregation and with the surrounding community. Finally, the accumulation of two different roles, researcher and lead pastor, required extra cautiousness. Nevertheless, these two roles challenged me and stretched me to develop as a shepherd, but also as a culture changer, immersed in an emergent society. Church Participants’ Benefit It is beneficial when members of a congregation are able to confirm and identify their areas of passion and spiritual gifts. This was the initial contribution of this project for the group of generous volunteers who willingly joined the initiative. Added to that was the opportunity of serving the community within the [ Page ] 126 area of their passions. Their evaluation about the relevance of their participation in the project has been already presented. The personal benefit was beyond their expectations. It is not an overstatement to say that this group of volunteers proved that disciple making is better done in the context of community service. Besides their personal, spiritual and social growth, they witnessed the importance of their contribution for God’s Kingdom. Meaningful relationships were established and people were served and helped. If pursued, the redemptive culture of relationships that surfaced between the subjects and the clients of the partner organizations will endure. Contribution to Local Ministry In terms of the church ministry, the research project contributed relevantly to the paradigm shift that was already beginning at Gormley Church. The disconnection that was initially perceived was not entirely solved, but the participants involved have gained a different perception of their calling and role in the community. Practical involvement in community service helped the participants and, consequently, the congregation to understand its identity and mission in this particular context. Despite limited resources, the church was able to confirm that it can become an agent of transformation in the community. It seems now more natural to see ourselves as part of the community with something significant to offer, which is a reliable body of servants willing to integrate skills, resources, passions and spiritual gifts for the wellbeing of the community. [ Page ] 127 The main evidence of that development is a decision made by the church leaders and later by the whole church, a few months after the completion of this research project. When a three-year ministry plan was debated, the church established as a ministry priority two of the initiatives that have been developed by the church volunteers involved in this study. Not surprisingly, the leadership team discerned that our ministry should reflect a special focus on community engagement and outreach by targeting two segments of the most vulnerable population of our town, immigrants and young women. Therefore, the church will intentionally be engaging the community through an ESL program in partnership with the organization that hosted the program during this study. Moreover, what we have started calling the Young Mothers Support Group has been established with the help of the Crisis Pregnancy Center that was also part of our project. These two areas of community service are two variants of the outreach ministry that was intentionally launched as one of the strategic elements of this three-year ministry plan. The mission of this new outreach ministry of Gormley Church could not be more aligned with the theological understanding of what has been presented in this study: “The outreach ministry will be focused on the efforts and designated resources of our church to proclaim and demonstrate the Kingdom in our community and beyond” (Gormley Church General Board, 2016). The head and three other team leaders of this outreach ministry were participants in this thesis-project. [ Page ] 128 Bridges with and within the Community The mid and post-project surveys revealed that the partner organizations involved in this project expressed the desire to pursue either formal or informal relationships with Gormley Church. Two of these institutions are already engaged in an informal partnership with the church and the door seems wide open for further volunteer service opportunities. I can not ignore, however, that their readiness to consider future undertakings with Gormley Church volunteers is based on the fact that seven out of eight of these organizations are Christian-based community institutions. The initial goal was to include more partner organizations without any link to our Christian faith, but this proved to be difficult considering their lack of readiness to integrate our volunteers in a short period of time. Nevertheless, bridges have been established which had not happened before, including the organization that is not related whatsoever with our belief system. The aspiration is that this manifestation of Gormley Church, as a group of people who genuinely desire to engage in community efforts, will open the doors of other local institutions, faith-based or not. When I was exploring our local community-based institutions which could be potential partners in this academic endeavour, I did not notice any resistance or bias based on our Christian identity. The final selection of the eight partner institutions was much more an outcome of two combined factors, those being the availability and suitability of those involved. These two components expedited the integration of this group of volunteers who, based on their self-identified passions, seemed more inclined to serve in these particular settings. Therefore, the involvement of Gormley Church [ Page ] 129 volunteers in secular community organizations needs to be highly promoted. The factors that define the selection of the partner institutions should be the needs of the community and the profile of the volunteers. Based on the feedback offered by the community partners in this study, it is my conviction that the organizations involved in the project benefited from an applied vision for community engagement which combined resources and opportunities for the wellbeing of others. When the community aligns with the existing resources without prejudice and moves in the same direction to develop appropriate networks, everybody benefits. It would be positive if it were the case, but we cannot truthfully name an example of a link established for further initiatives among the institutions involved in this project as a direct result of our intervention. Yet, as for the community and local churches, I hope that one of the long-term outcomes of this enterprise will be a modest move towards a new culture of cooperation that will stimulate closer relationships between churches that are willing to be missional and the community-based organizations. Overall Learning and Implications In an effort to synthetize the major outcomes of this project, I will point out the lessons that frequently emerged in our research. A narrative and qualitative study presumes the identification of common themes in order to provide reflexive and theoretical knowledge. The goal here is to apply what John W. Creswell defines as “restorying.” It means to “analyze the participant’s stories, and then ‘restory’ them into a framework that makes sense (Creswell 2007, 37). [ Page ] 130 That being said, it would be presumptuous to contemplate the following remarks as universal principles considering the obvious limitations of a study based on a sample of ten people and the limited context of this project. With that in mind, the following observations are worth noting. Kingdom Mission is Christ-Centered and Community-Oriented Community engagement, as understood in this study, is a result of a comprehensive understanding of Christ’s character and mission; and when it happens, it deepens and gives life to our motivation to become little “Jesuses” in community circles. Community engagement is not, however, the solution for missional omission. The Gospel of the Kingdom is, as Alan Hirsch advocates and our theological framework chapter explains, “Christology determines missiology and missiology determines ecclesiology” (Hirsch 2006, 142). Christ is the one who initiates the mission and mission shapes the culture of the local church. The nature and culture of the church is Christ at the center with His Gospel, but it needs to be nurtured by missional habits. These missional rhythms are nothing more than spiritual disciplines propelling us toward one basic goal - Christlikeness (113). Hearing and watching the participants led me to the conclusion that the cultivation of these spiritual disciplines makes us “learn Christ.” The testimonies of the participants prove that community service by Jesus’ followers is a product of what we learn with Christ and the expected outcome is what Michael Frost defines as “Growing closer to Jesus, fostering [ Page ] 131 intimacy with God, hearing the promptings of the Spirit, and sensing his presence through the beauty of his Word” (Frost 2016, 71). The way of Jesus is better caught than taught. This project reinforced the assumption that disciple-making is naturally something that needs to be developed in a culture of service and not exclusively in discipleship classes. As Mark Lau Branson says, “We read the Bible differently when we are engaging our neighbours. We see things in the text that we had not seen, and the text can shape us to listen and engage our neighbours in different ways” (Branson 2014, 32). The individual narratives provided by the participants give evidence that this project has instilled Christ-centeredness and a better understanding of what it means to emulate and manifest Christ’s love in the context of community service. Any missional expression should be a by-product of our love for Jesus. The given data shows an integrative idea of what Christ’s love is all about and how we ought to respond to that unfailing love. Christ-likeness, as perceived by the participants, is not a faith declaration, or merely a Bible-centered life, but love in action in Jesus’ name. As we grow in Christ-likeness and put God’s love in action through community service, we become more aware of who we are and of God moving in and through our lives. Our calling can be diverse, but it is all about journeying with Christ by immersing ourselves in His story. After all, it is His story and we are merely the ones who have received the honour to be invited to join Him and, by God’s grace, make our own story His. [ Page ] 132 The participants in this project demonstrated that missio Dei inspires Kingdom mission, which is in and through Christ. Their increase in living out a Spirit-led life and their growth in Christ-likeness reached out and blessed the community in the power of the Holy Spirit. All of this has produced Soli Deo Gloria. A missional lifestyle is by nature community-oriented but unapologetically Christ-centered. Those who engage in God’s mission reproduce in their own communities the covenant blessing that was given to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. The blessings of the Kingdom are salvation, forgiveness of sin, righteousness, peace,joy, comfort, redemption, holiness, protection and finally, hope for now and for the future. Kingdom Mission is Transformational Spirit-filled people feel compelled to become agents of cultural change after being themselves transformed by the Kingdom Gospel. Consequently, change is something predictable in a missional shaped life. This project could only be described as a transformational experience. What the participants described was eye-opening moments that eventually led them to transformation. Personal growth, by essence, is all about transformation in terms of character, agendas, worldview and self-awareness. In different degrees, all of these developed as a result of this initiative, as the data demonstrates. The participants’ identity was challenged and their relationship with their Creator deepened. They also reported transformation with regard to their contribution to God’s Kingdom in this world, by confirming, expanding or refining their sense of [ Page ] 133 calling. As a result of their own transformational process, the participants brought transformation to their areas of service which was affirmed, without hesitancy by the community partner organizations. The blessings of the Kingdom and the Gospel of the Kingdom were shared with a number of persons throughout the project. This fact in itself has compelled the participants to pursue their personal involvement in this movement of the Spirit for the glory of the King and the blessing of the community. The stories that were told by the participants show that their exposure to community service has stimulated transformation in their prayer life. The data showed that the participants have learned how to create space for God. They reported that when they prayed, it was not as much about results, but rather more importantly about developing intimacy with God. Although not being the focus of this particular research, transformation of the participants regarding their perception of typical church paradigms was detected. At the end of the thesis-project it was evident for the participants that Gormley Church should not simply pursue an attractional model of doing church, as had been the church's experience for decades, but also an incarnational community ministry that will intentionally combine both models. This study provides strong motives to engage in community service without the fear that the needs of the local church are being neglected. The testimonies of those involved prove also that we need to pursue a better balance between doing and being, between church with an inward focus and church with an outward focus. [ Page ] 134 Kingdom Mission is Incamational and Holistic What should precede incarnational community engagement is that same self-emptiness that Jesus, being God, experienced in His earthly ministry. I learned with this group that Spirit-led people are more willing and available to engage with the community because they are better able to hear God’s prompts in order to demonstrate Christ and His Kingdom in uncomfortable situations. The participants modeled that attitude when they agreed to step out of their comfort zones and expose themselves to the inconvenience and difficulty of a six-month project which required numerous hours of service, prayerful reflection, report writing, workshops and focus groups sessions. Community service requires willingness, humility, trust, obedience and loads of generosity. It can be frustrating and humbling at first when our self-centeredness and selfishness is revealed, but when a Christ-like character prevails, sitting at the table and feeding those who cannot feed themselves becomes justifiable even among introverts. A Spirit-led person feels prompted to externally focused ministries, and Kingdom mission matures Christ-like living. The key question that should be permanently asked by Spirit-filled people who engage the community is: “How does God want me to step into that person’s world?” Following the example of Jesus in Matthew 9:35-38, the participants showed the importance of compassion as a driving force for community-service. When God’s people stand, infused with a passion for the King and for those outside His Kingdom, people, no matter whom, become their obsession rather than religious activities. [ Page ] 135 We also learned through this thesis-project that community service triggers missionary engagement by living out a missionally shaped life in our areas of influence, but also by accepting God’s direction for intentional missional assignments that potentially affect our daily missional routines. This missionary engagement is not so much about taking leadership positions in Christian organizations but more about being able to manifest the Kingdom of God, holistically, here and there, now and later, by bringing hope, health, wholeness, beauty, reconciliation and justice to a deprived community. A cooperative spirit enhances a community service that should always point to the Kingdom and its values. The community waits for those who are willing to not only state their good intentions but also to consistently and humbly serve in uncomfortable settings. Conclusion The research question that drove this study was the assumed influence of community service projects for church members in personal development, missional awareness and community transformation. The answer has been given. Community service initiated by God’s people does appear in fact to influence and promote Christ-like discipleship and community transformation. A disconnected church can re-establish a missional identity and recover the important role of being part of community transformation. This thesis-project validated the belief that community service by Christ-led people increases Christ-likeness as an outcome of the adoption of missional rhythms such as generosity and hospitality. [ Page ] 136 When Christ becomes the alpha and omega of our mission, the Kingdom is proclaimed and demonstrated, and both the individual and the community experiences transformation. This is not the only benefit of a missionally shaped- life that focuses on the needs of others. Congregational service learning is strategic in providing an outward focus that complements the community at large. Kingdom mission should not be an optional feature of the Christian life but a lifestyle. The greatest outcome of this research project, for both the researcher and the participants, was that we became strong advocates of a missional lifestyle which is not a matter of carving out special time to act missionally, but rather to act as 24/7 Jesus’ Kingdom representatives in the community. Soli Deo Gloria. [ Page ] 137 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: Explanatory Chart of Data Source and Method of Analysis [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Appendix 1 details ] [ Page ] 138 [ Appendix 1 continues, please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Appendix 1 details ] [ Page ] 139 [ Appendix 1 continues, please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Appendix 1 details ] [ Page ] 140 APPENDIX 2: S.H.A.P.E for Life Profile S.H.A.P.E Personal Profile My SHAPE for Ministry Spiritual Gifts Heart Abilities Personality Experience Copyright Purpose Driven Resources - All rights reserved. [ Page ] 141 Name: _________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ City: _______________________ State: __________ Zip: __________ Home phone: _________________ Work phone: _____________________ SPIRITUAL GIFTS Spiritual gifts I believe I have (from list in syllabus): 1. 2. 3. I feel I may have these gifts because: 1. 2. 3. HEART 1. What I have a heart for, or what motivates me most (from list in syllabus): • I love to • I love to • I love to 2. Who I love to work with most, and the age or type of people: 3. Church issues, ministries, or possible needs that excite or concern me most: 4. If I knew I couldn’t fail, this is what I would attempt to do for God with my life ABILITIES 1. My current vocation is: 2. Other jobs or skills I have experience in: 3. I feel I have these specialized abilities (from list in syllabus): 4. I have taught a class or a seminar on: 5. I feel my most valuable personal asset is: [ Page ] 142 PERSONALITY This is how I see myself (circle one for each): [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for figure details ] EXPERIENCES MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY This is how and when I became a Christian, and what it has meant to me since then: Times when I have felt closet to God, and meaningful spiritual experiences that stand out in my mind: [ Page ] 143 MY PAINFUL EXPERIENCES These are the kind of trials or problems I could relate to and encourage a fellow Christian that is going through: MY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES Where I attended school, and my favorite subjects: Seminars or training that has been meaningful to me: MY MINISTRY EXPERIENCE Where I have served in the past (if applicable): Name of church Where Position of service Years involved 1. _________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________ After reviewing the Ministry Descriptions I feel I am best “shaped” tor: 1. _________________________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________________ Purpose Driven Resources: www.pastors.com • 949.829.0300 • Toll Free: 868.829.0300 _______________________________ Source: Reprinted with permission by Purpose Driven Resources, from Erik Rees, S.H.A.P.E - Finding & Fulfilling your Unique Purpose for Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006) 221-223. [ Page ] 144 APPENDIX 3: Explanatory Chart of the Service Learning Assessment [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for Appendix 3 details ] [ Page ] 145 APPENDIX 4: Personal Development Research Instruments To be used by the Researcher PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Pre-Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to evaluate the participants’ involvement in community service projects before their engagement in this study. Responses to these thought questions will provide qualitative data to understand the status of the participant in terms of a missional lifestyle. 1. Briefly describe your previous involvement serving in your local church and in community service projects. 2. Tell a story that describes the impact of your experience as a volunteer within the church and/or in the community? [ Page ] 146 To be used by the Researcher PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to understand what missional virtues the participants have acquired or strengthened as a result of their involvement in this study. These narratives will provide qualitative data to measure the increase of missional virtues at this stage. 1. Please, tell a story that describes your personal experience in this community service project and the value of it for the future. 2. Please share what the most memorable and the most difficult moment of your experience has been so far and what you have learned through it? [ Page ] 147 To be used by the Researcher PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Post-Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to understand what missional virtues the participants have acquired or strengthened as a result of their involvement in this study. These narratives will provide qualitative data to measure the increase of missional virtues at the end of the project. 1. Describe a personal and spiritual experience as a result of your community service project and the impact of it on your future. 2. Highlight what you have learned through this project by sharing three defining moments in the whole project. [ Page ] 148 BELLS FORM BLESS (Generous) - I will bless three people this week, at least one of whom is not a member of our church. WHO DID I BLESS THIS WEEK? Word Act Gift Name: _________________________ □ □ □ Name: _________________________ □ □ □ Name: _________________________ □ □ □ To what extent have this missional habit become a routine in your Christian journey? Please rate this habit on a scale of 1 (poor evidence) to 5 (outstanding): 1 2 3 4 5 EAT (Hospitable) - I will eat with three people this week, at least one of whom is not a member of our church. WITH WHOM DID I EAT THIS WEEK? Name: _________________________ Name: _________________________ Name: _________________________ To what extent have this missional habit become a routine in your Christian journey? Please rate this habit on a scale of 1 (poor evidence) to 5 (outstanding): 1 2 3 4 5 LISTEN (Spirit-led) - I will spend at least one period of the week listening for God’s voice. WHAT DID I HEAR FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT THIS WEEK? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ To what extent have this missional habit become a routine in your Christian journey? Please rate this habit on a scale of 1 (poor evidence) to 5 (outstanding): 1 2 3 4 5 [ Page ] 149 LEARN (Christ-like) - I will spend at least one period of the week learning Christ. WHAT DID I LEARN (OR RELEARN) ABOUT CHRIST THIS WEEK? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ To what extent have this missional habit become a routine in your Christian journey? Please rate this habit on a scale of 1 (poor evidence) to 5 (outstanding): 1 2 3 4 5 SENT (Missional) - I will journal throughout the week about all the ways I alerted others to the universal reign of God through Christ. SHARE TWO OR THREE ENTRIES FROM YOUR JOURNAL ABOUT THE WAYS YOU ALERTED OTHERS TO THE REIGN OF GOD ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ To what extent have this missional habit become a routine in your Christian journey? Please rate this habit on a scale of 1 (poor evidence) to 5 (outstanding): 1 2 3 4 5 _______________________________ Source: Questionnaire adapted with permission by Michael Frost, Surprise the World: The 5 Habits of Highly Missional People (Colorado Springs, CO: Navpres, 2016) 105-107. [ Page ] 150 APPENDIX 5: Missional Awareness Research Instruments To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL AWARENESS- FOCUS GROUPS REFLECTIONS [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Time of the Meeting Date Place Facilitator Pre-Observation Focus Group Questions These focus group questions are developed to facilitate an opportunity to teach the participants about the communicative character of God and His decision to call us to join Him in His mission. Opening Remarks/Context for the Focus Group Discussion Thank you for coming to share your thoughts with us. Your experience will help us to understand how we can live tuned and engaged in God’s mission to serve Him and others. I. Introductions and Warm-Up a. Please state your name and the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “communication.” II. Experiencing God’s Voice [ Page ] 151 a. How is God speaking to us? b. How can we be involved in God’s Mission when we are already too busy? III. Closing a. Do you have any more experiences or opinions from today’s discussion that you would like to share? b. What are the most important themes we have discussed today? Closing Remarks: Thank you for your time and willingness to share your experiences. The next steps in our project are to________________. The results of this research will be available on....(date) and you will receive the report in your email. [ Page ] 152 To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL A WARENESS- FOCUS GROUPS REFLECTIONS [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Time of the Meeting Date Place Facilitator Observation Focus Group Questions These focus group questions are developed to facilitate a teaching moment on spiritual discernment of God’s movements in us and through us. Opening Remarks/Context for the Focus Group Discussion Thank you for coming to share your thoughts with us. Your feedback as participant in this service learning project will help us to better understand what God is doing and His mission among us. I. Introductions and Warm-Up a. Please say the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “story” II. Experiencing God’s Stories a. How do we know we are experiencing God’s movement in our lives? c. How do we know when God is calling us to a particular cause? [ Page ] 153 III. Closing a. Do you have any more experiences or opinions from today’s discussion that you would like to share? b. What are the most important themes we have discussed today? Closing Remarks: Thank you for your time and willingness to share your experiences. The next steps in our project are to________________. The results of this research will be available on....(date) and you will receive the report in your email. [ Page ] 154 To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL A WARENESS- FOCUS GROUPS REFLECTIONS [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Time of the Meeting Date Place Facilitator Post-Observation Focus Group Questions These focus group questions are developed to facilitate a teaching moment that will encourage a consistent commitment with God’s mission based on a personal understanding of what God is calling me to do. Opening Remarks/Context for the Focus Group Discussion Thank you for coming to share your thoughts with us. Your experience with God and in this service learning project will help us to better understand our individual contribution to God’s mission. I. Introductions and Warm-Up a. Please state the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “missional.” II. Experiencing God’s Mission a) What does it mean to be missional? b) How can we help people in our church understand and embrace a missional life? [ Page ] 155 III. Closing a. Do you have any more experiences or opinions from today’s discussion that you would like to share? b. What are the most important themes we have discussed today? Closing Remarks: Thank you for your time and willingness to share your experiences. The results of this research will be available on...(date) and you will receive the report in your email. [ Page ] 156 To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL A WARENESS- INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Pre-Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to understand the level of the participants’ self-awareness of God’s movements in him/her and through him/her before the service learning project. These narratives will provide qualitative data to measure their understanding of what their calling is before the project starts. 1. Please tell us if you feel God calling you to a specific mission. How did you come to that conclusion? 2. What do you think God is currently doing in and around you? [ Page ] 157 To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL AWARENESS- INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to understand if, at this stage, the participants’ self-awareness of God’s work in him/her and through him/her has increased. These narratives will provide qualitative data to measure their understanding of what their contribution is to God’s Kingdom. 1. Share a story that shows God at work through you to enrich the life of another person? 2. What cause is God stirring up within you? Please explain. [ Page ] 158 To be used by the Researcher MISSIONAL AWARENESS- INDIVIDUAL NARRATIVES [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] Date Place Participant Post-Observation Questions These questions are developed to allow the researcher to understand if, after the research project, the participants’ self-awareness in terms of their potential and of God’s personal calling, has become more evident. These narratives will provide qualitative data to measure their understanding of what their future contribution is to God’s Kingdom. 1. What was the main thing God did in and around you during these last months? 2. How do you see yourself getting involved in God’s mission in the next five years? [ Page ] 159 APPENDIX 6: Community Impact Research Instruments To be used by the Researcher COMMUNITY IMPACT - COMMUNITY SER VICE SATISFACTION SURVEY [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] SATISFACTION SURVEY This survey is developed to allow the researcher to measure at this stage of the project, the effectiveness and impact of the participants’ service at the partner community-institution according to specific variants. Responses to these questions will serve to point out ways we can better serve them and by highlighting issues that we might not have considered. Time of the Survey Date Place Name Position in the Organization 1. How often did you interact with the GMC volunteer during this Community service project? Please select one box. □ Daily □ Every two days □ Weekly □ Monthly [ Page ] 160 2. In your opinion is the GMC volunteer providing a useful service that meets specific needs of the institution’ clients? Please select one box. □ I strongly agree □ I agree □ I disagree □ I strongly disagree □ Not sure Please include any comments in the box below: 3. The GMC volunteer is receiving the support from the partner organization to succeed in his/her service. Please select one box. □ I strongly agree □ I agree □ I disagree □ I strongly disagree □ Not sure 4. How would you rate the consistency of the GMC volunteer in terms of his/her attendance during this project? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 5. How would you rate the ability of the GMC volunteer to relate with the clients? Please select one box. [ Page ] 161 □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 6. How would you rate the attitude of the GMC volunteer performance in terms of humility? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: [ Page ] 162 7. How would you rate the quality of the GMC volunteer’s performance in terms of ability to communicate with the clients? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 8. If you could change one thing about this community service project that would improve it, what would you change? Please answer in the box below: Thank you! [ Page ] 163 To be used by the Researcher COMMUNITY IMPACT- COMMUNITY SERVICE SATISFACTION SURVEY [ Please contact repository@tyndale.ca for table details ] POST SATISFACTION SURVEY This survey is developed to allow the researcher to measure at the end of the project, the effectiveness and impact of the participants’ service at the partner community-institution according to specific variants. Responses to these questions will serve to point out ways we can better serve them in the future and by highlighting issues that we might not have considered. Time of the Survey Date Place Name Position in the Organization 1. How often did you interact with the GMC volunteer during this Community service project? Please select one box. □ Daily □ Every two days □ Weekly □ Monthly 2. The GMC volunteer performed a useful service that met specific needs of the institution’ clients. Please select one box. □ I strongly agree [ Page ] 164 □ I agree □ I disagree □ I strongly disagree □ Not sure Please include any comments in the box below: 3. The GMC volunteer received the support from the partner organization to succeed in his/her service. Please select one box. □ I strongly agree □ I agree □ I disagree □ I strongly disagree □ Not sure 4. How would you rate the consistency of the GMC volunteer in terms of his/her attendance during this project? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 5. How would you rate the ability of the GMC volunteer to relate emotionally with the clients? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good [ Page ] 165 □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 6. How would you rate the attitude of the GMC volunteer performance in terms of humility? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: 7. How would you rate the quality of the GMC volunteer’s performance in terms of ability to communicate with the clients? Please select one box. □ Very Poor □ Poor □ Fair □ Good □ Very Good □ Not Sure Please include any comments in the box below: [ Page ] 166 8. Would you recommend this GMC volunteer to another term of community service in your organization? □ Yes □ No □ Not applicable Please include any additional comments in the box below: 9. If you could change one thing about this community service project that would improve it, what would you change? Please answer in the box below: (APPLICABLE ONLY TO THE LEADERS OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATION) 10. Where do you see your organization in terms of partnerships five years from now? Please answer in the box below: 11. How do you perceive potential partnerships between your organization and local Christian Churches? Please answer in the box below: [ Page ] 167 APPENDIX 7: General Consent Form Please tick the appropriate boxes Yes Taking Part I have read and understood the project information sheet dated DD/MM/YYYY. □ I have been given the opportunity to ask questions about the project. □ I agree to take part in the project. Taking part in the project will include being □ interviewed and recorded at least three times. I understand that my taking part is voluntary; I can withdraw from the study at □ any time without consequence and I do not have to give any reasons for why I no longer want to take part. If I choose to withdraw, all data gathered until the time of withdrawal will be destroyed. Use of the information I provide for this project only I understand my personal details such as name, age, gender, phone number, □ email and address will not be revealed to people outside the project. I understand that my words may be quoted in publications, reports, web pages, □ and other research outputs. Use of the information I provide beyond this project I agree for the data I provide to be archived at the Gormley Church Pastoral □ Office I understand that other genuine researchers will have access to this data only if □ they agree to preserve the confidentiality of the information as requested in this form. I understand that other genuine researchers may use my words in publications, □ reports, web pages, and other research outputs, only if they agree to preserve the confidentiality of the information as requested in this form. So we can use the information you provide legally I give my consent to use the data I provide without waiving any of my legal □ rights. _______________________________ ____________________ Name of participant [printed] Signature Date _______________________________ ____________________ __________________ Researcher [printed] Signature Date [ Page ] 168 If you have any questions about the ethics of the project please contact Dr. Mark Chapman, Project Thesis Coordinator / Tyndale Seminary DMin Cohort 5 Phone # 416-226-6620 Ext: 2208 Email: mchapman@tyndale.ca [ Page ] 169 APPENDIX 8: Consent Form to Church Member Participants Title of the study: Connecting the Local Church with the Community through a Service Learning Project: An evaluation of the effectiveness of an endeavour to increase Gormley Church’s engagement in community-service and personal development Student Researcher: Paul Pascoal, DMin Program, Tyndale Seminary Phone: Email: Project Thesis Advisor: Dr. Robert Shaughnessy - rshaughnessy@tyndale.ca Project Thesis Coordinator: Dr. Mark Chapman - mchapman@tyndale.ca Program Director: Dr. Paul Bramer - pbramer@tyndale.ca Invitation to Participate: I am invited to participate in the above mentioned research study conducted by Paul Pascoal. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study is to understand how Gormley Church members engage in and learn when they are challenged to participate in a service learning project that will increase the church’s commitment to community service and their personal development. Participation: My participation will consist essentially of engaging in, at least, 30 minutes of weekly service opportunities for a period of six months. To start that process I will do an individual survey that will define my personal areas of interest. Then, I will participate in the selection of a local organization to serve the community in the defined areas of my interest. Finally, I will be asked to participate in an interview before, during and after my community project. Risks: My participation in this study will entail some disclosure and this may cause me to feel insecure regarding my own privacy. 1 have received assurance from the researcher that every effort will be made to minimize these risks. Respect for my autonomy will be assured. My name will by labeled numerically in all documentation that will be stored in locked filing cabinets in a locked office. Benefits: My participation in this study will give me the opportunity to serve the community within the area of my own passion and this will increase my missional awareness as an instrument of God’s mission. I also hope that the relationship established with the clients of the partner organization will provide opportunities for personal development. This project will also help my church to reconnect with the community and will facilitate the process of capturing of our missional [ Page ] 170 identity. Confidentiality and anonymity: I have received assurance from the researcher that the information I will share will remain strictly confidential. I understand that the contents will be used only for the approved purposes and data anonymisation will be used as a procedure to protect confidentiality. Anonymity will be protected by removing major identifying details like my age, surname, place and organization name and by labeling numerically my name in all documentation. When identifying data are needed, the researcher will always keep identifying information in a separate ID list (a database with unique identification codes). Conservation of data: The data collected, both hard copy and electronic data, will be archived for a period of 5 years in locked filing cabinets in a locked office (GMC Pastoral Office). All digital notes, files and laptops will be password protected and, where possible, data encrypted. Voluntary Participation: I am under no obligation to participate and if I choose to participate, I can withdraw from the study at any time and/or refuse to answer any questions, without suffering any negative consequences. If I choose to withdraw, all data gathered until the time of withdrawal will be destroyed. Acceptance: I, (Name of participant), agree to participate in the above research study conducted by Paul Pascoal of Tyndale Seminary DMin Program Cohort 5 which research is under the supervision of Dr. Paul Bramer. If I have any questions about the study, I may contact the researcher or his supervisor. If I have any questions regarding the ethical conduct of this study, I may contact the Tyndale University College & Seminary Research Ethics Board 25 Ballyconnor Court Toronto, Ontario M2M 4B3 Tel.: (416)218-6757 ext. 6780 Email: mchapman@tyndale.ca There are two copies of the consent form, one of which is mine to keep. Participant's signature: (Signature) Date: (Date) Researcher's signature: (Signature) Date: (Date) [ Page ] 171 APPENDIX 9: Organization’s Consent Form Title of the study: Connecting the Local Church with the Community through a Service Learning Project: An evaluation of the effectiveness of an endeavour to increase Gormley Church’s engagement in community-service and personal development Student Researcher: Paul Pascoal, DMin Program, Tyndale Seminary Phone: Email: Project Thesis Advisor: Dr. Robert Shaughnessy - rshaughnessy@tyndale.ca Project Thesis Coordinator: Dr. Mark Chapman - mchapman@tyndale.ca Program Director: Dr. Paul Bramer - pbramer@tyndale.ca Invitation to Participate: As a representative of my Community-Based Organization’s Board I am invited to participate in the above mentioned research study conducted by Paul Pascoal. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study is to understand how Gormley Church members engage in and learn when they are challenged to participate in a service learning project that will increase the church’s commitment to community service and their personal development. Participation: According to a Memorandum of Understanding established between my Organization and Gormley Church, my participation will consist essentially of coordinating and monitoring the weekly service opportunities performed by Gormley Church members in our organization for a period of six months. Then, I will provide feedback of the experience to the researcher through interviews before, during and after the service learning community project. Risks: My participation in this study will entail some disclosure and this may cause me to feel insecure regarding our own organization’s privacy. I have received assurance from the researcher that every effort will be made to minimize these risks. Respect for my autonomy will be assured. Our organization’s name will by numerically labeled in all documentation that will be stored in locked filing cabinets in a locked office. Benefits: My participation in this study will provide an opportunity to increase the number of volunteers in our organization. I also hope that the relationship established between the volunteers and our clients will provide opportunities for personal development and wellbeing. Confidentiality and anonymity: I have received assurance from the researcher [ Page ] 172 that the information I will share will remain strictly confidential. I understand that the contents will be used only for the approved purposes and data anonymisation will be used as a procedure to protect confidentiality. Anonymity will be protected by removing major identifying details like my age, surname, place and organization name and by labeling numerically my name in all documentation. Conservation of data: The data collected, both hard copy and electronic data, will be archived for a period of 5 years in locked filing cabinets in a locked office (GMC Pastoral Office). All digital notes, files and laptops will be password protected and, where possible, data encrypted. Voluntary Participation: I am under no obligation to participate and if I choose to participate, I can withdraw from the study at any time and/or refuse to answer any questions, without suffering any negative consequences. If I choose to withdraw, all data gathered until the time of withdrawal will be destroyed. Acceptance: I, (Name of participant), agree to participate in the above research study conducted by Paul Pascoal of Tyndale Seminary DMin Program Cohort 5 which research is under the supervision of Dr. Robert Shaughnessy. If I have any questions about the study, I may contact the researcher or his supervisor. If I have any questions regarding the ethical conduct of this study, I may contact the Tyndale University College & Seminary Research Ethics Board 25 Ballyconnor Court Toronto, Ontario M2M 4B3 Tel.: (416) 218-6757 ext. 6780 Email: mchapman@tyndale.ca [ Page ] 173 REFERENCE LIST Alexander, T. Desmond et al, Eds. 2000. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Barrick, William D. 2015. The Kingdom of God in the Old Testament. Accessed March 5th 2015. http://rampaks.com/pdf/the-kingdom-of-god-in-the- old-testament-tms-the-master-. Booth, Wayne C. Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M Williams. 1995. The Craft of Research. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. Bosch, David J. 1991. Transforming Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. Bosch, David J. 1995. Believing in the Future: Toward a Missiology of Western Culture. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press. Bramer, Paul and Mark Chapman. 2011. 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