Mutual Spiritual Growth And Transformation
At City House, we have pulled together the collective wisdom of our volunteers. What spiritual growth do we see in the participants (people on the margins of society) with whom we walk? We have developed 2 logic models to describe that development. The first model describes what we see, hear and feel happening spiritually.
Participant (people on the margins) spiritual development
The second model describes what we see, hear and feel happening as that spiritual development begins to impact changed social behavior.
Our contention is that society can provide food, clothing, housing, and other resources for persons on the margins, but that we all (street and suburban persons alike) need a change of heart to take advantage of those resources.
To that end, a new model that we are just beginning to discuss and test attempts to describe the spiritual growth and development that takes place in the middle and upper class persons that enter into a relationship with the poor. It was developed by Albert Nolan, a Dominican theologian in South Africa.
Middle / Upper Class spiritual development model - working with the poor
Four Stages of Spiritual Growth Albert Nolan
It is our intent at City House to continually test outcomes of our work against these models.
Does your own experience of working with the poor confirm or challenge the validity of these models?
October 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I think you’ve hit upon an important point about City House here. The program’s value can be a two-way street, enriching the lives of both ends of the relationship: the counselors and the counseled.
After awhile, the boundaries between the two may even start to be blurred.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Thanks for your thoughts and affirmation of our thinking Jeff. This is in fact our contention with our research.
November 18th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
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