A Multi-Dimensional Spiritual Assessment Program

1. First Core Value of ABHE:
Spiritual Engagement
We will fulfill our mission as a
A Multi-Dimensional spiritual enterprise
Spiritual Assessment Program united under Christ our Head,
led and empowered by the Holy Spirit,
Timothy L. Cooley faithful in biblical truth and prayer.
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Retrieved January 21, 2012 from http://www.abhe.org/pages/NAV-OurMission.html
Spiritual Transformation
is the shaping of the interior life —
Cognition,
Commitment,
Character/Conscience,
Communion, and
Compassion
— so that life flows out in an integrative
wholeness (head, hand, and heart)
increasingly more like Christ 3 4
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2. 5 6
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3. A Multi-Dimensional
Spiritual Assessment
• Cognition
• Commitment
• Character/Conscience
• Communion (κοινωνια)
• Compassion 9 10
Remembering
Bloom’s Domains Understanding Dettmer’s Suggested Domains
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating Cognitive
Perception Cognitive Creating
Readiness to Act
Guided Response
Complex
Response Receiving
Adaptation Responding
Origination Valuing Social Affective
Organizing
Internalizing
Affective
Psychomotor
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Sensorimotor 12
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4. Fowler Faith Stage 3
James Fowler’s Stages of Faith
Conventional Conforming Faith
Based on the developmental
theories of
The Loyalist
•Jean Piaget • Ages 11/12 to 17/18 and many adults
• Interpersonal Relationships very important
•Erik Erikson • Not yet Reflected on their Beliefs and Values
(Formal Thinking just emerging)
•Lawrence Kohlberg • “Faith-crowd” provides much of their
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Meaning 14
Fowler Faith Stage 4
Individuative Choosing Faith
The Searcher
• Ages 17/18 and onward (or 30s/40s and onward)
• Evaluating their Beliefs and Values
• Cannot Tolerate Second-Hand Belief
• Faith Becomes their Own
• Transition to this Stage can be long and
traumatic 15 16
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5. Sharon Parks’ Dimensions Attachment Theory
within Fowler’s Faith Stages John Bowlby
Form of Knowing
Robert Karen
The way a person relates to the
primary caregiver in childhood
Form of Form of develops a perceptual filter that
Community Dependence tends to govern all other
relationships even toward God.
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Dilemma
• If spiritual transformation, or Christian
formation, is a summary category that
includes everything . . . .
• If spiritual transformation is a separate
category . . . .
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6. Likert-type Response Ratings
Qualitative Research?
or
Quantitative Research?
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Spiritual Transformation
Romans 12:2
is the shaping of the interior life —
Cognition, Be ye transformed (metamorphosed)
Commitment, by the renewing of your mind,
Character/Conscience, that ye may prove what is that
Communion, and good, and
Compassion acceptable, and
— so that life flows out in an integrative perfect, will of God.
wholeness (head, hand, and heart)
increasingly more like Christ 23 24
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7. A Multi-Dimensional
II Corinthians 3:18
Spiritual Assessment
But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass
• Cognition
the glory of the Lord, • Commitment
are changed (metamorphosed)
into the same image
• Character/Conscience
from glory to glory, • Communion (κοινωνια)
even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
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• Compassion 26
Cognition Commitment
Personal commitment to God and
Propositional truth (doctrine)
Propositional truth (doctrine) cognitively His Word as having supreme value for
grasped and believed about Godbelieved
cognitively grasped and (as personal Personal commitment to God and His Word as
the individual; personal choice, going
about God (ashumans (as andmoral agents),
and Trinitarian), personal free Trinitarian), having “supreme value for me”; personal
beyond a conventional, second-hand
choice, going beyond a conventional, second-
sin (as both act(as free moral agents),
humans and nature), salvation (received
sin (asgrace through faith) as a present
by both act and nature), salvation hand faith (based moreon family, church, and
faith (based more on family, church,
friends) to a convictional faith (based on
friends) to a convictional faith (based
(received by sanctification (including a
relationship,grace through faith) as a
personal reflection) (Fowler, 1981/1995);
Wesleyan understanding of entire sanctification on personal reflection) (Fowler,
as an instantaneous purgingsanctification as
present relationship, of one’s nature, personal commitment to Jesus Christ, to His
1981/1995); personal commitment to
(includingongoing process of becoming more
well as the a Wesleyan understanding of commands and His commission; practice of the
Jesus Christ, to His commands and His
and entire sanctification), personal of
more like Christ), personal assurance spiritual disciplines; and self-discipline
one’s relationship with God, eternity (as commission; spiritual the more excellent,
(disciplined choosing of disciplines; self-
assurance of one’s relationship with
duration and as destination),meaning, even discipline, disciplined choosing of the
choosing even against one’s own short-term
God, eternity, ultimate ultimate meaning,
even general knowledge of creation as it more excellent, choosing even against
gain, and willingness to suffer for spiritual
general knowledge of creation as it
connects with ultimate meaning. value).
one’s own short-term gain, willingness
connects with ultimate meaning
27 to suffer for spiritual value 28
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8. Character/Conscience Communion
Integrity, consistent living out or Koinonia (Gr. κοινωνια with God
κοινωνια)
“incarnating” one’s faith and values, (prayer, worship, personal trust in God,
obedience to Scripture; conscience as sense of forgiveness from God), and
consciousness, conscious sensitivity to koinonia with one’s spiritual community,
moral right and wrong; openness to with family, with people in general
the direct dealing of the Spirit; (including acceptance of others,
conformity to Christ, fruit of the Spirit; forgiveness toward them, and global
wisdom, discretion, choosing the things acceptance of the full diversity of
that are excellent; personal stewardship humans as created in the image of God);
of time, talent, and treasure (financial acceptance of self; relationship to
responsibility) spiritual authority
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Compassion
Willingness to serve Christ
through serving others What is? What should be?
(servanthood), Assessment
and
sympathy Planning
Cycle
for the suffering,
the poor, and
the imprisoned How to
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Close the Gap? 32
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9. Spiritual Assessment should be
Can we assess
• Couched in Biblical terms or
concepts Spiritual Transformation?
• Aligned with your theological and
ecclesiastical commitments
We can only assess
• Linked to your spiritual formation
program “Spiritual Indicators”
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Six-point Likert-type Scale The Study Analyzed
1 2 3 4 5 6
very mostly more more mostly very • The level of students’ Spiritual
untrue untrue untrue true true true Transformation
of me
Very untrue of me of me
Mostly untrue of me than
More untrue than true of me than
More true than untrue of me of me
Mostly true of me of me
Very true of me
true untrue
of me of me • Their rating of the Bible College
Experience
Trait is
Characteristic • The correlation between these two
of student
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10. Spiritual Transformation
Spiritual Disciplines (#7)
Component Means (#2-6)
Exercise 2x week or more 1x day or more
• Devotional Prayer 91% 70% #7a
• Devotional Bible Reading 88% 60% #7b
Exercise 2x week or more
• Church Attendance 91% #7c
• Chapel Attendance 96% #7d
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Bible College Experiences (#8)
Spiritual Disciplines (#7 continued) • School Revivals . . . 5.34 #8d
• Fellowship w other students 5.04 #8c
Exercise 1x week or more
• Christian Service 5.01 #8k
• Small Group Fellowship/Prayer 63% #7e
• Academic Courses 4.97 #8a
• Chapel Services 4.93 #8e
Exercise 1x month or less
• Campus Atmosphere Great Commission 4.89 #8j
• Witnessing . . . 51% #7f • Fac/Stu Interaction outside of class 4.86 #8b
• Fasting and Prayer 59% #7g • Visiting Ministers/Missionaries 4.78 #8i
• Campus Prayer Meetings 4.64 #8h
• Discipleship Groups 4.54 #8g
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• Dormitory Life 4.29 #8f
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11. Bible College Experiences (#8 continued) Campus Atmosphere (#9)
#9b The faculty are devoted to serving the Lord 5.78
#9c The general staff are devoted to serving the Lord 5.72
• Mean of All Lines #8a-k 4.84 #9h The faculty are devoted to serving the students 5.48
#8a-k #9e The faculty and staff make students feel loved and accepted 5.41
#9i The campus atmosphere encourages everyone to spiritual growth 5.38
#9f The students make each other feel loved and accepted 5.02
#9a The students are devoted to serving the Lord 5.01
• Correlation of #9d The students are quick to help each other 5.01
Mean of #8a-k #9g The students are committed to the spiritual purpose of the school 4.86
and
Mean of all line items relating to faculty and staff
Mean of #2-6 Pearson r = .512 (#9b, #9c, #9,h, #9e)
5.60
Mean of all line items relating to students
4.97
(#9f, #9a, #9d, #9g)
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Mean of all line items 5.30
Summary Summary (continued)
• Students who enrolled in these Bible • Participants who rated their own level of
Colleges were already aligned with the spirituality higher also tended to rate the
mission before coming. impact of the Bible College experiences
• Students rated their own spiritual more highly.
transformation very highly.
• Students testified that they are practicing • Age, number of semesters, and gender
many of the spiritual disciplines usually made very little difference in the way
associated with spiritual growth. students rated their own spirituality, the
• Students testified that Bible College Bible College Experiences, and the Campus
Experiences and the Campus Atmosphere Atmosphere.
are contributing to their spiritual growth. 43 44
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12. Implications Recommendations
• Further development of the instrument
• Are students are growing spiritually?
• Suggestions for improvement?
• Are students aligned with your mission?
• Related article in current Biblical Higher
• Are your recruitment efforts bringing the Education Journal
kind of students you want?
• Today’s paper and presentation available
• Are your distance education students
pursuing and/or reaching the same • Dissertation available by pdf file
objectives as your face-to-face students?
45 • Author email: TimCooleySr@pvbi.edu 46
May the Lord
prosper your efforts
to increase students’
spiritual growth!
— Timothy L. Cooley, Sr.
Email: TimCooleySr@pvbi.edu 47
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