Preaching for Congregational Transformation

122 Pages·2017·2.81 MB·English

AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
DDiiggiittaall CCoommmmoonnss @@ AAnnddrreewwss UUnniivveerrssiittyy
Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research
2012
PPrreeaacchhiinngg ffoorr CCoonnggrreeggaattiioonnaall TTrraannssffoorrmmaattiioonn:: aa WWiillllaarrddiiaann VViissiioonn--
IInntteenntt--MMeeaannss AApppprrooaacchh ttoo SSppiirriittuuaall GGrroowwtthh aanndd IIttss EEffffeeccttiivveenneessss
iinn NNuurrttuurriinngg tthhee FFaaiitthh ooff tthhee FFuulllleerrttoonn SSeevveenntthh--ddaayy AAddvveennttiisstt
CChhuurrcchh
Melbert B. Baga
Andrews University
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Baga, Melbert B., "Preaching for Congregational Transformation: a Willardian Vision-Intent-Means
Approach to Spiritual Growth and Its Effectiveness in Nurturing the Faith of the Fullerton Seventh-day
Adventist Church" (2012). Dissertation Projects DMin. 11.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/11
This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @
Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator
of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in the

Andrews University Digital Library
of Dissertations and Theses
.

Please honor the copyright of this document by
not duplicating or distributing additional copies
in any form without the author’s express written
permission. Thanks for your cooperation.
ABSTRACT

PREACHING FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: A
WILLARDIAN VISION-INTENT-MEANS APPROACH TO
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN
NURTURING THE FAITH OF THE FULLERTON
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

by

Melbert B. Baga

Adviser: John Brunt
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

Project Dissertation

Andrews University

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Title: PREACHING FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: A
WILLARDIAN VISION-INTENT-MEANS APPROACH TO SPIRITUAL
GROWTH AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN NURTURING THE FAITH OF THE
FULLERTON SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

Name of researcher: Melbert B. Baga

Name and degree of adviser: John Brunt, Ph.D.

Date completed: July 2012

Problem

The preaching diet of the Fullerton congregation has consisted mostly of doctrinal
and evangelistic sermons. This is reflective of the kind of preaching one often finds in
the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This kind of preaching, however, is primarily
designed to bring in new believers. It often fails to nurture present members. A different
preaching model was needed to address this problem. The present study designed,
implemented, and evaluated a preaching module for character transformation utilizing
Dallas Willard’s vision-intent-means approach.
Method
Six sermons were preached. A survey instrument was formulated consisting of
two parts: (a) Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI), which measured the sample
population’s spiritual maturity on six sub-scales, and (b) Spiritual Practices Frequency
(SPF), which measured frequency of practice of eighteen spiritual disciplines. The
survey instrument was implemented immediately prior to and after the sermon series.
Forty-nine matched surveys were analyzed using T-test paired sample analysis and
Wilcoxon signed ranks test. P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant positive
change.

Results
The sample population showed significant positive change in four of six sub-
scales of the SAI. These are: awareness, disappointment, impression management, and
instability. SPF showed nine of eighteen categories demonstrating statistically significant
positive change (50%). These are: fasting 1, worship 1, prayer, solitude, silence, worship
2, Sabbath, study, and secrecy. All remaining categories (50%) trended positively for
change but not of statistically significant value.

Conclusions
The preaching module increased and enhanced the sample population’s spiritual
maturity and practice of spiritual disciplines. While it may be true to say that every
sermon transforms, the strategic use of VIM means that it played a crucial role in the
relative success of the preaching module.
Andrews University

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

PREACHING FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: A
WILLARDIAN VISION-INTENT-MEANS APPROACH TO
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN
NURTURING THE FAITH OF THE FULLERTON
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

A Project Dissertation

Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Ministry

by

Melbert B. Baga

July 2012
© Copyright by Melbert B. Baga 2012
All Rights Reserved
PREACHING FOR CONGREGATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: A
WILLARDIAN VISION-INTENT-MEANS APPROACH TO
SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN
NURTURING THE FAITH OF THE FULLERTON
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

A project dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Ministry

by

Melbert B. Baga

APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:

______________________________ ______________________________
Adviser Director of DMin. Program
John Brunt Skip Bell

______________________________ ______________________________
L. Paul Jensen Dean, SDA Theological Seminary
Denis Fortin

______________________________ ______________________________
Ernest Furness Date approved
For Julie
The Love of my life
Loyalty and sacrifice are your virtues
Without which this study would never
Have seen the light of day

For Micah & Havilah
Daddy’s pride and joy
Whose character transformation
I desire to see more than
Anything in this world

To the memory of father
And the joy of my mother

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii

Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Challenge of the Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Preaching Malaise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Preaching for Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Purpose of the Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Justification of the Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Transformed Believers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Transformed Preaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Delimitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

II. A THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL
PREACHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Biblical Vision of the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
What the Word Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
What the Word Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How the Word Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Biblical Intent for Preaching the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Preaching as Proclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Preaching and Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Preaching for Character Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Biblical Means for Preaching the Word. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Vision and Preaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Intent and Preaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Means and Preaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

iv