Addressing the Spiritual Formation Needs of a New Church: Current Realties, Future Opportunities and Formative Curriculum

2012·115.1 MB·English

by  ADAM LEE FELDMAN

ADDRESSING THE SPIRITUAL FORMATION NEEDS OF A NEW CHURCH:
CURRENT REALTIES, FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND
FORMATIVE CURRICULUM
A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY
BY
ADAM LEE FELDMAN
MAY 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Adam Lee Feldman. All Rights Reserved.
To Kimberly, my wife, best friend and journeymate:
To Abigail, my daughter of delight; to Joshua, my son of Levi.
Thus says the LORD:
Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls...
—- Jeremiah 6:16a-b
CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Vill
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xiii
ABSTRACT xiv
Chapter
l. THE CONTEXT AND THE PROBLEM ADDRESSED
Introduction
Context: Metanoia Church, Ellicott City, Maryland
The Problem Addressed: The Need for a Spiritual Formation Assessment
of Metanoia Church 17
Thesis-Project: Addressing the Spiritual Formation Needs of a New
Church: Current Realties, Future Opportunities and Formative
Curriculum 27
Summary: Purposes of the Thesis-Project 30
INTERPRETING THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WITHIN A
THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL
FORMATION
32
Toward a Spiritual Theology 32
Understanding the Sermon on the Mount as a Spiritually Formative Text 35
Locus: Citizenship In the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew 4:12-22; 5:1-2;
7:13-14, 21-29 39
Goal: The Evidence of Transformation in Matthew 5:3-16; 6:19-34;
7:7-11 45
Authority: The Law, the Prophets and the Christ in Matthew 5:17-48 59
Means: Acts of Righteousness in Secret in Matthew 6:1-18 63
Context: Guidelines For Kingdom Community in Matthew 6:14-15;
7:1-6, 12, 15-20 67
Summary 71
LITERATURE DIALOGUE: A THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR

2
CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL FORMATION 73
Defining terms 73
Dialogue: A Theological Framework For Christian Spiritual Formation 79
Case Study: Prayer in Christian Spirituality and the West’s “New
Spirituality” 96
Concluding Thoughts on Christian Spiritual Formation 106
PROJECT DESIGN: CONDUCTING A SPIRITUAL FORMATION
ASSESSMENT OF METANOIA CHURCH 108
Research Methodology 108
Gathering Data: Spiritual Formation Questionnaire 112
Gathering Data: Focus Group Interviews 142
OUTCOMES: DISCOVERING CURRENT REALITIES,
DETERMINING FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES AND DESIGNING
FORMATIVE CURRICULUM 153
Discovering Current Realities: Analyzing Data 153
vi
Determining Future Opportunities: Interpreting Data 167
Designing Formative Curriculum: Contextualization and Theological
Application 173
Conclusion: Evaluation of Thesis-Project Outcomes and the Value of
Assessing Spiritual Formation in New Churches 182
Appendix
1. Informed Consent and Spiritual Formation Questionnaire 189
2. Focus Group Informed Consent 199
3. Focus Group Questions 203
BIBLIOGRAPHY
204
VITA 210
Vii
ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
1. 4.1 Length of time as a believer in Jesus Christ 113
2. 4.2 Length of time as a Metanoia Church Partner 113
Tables
1. Table 4.1 Worship the Trinity spiritual growth results 116
2. Table 4.2 Worship the Trinity identifying longings results 117
3. Table 4.3 Open Myself to God spiritual growth results 120
4. Table 4.4 Open Myseif to God identifying longings results 121
5. Table 4.5 Relinquish the False Self and Idols of Your Heart spiritual
growth results 124
6. Table 4.6 Relinquish the False Self and Idols of Your Heart identifying
longings results 125
7. Table 4.7 Share My Life spiritual growth results 128
8. Table 4.8 Share My Life identifying longings results 129
9. Table 4.9 Hear God’s Word spiritual growth results 131
10. Table 4.10 Hear God’s Word identifying longings results 132
11. Table 4.11 Incarnate Christ’s Love spiritual growth results 135
12. Table 4.12 Incarnate Christ’s Love identifying longings results 136
13. Table 4.13 Pray My Life spiritual growth results 140
14. Table 4.14 Pray My Life identifying longings results 141
15. Table 5.1 Gender breakdown of selected spiritual longings for females 162
Vill
16. Table 5.2 Gender breakdown of selected spiritual longings for males 162
17. Table 5.3 Applying the Sermon on the Mount and contextual data to
develop spiritual formation curriculum for Metanoia Church 181
IX
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for all the support, prayer and
encouragement that made the successful completion of this Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.)
journey possible. J am so grateful for all those who shared the journey with me.
I begin with thanking my Rabbi, Messiah, Master and Friend, Jesus Christ, for all
he has done in and through me in this journey. Without a doubt, I have experienced his
transformational power in mind, strength and soul. I am eternally grateful for his grace.
A few persons walked especially close with me through this journey, but none
knew the research or writing process more intimately than my greatest encourager: my
wife, Kimberly. Kim read every page of this thesis-project more than once and freely
gave of her editing skills as a High School English teacher and college professor. Kim
sacrificed countless hours to enable me to work on the D.Min. degree and more than once
gave me the encouragement I needed to believe the degree could be completed.
My brother, Scott, shared the first half of the D.Min. journey with me while he
finished his final years of ministry at Metanoia Church. Scott read numerous projects and
dialogued over copious cups of coffee on the subject matter, lending his theological and
missional perspective to the research. Much of the history recorded in Chapter 1 is a
shared story of Scott’s co-laboring with me in planting Metanoia.
I am grateful for Dr. Randy Millwood, my spiritual director, for our spiritual
friendship over the course of the D.Min. journey. More than once Randy offered his
critical eye and expertise from the many years he taught in D.Min. tracks at the New
Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Randy also gave of his time to conduct the focus