GROWING CLARITY IN MY DISSERTATION

Officially, I haven't made much progress on my dissertation work these past few months.

Unofficially, though, I have done the most important work: zeroing in on the best approach for the ministry I want to pursue. 

Originally, I wanted it to be all online. I imagined automating a series of 40 short, daily emails. That aspect of my prospectus got shot down by my professor. He thought it needed a face-to-face component. 

In retrospect, I now agree. Too much of our lives are disconnected and online as it is. Matters of faith are transmitted primarily through relationships. 

That said, I haven't tossed the email concept - I just decided that it would not be the best starting point. 

A new direction was inspired by a call from the youth pastor at my church yesterday evening. She had the teens at a campground for the evening and I was still in the car returning from Milwaukee when she called. She was excited to report that our youth had been talking about wanting me to organize a weekend fall retreat at the Baptist camp. 

A retreat!

Now THAT could be a good starting point. 

An educational retreat followed by an automated chain of emails to reinforce the learning might be the perfect combo for what I have in mind.

My interest is in fostering the spiritual discipline of regular personal Bible study among believers. (Perhaps specifically among teenagers. We'll see.)

I see two main obstacles which currently stand in the way of this being as widespread of a practice as it ought to be:

1. Having a framework for understanding the Bible as a whole. 

    Our approach to Scripture within the church at large is scattershot. We assume people know more about Scripture than they really do and then we jump from passage to passage without context.

2. Exercising self discipline.

    This is where it would be so useful for individuals to have an understanding of what James Clear and others have uncovered about how the mind works in forming habits. 

If I could organize a retreat where believers are given some training on those two pillars and practice with a practical way to study the Bible at home on their own and then follow up with 40 days of emails - THAT might be the winning combination.