Date

12-11-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Alfonse Javed

Keywords

mission simulation retreat, young adult professionals, vocational discipleship, SDA Young Adults, urban youth ministry

Disciplines

Religion | Urban Studies and Planning

Abstract

The mission simulation retreat SDA action research project trains senior youth leaders of young adult professionals for urban ministry through their vocational orientation. To address the problem of only having a global youth day one-day mission drive, the Mission Simulation Retreat (MSR) equipped young leaders in local SDA churches to simulate mission projects matching their professional careers. By building on the Hebrew culture, the priesthood of all believers, and spiritual gifts, MSR customizes a spiritual gifts database that aligns with vocational careers to provide mission project options by vocational skills. Through focus group presentations, a questionnaire, and a survey, data was collected from MSR providing verifiable evidence for how and why the training of young adult professionals must be more intentional to incorporate their vocational skills, and provide customizable templates to better plan and sustain longer-term urban mission projects. MSR leveraged literature and research on engaging the skills of young adults, and packaged it in a practical way, to be used with young adult professionals in local churches by youth leaders. MSR is not an event but a cycle of simulating mission opportunities for young adult professionals.

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