Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Project Portfolio

Degree Name

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives (DLd)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Jennie Harrop, DMin

Second Advisor

Ekaputra Tupamahu, PhD

Third Advisor

Jason Swan Clark, DMin

Abstract

My NPO (Need, Problem, or Opportunity) addresses the problem that an exceptional number of men in Northwest Montana languish due to prolonged social and emotional isolation.

Across my research, the key insight was that isolation is sustained not only by personal circumstances but also by the cultural narratives that form men’s identities and expectations. Stories function as “maps of meaning,” shaping what men perceive as strength, weakness, and the good life. In this context, rugged individualism, understood as a self-reliance and isolation narrative that prizes toughness and minimal dependence, can foster admirable grit while also reinforcing shame around vulnerability, help-seeking, and relational need. Stakeholder feedback further clarified that any proposed solution must define human flourishing biblically, so that “community” is not merely social connection but life with God and with others shaped by Christlike love.

This project was developed within my vocational context as a pastor in Northwest Montana, where I regularly encounter men affected by elevated patterns of suicide, addiction, abuse, and relational disconnection—often masked by competence, busyness, and self-sufficiency. These pastoral realities, combined with stakeholder engagement, intensified the urgency of offering an accessible and credible pathway from isolation toward belonging.

To address the NPO, I designed and prototyped a long-form, multi-episode podcast in both audio and video formats. The deliverable is an interview-based series featuring men who have journeyed from prolonged isolation into meaningful community. Each monthly episode creates space for honest, detailed storytelling that can resonate with listeners in private spaces and invite them to consider an alternative narrative rooted in the gospel—rescue in Christ that enables strength through surrender, and joy in biblical community

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