Go. Do. Make. Repeat: A Small House Curriculum and Leadership Pathway for Big House Church

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
This doctoral project aims to develop a leadership pathway curriculum for Small House Churches (SHCs) that will enable Big House Church (BHC) to train, equip, and deploy individuals to lead in their homes and Small House Church ministry effectively. The decentralized leadership structure of BHC aims to foster a desire in religious individuals to play an increased role in their spiritual and religious experiences, which aligns with the growing trend of individuals seeking a more active role in their spiritual journey. This project's fundamental assumption is that leadership opportunities within the church provide an excellent avenue for discipleship. Increasing those opportunities strengthens the individual, their household, and the church. To establish a strong foundation for the leadership pathway curriculum, this project will critically examine the relevant literature on the impact of households, house churches, and familial responsibility on spiritual growth and effective discipleship. The proposed curriculum discusses the significance of how Jesus created leadership opportunities to disciple his first followers and the biblical teaching of the priesthood of all believers. The curriculum sessions explore both topics more fully. During the 2023-2024 academic year, a select group will utilize the developed curriculum to participate in a SHC experience. This pilot group will consist of individuals who attend or are connected to BHC. The author and participants of the SHC experience will evaluate the curriculum, and applicable feedback will be incorporated into the final version. An outline of the curriculum will be included as an appendix to this project.