Date

5-20-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Scott D. Edgar

Keywords

Christlikeness, spiritual growth, spiritual formation, preacher, preaching, sermon, team-preaching, preaching model, female preacher, stagnant

Disciplines

Religion

Abstract

Preaching to Those Who Stay: A Preaching Model for Spiritual Formation, a thesis aimed at providing a preaching model that is intentional in preaching for spiritual formation. It moves away from a topical, sermon-based model delivered by a single male preaching voice toward a series-based team-preaching model that incorporates male and female preaching voices. The action-research preaching model modified the entire Worship Service, making it more sermon-focused. It addresses the needs of a small ministry that has existed for nearly twenty years. Its purpose is to address stagnant spiritual growth among individuals who have remained in one ministry for a long time. This is an action research study that employed pre- and post-surveys and questionnaires, along with observations, to gather data. The participants' responses revealed their understanding of spiritual formation as they evaluated the preaching model pre- and post-intervention. The goal of the thesis is to change surviving churches to thriving churches.

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