Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Project Portfolio

Degree Name

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives (DLd)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Christine Roush, DMin

Second Advisor

Trisha Welstad, DLd

Third Advisor

Jason Swan Clark, DMin, PhD

Abstract

There are two ubiquitous challenges to the modern church in North America: declining church attendance and the mental health crisis. This is an opportunity for the modern church to take up the missional imperative by providing access to mental health resources to meet the mental and spiritual needs of those they serve, while creating a positive connection to those who do not currently attend church.

This doctoral project seeks to address both challenges by providing a podcast called, Holistic and Holy, Listener Guide, and website that creates conversations at the intersection of mental health and spirituality. This approach uses traditional and non-traditional means to position the church as a resource to emerging generations by embracing new modes of connecting to people who attend church and those who do not currently attend church. Holistic and Holy also serves to provide access to mental health concepts and practices that are largely only available by seeking the services of a mental health professional. This can be cost and time prohibitive for many people, while the podcast is available and accessible to those who are able to access the internet.

The research was initiated and conducted within the community of First United Methodist Church of Whitesboro, Texas. A rural congregation, in a small community, that shared openly about the everyday struggles that individuals and families are navigating in modern life. The intended result of the doctoral project is that those who engage with the fourteen episodes of Holistic and Holy, the Listener Guide and website will experience an increase in their mental health and see the church, not just as a place to attend, but a place to have the conversations that matter most to them on their healing journey.

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