Date of Award
Spring 2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Abstract
This transformative, mixed-methods research project utilized a modified PAR in order to strengthen inter-relationships of a congregation and with its community. Intentional small acts of conversation and listening were utilized as the main tool to implement change, as participants were awakened from the myth of small-town living, in which assumptions of connectedness were made. This project was deepened through the use of key theoretical, biblical, and theological lenses, such as: community, social capital, open systems theory, transformational leadership, hearing, incarnation, perichoresis, and a sense of belonging. Results revealed a deepened sense of community, a growing awareness of inter-relationships, key differences in how women and men connect in congregational life, and a changed congregational behavior of reaching out to disconnected ones.
Recommended Citation
Cordray, Sarah R., "Deepening Community: Dispelling the Myth of Small through a Gospel of the Small" (2017). Doctor of Ministry Theses. 23.
https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/dmin_theses/23
Included in
Christianity Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Rural Sociology Commons, Social Psychology Commons