The purpose of the ministry focus paper is to develop spiritual leaders at New Hope Church of Papillion, Nebraska who effectively lead teams by providing biblical principles and metaphors for leadership, offering church and business leadership wisdom, and training in effective team leadership and spiritual practices.
New Hope Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (hereafter, New Hope Church) is located in Papillion, Nebraska—a community in flux. There is a crying need for true Christ-led community—a sense of belonging that meets needs. Leaders grounded in spiritual disciplines can lead teams to help people live together well in community-building ways. The proposed project will present a strategy, accompanying resources, and training events for developing such spiritual leadership for the community. The focus of the project will be to help spiritual leaders learn how to effectively lead teams.
Part One of this paper will examine the surrounding community and New Hope’s mission. The community will be studied through demographic data analysis and interviews within the community. New Hope Church’s mission will be examined through its history, spiritual practices, governance, and reflections by church members.
Part Two establishes the theological and biblical foundations for the project. An understanding of team ministry will be examined through the biblical images of the trinity and of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). The underpinnings of good spiritual leadership will be presented through an examination of biblical characters and narratives, varieties of Disciples of Christ leadership, other theological traditions, ecclesiology, and recent church and business leadership resources.
Part Three focuses on the specific plan for this project, including how its goals, content, target population, and leadership flow from the previous theological and organizational resources. The implementation plan will include specific timelines, assignments, resources, and assessment.
Theological Mentor: Kurt Frederickson, Ph
