Overview of the Research Project
Can pastors develop psychological and theological resilience?
This project will focus on a twelve-week intervention to help pastors of pastoral-size Mainline churches develop resilience. Many people believe that resilience is a trait that simply cannot be developed.
This project, however is based on the hypothesis that resilience is a state that can be developed through specific actions.
The concepts of adaptive change, growth mindset, and resilience will help pastors develop resilience in an Age of Disestablishment.
Age of Disestablishment
The role of the church in Western culture has shifted from the established faith of the culture to a new reality in which the church has less influence on people in their daily lives and impact on cultural values. Today, the church struggle to deal with a loss of influence, power, and credibility.
In 2016, the Pew Research Center released a landmark study of the changing religious context in which the church finds itself today entitled America’s Changing Religious Landscape. This report quantified what many had experienced in local churches for twenty years.
Too often people of faith ask, “How can we go back?” The harder and more realistic question is, “How do we respond to this new age?”
Developing Resilience
Adaptive Learning: Ron Heifetz developed the concept of adaptive learning. In adaptive learning, the emphasis is on new learning through asking questions. The church must resist the temptation to look for quick fixes and easy answers. Even answers of the past will not work.
Growth Mindset: Carol Dweck pioneered work in the area of the growth mindset. Through incremental learnings, we can develop new ways of looking at seemingly insurmountable problems.
Resilience: Al Siebert and others pioneered work in resilience. This research showed specific strategies for developing the ability to respond to difficult situations.
