The Formative Power of Your Congregation: Faith and Human Development

How do human beings develop as people, and what impact can a congregation have on that development?

Authors Dr. Rev. Christina J. Davis and Rev. Tim Shapiro provide you with answers to that question in a new book that will turn a loose volunteer association into a meaningful congregation.

What You’ll Learn

Human Development

The book showcases how human lives are formed throughout our existence, through the lens of three distinct elements: that which is most important to us, how we congregate, and what signifiers of human development matter to us. Through the lens of developmental psychology, Shapiro and Davis have created a set of trail markers based on the works of esteemed developmental psychologists to chart the course of your congregation’s growth.

The Research Landscape

The book makes use of insights from 30-plus congregations in Indiana, communities who tackled everything from parenting to the arts, social justice to vocations. These experiences became case studies developed by Shapiro and Davis, and are used to help guide your plan to create an environment people can truly flourish in.

Forming Initiative

The psyche of each individual person contains the seeds of flourishing – but reaching full potential requires a stimulating environment and a stable, reliable community. In this book, Davis and Shapiro discuss how to form connections between people, bringing loosely attached members of a group together into a tight-knit congregation through your own Formative Power team.

Tackling Difficult Subjects

Social justice has been a core topic in every community in history. However, bringing your congregation together and developing the structure, language and process to navigate issues like racial inequity or supporting vulnerable youth can be challenging. Davis and Shapiro walk you through the Life Arena, teaching your congregation how to share their experiences and support one another as they grow.

About the Authors

Rev. Dr. Christina Jones Davis is assistant professor of Pastoral Theology and Marriage and Family Therapy at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she also served as the Clinic Director of the CTS Counseling Center. Her research and professional interests include spiritually integrated, relationally contextualized, and insight-oriented approaches to therapy, and offering culturally appropriate counseling approaches to individuals, couples, and families. Beyond her academic research and scholarship, Dr. Davis is an experienced marriage and family therapist licensed and having practiced in multiple states.

Rev. Tim Shapiro is the Indianapolis Center’s president. He began serving the Center in 2003 after 18 years in pastoral ministry. Tim’s interest in how congregations learn to do new things is represented in his book How Your Congregation Learns. After his extensive work on the Center’s Sacred Space initiative, Tim co-authored the book Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and Message. He has also authored several articles, including Applying Positive Deviance and The Congregation of Theological Coherence.