Date of Award
Spring 5-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Primary Advisor
Dr. Jonathan Camp
Secondary Advisor
Dr. Chris Flanders
Committee Reader
Dr. Carson Reed
Abstract
This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project in which I led a team to develop a plan to cultivate the practice of missional hospitality for small groups at West Houston Church of Christ. I used missional theology as a framework to give shape to the practice of hospitality. The project team met for nine weeks in the fall of 2014. The team practiced lectio divina focused on Luke 10, participated in theological reflection on missional hospitality, and fulfilled assignments to practice missional hospitality. These activities helped form the group spiritually and informed the development of a plan to foster the practice of missional hospitality in small groups.
Three strategic groups will be targeted by the plan once it is implemented. Small group leaders will be trained in Sunday morning classes for twenty-six weeks out of each year in the practice of missional hospitality. New members will be recruited by attending an eight-week discovery class, which will model missional hospitality and teach the vision of West Houston. These new members will be formed into a new small group. The entire church will have the opportunity to participate in a four-week sermon series and four-week Sunday school class with an emphasis on missional hospitality. The series will be accompanied by a challenge to the congregation to practice missional hospitality by inviting guests to a meal.
The theological focus of this project can be duplicated by other churches desiring to become more missionally focused through the practice of missional hospitality. In addition, the plan derived by the group could be easily adapted to other contexts.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Stewart, Kevin, "Cultivating the Practice of Missional Hospitality for Small Groups at West Houston Church of Christ" (2015). Doctor of Ministry Theses. 14.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/dmin_theses/14
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