Date
4-18-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Boyd Hatchel
Keywords
Spiritual Maturity, Growth, Life Skills, Soft Skills, Transformative, Prison Ministry, Christian Bible Study, Life Principles, Jails, Prisons, Outreach, Spiritual Growth, Discipleship, Church growth, Investing in others, Action through Serving, Unity in Community
Disciplines
Religion | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Parham, Arlen K., "Transformative Teaching: Enhancing Spiritual Growth in the I'm A Part Church through Prison Ministry Program Insights" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6634.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6634
Abstract
The research project strived to equip the leadership of small churches with the tools to improve spiritual maturity among church members by utilizing a holistic, evidence-based curriculum developed with transformative teaching from prison ministry insights. The goal is to bring an evidence-based prison curriculum from a correctional setting and implement it in a church setting to improve spiritual maturity. The congregants of the I’m A Part Church agreed to be a test model. The curriculum will advance the church’s mission to invest in others by creating a vetted transformative teaching program. The addition of the transformative teaching curriculum is geared to improve spiritual growth and maturity, and is in line with the scriptural mission of the church found in Matthew 28:19-20. There was a total of 10 participants in the research project. The project was set for six weeks of class instruction offered in person and online. The research project sought to equip church members with soft skills and life skills to mature spiritually and grow with the desire to invest in the lives of others. The data was collected through spiritual maturity assessments and class feedback. There is an apparent lack of literature addressing the grafting of prison ministry curriculum and its integration into a free world church. The I’m A Part leadership and stakeholders buy-in of the research project promotes the value of spiritual maturity. The principles found in the soft skill and life skill curriculum utilized in prisons could positively influence the field of discipleship as the value of spiritual maturity and growth increases in the context of the church.
