Matt Fredrickson
Ethnography
4/29/12
INTRODUCTION
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church is a mainline protestant denomination in the
Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America.
The church was established in 1954. Their website boasts a membership of over 600; however,
the average weekly attendance ranges in the 60’s. Outside of the small youth group (prekindergarten through 12th grade), I am one of three regular attendees under the age of 30.
Majority of the congregation is made up of white middle-class families, above the age of 45.
There is one refugee family from Sudan and one Mexican-American couple. One of the more
unique features of the ELCA is their affirmation of the gay community. Because of their
approval and ordination of individuals in same sex relationships, there are three same-sex
couples at GELC. The church’s faith statement, recited daily, is “Saved by grace, growing in
faith, serving in love.” Characteristic of the ELCA, they are, on the whole, a very open and
accepting congregation.
GELC is a struggling congregation. Without any speculation as to the root causes of their
perceived weaknesses, it can be said that the largest stressor for this church surrounds finances.
This was the main issue of concern at their annual meeting, February 5, 2012. At one point last
summer, these financial burdens caused the church council to consider the possibility of closing
the church’s doors and renting out the building in order to pay their bills. The annual meeting
reported a member count upwards of 400; however, common in many mainline protestant
churches that I am aware of, the average Sunday morning worship attendance is less than onefourth of the recorded, confirmed, and baptized membership. This does not bode well for a
congregation that is struggling to tithe (according to the annual report). Adding to the stress of
this congregation was their senior pastor’s recovery from major surgery, putting him out of
commission for several weeks. In addition, his recovery time was extended significantly longer
than expected, and he has yet to return fully to all of his previous commitments, including the
men’s prayer breakfast. My study will attempt to investigate the church’s struggle through the
lens of this particular program.
GELC holds a men’s prayer breakfast every Friday at 6 a.m. It is typically a small
gathering, led by the pastor and one other member of the congregation, but with the pastor’s
absence, it has dwindled to two or three men, including myself. These men fit the general profile
described above. The two regular attndees are Bill and John. Bill (the cook and main organizer in
the pastor’s absence) is in his 70’s, married, and retired from the air force. John, the other regular
attendee, is in his 40’s, married with two kids at home, and is a doctor. Both grew up in the
ELCA tradition. After attending a handful of the men’s breakfasts, I began to notice that prayer
is actually a very small part of the breakfast, at least smaller than one might think. It has also
come to my attention that there could very well be a slight connection between the frailty of this
event and the struggle of GELC. Therefore, I chose to examine this religious practice of the
church in an effort to learn more about the state of its congregation. As such, my research
question became, “How has this prayer breakfast come to exist as it does, and how might the
nature of this meeting and its attitude toward prayer reflect/impact the general health of the
congregation and its sense of mission?” The bulk of my research focuses on the first part of the
question. The latter part influenced the character of my observation and leads me to speculative
conclusions, requiring further assessment.
It is my conviction that American churches in general, especially mainline protestant
denominations, have lost their sense of mission. I am currently operating under the notion that
mission is not just something that appears on the church’s agenda. Mission, instead, is the reason
for the church’s existence. In many churches today, it seems that congregants are clinging to an
era where the structures of society funneled people into the pews, which has left them sitting on
their hands in a post-Christendom world, praying that new members will magically start showing
up again. This may be one reason for GELC’s struggle. Through this ethnography, I hope to
reveal the current state of this meeting of Godly men, in order to identify areas for possible
growth. Sharing and discussing the results of this assessment will hopefully lead to the kind of
prayer that springs the faithful into action, answering their own pleas by the empowerment of the
Spirit.
METHOD
This ethnography uses a combination of the “mechanical” and “developmental research
puzzles” that Moschella suggests. Because I am heavily involved with this group, most of my
research is done mechanically through participant observation. I recorded a sample of prayers to
ensure a desired level of detail, but the bulk of my field notes come from memory, immediately
after each meeting. Because I want to know how this meeting developed into its current state, by
gaining a firmer grasp on the group’s theology of prayer in relationship to mission, I first
performed an appreciative inquiry (see below). The questions of this inquiry attempt to gain a
perspective of the members’ theology of prayer. Then, I collected raw data concerning how the
men’s prayer breakfast currently functions. In my assessment, the appreciative inquiry serves as
an introduction to the prayer breakfasts’ attitude toward prayer and helps to frame my assessment
of the field notes to follow. A synthesis of the two research puzzles make up the bulk of my
study and inform my research question and implications. Processing (with the men’s group)
these two groups of data, in light of the church’s current situation, may help shed some light on
GELC’s concept of mission.
While the fruitfulness of this ethnography has yet to be determined, I have been able to
provide a tentative answer to my research question. Although my research (at this point in time)
appears satisfying, it is certainly not without its shortcomings. In the appreciative inquiry, my
questions did not produce the depth of response that I had hoped to acquire. Also, My field notes
suffer, in places, from lack of memory or poor audio recordings. In addition, only two of my
field notes contain the scripture readings at the end of the breakfast. I think because of the
pastor’s absence, these Bible studies became less in depth and usually amount to reading the
scripture with a few brief, surface level reflections. In some field notes, only the prayers
themselves are given attention, with little or no reference to the rest of the meeting. In these
situations, unforeseen scheduling deterrents prevented me being able to record data from
memory with much accuracy. Also, Because of the holiday seasons (spring break and Easter) and
the lack of available leaders for the breakfast, several meetings were canceled and I was only
able to study eight sessions. The most unexpected setback to my research involved the consent
forms. All who signed my form were happy to do so and seemed surprised that I would have to
ask for such permission – all accept one. It was natural to ask my fellow congregants to sign on
for this study. However, the request appeared to be unsettling for one visitor in particular. This
visitor, referred to as Pontiac, was very timid in his appraisal of the form. He did not return for a
second visit, and I think this may have been related to this ethical safeguard.1 Despite these
setbacks, as well as human and mechanical error, my findings do suggest that the attitude
towards prayer in the men’s prayer breakfast may, in fact, be representative of the overall health
of the congregation. However, in the process of identifying these connections, and subsequently
the church’s limited sense of mission, potential areas of growth and future strengths have also
risen to the surface. The total success of this project will be determined after its implementation.
A pre-ethnographic observation of the breakfast indicated a low attendance and a
seemingly burdensome attitude toward prayer. I believe that a renewed sense of purpose and
vision, with an emphasis on mission, will not only increase the effectiveness of the prayer
breakfast but also contribute to the overall health of the church. As my research will suggest, a
resurrection of the breakfast’s purpose and vision will then lead to a mutual edification of the
meeting itself and, potentially, the church body.
APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
Working to accomplish renewal, the appreciative inquiry seeks to do two things. First, it
helps identify the meeting’s strengths and the participants’ passions associated with the breakfast
and the church as a whole. Second, it works towards identifying the group’s currently
functioning theology of prayer. Through this inquiry I hope to develop quality improvement
initiatives that will spark hopeful transformation, while at the same time, supplementing my field
notes.
Method
I digitally recorded interviews with all of the men who attended the prayer breakfast since
the start of my participation. These two men will be referred to as Bill and John. Below are the
interview questions and my explanations for asking them the way that I did.
1) Talk about one of the most meaningful experiences that you have had here at EGLC?
By starting with Question 1, I hoped to evoke a response that would lead the interviewee into a
memorable positive experience, which would lead them into a sense of pride about their church
in general.
2) What is it about the men’s prayer breakfast that keeps you involved?
Question 2 brings the discussion back to my area of ethnography by asking the interviewee to
consider both the possibility that the breakfast may be struggling and identify with one of the
strongest features of the prayer breakfast.
3) Tell me a story about a time you felt your prayers had been answered.
Question 3 narrows the focus even further, intending to inquire about the interviewee’s theology
1
This individual is described as being very spontaneous by Bill and John, so it is possible that
my speculations are incorrect.
of prayer, while at the same time, allowing them to remember the reality that God does in fact
work in their lives by remembering a real moment in time. This might be my most important
question. It is designed to get to the heart of the interviewee, provide encouragement, and
uncover (perhaps) a passion for prayer.
4) What does EGLC mean to you?
Question 4 then allows the interviewee to step back from the focusing and (hopefully) talk about
GELC in light of what has already been discussed.
5) Talk about a particular men’s prayer breakfast that was especially meaningful for you?
Question 5 finishes with the breakfast in order to consider more of the strengths and passions
associated with the ministry.
Results
Below is my interview with Bill.
1) Talk about one of the most meaningful experiences that you have had here at EGLC?
Probably one of the most meaningful was when we started doing the thanksgiving baskets. That
was several years ago when Pastor Loal was a pastor here and his wife brought up the subject of
doing thanksgiving baskets. The church got behind it and now we’ve been doing it for... oh Doug
has been here 5, 6 years now, 7 years... It’s been 12 or 13 years now that we been doing over 100
baskets every year at thanksgiving time. That’s probably been one of the most meaningful that’s
happened here. We joined the church here in 82 when I got stationed out here. It’s always
been.... The reason I joined this church, basically we visited all three Lutheran churches in town,
and we came here and nobody said “hi,” so I told me wife I think we need to go here, so when
strangers come, so more people recognize them. That’s the reason we picked this church, my
wife and my daughter and I. The Thanksgiving basket I think is the most meaningful thing this
church that we’ve started that’s continued on and really...
1b) (follow-up) Was there one particular Thanksgiving that stuck out to you?
No not really, I don’t think. A lot of times, I was too busy to participate in delivering, but
a couple years I got the chance to deliver the baskets; and you really see people in need. But I
do that with meals and wheels to.
2) What is it about the men’s prayer breakfast that keeps you involved?
That’s a tough one. I don’t know, I think it’s just a ministry that I’d like to see it bigger, but
we’ve had up to 10, 12, 15 people come sometimes. And it has dropped off, but it’s something I
feel we need to keep going. And I think maybe we need to take the “men’s” name out of it and
just say hey we have a prayer breakfast on Friday morning. Everybody is invited anyway. We
say that, but I think some of the women probably feel with a men’s connotation that.... that they
may not want to come. So I’ve been thinking, maybe bring that up, that maybe we need to
change it just to the prayer breakfast on Friday mornings, and everyone is invited. Anybody that
wants to come can come. And we have, we’ve had people from Catholic church, from Church of
Christ, whatever... non-denominational, and somebody that doesn’t even go to church has come
here. I ran into one of the people that used to come the other day, and he said, “well hey Bill, I’ll
have to come again,” and I said hey, well come on. Any time you’re free, just hop on in you
know. Most everybody I invite, and I keep on inviting people, you know: “six o’clock?!”...
(laughter). And I know a lot of churches do it and just do it once a month on a Saturday or
something. Like I said, it varies sometimes. We get Air Force members that used to come, but
they’ve transferred out. And so it fluctuates and goes down and comes back up. So I think it’s
still a good thing for us to continue and gives me something to do on a Friday morning...
(laughter).
3) Tell me a story about a time you felt your prayers had been answered.
Ooh. hmm. I don’t know if I could ever... I don’t know, I’ve always felt... I can’t remember
where I’ve ever really went to the Lord in prayer and asked for something specific. I’ve always
felt and believed: hey the Lord is going to take care of us. You know, and He’s going to take care
of me. When I retired from the Air Force and didn’t have a Job, didn’t have anything to look
forward to, didn’t really know what I wanted to do after 30 years in the Air Force, and I enjoyed
watching my grass grow. But that didn’t please my wife too much... and she kept leaving these
want adds next to my chair, circled you know, to start looking you know. But I always felt, you
know, I told her. The Lord is going to take care of us. He’ll find me something to do that will
come. And I went, to keep her happy more than anything, I went to work at Target, just to have
something to do as a stocker. And I was there a couple weeks and made employee of the month...
(laughter). And then out of the blue, a friend that had worked for me while I was in the Air Force
gave me a call and said, “hey, I want to you come out and talk to our boss out here, which was
installing B-1 simulators. And, I said ok, I’ll come out and talk to him. And they hired me on the
spot, and I worked for them for the next 15 years and turned 62 and said hey, “I don’t need this
anymore. I always wanted a job that I wasn’t in charge, but that never happened... (laughter). I
mean I started for a few weeks not in charge, but all of the sudden said “hey, here you are,” so I
never turned anything down, but... but I don’t think I ever really went to the Lord in prayer and
said hey I really need this help or I need this answer. I’ve always had the belief that hey, he’s
gonna take care of me. And I thought I walked alone a lot of years when I was younger, but I
wasn’t. And I.... I guess I really can’t answer that question for you.
4) What does GELC mean to you?
Oh, it’s a fellowship of Christians... It’s about considered my home church now. We’ve been
here since ’82. My home church originally is in North Dakota of course, where I grew up. My
grandfather built it out in the prairie, and that’s where I was confirmed and baptized. But this is
my home church now, and I’ve been involved in a lot of different churches down in Florida and
chapel churches when I was stationed overseas. And wherever we got stationed we always had a
Lutheran pastor; we were fortunate. And he always had a service at the chapel. They never called
it a Lutheran service, but it was the closest thing to a Lutheran service you could come to in the
chapel scenario. So no, this is just like my home church, just love it.
4) Talk about a particular men’s prayer breakfast that was especially meaningful for you?
Oh, several years ago, and I wasn’t cooking at the time, we had a different cook. We were just
about getting ready to sit down to eat, and we had a knock at the door. And this gentleman came
in, and he said, “I saw your lights were on and wondered if I might get a cup of coffee or
something.” And I said, “sure come on in, you can have breakfast with us.” Here we go. You
know. Sit down. And he was from Colorado, in fact, and he was just going down to the coast.
And how he ended up in Abilene I don’t know, but he did. But he sat and joined us that day. And
he was very knowledgable about the Bible; we found out when we come to the Bible study. He
said I was just driving down, saw your lights and thought I would stop. But that was a very
meaningful Bible study we had that day with him. And of course he needed money, so we took
up a collection afterwards and helped him along. But he sorta made us feel sorta good that day,
just in his knowledge and stuff. So, that was probably the most meaningful men’s breakfast that
I’ve been involved in.
Below is my interview with John.
1) Talk about one of the most meaningful experiences that you have had here at EGLC?
The most meaningful experience that I have had hear at church would have to be contemplative
prayer at a time in my life when I was really doing a lot of searching and I was able to find a lot
of peace in that. (This was apparently a sensitive issue that the interviewee would not discuss
further at this time.)
2) What is it about the men’s prayer breakfast that keeps you involved?
It’s certainly not the time. It definitely is the food. The food is fantastic, but I think the most
important thing that keeps me coming back is community. Because I can certainly find other
things to do at six in the morning, and the Bible study is good, but I think that it’s the
community... I’m sure that it’s the community that keeps bringing me back. It’s being part of a
Christ filled group that meets on a regular basis, and there’s some real need deep within me to
meet in that way.
3) Tell me a story about a time you felt your prayers had been answered.
I um... I think that would... that would be on every occasion because... I don’t expect God to give
me my wants. My prayer is that God be with me through my struggles, and so that’s my
overriding prayer. And the rest of the verbal prayers are more of a sharing of concerns, so God
always answers my prayer.
4) What does GELC mean to you?
I think that Grace Lutheran Church means acceptance, and as it says on our sign on the front, that
all are welcome. And you know, people are accepted in their frailties and their strengths. And I
think that’s an important message that needs to be heard more often.
5) Talk about a particular men’s prayer breakfast that was especially meaningful for you.
One particularly special men’s prayer breakfast was when we participated in the Eucharist, and
that was a neat ritual to celebrate in a different atmosphere, and had particular meaning, and was
another way to reinforce the community at that gathering.
Summary
Question 1
Bill and John seem to differ significantly on this question. Bill refers to a social justice
ministry, while John remembers a time of personal reflection. Both largely neglected specific
detail in their responses. This will require further inquiry.
Bill, however, expands his answer with an interesting tangent about why he joined the
church: “because nobody said hi.” This is a rather striking statement; it is not a common rational
for joining any church. Yet, it seems to match up with his response about his most meaningful
experience at GELC. Bill Identified a mission oriented ministry as one of his most meaningful
experiences, and his reason for joining the church in the first place seems to be motivated by a
personal form of mission. Further discussion of this should prove valuable.
John’s comments are more difficult to analyze. For now, it appears that, while Bill’s seems
outward focused, John’s points inward. John’s response to Question 1 can probably be linked to
his response to Question 3 and his emphasis on God always being there for him during times of
struggle.
Question 2
Both interviewees joke about the early meeting time, which no doubt has some effect on
the number of people that are able to attend. Both find enjoyment in the acts of cooking/eating
(Also see Bill on Question 5). Bill says that it is something that “we need to keep going,” which
appeals to John’s need to be a part of a Christ centered community; both are in agreement that
the prayer breakfast is a necessary ministry.
Bill emphasizes that the breakfast is actually open to everyone, both men and women. He
also recognizes that the breakfast is capable of drawing a diverse group of people. The
“everybody is invited” mentality could be, in part, what stimulates the kind of community to
which John is drawn.
Bill notes that the breakfast has had ups and downs in attendance, but no matter how many
are there each morning, it should continue. His answers offer two suggestions for increasing
attendance: making it gender inclusive and (although not given as a suggestion) changing the
frequency to once a month, on Saturday. These may require further discussion.
The most significant observation to take away is the focus on community.
Question 3
Both struggle to answer this question. Neither man is able to give an adequate response;
both dodge it in similar ways.
Both shy away from the idea of praying for “wants” or “something specific.” Bill says that
he has never inquired of the Lord for anything specific because he knows that God is going to
take care of him. To illustrate his point, he tells a story about his life after the Air Force and the
way God was there with him, providing and finding him “something to do.” John echoes this
sentiment in his admission that he does not expect God to address his wants and only prays that
God be with him in his struggles. As a result, he views prayer as a verbalizing of concerns.
While Bill does not state it explicitly, it seems that he would agree with John in that God always
answers his prayers.
The common focus seems to be associated with God’s continual presence, stated explicitly
by John and made obvious by Bill’s statement, “I thought I walked alone a lot of years when I
was younger, but I wasn’t.”
It is interesting to note that neither made reference to the men’s prayer breakfast itself.
Question 4
While both are strikingly brief in their answers, they share an emphasis on community. Bill
says, “It’s a fellowship of Christians.” John views GELC as a community of acceptance. Both
express love for their church.
It seems especially meaningful for Bill to have a “home church” and to be in the Lutheran
tradition. The connection between an accepting congregation of all frailties and strengths is not
exclusive to any one tradition, but one could also draw a strong connection here between Bill and
John’s responses by means of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s literature.
Bill’s statement that GELC is “just like my home church” needs to be addressed further.
For instance, what is special about the idea of having a “home church?”
The values of diversity, acceptance, and community here are paralleled in Question 2. John
advocates that acceptance is a practice that needs to be observed with more regularity.
Question 5
Superficially, Bill and John’s answers are very different, but both continue the mentioned
themes of acceptance and community. This is obvious in Bill’s story about taking in the visitor
and appears to fit seamlessly with John’s answer to Question 4.
In John’s answer, he alludes to a Eucharist service held during the breakfast that functioned
as a means to community building. Specifically how the partaking of communion and the service
itself worked to provide John’s experience is something that requires further inquiry.
It is important to note how the visitor improved the overall mood for Bill and the rest of the
group that morning.
Evaluation
Overall, the appreciative inquiry was edifying. Enough data was collected in order to
identify some strengths and passions, as well as some realized aspects of prayer that can
contribute to my project as whole. From this, quality improvement initiatives will begin to
develop; however, the appreciative inquiry also has weaknesses that should, at some point, be
addressed with future interviews. For instance, on multiple occasions the interviewer was silent
concerning specific detail. Some of the silence can be attributed to the interviewee’s hesitation or
lack of depth concerning the particular inquiry. However, the lack of data in some areas is also
the fault of the interviewer. After conducting the interviews, I realized that the questions, “what
does something mean to you” or “describe something that was meaningful,” were too open
ended. These could have been articulated differently in order to produce deeper, more detailed
responses. This deficiency was also hindered by the absence of follow-up questions in some
instances. Also, instead of interviewing, it may have been more effective to allow the
participants to take the questions home with them, instead of making them answer
extemporaneously. Despite these weaknesses, significant observations have been made that will
continue to foster constructive dialogue.
Implications
Strengths and Passions
Community is the most prominent identifiable theme from this inquiry. Both members realize
the need to be a fellowship of Christians in community and see the breakfast providing and
cultivating this kind of ministry. This concept is also evident in the members’ view of the church
as a whole.
Acceptance is almost synonymous with the interviewees’ concept of community. This is evident
in responses to Questions 2, 4 and 5.
•
Mission, from the perspective of Bill and John, seems to manifest itself though the concept
of acceptance. In Question 1, when Bill gives his reason for joining the church, he placed
membership in order that he might help the church become more inviting to strangers. This
notion, if we are to read his response holistically, may be connected with the significance
he places on the turkey basket mission. Herein lies a possible connection between the ideas
of acceptance and mission. John, in Question 4, says that acceptance needs to be preached
more frequently. John’s story about the stranger who wandered into prayer breakfast one
morning can serve as an example for the church’s desire to keep its doors open to all
comers. The application of mission and acceptance is admittedly thin. However, I think it
will serve as a building block for developing the prayer breakfast’s/ church’s sense of
mission.
*How the participants do or do not embody these passions in my field notes will become
exceedingly important for the implications of this study.
Theology of Prayer
The unifying principle here, developing prominently from Question 3, is the notion that
God will provide in the midst of discernment and struggle. How, exactly, this pertains to prayer
is unclear from the responses but will be articulated more upon examination of the field notes.
According to John in Question 3, God seems to answer prayer through presence (this could also
be interpreted from his response to Question 1). I would speculate that the members’ notion of
prayer seems to be one of God as therapist and guide. God hears the prayers in a way that fosters
a relationship, through which healing can take place, and God helps God’s people navigate life
during times of doubt and struggle. This may be a potential strength within a church that appears
to be struggling and can function as an entry point into more serious dialogue about what role
God actually plays - and what role the members of the church enter into when it comes to
praying for the health of the congregation, etc. This will be explored further in examination of
the field notes.
Next Steps and Implications for Examining Field Notes
These responses pertaining to prayer beg the question: If God is always with us, even when
we do not realize it and always provides for us regardless of whether we pray or not, what does
our prayer actually do, and what does God do when our prayer is heard? I have given the
example of the therapist and speculated about God answering through presence; however, these
questions require further appreciative inquiry. Even though there are critiques that can be made,
because this inquiry serves to spark renewal by focusing on strengths, the above notion of prayer
will serve as a starting point for developing a rejuvenated sense of prayer at the breakfast.
Instead of trying to expose some sort of “problematic theology” in lieu of my own theological
instincts, I will attempt to flesh out these “potential critiques” by holding these strong-suites in
conversation with my observations in the field notes.
From this dialogue, quality improvement initiatives can develop by holding the above
themes in tension with the data collected through ethnography (see below). At the conclusion of
the overall analysis, the integration of the appreciative inquiry and subsequent field notes will
inform a presentation of the overarching themes discovered here that can be presented to the
group, in order to continue edifying dialogue.
In the following section, I investigate the ways the prayer group has and has not addressed
questions such as: How can we be an accepting and diverse Christian community with missional
purpose, in order to reach those who are in need? In other words, how can the prayer group
combine the quality of being a meaningful, inviting community (i.e. inviting the stranger from
Colorado) with the need to help others (i.e. the Thanksgiving basket ministry)? And lastly, how
will the presence of God through prayer help us to do this?
In the summary above, the questions that require further examination should also be
discussed through continued appreciative inquiry, a task that cannot be addressed here. What will
be address in the pages that follow is my collection of data from the actual breakfast.
ETHNOGRAPHY
My initial assessment of a “burdensome attitude toward prayer” could very well be
connected to the idea that it is not appropriate to pray for “specific wants.” One result of this
could be that the fellowship and community of the event outweighs the importance of prayer.
(Notice how the prayer breakfast was not mentioned in Question 3 of the inquiry.) Accordingly,
my field notes (attached) show a lack of emphasis on prayer. In fact, praying only makes up 5 to
10 minutes of the 1-hour breakfast, and that includes the voicing of requests. Thirty to 40
minutes of the meeting are spent eating, joking and talking about day-to-day events. The last 10
minutes are spent reading and briefly discussing scripture.2 Infrequently, faith related issues crop
up during the meal period, but the conversation is never centered on them. On nearly every
occasion, there is at least one instance in which prayer is either understood as a chore, forgotten,
or not taken seriously. Perhaps more interesting, is the duplication of prayers by every member
(at least once in the span of the study) from one week to the next. Bill, for example rehearses,
almost word for word, the exact same prayer every Friday, only with the slightest modifications.
By dedicating 30-40 minutes of the hour to conversation, the group certainly displays a desire for
fellowship and perhaps community; however, this has a significant impact on the quality of
prayer. Each morning, having left only 10-15 minutes to pray, it seems as if the group is rushed
into rattling off a few prayer requests, forcing them to flippantly make reference to “those
mentioned,” and rehearse a (heartfelt?) thanksgiving and praise to God.
Three other men join the breakfast at different times: Pontiac, Carl and Tom. Pontiac is
addressed throughout the assessment. Carl fits the general GELC profile that Bill and John do,
and Tom is a former member of GELC, who visits the breakfast from time to time.
Rather than systematically pointing out these objections, attention must be paid to the ways
in which the group’s potential strengths may or may not interact with these issues. The four
categories I wish to analyze are community/fellowship, acceptance/hospitality, prayer, and
mission.
Community/Fellowship
Positive
As mentioned above, the sheer volume of time spent simply conversing suggests that
sharing in community is an important component of the ministry. Every breakfast begins with a
greeting from Bill, who arrives early and prepares the meal. There is typically a short
conversation about how the week has been, which transitions into different tangents and
halfway-related subjects. Most often, in these introductory comments, I talked about school and
my lack of rest. John spoke most often about his practice, and Bill never did have much to say in
the early conversation. Regardless of the subject matter, it seems significant that an initial
welfare inquiry was made each week.
For the most part, relationship building conversations centered around personal stress and
family.
In field note 2, I recounted a conversation about getting the pastor to come back to the
breakfast. Eventually the discussion stopped revolving around whether or not he would be able
to come but about how his recovery was going. It is not obvious as to why the pastor did not
return, as he seemed to have recovered nearly in full over the next several weeks. Inquiring about
the specific reasons for his continued absence is something worth investigating in the future.
Despite these unanswered questions, it is valuable to note that the members of the breakfast
showed interest in his attendance and continued recovery.
Also helpful for building community, the men, from week to week, would occasionally
inquire about any concerns voiced in the previous week.
2
I only record two of these scripture readings. More often than not, the scripture was just read
aloud with little commentary or thrust. I am guessing that the Bible reading used to be a more
prominent part of the breakfast when the pastor was leading.
Negative
The introductory conversations are frequently repeated from week to wee. Most often, I
talked about school and my lack of rest; John talked most about his practice. Both of us used the
conversation space to focus on the greatest areas of stress. However, it seems that rarely does any
other person offer support to the other. It is certainly helpful to vent about stress; however, in a
group that focuses on Christian community, it would seem helpful to offer more support for one
another, in addition to a listening ear.
There were instances in which I arrived late and joined the conversation late. When this
happened, I missed the typical greetings and felt more out of place. It was more difficult for me
to get involved in the conversation (ex: note 7).
The conversations, in general are all over the place, ranging from sports, to government, to
work, to weather. Occasionally, we would talk about a radio sermon or up and coming preachers,
but typically the conversation was not focused. Rarely did we talk about people who needed
prayer, and when we did discuss individual who were in need of prayer, we sometimes forgot to
pray for them.
In the appreciative inquiry, Bill and John joked about the early meeting time being a
deterrent of attendance. This eventually proved to be true as I spoke with other members in the
congregation about the breakfast. But, perhaps also significant is the effect of the early meeting
time on those who do attend. It is embarrassingly obvious from the field notes that I struggled
from lack of sleep and exhaustion. This fatigue, at times, caused me to communicate less
effectively, which may have been true for others in attendance as well.
Implications
If the breakfast is supposed to be about building community, the lack of emphasis on
prayer might make sense. If this is the case, perhaps the name of the breakfast could be changed
to simply the “men’s breakfast,” but this is probably minor and perhaps arbitrary. The point to
make is that there does not seem to be an obvious reason for the breakfast to exist. The claims in
the inquiry for fellowship and community may function as motivations for the breakfast, but
functionally, it seems to lack a real sense of purpose or tangible goals. In light of my
observations, it seems that brainstorming these possibilities could help focus the discussion and
make the conversation more fruitful both communally and spiritually.
As I have continued to observe other congregational activities (Sunday morning worship
and Sunday school class), this problem may be affecting the rest of the church as well. In the
weekly assembly, “going through the motions” may be an appropriate way to describe the
activity. The order of worship does embody a meaningful theology; however, even the pastor
himself, in a particular sermon conceded to the reality that many probably do not take the
confession and forgiveness of sins seriously. Perhaps the most unsettling part is that he simply
explained this apathy by using the cliché phrase, “to err is human, and to forgive is divine.
Complacency is something that must be overcome both in the breakfast and in the assembly.
Because there is a strong desire for community, the group’s strength can aid in their desire to
develop a stronger purpose.
Acceptance/Hospitality
Positive
Often, as Bill was preparing the food, he would stand at the door and wait to welcome
people as they arrived. He always welcomes with a smile and shows great hospitality. There is
always plenty of food, and Bill always insists on doing the cleaning-up afterwards. Each
morning, he leaves the table early, so he can begin to clean up before the prayer and scripture
reading.
Throughout this study, the character of “Pontiac” has been one example, perhaps, of
acceptance. He is the only breakfast visitor (during my time at GELC) who has never been or is
currently not a member of the church. For this reason, Pontiac is an example of how the
breakfast can reach out to and accept people in the community who, in their own walks of life,
may not be accepted. Given the nature of Bill and John’s description of Pontiac and his
mysterious life, he could be someone who might especially benefit from an open and affirming
atmosphere. Bill’s telling of Pontiac’s story in the appreciative inquiry certainly paints it this
way.
Negative
Sometimes, when the conversation revolved around other people who, in the speaker’s
judgment, were making questionable choices, the commentary by the speaker seemed
overwhelming negative, rather than helpful or hopeful (i.e. the man addicted to sweepstakes in
field note 1). This happened when Carl was upset about people taking advantage of sick time
also, although (as a positive) John turned the conversation around to see the other side of things.
Bill’s telling of Pontiac’s first visit in the appreciative inquiry certainly lends itself to a
success story of acceptance and possibly mission. Although Bill and John’s discussion about
Pontiac in field note 2 and Pontiac’s visit in field note 3 are less inspiring. In field note 2, John
and Bill wonder if Pontiac has a family and make some assumptions about him based on his
hobby. In field note 3, the interaction between the three seems to suggest that they are somewhat
comfortable with one another, which makes their lack of knowledge about his family in field
note 2 seem odd. In the context of men desiring Christian community, learning about another
person’s family seems necessary, if not intuitive. John and I do a fair job of interacting with
Pontiac’s awkward comments, but largely, the regulars are not proactive in their attempts at
hospitality. The note that Pontiac did not voice any prayer requests, may be indicative of an
overall discomfort.
Implications
While there is no doubt that the men have a desire to accept their fellow brothers and
sisters in Christ, it seems that their attempts at accepting Pontiac are superficial at best. It is far
easier to accept someone if little is known about them. This is true for Christian community in
general. A group can go on acting unified easy enough without knowing much about one
another; with no obstacles to overcome, vain pleasantries and general affirmations can give the
appearance of healthy community. However, Christian community requires transparency and
authenticity. Some of this is already going on among the men as we talk about our families and
personal struggles, but these conversations most frequently emerge as the group haphazardly
gathers prayer requests. Left to this juncture of the meeting, a serious concern or a need for
prayer may go unheard,3 whereas a well-intentioned and genuine interest placed in another
person’s life could not only make that person feel welcome and important but also lead towards a
healthier community. The implications discussed here can even inform the goals proposed in the
community/fellowship section.
This is true not only of the men’s prayer breakfast, but the entire congregation. For
example, I began attending this church because of a female friend who invited me. I had not sat
by her for more than three Sundays until members of the congregation began to assume that we
were married. This was eight months ago, and today, many in the church still believe that we are
married, yet none have bothered to ask. In addition, the same friend who invited me says that no
one really seemed to notice or talk to her until I started coming. These examples parallel the lack
of attention shown to Pontiac at the breakfast and continue to show how the attitudes in the
prayer breakfast appear to be associated to the rest of the congregation.
It is also interesting that Bill’s reason for joining the church in the appreciative inquiry was
because no one said hello to him. This still seems to be a problem for the church.
Prayer
Positive
In the appreciative inquiry, I speculated that the members’ notion of prayer seems to be one
of God as therapist and guide. God hears the prayers in a way that fosters a relationship, through
which healing can take place, and God helps God’s people navigate life during times of doubt
and struggle. This was made evident in my field notes. However, there was an element of
mission in the prayers I recorded. Bill’s prayer, which he prayed without fail nearly every
Sunday, asked that “[God] go with us as we leave here today and show your grace and goodness
to all the people that we meet. In you name we pray Amen.”
There is certainly an emphasis on meeting the needs of the sick, especially those in the
church. The poor, hungry, oppressed are also mentioned with some frequency. Most often, the
men thank God for the gift of the new day, pray for families, and on behalf of the church.
In general, Bill has very few prayer requests, but because he is connected with more people
in the congregation, he generally knows who is in the hospital and how various members of the
congregation are doing; this is mostly what he prays for at the breakfast.
Negative
In general, there seems to be a lack of reverence for prayer. Prayer is joked about as a
burdensome task. The person who comes in last is the one who has to pray for the food.
An interesting point that may require further study is the relationship to prayer and food.
Often the phrase “bless the food is used.” I would be very interested in exploring further what
Bill means when he says, “don’t worry, we already blessed the food.” This is not a phenomenon
unique to this group. Many Christians seem to use this language, but is the prayer intended to
affect the nature of the food itself? Is the point of the prayer to ask God to intervene, or simply to
thank God for the food? Typically (and it is usually John who does this because he is frequently
3
This is what I think happened to Pontaic.
the last one to arrive), the person who prays thanks God for the food and the one who prepared it,
and asks for a blessing. Bill’s comment, “don’t worry, we already blessed the food,” suggests
that some kind of blessing was infused upon it; therefore, I did not need to bother praying (as I
was late) because the blessing was already invoked.
As mentioned above, there were other elements mission in all of our prayers at one time or
another, but never were these pleas connected to tangible people or goals. This is partly because
the prayers were rushed (ex: field note 6), and we just referred to “those mentioned” but also
because the prayers lack a sense of direction or purpose.
Even more interesting is the recognition that each of our prayers, throughout the study
follows nearly the same structure from week to week. Bill’s prayer is repeated almost word for
word on some occasions.
Also, as it relates to the above themes, the only time we prayed for visitors was in field
note 6, after the Easter service.
Implications
The prayers do not play a central part in the meal because they lack focus. The opening
prayer of thanking God for/ asking God to bless the food seems to function as more of a ritual
than an invitation for the Spirit to guide conversation and prayer. Ritual, indeed, has a hold upon
all of us. This is made obvious by our tendency to repeat the same prayers. Again, “going
through the motions” and ritual mentality are affecting the quality of the event. If community and
acceptance are going to become strengths of the men’s prayer breakfast that work towards
answering the call of God’s mission, then the prayers must reflect those passions – not as casual
appeals to God’s will for our lives, but as well thought out desires to serve particular people in
particular settings.
Mission
The church simply cannot be on mission without a goal in mind, a sense of purpose, or an
identity. My study seems to suggest that the men’s breakfast and quite possibly the congregation
are suffering from these things. In each of the categories discussed above, there seems to be an
essential lack of focus.
I might suggest that the men’s prayer breakfast look more deeply at the ways God has been
providing for GELC, focus on those areas, and try to indentify what ways God has been
preparing them for ministry to the community. This fits with the idea of God answering prayers
through presence and helping to foster growth. The breakfast can also focus on where God seems
to be moving in the community and pray specifically that the work continues and that God also
shows mercy on other areas in need. The key to this however is identifying specific contexts,
instead of vague descriptions of perceived suffering. If the men are unsure about the presence of
God within the community, they can pray for God to reveal it and be intentional about searching
it out, in order to join God in bringing it there. Perhaps the men’s prayer breakfast,
acknowledging that God is continually providing, can also choose to join, through prayer and
action, in God’s provisional action.
Personal Reflections
My presence did seem to have an effect on one of the visitors in particular (Pontiac).
However, my influence on the rest of the breakfast is less obvious. Having attended several
weeks before making detailed observations, there is little discernable change from before and
during my study. It is possible that my style of prayer could have influenced the other members
in some way; however it is just as plausible that all of the men were being influence by one
another throughout.
The most startling observation of my research is the inherent tendency for the men to
repeat, word for word or the general structure of prayer from the week before. I first started to
notice the uncanny repetition of Bill’s prayer, but it soon became obvious that all of us actually
prayed a similarly structured prayer each week. The repetition of prayer could potentially be one
of the most valuable observations of this study. I mentioned above, the possible effects of the
early hour, related to the alertness of the men in the processes of waking up (especially myself).
To be completely honest, it never crossed my mind that I might be praying the same prayer as
the week before. Whether or not I was just too tired to notice (or if that was a factor for any of
us), this could reveal a lack of depth in our prayer lives. This is something that should be
addressed in the future, as it is difficult to address this issue with the men’s prayer breakfast,
where prayer plays a surprisingly small role.
Conclusion
“How has this prayer breakfast come to exist as it does, and how might the nature of this
meeting and its attitude toward prayer reflect/impact the general health of the congregation and
its sense of mission?” The motivations behind the breakfast are clearly community/fellowship,
acceptance/hospitality. There may have originally been an incentive to study scripture, but the
pastor’s absence seems to have deterred that motivation. The absence of the pastor is,
regrettably, something that cannot be appropriately assessed here because I have not witnessed
the event with him present. Bill, as cook, has taken up a makeshift leadership role. However, the
blame need not fall on him. It seems that the breakfast probably lacked a strong sense of
direction to begin with. The passion is at hand, but the inaction is lacking. The men desire
fellowship, but have yet to think through any tangible means of achieving healthy community.
This helps explain the confusion regarding prayer. In the appreciative inquiry, neither John nor
Bill can identify a time that God answered their prayers, yet they pray for God’s will to be done,
for the sick to be healed and for protection over those in harms way. Further inquiry will help
sort out these issues, but a tentative suggestion is now warranted. I suggest that Bill and John do
not perceive God’s answer to their prayers because they have not (at least in the context of the
breakfast) thought through critically the overarching purpose of their prayer in general. Put
differently, they believe that God’s presence guides and protects them, but have not thought
through what God is equipping them to do as a result of that presence. I would suggest that
instead of simply praying for God to watch over the church, the men should pray that God watch
over the congregation, make provisions for particular members, and help GELC accomplish x, y,
and z. Instead of simply praying for the homeless, require first that individual names be
mentioned. This might force the supplicant to go out, meet the homeless, and extend the
community, becoming the answer to his own prayer even before it leaves his lips.
As this ethnography concludes, it is becoming clear that the men’s prayer breakfast is, in
many ways, a microcosm of the church as a whole. All of the themes outlined above are
applicable to the weekly assembly. GELC’s faith statement “saved by grace, growing in faith,
serving in love,” needs to evoke specific intent and action. Saved by grace, for what purpose?
Growing in faith, towards what goal? Serving in love, for which people?
APPENDIX
Field Note 1 (2/17/12)
The following observation, for this field note and the rest, attempts to retain a perspective
that disrupts my “‘taken-for-granted’ perception”4 of the men’s prayer breakfast. I have, for the
most part, tried to maintain a critical visitor’s perspective, paying attention to as many details as
possible. At the same time, I attempt to focus on the actions that took place and less on the
interpretation.
Upon arrival (6:07 a.m.), the other two men were already eating. The table was set for four
in the hallway between the kitchen, the dining hall, and the narthex. Tortillas, eggs, hamburger,
and hash browns were set out on the counter window that separates the kitchen from this part of
the hallway.
Bill handed me a plate form the table, John complimented the food, and I put together a
breakfast burrito, poured some orange juice and coffee and sat down next to John, diagonally
from Bill, and began to eat. I complimented the cooking but was not heard, so I repeated myself.
The conversation between the other two consisted of family and work related items. John and I
talked about his medical practice. I spoke about my busy school schedule, having averaged four
hours of sleep this week. I explained to them about how I had slept three hours the night before
and, as a result, slept yesterday afternoon. Because of this, I had trouble getting to sleep last
night and so found myself just as tired this morning.
Bill finished his breakfast first, declaring that next week we would be having breaded pork
chops and began to clean up in the kitchen. He asked repeatedly if we wanted more food. John
and I began to talk about a stressful meeting he was anticipating two weeks earlier. He said that
it went well and that the process of switching over to digital records was going smoothly. He
then spoke about his daughter (age 16) who just received her driver’s license. He said he enjoyed
driving her to things like basketball practice, but that he felt relief in not having to accommodate
her busy schedule. He said she enjoys driving and is good at it. John spoke about his son (age 9),
who has a city league basketball tournament tonight at 7:15.
Eventually John finished eating as well and got up from the table, joining Bill in the
kitchen. John continued to talk about his son’s tournament and the admission fee of $5. He said it
really bothered him at first, but now he doesn’t care, realizing that it goes to a good cause. He
invited me to come and watch, and if I showed, he would pay for my entrance. He told me where
it was, but I was unfamiliar with the location. So, Bill told me the park was off of Ambler, just
past Pine.
John stood between the table and the kitchen and began talking about a patient of his who
was dying of lung cancer. He said it was an unfortunate and strange situation because her
husband had some sort of addiction to mail-in sweepstakes. He said that this man spends
thousands of dollars sending money away for these sweepstakes, which are most certainly scams,
and neglects the fact that his wife is dying. He said that his patient is viewing her cancer as an
4
Nancy T. Ammerman and Jackson W. Carrol, eds., Studying Congregations: A New
Handbook (Nashville: Abington Press, 1998), 198.
escape from this terrible situation. He said that this woman has a “fatalistic view” of life and that
she has been expecting to die of cancer to do her smoking habit, which John has been trying to
get her to stop for the last 10 years. I ate my fill, but could not finish the burrito I had made for
myself.
Eventually, I finished eating and went into the kitchen to put my dishes in the dishwasher. I
went to refill my coffee but had lost track of my cup. As a result, I accidentally rinsed out Johns
cup and attempted to refill it, right before I realized that it was not my cup. John and Bill then
joked about how tired I was.
John finished clearing the table and asked me if I wanted more orange juice. The three of
us sat down with our coffee and some grapes to pray and read the Bible. Bill began by naming
some prayer request. He started by talking about a family member who is suffering from illness
and said that was about it. He said we should pray for pastor, the church, the members of the
church, and the sick. It was then my turn. I discussed my struggle with being overwhelmed with
schoolwork, feeling as if I could read every hour of the day and not be able to get all of my work
done. I also mentioned my desire to reach out to my family in order to help them grow in faith,
especially my brother. I talked about the difficulty of talking to my brother about God, given our
childhood and my brother’s resentment of me telling him what to do all the time. John went next.
He mentioned a few requests concerning his family and his practice and began our time of
prayer. He repeated these things in his prayer and prayed of God’s strength and guidance for the
church. Bill prayed for the church, “all the requests” we had made, pastor and the church. I
thanked God for the food, prayed for those who have little, that we would be agents of God’s
grace, and that the church would be at piece in their current struggle and focus on the purpose
God has prepared for them.
After prayer, we began reading Job. We started in 38:1 and finished the book. John read
straight through, out loud for us, as we followed along in our Bibles. Afterwards, Gary read an
excerpt from his study Bible. John made some comments about Job repenting in dust and ashes.
The two concluded on themes of repentance and forgiveness. I did not add to the short
discussion, as time had run out. John shook my hand and left. I put my coffee cup in the
dishwasher, said goodbye to Bill, and went out to my truck.
Field Note 2 (2/24/12)
I arrived at the church at 6:01. It was a cold morning and the building was cold as well. I
walked inside and Bill was standing in the kitchen, walking around and waiting for people to
show up. He had finished making the food and was just waiting for everyone to arrive so we
could pray and start making the eggs. He asked me “how’s it goin?” I said, “Oh it’s goin.” I told
him that I had only slept three hours the night before working on a paper and that I went to bed at
9 p.m. and slept eight hours, but I was still tired. He told me that he also went to bed at 9 p.m.
and woke up at 3 a.m. He told me to have some orange juice and I poured some, drinking it
slowly with him in the kitchen, waiting for John to show up.
Shortly after, John came in through the door and walked immediately to the kitchen. Bill
asked him to bless the food, and John began to pray. He thanked God for the food and for Bill
and asked that God bless it to our bodies and make us strong. After he had finished praying, Bill
began cooking six over-easy eggs in a frying pan. Bill asked John about pastor Bill and if he
might be able to come. Allen realized that he was supposed to have asked Dan if he could come
and if he needed a ride. Bill replied by saying that it would work well because he could give Dan
a ride home after breakfast. They talked about his post-surgery fatigue and how he now gets tired
very quickly and easily. While he was cooking, Allen showed me the name of a minister on his
iPhone and asked me if I had heard of him; I had not. John proceeded to ask me for my email
address, so he could send me a link to the minister’s daily devotions and other literature. I gave
him my email address and he entered it into his phone. Bill interrupted and told us the food was
ready. We did not come with our plates right away, so Bill repeated the demand for us to come
get our food. John and I went to get our plates and brought them to the stove where Bill put the
eggs from the frying pan onto our plates.
We sat down and John asked for my contact information as well. He wasn’t sure if he had
entered my email address correctly, so he asked for it again. I also gave him my phone number.
He sent a text and an email with the above minister’s information. We proceeded to put the rest
of the food that Bill had prepared on our plates: pork chops, hash brown patties, and three-cheese
bread. Watermelon, grapes, tomato slices and jelly were also on the table. We began to eat. I
asked Bill (who is from South Dakota) if there are any rivalries between North and South
Dakota. He said there weren’t any really. He mentioned a hockey team called “The Fighting
Sioux,” and diverted the subject by saying that, of course, they aren’t called that anymore. John
chimed in by expressing his disapproval of having to change it because it might offend someone.
John mentioned that there is a new prescription now for obesity, a combination of two
drugs that have already been administered. He commented by saying that our culture is messed
up. I replied by saying that “we have a pill for everything.” He said he thought that was a good
way to put it, and he halfway lamented, “and I’m the one pushing them.”
We talked about how good the food was. I mentioned that my family likes pork and than I
grew up eating a lot of pork chops. We talked about the Lent service that took place the previous
Wednesday. We talked about how it was nice to see Dan start to make his return. They talked
about how the dinners before the Wednesday Lent services are a good thing and that they should
be enjoyable this year. I had not known that there would be dinners served before a worship
service every Sunday during lent. I asked about what time the dinners were because I was not
sure if I could attend. I mentioned to them that I was fasting during daylight hours for Lent. John
said that he and his family are giving up fast food for lent. I spoke some about the discipline I
hope to regain through fasting. John said he hope his children practice discipline when they drive
by fast food restaurants. John mentioned a book he is currently reading about the gospel of
Thomas and how it was kept out of the cannon. He spoke about how it appealed to Christ within
you, as apposed to John’s gospel that focuses on believing and reciting the creeds.
Bill finished eating first and got up from the table to start cleaning up. He asked if we
wanted anymore. John said he was full. I said maybe and that I would let him know after I had
eaten more food. Bill asked me if I wanted to take a pork chop home with me. I said I would. He
returned to the table to start cleaning up, at which point, John and I had finished and so
proceeded to take our dishes into the kitchen.
After clearing the table some, we sat back down to pray and read the lectionary readings
for Sunday. We began our prayer requests. John prayed for a young man who was very ill, who
previously had a brain tumor, but was now recovering. Bill spoke about his grandchild who has
had a lot of health problems as a one-year-old. He referred to her as the Ronald McDonald House
poster child. He also ran over the usual list of suspects: widows, people in the hospital, the sick,
and pastor. I asked to pray for my fast and that it would turn me toward God and increase my
spiritual discipline.
Bill brought up a man named Pontiac, who just showed up one day at the church for prayer
breakfast. They talked about how he rides around on a bicycle and picks up trash for a hobby, to
throw away, collect, or sell. This man is an airplane mechanic, retired from the Air Force. They
speculated about whether or not he had family. They thought he did not have a wife since he’s
always out on his bike. John and Bill began talking about how John’s wife worried about him
when he rides his bike early in the morning. One time his wife bought him reflective tape for his
bike and he almost was hit that same day. We talked about how Abilene does not have a large
biking culture.
Bill got back on track, saying he thinks we have one person in the hospital. John mentioned
a couple of the church’s widows and a man he knows who recently had a stroke, who is now
struggling with depression.
I started praying. I thanked God for the new day, the food, being full, those who worked so
that we could have food, the church, the sick, medical treatments, strength for Dan and his
leadership, and the church as a whole. I prayed for passion for the mission God has for us, for all
those mentioned, and for God’s presence in our lives, through Christ.
John began praying for someone who recently had a failed kidney transplant, who’s
husband has diabetes and their struggle, for our families, our Sunday school, fellowship
community at grace, to remain connected and to serve the community. He gave thanks for
surrounding blessings and our daily breath, in Christ’s name.
Bill prayed and thanked God for the opportunity to study God’s word and to fellowship. He
prayed for all those mentioned, God’s healing hand, presence in church, all churches, those
serving and their families, presence to show God’s grace, and goodness to all those that we meet.
After praying we began to read the lectionary readings. (John read all the passages out
loud.) The first was from Genesis: God’s speech to Noah after the flood, and the sign of the
covenant. Bill said, “See a rainbow and remember this.” The second reading was from 1 peter
(sirens outside while John read). John said, “A theme here with water and resurrection.” Then he
read Mark’s account of the baptism and temptation of Jesus. John then commented that the spirit
drove Jesus to the wilderness. He said that we all go “kicking and screaming;” it is never easy.
He said it sounds violent. We never want to go into times of “uncomfortableness.” He made
references to Jonah. Bill said, referring to baptism, that “the water makes everything better.”
John mentioned the “Pascal mystery.”
I noted some things about the Genesis passage and how the flood is often associated with
baptism. John mentioned that the reference is also in the churches liturgy. Bill referenced his
Lutheran study Bible, that the rainbow is a sign of God’s commitment. I mentioned a reoccurring
theme of judgment followed by mercy to allow life to continue in the first 11 chapters of
Genesis. I spoke a little about my desire to write my thesis on Genesis 1-12, connecting the
imago dei with the missio dei.
John continued to ask me about missio dei as we left. He told me about how he sees the
Old Testament as being black and white and the New Testament, through Jesus, as a document
that tries to fill in the shades of grey. He said the Old Testament is more for Sunday school. I told
him that one of the reasons I’m doing Old Testament studies is because I think the Old
Testament is neglected in that very way. We also talked about the emergent church. I talked
some about MRNA and he mentioned the pastor’s name he sent me, who is a part of the
emerging church. He said there is a side of the emerging church he likes that is trying to reform,
not start over. I agree that starting over is not the answer.
Field Note 3 (3/2/12)
I arrived at the church at 5:55 a.m. I walked through the door and Bill was standing in the
kitchen preparing breakfast. We exchanged greetings and he asked me how I was doing. I told
him that I’ve realized that I never really wake up until after breakfast. We spoke in the kitchen
for a few minutes, when a man I had not seen before walked through the door. Bill greeted him
with an enthusiastic “Pontiac!” (This was the Pontiac that he had previously spoken of.) I
introduced myself and shook his hand. Bill informed Pontiac that we were waiting for John to
show up, so he could pray for the food, as he remarked that the last one in has to pray. Bill asked
Pontiac how he wanted eggs cooked, and then immediately began taking about Air Force related
subjects. (As noted before, Pontiac works on the Air Force Base. It should be noted here that Bill
is a Vietnam veteran of the Air Force.) They spoke about a new parachute system for dropping of
supply etc. in hostile territory. They continued to discuss several other Air Force related matters
Bill told a story about his experience in the military here and there. One story in particular was
about transporting prisoners of war. He said that while strapping in the prisoners, the U.S.
personnel would warn them, “You cause any trouble and we’ll lower this plane and drop you
out....and they didn’t cause any fuss...” (quote not exact).
After several minutes, Bill gave up on waiting for John and asked Pontiac to pray for the
food. After he finished, Pontiac and I grabbed our plates from the already set table and received
our eggs from Bill, then we proceeded to add the rest of the meal that Bill had prepared. It
consisted of hash browns, sausage, and rolls. As we were getting ready to sit down, John walked
in. I said, “There he is!” And Pontiac said, there’s the guy who always says he’s going to be here
and is always late. And John said, that could be my name... actually, I just showed up late
enough so I didn’t have to pray.
As we sat down, casual conversation took place. I asked Pontiac, to get confirmation, if he
worked at the Air Force base. He said said yes, explaining that he worked for a particular
Sargent. I told him that I was a student at ACU, and he said, oh, that dancing school (jokingly,
because ACU just reversed one of its policies prohibiting dancing at any school event.) I replied
by saying that it is my impression that the policy could have been overturned some time ago;
however, these things have a way of sticking around unnoticed (However, I do no know if that is
true). Pontiac also made a Joke about the Church of Christ’ theology of a cappella worship. I
replied bu saying that many churches are overcoming the prejudice toward instrumental worship
and practicing a cappella as a valued tradition – maybe not in the Bible belt, but in the north, that
has been my experience so far. Bill said, be carful, he’s a masters in Bible, also joking of course.
Bill and John discussed the status of a few of the individuals that we had prayed for the
previous week. The infant is now doing well, strong and smart.
We soon finished eating and Bill got up from the table to start cleaning up. I mentioned
that I had gone to the Coffey Anderson concert last night, at which they gave a house to a
deserving veteran for the armed forces. John commented that there are probably a lot of of
veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. Pontiac, while putting jam on his roll,
started suggesting the invention of a packed form of jam that could just be dropped onto bread,
without having to spread it. His point was that it takes too long. He then joked that he has
stopped buttering his toast because he gets too hungry while preparing it. I smiled and John
forced a laugh.
We had all by now finished eating and proceeded to wipe off our dishes and put them in
the dishwasher. Afterwards, we started the sharing of payer requests. Bill mentioned the pastor,
John mentioned the church and a few people he knew that were sick. Pontiac did not have
anything to add. John asked me how my step-sister was doing and I told him she was still
waiting to hear from the Navy. Then, without letting me voice any requests, Bill immediately
asked if I would start them off in prayer. The time was about 6:40.
I thanked God for the new day and the food. I prayed for strength as God’s people, for
strength to bring God’s presence into the world. I prayed for those who don’t have food. I prayed
that we would be agents of grace to them. I prayed for the pastor and successful surgery, the
strength he has and all that he is able to do. I prayed for the season of lent and the reflection upon
Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. I admitted our inadequacy to express in words the
gratitude appropriate for the immeasurable grace of God. Through Jesus.
John prayed for his daughter’s travel, a friend’s recovery from surgery, someone’s
recovery from stroke. He prayed for prioritization of our time, to seek out God in the silence, to
look forward to the Easter and resurrection. “Please sustain us and grant us your peace, In thy
son Christ’s name.”
Pontiac began: “Dear lord this is your servant, Pontiac, from Abilene TX. Thank you for all
the blessings you have given us. Please bless those who are hurting and lift up those who need
healing. Especially, he asked for government leaders, national and local, that they would make
God-like decisions. Thanks for the opportunity to worship with his fellow Christian brothers, in
Jesus name.”
Bill: “Thank for this opportunity to gather and study his word and fellowship. Lift up all
those who were mentioned for God’s healing hands and guidance. Bless all the church’s
congregations. Be with service people and there families, especially those who walk in harms
way. We ask that we leave here today that we go with grace and your shining goodness and
forgiveness to all those we meet, in your name we pray, amen.”
Field Note 4 (3/9/12)
I arrived at the church at 6 a.m. I was greeted by Bill a member of the church who I had not
seen at breakfast before, named Carl. Bill said, I’m with you today, showing me his Packer’s
shirt and pointing to my Packer’s hat. He asked how I was doing and I said tired. Carl said I
looked hunched over, and I said I was still waking up. Bill told me to pour some orange juice,
but only one glass, joking about the previous week when I had accidentally poured two. The two
continued their conversation about sick leave from work. Carl was complaining about fellow
employees using up all of theirs, pretending to be sick and then coming to him to ask if they
could borrow any of his time. Not long after, John walked in, and Bill said, “Just in time to
pray.” So, John prayed and Bill began cooking the eggs. John overheard their discussion and
inquired about the conversation. Carl began to explain, and John, seeming to cut him off mid
sentence, made a comment about how employers take advantage of employees and don’t offer
them enough sick time. He said the system is broken and that he has written notes for his patients
to get sick time because the company does not freely give it. He seemed to be stepping on the
toes of Carl some, wanting to sympathize with those who run out of sick time. In a way, he
shifted the conversation from people taking advantage of the system, to people being oppressed
by the system, especially refugees. In the middle of this, Bill requested that two people bring
their plates over to get the eggs. Carl and I got our plates and began the process of filling them.
This morning’s menu consisted of spiral cut ham, hash browns, rolls, and fruit. We sat down and
began to eat, and the other two joined us shortly after. The casual conversation then began.
However, on this day, there seemed to be more chewing than talking.
Someone asked me about being tired and I told them that I had planned to go to bed early,
but my roommate had invited me to play indoor soccer, so I did not end up going to bed until
11:30. Carl said that he watched the University of Texas vs. Iowa basketball game last night. He
said, “I didn’t think we were going to win, but we did; it was a good game.”
Then Bill brought up the cold front that had come into town the morning before and the
fast temperature drop. I said I had experienced the drop as I was walking to school at 7:30. Carl,
wearing UT Longhorn clothing, began talking about a trip he took to watch a football game in
Lubbock, UT vs. Texas Tech. He started by referring to a significant temperature drop that
happened on the drive over, causing the windows to fog up almost instantly. He continued the
story to describe the game and how they were not prepared for the cold weather. The weather
was causing many to leave the game, but they stayed until halftime because they had driven so
far. He mentioned that they actually got on T.V. - probably because they were the only crazy UT
fans in the building still waving their flag.
Carl also spoke about the Christian radio station he listed to on his drive in. He said he
typically likes to hear the message of the station’s preacher, which gives him something to think
about during the day. However, today’s message seemed a bit odd to him. He said that the
preacher was reciting a bunch of laws about donkeys and enemies and garments and the poor. He
said that this morning’s sermon didn’t seem to add up to anything. He said the preacher
mentioned the law against having sex with animals and that research has shown that aids began
when a man had sexual relations with a monkey, concluding that God was trying to protect us
from the death that would follow in the terrible pandemic of HIV. Carl said the mans point
seemed to be that God had put the laws there to protect and help his people, not to punish them. I
had also heard some of the same sermon driving over and confirmed that I also believed that was
the man’s point. I also commented that he kept reading one law after another for several minutes,
but I added that perhaps he was getting to his main point. John chuckled and said I was giving
him the benefit of the doubt.
Bill was trying to remember the name of a woman from church who was ill. He described
her as elderly and thin. No one knew whom he was talking about. It was then said that we would
have to pray for the “thin lady.”
As we finished, Bill got up and brought his dishes to the kitchen to start cleaning up. He
said, “you can start reading if you want (referring to the lectionary scripture for Sunday).” Then
he hesitated and said, or actually we should pray first. “You can start with prayer requests.”
Bill immediately mentioned continued recovery for the pastor. I chimed in and mentioned
my grandfather who was just diagnosed with a stomach aneurysm and given a few years to live. I
share that I’m not very close with my grandparents because they live far away. Carl said it was
the same for him, that his grandpa couldn’t even remember his name. John chimed in and said,
“Boy! Boy! That’s what my grandfather used to say.” Carl started telling a story about a time
when his grandfather couldn’t remember his name in public and referred to him as, “her [his
mother’s] other son.” I then began to tell them about my stepsister and her status in the Navy.
She got pregnant while engaged and recently had a courthouse wedding, so that the Navy would
keep her and her husband together. However, because she hasn’t completed her program and he
has, she will have to be alone when she has the baby and after then, up to a year, until she can
finish and get deployed where he is. On the up side, the Navy takes very good care of their
pregnant women, so the only thing she has to really worry about for the time being (although by
no means easy) is raising the child alone. John added, “Well he’s really got made on that one.”
Carl: “Well she’s got it ruff.” John: “Oh way rough.” I explained more of the situation and they
all agreed that it was a blessing that her and the baby were at least taken care of financially, etc.
Apparently I talked too much, because no one else said anything.
Carl began praying by thanking God for the day, that we have a place to come and study
God’s word, and share concerns. He lifted up all the things mentioned in our prayer requests, the
people who are sick, the people who are struggling though life’s issues like separation and
illnesses. He prayed that God would heal these people and strengthen them. He asked for help to
know how to help people that we can. He thanked God for the rain and all the blessings that we
see every day. He prayed for safety for his wife’s travels and everyone else who is traveling over
spring break, to watch them and protect them and to bring them back safely. He asked for
continued blessing upon the church and for help in following the Lord’s guidance, to a better
result from where we have been. “Whatever else you see that we need lord, we pray for, in you
son’s name, amen.”
I prayed next. I thanked God with the day, for the mean, for being well fed. I prayed for
those who are sick, for those who are hurting, for those who are oppressed. I prayed that we
would be agents of God’s mercy, grace, and liberation. I prayed that God would strengthen us
and that we would reflect on this time of lent, that we would anticipate the resurrection and the
newness of life that comes with it. I prayed that we would take strength in the resurrection and
that God would compel us to God’s work in this world. I prayed for the church and our mission
in the community.
John prayed for our leaders and defenders who walk in harms way. He prayed that God
would bless our families. He thanked God for the springtime and newness of life. He prayed for
blessing upon the group to stay strong in faith. He thanked God for the opportunity to gather
together. He thanked God for the rain and the wonderful seasons, “In thy son Christ’s name.”
Then Bill prayed: “God of grace, we just thank you for this opportunity to get together
and fellowship, and study your word. Again we lift up all those who were mentioned here today
for your healing hand lord, and your comfort, also to their families. We ask that you go with us
today Lord as we leave here and that you show your shining grace and comfort to all the people
that we meet. We also ask you to be with all our service people wherever they may be serving,
especially those who walk in harms way. Just go with us Lord, and bring us peace. In your name
we pray. Amen.”
Field Note 5 (3/30/12)
I walked in to find Bill inside cooking breakfast. We exchanged greetings and talked about
how our weeks had been. I told him that things had been going at school, and about my weekend
class. John walked in and joined the conversation. After the usual pleasantries, John prayed, as
he was the last one to enter. He essentially prays the same short prayer of thanks every time,
always ending with “in thy Christ’s name.” After his prayer, he asked me some about school and
we greeted one another. He mentioned that he has been sick and that his life has been chaotic in
general, “trying to keep the balls up in the sky,” which seemed to be falling down all around him.
Kevin J. Vanhoozer credits Paul Tillich for saying that “the best way to understand a
particular culture or even epoch is to discover its greatest anxiety and its greatest hope.”5 Often
John expresses anxiety about work and about his busy schedule. It is important to notice
5
Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Charles A. Anderson, eds., Everyday Theology: How to Read
Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends (Grand Rapids: Backer Academic, 2007), 19.
prominent areas of anxiety and hope, fear and joy, because these are often the things people pray
about. Below, John’s concerns are dominated by “concerns and problems,” (anxiety) and the
desire for God’s will (hope). It will be significant to note these connections or lack there of in the
evaluation of the data collected. This will aid in both understanding the group and developing
strategies for growth.
Bill finished cooking the eggs and we lined up to receive them and put the rest of the meal
on our plates, sausage, hash browns, and a roll. As we sat down, informal conversation began.
On this Friday, there seemed to be more silence than usual and more forced conversation. Bill
and John talked about a few people who were ill, describing their condition and improvement, or
lack thereof. Bill talked about the wedding he went to last weekend, at which the bride and
groom were 3 hours late to the reception. Carl was present but, for some reason, did not have
much to say on this occasion.
Eventually, we finished eating went into the kitchen to clean up and began citing prayer
requests. John said that while his personal responsibilities were in turmoil, his marriage, family,
and everything else was fine. Bill listed off the usual list of suspects: pastor, church, sick,
widows, etc. I mentioned Kyle and Shane, two of my best friends here who dropped out of the
program. I wanted to pray that God continue to use them and lead them. I also asked that we pray
for another student and her transition and relationship to her parents. We seemed to have finished
eating quicker than usual. I identified a slight tension about having to talk about prayer concerns
for an elongated period of time. So, I continued to talk about my stepbrother, stepsister, and step
mom, and how I wanted to have closer relationships with them. That lead to a discussion about
the condition of my family and the ways in which we all come together for holidays, even the
divorcees. They were very surprised at this, which people usually are. John then started to talk
about the experience of his parents divorce, after which, his mom took him and his siblings down
to Corpus Christi, from Ohio.
John’s prayer: “Father in heaven please gather our concerns and problems into your
consciousness. Help us to go forward with confidence knowing that your will be done. Please
bless this church, the community, the world as a whole. Help us to take care of her and our
families. In thy son Christ’s name.”
Bill’s prayer: God of grace, we just thank you for this opportunity to gather and
fellowship and study your word we lift up those who were mentioned here today for your healing
hand and comfort and care. And also we ask that you may be with our service people, wherever
they may be serving, especially those who walk in harms way. Be with their families. Bring them
home safely. We ask that again you would go with us Lord as we leave here and show your
loving kindness and grace to all the people that we meet. In your name we pray.”
Carl: “Heavenly father, we give you thanks for this day. We thank you that we can come
to you, here and everywhere and know that you hear our prayers. We offer up all those who we
have mentioned today, and we thank you that have an unbelievable power just to heal people and
comfort people and strengthen us. We pray for those like matt who are studying and struggling in
their studies. I pray for each of us Lord that you would open our eyes and help us to see your call
for us, whatever that might be. We just pray for your protection, that you would watch over us in
all the activities that we have, especially when we travel. And just keep us safe, and we pray for
our families. And we pray for what troubles are in our lives Lord, whenever that is. And we just
thank you for you son Jesus, in his name I pray.”
Me: “God we thank you for the chance to spend time together and to voice our prayers. I
thank you for hearing our prayers. I believe that you are a God who is on a mission, that you
chose to create us, that you chose to interact with us, and that you are continuing to work in our
lives in order to reconcile us, as your people, back to your self. I pray that you would invite us
and lead us into you mission and that we would be your hands and your feet in this world. Bless
our hearts and our minds to serve you. Thank you for guiding us and loving us, though Jesus.
Amen.”
Field Note 6 (4/13/12)
These were the prayer requests following the meal: Bill spoke about someone who was in
the hospital. John mentioned his daughter and her travels with sports and the pastor Dan, who is
now doing a lot better. John continued to talk about the profound affect Dan’s condition has had
on him. John mentioned another pastor and several other people who had visited on Easter
Sunday. I wanted to pray for my family. It has been a long time since I spoke with my brother. I
expressed my concerns about my brother and how he has been so absorbed in his new life that he
is forgetting about the family. Bill chimed in and told a story about a time his commanding
officer called him into his office to make him write to his parents because he had been neglecting
it. Apparently, the military makes sure the soldiers are writing home. I mention my stepsister
who will become a mother in five weeks and the potential strained relationship between her and
her husband. Both John and Bill were supportive in my concern. John began to talk about how
the military can really put strain on the marriage.
John’s prayer: “Heavenly father, please watch over all of our families, our loved ones,
this church, our community, please especially bless pastor Dan [and others]. Keep Emily safe in
her travels and help us to walk as you would want us to walk and feel your presence with every
breath. Thank you for your wonderful blessings on this day that you have allowed us to enjoy. In
thy son Christ’s name.”
“My prayer: “God, I thank you so much for the gifts that you have given. I thank you that
we are well fed. I thank you for this church family. I pray that you would continue to strengthen
this church and to be with us and to guide us into your will and your service. I pray for all those
we have mentioned. I pray for all those who came through the doors last Sunday. I pray that they
heard the message of your resurrection and of new life. I pray that we would remember this
Easter holiday and that we would continue to life resurrected lives, to continue to live as born
again people, doing your work in the world. It is though Jesus I pray.”
Bills prayer: “God of grace, we just thank you for this opportunity to gather together and
study your word and fellowship. We ask that you be with all the people that we mentioned here
today and also our service people, wherever they may be serving, especially those who walk in
harms way. Bring them home safely. And we ask again lord that you bless this church and all
churches and all the people. And we ask that you go with us we leave here today and show your
grace and goodness to all the people that we meet. In you name we pray Amen.”
Field Note 7 (4/20/12)
As I walked in I was greeted by Bill, Carl, and Tom (a new face). I was introduced to Tom,
who was an older man, retired from the Air Force, who used to attend EGLC until he married a
woman who went to Southern Hills Church of Christ. He was a very pleasant man with an east
coast accident.
They were all laughing about a forwarded email when I arrived. Bill said we would wait
for John to show up and pray. Eventually he did. We prayed, Bill served up the eggs and the five
of us sat down to eat. Mike and John spent most of the meal talking about health insurance, pros
and cons, and the government’s involvement. Tom and I talked about fishing, church, his family,
and other niceties. The conversation was active. I did not see Bill getting in on much of the
discussion.
Carl: “Lord we continue to pray for all those people we mentioned here today. Those who
are sick, those who are in need. And help us to be good stewards of all that you have given us.
Thank you for blessing this group. Thank you for the church family and the fellowship. Please
walk with us this day and forgive us of our sins. It is in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”
Bill’s prayer: “God of grace, we just thank you for this opportunity to gather and
fellowship and study your word. Also I ask that you lift up all those people that were mentioned
here all those that you see and meet Lord. I also ask that you be with our service people,
wherever they may be serving, especially those that walk in harm’s way. And we ask again Lord
that you bless this church and all churches, as we gather for this Sunday. And that you be with us
as we leave here today and that you show your grace and spirit to all of those that we meet. In
you name we pray. Amen.
John: “Father in heaven, Please, look kindly on those that we’ve mentioned here and
bless us thy service. Thank you for the opportunity to worship and please help us to keep our
eyes focused on you instead of getting caught up in the everyday hustle and bustle. Pleas bless
our families and Sunday school and all other opportunities to spread Christ’s word. In thy son
Christ’s name we pray. Amen.”
Me: “God I thank you for supporting us and teaching us and guiding us. I pray that you
would be with those who are sick, who are in pain, those who are oppressed. And I pray that we
would be your agents in the world, to bring healing and to further your kingdom. It’s though
Jesus that we pray.”
Tom: “Heavenly father, I thank you so much for this day. I pray that you be with my
cousin and comfort her and the siblings of her daughter who past. I pray that you be with my
family and bless us and that you be with my body, and comfort my back especially. And also,
give me more sleep and rest. And father finally I pray that you would bless all of us and
especially Christian people who prepare their hearts and minds to worship you this coming
Sunday. Father we praise you for the refreshment of celebration of Easter recently and just thank
you for being you and loving us. Amen.”
Field Note 8 (4/27/12)
On this day, I arrived three minutes late, and the men were already eating. As I walked in,
Bill said, dig in; don’t worry; we already blessed the food. So, I loaded up a plate with egg bake
and cheese bread, poured coffee and orange juice, and sat down. Bill asked me how my week
was. I hesitated, and said, “oh good I guess…” but before I could continue, Tom asked John a
question and they took over the conversation. They were talking about different health insurance
companies and the options for a family member of Tom’s. I remained quiet on this day during
the conversation. I was especially tired and, having shown up a little late, the three were already
engaged in conversation. John said that because he was driving to Fort Worth, he was going to
have to eat and run, so he could see to all of his patients and get everything done. John talked
about his son, who fell at the playground and disrupted his spleen. It was so severe that his son
was flown by helicopter to Fort Worth, but is now doing ok. It wasn’t long before he cleared his
plate and left. He shook all three of our hands and walked out the door.
The three of us had almost finished eating by this point. Tom asked me how my week had
been and I told him that this was the busy time of year with papers and finals. Soon it was time to
pray.
Tom: “God thank you for holding us in your loving arms and blessing us. And we are so
grateful for our relationship with you and your relationship with us, and we really appreciate it.
Father we ask that you would bless this congregation and what’s going on in the assembly. Bless
all of us as we prepare to worship you Sunday and we prepare to be your kids every other day, in
Jesus name, Amen.”
Me: “God, thank you for this meal. Thank you for our conversations and for your
willingness to hear our prayers. God we lift up all of those who are sick, all of those who are
oppressed, all of those who need your love and your grace. We pray for them. We pray that you
would change us, that you would transform us into the answer to our prayers and that we would
be willing to be your hands and feet in the community. I pray for will and his family and their
travels I pray for my stepsister and her delivery, that it would go well. I pray for my dad and step
mom, that you would be with them and that you would show them grace, and that you would
work your way into their marriage where you can Lord. And I pray all these things through
Jesus.”
Bill: “Dear loving and gracious God, we just want to thank you for this opportunity to
gather and fellowship and study your word. I also lift up all those who were mentioned here
today for you guidance and healing hand Lord. I’d also like to ask for safe travel for Jeff and
Jane Rudd as they leave us and move to their new assignment in Alaska. And we just ask Lord
that you be with us as we leave here today, and that we show your willing and gracious spirit to
all those that we meet. And I also ask that you be with our service people wherever they may be,
especially those who walk in harms way. I pray that you be with their families, and again be with
our synod assembly as they meet to elect a new bishop and in your name we pray. Amen.”
CONCENT FORM
Introduction
My name is Matt Fredrickson, and I am student in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian
University conducting an ethnographic study for a course in contextual ministry. My email address is
mcf09a@acu.edu. My professor’s email address is sensingt@acu.edu. You may contact either of us at any
time if you have questions about this study.
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to study the men’s prayer breakfast at Grace Evangelical lutheran Church.
I am trying to learn more about the nature of the ministry itself and the theology of prayer surrounding it,
in order to sense how the event might influence the church in relation to its health and mission.
Procedure
After each prayer breakfast, I will be recording from memory all that took place for the next eight
mornings. Some portions of the breakfast may be digitally recorded.
Additionally, this study may request for additional meeting times to discuss what I have observed through
observation and interview. The purpose of this is to digest the data as a group and make positive
applications, if desired, to the breakfast.
Benefits
While there is no guaranteed benefit, this study is intended to benefit the congregation by enlivening our
discourse on the theology and practice of prayer, study, fellowship, and mission.
Confidentiality/Anonymity
Your name will be kept confidential in all of the reporting and/or writing related to this study. I will be
the only person with access to any types of personal information. When I write the ethnography, I will use
pseudonyms - made up names - for all participants, unless you specify in writing that you wish to be
identified by name.
Publication
There is a possibility that I will publish this study or refer to it in published writing in the future. In this
event, I will continue to use pseudonyms (as described above) and I may alter some identifying details in
order to further protect you anonymity.
Before you sign
By signing below, you are agreeing to allow me to record and interpret, in detail, events that happen at the
men’s prayer breakfast. Be sure that any questions you many have are answered to your satisfaction. If
you agree to participate in this study, a copy of this document will be given to you.
Participant’s Name
Participants Signature
Date
Researcher’s Name
Researcher’s Signature
Date