Family ministry: A quantitative analysis of three models from a missional perspective

This dissertation used a quantitative study to analyze three models of family ministry for missional compatibility. The family-based model, the family-equipping model, and the family-integrated models were examined. Missional compatibility was measured according to Ed Stetzer's elements of missional ministry and Reggie McNeal's areas for a missional scorecard.;A 60 question Likert Scale survey assessing missional compatibility was developed and validated via an expert panel. Study participants were screened for eligibility and were assigned to a ministry model via a phone conversation. All participants had been leading or supervising family ministry at their current Southern Baptist Convention affiliated church for at least three years. All participating churches were located within North American Mission Board Send City metro areas. This study was conducted during the fall of 2015 and involved 71 participants.;One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to determine whether significant differences existed between the missional compatibility scores of the family ministry models. Post hoc t-tests were conducted when the ANOVA yielded significant results at the p<.05 level. Differences in missional compatibility between ethnic and non-ethnic churches were also briefly examined.;Family-integrated respondents scored significantly higher than family-based respondents on the missional compatibility survey. Family-integrated respondents also normally scored the highest in each of Stetzer's elements and McNeal's areas. Family-equipping respondents often scored between the other models, but statistically significant differences were not found as frequently between the family-equipping model and the other two models.;This survey measured the attitudes and perceptions about missional community engagement. Analysis of individual questions by model displays strengths and weaknesses associated with each model. The stronger total scores associated with the family-integrated respondents suggest family-integrated churches have stronger positive beliefs regarding missional compatibility than family-based churches. These stronger positive beliefs may correspond to more missional behavior or may only reflect stronger attitudes than found in the other models that were analyzed. Future research could verify attitudes and perceptions are accompanied by missional behavior.