Date of Award

Spring 2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

First Advisor

Alvin Luedke

Second Advisor

Daniel Anderson

Abstract

This thesis project sought to answer the question: What are effective ways for congregations to engage in ways of faith formation that encourage spiritual growth and Christian identity in over-programmed families, so they may see God as an active subject in their daily lives? The research in this thesis included case studies from the current congregation I am serving in, and other selected congregations. While implementing my research, I discovered that we struggle to find the right language around how to address the issue of busy families. When asking colleagues for input, the responses went back to the implementation of programs, and technical changes. The question still remains how we make adaptive changes, so we can address this challenge of faith formation in our churches today. Throughout my research, I uncovered another area that was unexpected, and shaped a lot of my thinking when it comes to moving forward in ministry. This was the rise of anxiety and depression in our young people. I address this in my conclusions, and as options for future research.

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