This qualitative study examined the perceptions of career agency and career calling among 35 U.S. mid-career foreign missionaries from four organizations who reported a sense of living out a calling. In-depth interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to describe participant perspectives on calling and agency with the goal of understanding factors that contribute to living a calling. Data analysis revealed two main themes, nine categorical sub-themes, and 18 base concepts. The first theme, calling as a dynamic lived experience, affirms elements of Work as Calling Theory and indicates a need to clarify the role of prosocial orientation in calling. The second theme, socio-contextual factors perceived as influencing lived callings, offers insights regarding the need to explore a more robust integration of socio-contextual factors into Work as Calling Theory. A hypothesis regarding the relation between cultural competence and living a calling is proposed for future testing.
This qualitative study examined perceptions of calling among 35 U.S. mid-career missionaries. Participants indicated that calling is a lifelong process of listening to God. They also emphasized ongoing personal and spiritual formation as foundational to living a calling. Current theological and theoretical research is discussed and evaluated to develop an integrative Christian perspective on the source(s), nature, means, and enactment of calling. Findings argue for the development of a robust spiritual theology of calling.
Disciple-centered leadership is a philosophical approach to ministry training based on the idea that disciples possess assets that are critical to the teaching-learning relationship. After defining the construct, this article proceeds to relate it to the educational literature on learner-centered leadership. Paulo Freire's work and Roland Allen's work are then examined from an inter-disciplinary perspective in order to discuss key ideas relevant to disciple-centered leadership. The article concludes by examining this philosophy in light of the equipping responsibility of ministry leaders.
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