MAY, 2024
Hello, First Wausau Family of Faith!
Summer is around the corner, and I am hopeful about new life and growth in both physical and spiritual ways. On a personal level, there are a few significant changes. First, two of my girls – Jordyn and Jayden - are ready to fly the nest and will be moving to De Pere after school ends. Jordyn will move into her own apartment and launch her career, and Jayden is reuniting with her birth mother and finishing high school. They are loved, and I hope they will come back to visit often! Joy and Marzia will still be at home, and we will each finish our degrees in 2025. In addition, we are preparing to welcome an exchange student for the year. I am sure many adventures, acts of faith, and deeper relationships will be ahead!
You have all gracefully supported the girls and me as I work on my Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree. After being approved for my project by the Institutional Review Board, writing most of my dissertation, and being approved by the Candidacy Review Team, I am now in the last phase of my studies as a “Doctoral Candidate.” My work focuses on helping churches rebuild trust and recover from spiritual abuse. A DMin degree has four foundations of research and writing – Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Interdisciplinary. These come together to form a project to help heal and strengthen congregations as a “Doctor of the Church.”
One way you can help is to come to worship this summer! I will preach a sermon series from June 16 to July 21 that will become a resource for other churches recovering from religious trauma. The first week – “Recognizing Broken Trust,” explains spiritual abuse and helps people recognize and understand it. Week two is “Reclaiming the Truth,” the Interdisciplinary Foundation of a fascinating field of sociology called Impression Management. Week three is the Biblical Foundation, Titus 1:5-9, “Recommitting to Character and Competence.” Weeks four and five discuss the Theological foundation of forgiveness, “Rethinking Forgiveness,” and “Releasing Forgiveness.” The final week is on the Historical Foundation – “Renewing Covenant Prayer.” Your feedback and suggestions for improvement would be immensely helpful!
In early August, I will train a group of pastors at Pine Lake Camp, and then they will implement these tools in their churches for seven weeks. With interviews before and after, my hypothesis will be tested to see what is most helpful in rebuilding trust. I will write an additional chapter analyzing the data from this project, edit my dissertation this fall, and sit for (present) my defense next spring. Your ongoing prayers are appreciated, and I continue to give thanks for you in my prayers!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Rebecca
