some understandings regarding essential christian devotional spirituality perspectives and practices...

8/6/2019 Some understandings regarding essential Christian devotional spirituality perspectives and practices amongst New Zealand evangelical ministers and church leaders

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Presentation of a doctoral research survey by the

author/researcher as reported by the survey’s participants



Abstract

The data portrayed in this report comes from a survey conducted by the undersigned as a researcher

working on an aspect of my doctoral dissertation (D.Min.) project. The “Survey Monkey” platform

was used for data gathering and the production of the graphs in this presentation. Survey

participants are ministers and key lay-leaders in NZ Baptist, and ACTS/Apostolic churches in

Aotearoa/New Zealand; this presentation of the data (in the following format) was delivered at

Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty Region Minsters’ Monthly Cluster Group Meeting” on the 16th June

2010.

Data collection was achieved through a two-part survey. While only a limited amount of the first-part

data is in this presentation, all second-part data is included. First-part data related to surveying

background and characteristics of participants, while second-part data gathered responses to

questions related to their understandings, perspectives, priorities, cognisances, experience, and

practices in aspects of evangelical Christian spirituality’s devotional practices and disciplines. Thespecific research-need/problem-statement background being surveyed was, “possible congruence

of professed intention and behavioural engagement in the practice of self-chosen spiritual

disciplines by ministry leaders within New Zealand evangelical churches.”

Based on the survey data the researcher contends in the larger dissertation that:

A specific spirituality praxis gap exists within the nurtured spiritual formation development

structures of New Zealand evangelical church ministry leaders. One that affects the capacity

of leadership person’s abilities to sustain ministry -longevity and establish a breadth of personal and corporate spirituality in the groups / churches they serve.

The survey identified disparity between professed intention and behavioural engagement in the

personal practice of self-chosen spiritual disciplines.

John C. Douglas

Tauranga, New Zealand

[email protected]

2

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



EssentialEssential

SpiritualitySpiritualitySurveySurvey

Presentation with BOP Cluster Group of summaries from the Baptist responses

(16/6/10)

14 May 2011 3BOP Cluster presentation of Baptist responses in Essential Spirituality Survey

Researcher: John C. Douglas [email protected]



Background to participants and reportBackground to participants and reportResponses are:

–From 300 persons,

• 218 (73.6%) affiliated with New Zealand Baptist churches, and

• 62 (20.9%) affiliated with ACTS/Apostolic churches, and

• 20 (5.5%) persons of other church affiliations.

• A 348 persons have completed the first page of the survey, with 48 not competing thesecond page responses. No data from the incomplete returns (48) is included in thisreport.

•

Only survey completions of both pages are included in this report. – 300 respondents in both main islands of New Zealand , 2 USA/Canada, 1 UK and 2 Asia.

– This report’s “fully completed” responses received rates to requests sought by theresearcher through direct correspondence and supplied “group codes” are; Baptists 45.4%and Acts/Apostolic 62%. Baptist requests mailed 16-30/3/10, ACTS/Apostolic requests on23/4/10, and a general follow-up email advising a closing date for data collection was mailedon 20/5/10 to all original addressees.

“Keys” applied in the presentation:

Contrast with Baptist Church Ministry and lay Leaders

Comparison between NZ Baptist and ACTS/Apostolic Church

Time served in NZ Baptist Ministry or key lay Leadership

14 May 2011 BOP Cluster presentation of Baptist responses in Essential Spirituality Survey 4



Who we areWho we are

Summarising ourbackgrounds,

church connection,

education, serving

roles, experience,

and sense of

ministry-call

(Based on Part I survey data)





S t a f f M i n i s t r y

L a y M i n i s t r y






AGE GROUPINGS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS






HOW LONG WE HAVE BEEN SERVING

Length of time engaged in active Christian serving




WHERE WE CAME FROM

The “religious affiliations” of our childhood families




Time in Ministry






MINISTRY-THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Levels of “formal education” in Theology/Christian Ministries




Time in Ministry



EssentialEssential

SpiritualitySpiritualitySurveySurvey

Summarising our

responses,perspectives,

knowledge,

understandingsand practices

(Based on Part II survey data)





ORDER IN SURVEY

• A call to transcend ourselves

• An inner experience (of either person or group)

• Humanities' attempt to

reconnect itself back with its

soul

• One’s entire life as understood,

felt, imagined and decided

upon in relation to God, in

Jesus Christ, empowered bythe Holy Spirit

• Patterns which shape our lives

in response to experiences of

God as real presence in and

around us




ORDER IN SURVEY

• Activities of mind and

body purposefullyundertaken to initiate and

nurture the spiritual life

• Habits or regular patterns

in your life that repeatedly

bring you back to God

and open you up to what

God is saying to you

•

Intentional practices or habits applied in

processing one’s

personal faith

• Lifestyle practices made

for the purpose of

entering into deeper

awareness and

relationship with God

• Practices deemed

necessary for “spiritual

formation”




ORDER IN SURVEY

• Filling the mind with

scriptures that point to

God

•

The discipline of reflectivethought generated from

the contemplative reading

of Scripture

• The integration of Bible

reading and focused

thinking

• The practice of reflecting

upon, ruminating about,and considering matters

of our faith

• The process of allowing

God's Word to so fill the

mind, and so occupy

thought in governing

speech and action




OTHER RESPONSES – As Specified

1. Combination of al l of the above

2. All of the above. /Every persons pathway is

unique

3. seeking God4. Giving focussed attention to God's activity in the

day

5. Whole of l ife a ll the t ime

6. For me it is a mixture of prayer, reading the word

and worshipping God.

7 . m an y o f t he ab ov e

8. combination of above

9. A combination of all of the above at different

times

10. Hanging out with God and getting to know him

better.

11. Both personal prayer and worship

12. Jesus focussed prayer and reflection

13. Reading of the word, personal worship and

prayer 14. Combination of all above

15. Lecitio Divinia + conversational prayer

16. "whatever" John (o;

17. daily devotional (quiet) time

18. I'm aware of how 'loaded' these terms have

become. I like "God Space" but I'm conscious

that it sounds a bit airy fairy. I like "devotional

time" but it feels quite scripture union quiet

time's. Perhaps "prayers" is my best choice but

prayers in a broader sense of listening, noticing,

engaging, asking, worshipping etc.

19. Prayer/worship/Scripture/reflection

20. a ll o f the above

21. practicing the presence of God

22. Prayer and Bible Reading23. Renewing the mind and obeying the voice of the

Holy Spirit

24. God time

25. a self-awareness that remembers God

26. practicing the presence of God

27. Connecting with God, entering into his presence

28. when every God moves it could be tramping,

cycling etc

29. a personal encounter with the presence of the

Holy Spirit




45.7%




ORDER IN SURVEY

• A life-structure that bringscomposition within one’s

outside world and peace in

their inner soul

• A configuration in which

spiritual formation is

facilitated

• An intentional framework

that provides structure for one’s spiritual life

• Self-chosen practices as a

guiding framework for daily

life in a complex world

• The means by which an

individual Christian

establishes an intentional

pattern of Christiandiscipline which can, over

time, be reflected upon,

revised, and deepenedNote: 112 persons

“skipped” this question



Some findingSome finding – – implicationsimplicationsPersonal Prayer is:

• An essential aspect of daily

devotional spirituality (98%)

• It is essentially Relational (58%)

• It is secondarily Conversational

(29%)

• Not often seen as Contemplative,

Reflective or PetitionThe place of the Bible is:

• An essential aspect of daily

devotional spirituality (94.3%)

Spirituality is grounded in Trinity (72%)

A Call to Ministry Service is a “common

factor” of Lay and Ministry

leadership

A “Rule of Life” is:

• Not a fully understood

concept/practice

• Primarily applied to the

maintaining/achieving of “Devotional

praxis”

Spiritual Formation, Disciplines and

Theological Reflection are:• Primarily understood as Process

• Not known/understood by a

significant % of leaders/ministry

Maintaining Devotional practices are

seen as:• A Priority (28.7%) and subject to

difficulty and challenge

• Essentially Daily or Regular

• Having variance between Lay and

Staff leaders.

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