Unearthing the Work Your Soul Must Have: Ministry Project Guidelines
All papers must be written in the current Turabian 9th edition. Double spaced, 12 pt font, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Ensure proper documentation of footnotes and bibliography is documented correctly along with the below reading references.
Final Ministry Paper/ Project: Each student will develop and complete the following as foundation for exploring/articulating an authentic ministry interest/research project grounded by a particular theological perspective that benefits the community(ies) that the student is serving or plans to serve based on the three categories listed in red.
Autobiographical Foundations:
Theological Foundations:
Ministry Foundations:
In addition to and as a part of each of the above, students will submit the following:
1.) a 2-3 slide PowerPoint presentation
2.) a bibliography with the requested sources, books, articles and multi-media resources.
The paper/project/presentation should reflect the students ability to clearly articulate and logically develop a thesis and reference relevant scholarly literature to support the thesis of the proposed ministry project. Students must adhere to proper standards of scholarly citation as well as correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and guidelines of professionalism.
Write a Biblically base report where, people are called by God in response to: a.) cries from communities related to oppressive conditions/governments or b.) stalled fulfillment of purpose due to disconnection from God that ultimately causes chaos and normalizes oppression/violence, c.) because the person sent can be trusted. In each case, God comes through a messenger in order to liberate. God typically calls a person based on preparations and passion in order to offer a solution to whatever challenge is faced. Often the solution goes against the grain primarily because the person(s) sent see the problem/solution through a different lens. Often that lens has to do with your authentic theological plumb-line.
The foundational assumption of this assignment is that God called You based on your passions, your past, and your preparation because there is a social concern affecting the lives of people and their ability to live, to learn, to love, to grow. God called you because built into your experience is a connection and compassion. This assignment is designed to give you permission to imagine a ministry/space/business in which you can affect the lives of others that intersect with your passions, your preparations, and your past.
Autobiographical Foundations:
When you look at the world, what saddens your heart most?
When I see people eating food out of dumpsters. It breaks my heart.
I see a need in several communities for affordable food.
How does this relate to your own experiences?
1. Articulate the social concern that grabs your heart. What are the historical foundations of the problem? What solutions do others offer? 5 Bibliographic references on how it relates. Then translate it into theological thinking.
Theological Foundations:
Theology is God Talk. It is thinking and being based on who God is to you, in you and has revealed Gods self to you, through nature, through your experiences, through history, etc.(These are the sources for theological reflection). Connect the theological concern to the social concerns.
If we take seriously that God is interested in humanity (anthropology) and society (sociology), what theological problem exists at the root of your social concern? What do we need to be liberated from theologically in order to live, fully? Is it a problem with how we have been taught to see God (theology); how we have been taught to see humankind (anthropology); or how we have been taught to believe how society operates (sociology).
2. For this section articulate the theological concern related to the social concern. What is the theological problem? Do a literature search for theological perspectives related to your social concern. Share 5 resources addressing the concern. You have the freedom to decide what sources you consider theological. Choose at least 2 scholarly articles or books. Add a scripture that connects to this ministry.
The scripture that speaks to my heart an connects to my ministry is Matthew 25:35
Ministry Foundations:
What do you love doing that makes you feel free to experience Gods presence? What is it that you do that makes you hear your own theme music or feel free/at ease?
Suppose God wants to use what you love to address the social concern that breaks your heart or causes you to feel angry? Suppose God uses the tension of what you love and hate as creative space to transform the lives of others so that they might value themselves enough to know that God loves them. What might that look like in terms of ministry/business/ space? Write or sketch it out. Find 5 other people/resources doing similar work and add their bibliographical citations. I have provided 3 of 5 on the last page, to incorporate on a power point presentation
My ministry is to feed people with spiritual food and natural food.
The name of my store would be F.M.P Grocery Store
F=Feed
M=My
P=People
My goal is to build a feeding ministry. My vision is to establish a Non-Profit Free Grocery Store in a community to feed low income and parvis families.
I would want the building to be accessible as a drive thru as well is a regular store, so people are able to shop for their basic needs.
There will be Kiosk, on the store grounds to create an order for pick up if persons do not have computer access to place an online order.
I also want a caf station for dine-in quick meals, i.e Soups, Sandwiches, express meals etc.
It would allow any persons or family to come in, after filling out the intake information, they grab a cart and pick out things they know their family will eat. There would be an entire produce section with fresh produce that comes in weekly. We would stock nutritionally dense, healthful, low-fat items that are easy to combine and prepare.
Please add to this building. Menu Kiosk for orders for those without a computer.
Below are 3 of 5 sites that is needed
1. https://www.thestore.org
2. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginias-only-non-profit-grocery-store-celebrates-re-opening/291-548133053.
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U93C08d7EQ
