DEEP CALLING JOURNEY
Phase 2 Report
ONLINE EXPERIENCE FACILITATED ON PADLET
Sample of using Padlet to facilitate the Deep Calling journaling exercises. Click above link or here for the padlet of the Deep Conversations LIFEgroup.
PERSONAL MISSION COLLAGE
Sample of the “Personal Mission Collage” activity for the Deep Calling Curriculum being done via Google Slides. Click the above icon or here for examples from the Deep Conversations LIFEgroup.
DEEP DIVE VIDEO VAULT
Click the above icon or here to access YG’s media library for their Phase 2 series, Deep Dive. The video vault also includes various media assets from the entire Deep Calling Journey initiative.
DEEP CALLING JOURNEY
PHASE 1 REPORT
In fulfillment of SWAU Religion Department course Field Evangelism [DE-RELP 425-50], Kayla Goodman and Danny Verdugo, pastoral interns at Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church and Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church respectively, developed and coordinated an evangelistic initiative entitled Deep Calling Journey [DCJ]. The initiative included pre-event training and preparations, a hybrid event from April 23 through May 1, and a subsequent three-month small group experience through the Summer of 2021.
Professor of record is Pastor Buster Swoopes, SWAU Religion Department. Field supervisors are Pastor Michael Gibson, teaching pastor, Elevate Community Fellowship; and Pastor A Allan Martin, teaching pastor, Younger Generation Church. Tertiary advisors are Pastor Russ Laughlin, SWAU Vice President for Spiritual Life and Development; Pastor Justin Yang, director, Texas Conference Young Adult Ministry; and Chaplain April Snyder, SWAU Spiritual Life and Development.
With the first phase completed as of May 1st, evaluation and debrief is underway. The second phase is slated to be held through the Summer [May-July, 2021] with an initiative completion point in August 2021. In an initial review based on rough metrics, here’s some of the outcomes from the first phase of the DCJ initiative:
294 — Registrants
160+ — Bible study interests
120 — Prayer requests and comment submissions to follow up
80+ — Small group facilitation training participants
8 — Small groups being held this Summer across the country
6 — Baptisms as of May 15, 2021
Attendance numbers are a more complex metric given the pandemic and the hybrid [online and in-person] nature of the initiative. Further in depth analysis could be offered best by a third party with expertise in online metrics. Subjectively, over the span of the event, hundreds attended at in-person sites and thousands have accessed the online media assets, presentations, and posts.
POINTS OF INTEREST
SMALL GROUP FACILITATION TRAINING
In partnership with NAD Young Adult LIFE and AdventSource, a training session was held with author Dr. Tara VinCross and her DCJ team. Over 80 participants enjoyed the interactive 90-minute seminar plus a post session Q&A. Click the above icon or here for on-demand access to the training plus downloads of referenced resources.
COLLABORATION
A notable feature of the DCJ initiative was the active partnership between various Adventist organizations and ministries across the denominational landscape, including but not limited to AdventSource, Adventist Young Professionals, Arlington Seventh-day Adventist Church, Do GOOD Man, Elevate Community Fellowship, Growing Young Adventists, Keene Church, Southwestern Adventist University, SWAU Spiritual Life and Development, Texas Conference Ministerial Department, Texas Young Adult Ministry, Young Adult LIFE [North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists], and Younger Generation Church.
DEEP CALLING JOURNEY SPLASH PAGE
Given the diversity of online sites, event locations, and social media platforms for the DCJ initiative, a splash page provided registrants, participants, and attendees a useful location to access live and on-demand presentations. Click the above icon or here for the DSC splash page.
CONTEXTUAL DCJ SMALL GROUPS
To date a total of seven Deep Calling Journey small groups are slated to gather over the Summer in follow up to the evangelistic event. Meeting predominantly online, but also in-person and hybrid, these groups are being held across the Texas Conference, and in Florida. YG’s LIFEgroup, Deep Conversations, is one example you can check out by clicking the above icon or here.
DCJ MEDIA ASSETS
Given the hybrid nature of the Deep Calling Journey initiative and the unique challenges of holding the event during the COVID-19 pandemic, substantial use of videos, online broadcasts, and social media platforms was relied upon. Click the above icon here for the DCJ media collection including @ygchurch’s Fall sermon series.
REMAINING
• Debrief of DCJ Phase 1 — COMPLETED
• Completion and Debrief of DCJ Phase 2 — COMPLETED
• Required reading: an analysis completion [All assets of Deep Calling Complete Kit]
• In lieu of the “Crusade Materials brief essays,” students are to complete 1. Follow up feature article [500-750 words] with photos and cutlines. Suitable for use in Adventist publications. 2. Follow up feature story [500-1200 words] reflecting on their personal experience of DCJ, including anecdotes they glean from attendees. Suitable for use in Adventist professional ministry publications. — Deadline: September 17, 2021
• Baptism Celebration and DCJ Completion — August 2021
• DCJ Volunteer Appreciation dinner — Deferred
*as per DE-RELP 425-50 Field Evangelism
