This project’s claim is that there is no better way to build impactful ministries and churches than to embody and demonstrate relational qualities. I believe in the ability to build great and lasting ministries by developing God-inspired relationships with each other. I believe the only way to regain what the Church is losing in community and fellowship is for the members of the body of Christ to reclaim the qualities of relationship embodied by Jesus. I preached two sermons for this project using Jesus as the embodiment of relational qualities. The preached sermons utilized the narratives in John 13 (foot washing) and Matthew 15 (feeding four-thousand), to highlight Jesus’s relational nature. The core idea this project supports is that following Jesus’s example means demonstrating and embodying relational qualities as Christians. In an increasingly digital age when social media relationships have replaced more personal and bonding relationships, churches, their leadership, and members have become increasingly disconnected. This disconnection is why I believe it is important for the homiletical field to preach about the lasting benefits of relational qualities. I describe relational qualities as those qualities that when demonstrated make for close, committed, and productive relationships and impactful ministries. The essential relational qualities are: love, compassion, humility, integrity, patience, vulnerability, transparency, and trust. I used Oakdale Covenant Church’s men’s ministry as a case study for developing relational qualities to build a ministry. Demonstrating these qualities creates better leaders, better ministry, and ultimately a better church. I used Dr. Frank Thomas’ “Celebration Model” as a preaching template to proclaim the relational leadership of Jesus. Thomas’s method and theory taught me a great deal about how one can, by design, change behavior. In addition, I utilized roundtable discussions and post-sermon surveys to track the impact of the two sermons. I found at the conclusion of this project that using relational qualities can in fact revitalize a ministry, and build relationship between leaders and the congregation. In addition, I found that preaching biblical narratives is a powerful tool for effecting change in congregations.
