Exploring the Impact of Faith in Action: Serving Others

Exploring the Impact of Faith in Action: Serving Others

1. Introduction

Throughout the 1990s, scholars and practitioners penned monographs, assembled readers, or added chapters to recent reference works. Additional religious organizations also performed voluntary acts that did not match conventional ideas of charitable service. The state of the field might be described as a start. From my perspective, the diversity of ideas explored to date might obscure the fundamentals that shaped early expressions of religion and spirituality within the voluntary and philanthropic traditions. The proper role of volunteers, voluntary associations, and philanthropic behaviors was already defined in a moral or ethical context by the prophets or similar authorities, nurtured within the tenets of the faith, and eventually expressed by believers under the guise of service to the community.

While the first religious communities may have begun their existence around 100,000 years ago, formal scholarly exploration of religion and spirituality is a relatively new undertaking in the fields of volunteering and philanthropy. Peter Dobkin Hall has asked, "Why has the establishment of formal religious organizations that engage volunteers for social service and other public purposes been so important to the historical development of the voluntary sector in most Western societies?" A 1985 survey found that 18 percent of the American public cited motivation derived from faith or spirituality as the primary factor that motivated them to volunteer. More scientific investigations began to appear in the late nineteenth century, but their entire output might only fill a single shelf in a medium-size library.

1.1. Background and Significance

The key findings in the work reported here are paradoxical. From the perspective of those who are served, as discussed in Section 1.2.1 (Focus Group Narratives, pages 32-43), their experience with serving others has powerful, positive benefits: encountering human need fosters genuine humility and a sense of common humanity; working to change human circumstances can be both very satisfying and very challenging, particularly when it comes to changing longstanding patterns of poverty and dependency; intercessory prayer can be both restorative and helpful. Importantly, these benefits derive entirely from the fact that it is they who serve a need, they who intervene, they who decide and act. In sum, the recipient perspective implies that helping others requires much of the person who undertakes it and that it can also offer much, but the relationships developed through that service are largely bilateral in nature.

Throughout the United States, there are many individuals and families who face formidable social and economic challenges. Some lack full access to resources that can help them meet those challenges, including: shelter; resources to secure health and well-being; and support for successfully navigating educational and employment opportunities. While social service agencies, other charitable organizations, and government programs offer some support to those in need, there are substantial gaps in what is available. Religious organizations include some of the most active and effective participants in helping families and individuals through these chasms, yet little is known about the outcomes for participants in these groups or beneficiaries of their services. This study presents a multi-method examination of such impacts on individuals associated with The Potter's House of Dallas.

1.2. Purpose and Scope of the Study

Promotion of social change aligns with theology that has historically emphasized the interconnectedness of all people and encouraged attention to social welfare as an integral aspect of living faith. Because ideals of living faith can be rooted in an ancient tradition that offers vital insights into societal ills, alleviates individual suffering and addresses pervasive social policy concerns, this study aims to explore polity discourse encouraging contemporary engagement in social activism. Grasmuck and Donahue documented a strong connection between congregational class composition and the individual involvement in battle for economic justice, and religious activism has been associated with 34 social classes represented in specific denominations or types of congregations. However, there has been little exploration or articulation of polity directives furthering social justice efforts or the role of the faith institutions called to act on such mandates.

The role of faith in service, particularly as a resource for community organizing of churches and other faith-based institutions committed to the common good, has been documented and celebrated frequently in religious scholarship. Congregations are significant religious institutions through which people enact their faith. They are highly accessible, having established facilities and a recognized place in communities. They represent major constituencies and social networks, and serve, influence, and are respected by local populations of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. They have social, ideological, organizational, and human resources to offer, as well as faculty to develop leaders.

2. Theoretical Framework

Our second framework draws on Astin's theory. It also offers us a big-picture explanation of how college effects are realized. We stress the significant impact schools have on students. We stress the evident harm schools cause as well as the service interest decline experienced by students in all types of schools. Researchers favor the Seymour-Park combination emphasize the dual goals of faith in action: the desire to lead purposeful lives through active faith and the distinct calling serving others represents to those who embrace faith. Developed from the constructive-development literature, we believe that the developmental-theory combination offers a missing link in understanding service declines, barriers to entry, and strategies students need to pursue to develop as effective servers of others. Based on developmental theory, we stress the path intellect-seekers follow as they seek to make meaning of their complex, relatively well-protected campus lives, despite years of blaming.

First, alignment with Erikson's theory, which becomes our theoretical perspective as teachers, service learning advocates, and researchers. We stress the service and spiritual development patterns researchers identify. Both read better than when individuals were "caring," and Erikson noted that was what late adolescents seek. George, Larson, and Peck also report service and spiritual delight in participants who claim no faith or religiousness.

Three theoretical perspectives guide the questions we ask and our search for answers in our review of spirituality and service. The theories also reinforce the importance of understanding what motivates individuals to become involved in voluntary service activities, the roles spirituality and religiousness play in that involvement, and their implications relative to our search for, offering of, and support for service, service learning, and social responsibility programs for students.

2.1. Conceptualizing Faith in Action

At first, faith in action is the complete perspective of spirituality when inclusive of both external and internal elements. The internal side of spirituality is measured using various assessments, such as spiritual well-being or sacred well-being, or religious well-being in a spiritual context, and is assessed based on three dimensions: one's relationships with divine transcendence, community, and self inward reflections. People's spiritual and religious faith and beliefs often drive them to perform various acts of service as they move through their lives. It is this specific aspect, faith resulting in tangible service equivalent to servant leadership, which simultaneously provides a broader understanding of faith in action as well as a new dimension of servant leadership. Faith in action as a social exchange in the service of others is when an individual engages in action to further the welfare of others and seeks to meet the physical, psychological, material, and/or spiritual needs of others.

Faith in action is considered to be the daily application of individual spiritual and moral life, as reflected in relationships toward self and governance, family, and society and the earth. The concept of faith in action as service is based on the ability to put into action one's spirituality and the authentic belief that one's faith should be evident in daily living. For the purposes of this study, service is considered to be an integral part of the overarching conceptualization of faith in action but also as a standalone construct while remaining under the general umbrella of the broader faith in action theme. Both faith in action as a whole and the singular service dimension have been examined in relation to key service outcomes, including understanding servant leadership and volunteer motivation, and the role of religiosity on charitable behavior. By examining faith in service specifically in relation to these outcomes, a unique aspect of faith in action and its potential implications for our charitable behaviors is revealed.

2.2. Understanding the Role of Service in Faith-Based Practices

One reason for the lack of research in examining the benefits of faith-based service activities is difficulty in conceptualizing the social connections and community benefit that derive from these activities. Furthermore, defining religion based on belief, customs, and faith-inspired patterns of thinking and doing can render finding attributable effects more difficult when studies examine and attempt to document their contributions. Yet understanding how people may be inclined to volunteer and extend their time, or give money, direct service, or in-kind goods, using their religiously guided morals and values, is important for both faith-based organizations and charitable organizations alike. Providing assistance, free of cost or expectations of repayment, can have a positive effect on the perspectives of the individual service provider. Whether short-term or long-term, there is potential for the change to have long-lasting effects: an increased openness to learning about others, changes in personal behavior, broadened perspectives and understanding, as well as subtle changes in either emotional or spiritual aspects of the self. In sum, faith-based service can produce positive benefits not just for the recipients, but also for the actors in religiously-based service enterprises.

In America, religion plays a large part in the lives of many. Followers of numerous faith traditions, each with its own defined practices and rituals, can be seen frequenting church, synagogue, temple, or mosque. Beyond the prayers, hymns, and peace proclamations, acts of charity and volunteer service feature prominently in the beliefs and faith-based practices of several religious traditions. Religious communities and their clergy often encourage and emphasize community service as a way to interact with other members and connect with the community at large. There is a long precedence of service in Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist religions. The common theme of humility and helping the poor and needy is found in religions' sacred texts and is bestowed within the lives of religious icons. From working directly with people, raising money and donating goods, or addressing societal problems, congregations participate in meaningful service, like many non-religious members of local communities. Yet research on the impact of religiously motivated service has only emerged in the last few years, leading to the conclusion that engaging in service impacts the health and well-being of individuals. In other words, service towards others through religious practices can benefit us.

3. Historical Perspectives

From the example of service provided by early religious communities, western society constructed expectations for public service that drew moral authority and ministerial legitimacy by linking its programs to religious values. The strength and resilience of many religious traditions provided communities with social service and spiritual development that bridge cultural and ethnic diversity. Today, many neighborhoods still call local church services and local service programs by the same name, neighborhood. Religions have a deep and enduring influence on the identity, mission, and action toward an increasingly fragmented society. The legitimacy of religious tradition has made an important difference in family and tradition, neighborhood and community, and principles of volunteerism - more trustable than by other secular sources. Furthermore, the religious principles of ethical behavior and goodwill are often the primary motivation for service. In this regard, political philosophers and commissions might be wise to keep their recommendations within the realm of faith and religion.

Volunteer service associated with religious communities reflects an ancient human tradition. Over the centuries, various religious traditions have provided guidelines, rules, or precepts that connect service to religious practice, and many have established schools, hospitals, social service, and welfare agencies. The early Christians, credited with establishing the first hospitals, likewise believed in a service-oriented life with the biblical reminder that "Faith without works is dead." The charitable work of religious communities contributed greatly to the social stability and political power of Christian churches in the western tradition.

3.1. Ancient Roots of Service in Religious Traditions

Before around 1800-2000, the right to move and the capacity to act to extend actual and potential advantages to all people were extremely difficult because many individual concrete obligations of individuals with relatives of responsibility were due to the concrete immediacy of their quality relationships, especially in relative closeness or practical experience. Concentration on maintaining their way of life, class, or other institution and ensuring the control of wealth was a very difficult matter. Is Cheney, who argues that the focus on the community is ethnically, religiously, or culturally related, related in the justification of real and relative sermons? For those who presented burning in land, the ethical common good supported by certain religious traditions was essentially inseparable.

The Activity Fair and Faith Fair will show off the many opportunities available for service at DeMatha. A major part of why we do service has to do with our Catholic, Christian, or other religious traditions. Many ancient religious traditions advocate and often require service to others. Ethical, practical, and wisdom-based guidelines and binding requirements on charity, sharing, civility, and fairness are available in these traditions for human society, leadership, and government. Individual beliefs and behaviors in response to this "cipher" for "unliving" and living out universal love provide a hero's standard for leading one's own life and helping others lead meaningful lives. It is very difficult, in the abstract and within one's own community, to take the words out of the "holy" conscience, sacred, moral, ethical, universal, philosophical, or religious instructions of a tradition and imitate the action of giving to another.

4. Contemporary Examples of Faith-Based Service

It is the nature of faith that it is difficult to measure in dollars alone, but one credible criterion is to examine the other institutions of secularism. It is surely unreasonable to require religion to measure its impact in dollars according to secular standards alone. It appears that faith-based organization partners with religiously affiliated non-governmental organizations have delivered up to 70 percent of food aid, and as much as 50 percent of all relief and development programs. These comprise drug, alcohol, mental health, probation, and statutory youth services across denominations in the United Kingdom. In these ways, religiously affiliated groups increase the quantity and quality of civil society contributions to the well-being of their local and national communities. Their faith does inspire action.

Historical insights are supported by more recent examples. One of the most extraordinary strengths of civil society in the world today is its response to human need. Religious institutions embody an important proportion of that effort worldwide. Professor James Payne has determined that, if American secularist agencies were territory, they would rank sixteenth in dollars spent in the developing world, after India and just above the Spanish community. Paynter also finds that the work of evangelical Protestant, mainline Protestant, and Catholic self-reports of religious affiliation exceeded USAID spending in the developing world. Indeed, evangelicals alone would be the fourth-largest territory, just after Japan. In this ranking, their work would top spending by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The top three religious territories are Catholic affiliated, Pentecostal-Charismatic, and Baptist. Again, if all religious groups worldwide were a nation state, it would rank as a close eleventh in the world in income per capita, close to Argentina and just above Poland.

4.1. Local Community Initiatives

However, the value of the program was seen in the involvement of parents, the willingness of the nursing home to do more visits, the accompanying adult, and boy student volunteers who committed regularly. Another school's initiative was very environmentally oriented. They established a program aimed at looking after the natural conditions of a stretch of river which flowed close to the school. It is important to be aware of the environmental consequences of trying to help the poor. They made the local council aware of the need for protective measures against casualty-led pollution. Their action prompted a paper from the local council which suggests that the action model used was effective. The evaluation also discusses the council's response in community spirit. Overall, the council perceived the action as positive and they're supportive of further action community involvement until the community benefits from the pollution recent reports.

The local community initiatives that students established or contributed to covered diverse areas of endeavor. One school established a partnership with the local high care nursing home. The student-initiated program included regular visits to the nursing home by year nine students for two consecutive periods of six weeks. However, year ten students continued participation on a voluntary basis. The aim of this program was to provide regular companionship for nursing home residents and specifically to support those with dementia. The principal was surprised at the number of residents who agreed to participate. The students thoroughly enjoyed the visits and benefited from the experience that they gained. Both groups spoke of visits as the highlight of their week. The visits were discontinued upon the invitation of an external professional sports restaurant who took over the program under mutual supervision involving students from the participating school.

4.2. International Humanitarian Efforts

Two of the worst examples of deliberate interference with the ability of the international humanitarian community to respond to emergent humanitarian needs in complex emergencies were seen in Sierra Leone, where the Revolutionary United Front forced two international non-governmental organizations to temporarily cease operations after refusing to abide by the terms of a negotiated release of hostages or to receive humanitarian assistance from their captors; and in Abkhazia, Georgia, where the consignment of a diagnostics kit supplied by UNICEF to an authorized mine clearance organization was seized, risking delays in the identification of the tuberculosis strain in the mine victims and other members of the civilian population.

The world humanitarian situation underwent dramatic shifts in 2000. The number of disasters and the number of people affected declined compared to 1999, but the level of death and suffering were higher. The number of ongoing complex emergencies continued to challenge the ability of the international humanitarian community to respond effectively. Protracted conflicts created enormous challenges and presented unprecedented risks and constraints in monitoring, securing humanitarian access, and addressing the immediate needs for assistance. The lack of political will of the conflicting parties permitted the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

Humanitarian assistance is a fundamental expression of the United States' historic tradition of generosity to people in other countries. The principal goal of U.S. humanitarian programs and activities is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity throughout the world. The United States continues to acquire the knowledge and instruments required to mobilize and deliver effective assistance to persons in need. This report examines in detail the capabilities, objectives, and operations designated U.S. Government agencies and private and voluntary organizations participate in international humanitarian action. The report also outlines how U.S. foreign policy affects the nation's humanitarian practices.

5. The Social and Psychological Benefits of Serving Others

Only a small portion of the church-goers who engaged in formal religious participation practices many years ago now do so. The reasons for declining participation are varied. The shift away from traditional church attendance and the traditional ways people give to support recognized needs and social causes reflects each person having other factors, interests, and commitments. We have to look for meaningful and manageable solutions in responses that will likely be different from or supplementary to formal religious activities. On average, more church-goers in the youngest age cohort than church-goers over 65 years volunteer and donate to a range of organizations, not limited to faith-based organizations. Providing opportunities for meaningful and fulfilling acts of giving, helping, and serving to children and youth should not, therefore, be overlooked.

Serving brings a variety of benefits to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of the server. Among these are a greater sense of purpose and meaning, an increased sense of religiousness, lower levels of depression and loneliness, a decrease in anxiety, higher self-esteem, a desire to take action toward a personal goal, the generation and acknowledgement of life purpose which can bridge the self and others, and finally, a clear link between the level of personal religiousness and positive feelings towards anonymous serving. The value and significance of serving have been extolled by diverse sources across religious, social scientific, and psychological perspectives. It has been suggested that religious and faith communities interested in creating opportunities for their members to serve could either support and initiate their own projects or encourage involvement with a range of secular initiatives.

5.1. Impact on Mental Well-Being

This cannot help but assist in mental well-being. Furthermore, weekly stress is reliably lower among those who report recent volunteer activity when compared with more infrequent volunteers or those who are not volunteering. Possibly as a result of the spiritual renewal experienced through serving others, regular volunteers are less likely to feel rushed or pressed for time. Not very surprisingly, if volunteers discover so many positive rewards related to their engagement in charitable service, they also report generally better health. Individuals who are devoting more time to serving others weekly instead of just once or twice a year actually find these outcomes more often for themselves. So even without the specifics of the relationship between frequent service and self-reported health, the enhancement by faith factors of the benefits often associated with volunteer commitment are still evident.

As with other samples, analysis of regular and extensive commitment to serving others on the part of people of faith suggests that every day, in every way, they are more fulfilled. Volunteers who are involved at their places of worship are more likely to report that they are very happy with their lives than volunteers who are not providing service at their places of worship. And when looking at finding an activity that the person enjoys each day, examined in the first survey, there is more likelihood that someone who is more involved in service work in general (in terms of hours devoted to service, the time serving at one's place of worship, or the specific kinds of service work anticipated for the forthcoming week) can identify an activity that he or she enjoys. Even if we cannot say that happiness increases as spending more time devoted to this kind of activity, a pattern at least emerges such that more of these people are enjoying life.

5.2. Enhancing Social Connections

Religious congregations can be important settings providing social support and serve as life contexts which offer guidance and messages that can be beneficial to youth as they navigate through the developmental period of adolescence. According to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, religious participation is positively associated with varying measures of social capital, including a perception of caring adults, an ability to confide in others, and feelings of being integrated into a community or family. Youth may receive the guidance and support necessary for an increased sense of healthy social connections through social interactions or activities which help others (i.e., service learning, volunteer youth groups, and other faith-in-action programs). Scales examining spiritual support in the form of or resultant from religious involvement have been associated with adolescents' sense of well-being. Such groups encourage the cultivation of positive behaviors, emotions, and relationships.

Do faith-in-action programs help youths build social connections? Oftentimes, when people become an integral part of a group, social connections form. Adolescents often are attracted to others who share similar core values and beliefs and may become part of similar social groups. Some research analyzing the role of religious participation and criminal activity has considered possible intervening variables and discussed the means by which religious communities and institutions variously foster social connectedness, bonding, and social control. Efforts to curb crime have included those intended to foster collective efficacy and community action, reduce social distance and social isolation, shape social roles and institutions, and provide alternative pathways to social connections and social capital-enhancement.

6. Challenges and Ethical Considerations in Faith-Based Service

Although tons of literature discuss the connection between faith and work, faith-based service activities weren't expensive. It's important to notice that the aim of religion-based activities isn't to get rid of the foremost economic issues that disillusioned workers want meaning and function. I just don't have a plan on specifically how to urge there. They hope to find out how any leader will create structure, significance, satisfaction, and links between workers to seek additional themes and challenges distinctive to Catholic institutions. Thus, we tend to follow the integrity model from the point of view of social capital, so we tend to indicate the duty of practices designed to enhance social capital.

In addition to physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges, there are specific challenges to be faced and resolved by motivators of belief-based service or leadership. Successful faith-based service requires an understanding of the theological, philosophical, and historical foundations of the primary ethical duties, as well as the moral leadership competencies of the service industry. Therefore, in the dimensions of spirituality, faith, and religious commitment-oriented actions in human resource management, consideration of certain critical problems and moral difficulties, which must be regarded equally in religious activities in other parts of economics is very good. Having discussed the foundational reasons of faith-based care and existing freelance leadership theory – competing visions, we then used a personal instance to explore them.

6.1. Navigating Cultural and Religious Differences

Navigating cultural and religious differences is also a key developmental outcome of RA participation, according to 4-H volunteer educators who implement NYS 4-H's faith-based Service Learning initiative, pointing out that an essential impact of the initiative is on the RAs who choose "to set aside whatever religious bias they may or may not hold... to truly assist residents of other religions who use these faith centers. Not necessarily to cater to them but to make them aware that an event has been scheduled, room is in use, guests are on the way, etc." The RAs are modeling for the NY 4-Hers the same openness to working together and living with diversity, exploring what they have in common. Including Exploring the Impact of Faith in Action in this study on the relative importance of outcomes for participation in Residence Life student service jobs resulted in comparing a much younger group of college students; the proportion who were first-year students at the time of employment was significantly higher. Data from this study are from RAs serving in the residential halls over a three-year period and included demographic characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, and values before and after RAs gained this particular experience.

"The most important personal lesson... my entire perception of everything outside of New York changes; of how people interact with each other, of how the rest - how the majority - of people live... I had never really interacted with someone who was practicing their religion as a guiding force in their life." - Sam, RA, NY.

"As Resident Advisor, if I had not been mature enough to understand other people's lives from a culturally aware worldview, I would not have been able to handle them. I didn't learn the events happening in their communities and schools, so that's how I was able to help them on a daily basis." - Darina, RA, NY

6.2. Ensuring Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

Evaluate the impact of the services that your event or program is providing. The evaluation will help competitors and grantors understand the true need in the community. This can lead to funding that is necessary to support the larger program. When it is possible, connect clients with a wrap-around service agency that will support them long-term. These services could provide employment, furniture, or other job training. Unlike many direct service organizations which attempt to, at best, mitigate the disproportionate impact of poverty, the most faithful ecosystems are those that undermine the structures and behaviors that perpetuate poverty. Data can influence policy and changing the environment will have a larger impact.

It is critical to address creating sustainable projects. ENGAGE study results and feedback provide several lessons learned to consider when planning projects to ensure that they are sustainable. The local faith community responds most effectively when clients have an ongoing, recurring need. Periodic events are hard to sustain. It is advisable to create an event as an introduction to build relationships and credibility. Leveraging your partners through collaboration increases the likelihood of the event being sustainable. Collaboration also ensures that you reach more clients with a larger pool of volunteers and thus have a greater impact.

7. Case Studies in Effective Faith-Based Service Programs

The basic problem faced by a modern federal welfare system, I am arguing, is not the need to design services that do not actually further the social good or deliver those services to many millions of people. The problem for the policymakers must then be how to find paths for those good intentions that do make a difference. A great many social service professionals devote including their skills and their hearts to enlisting the dispossessed in their own effort at self-redemption through acts of service. There are also many faith-based community organizations that have repeatedly made a definitive difference for the clients that they serve. These institutions depend on the flow of private money for their effects, as I have mentioned previously; so in other words, the charitable enterprise can make a definitive difference for its recipients.

To achieve this goal, then, one of the key tasks for the government is to figure out what an "outcomes-based social policy" looks like. And one of the touchstones for that form of policy, if we take seriously the existing data on the subject, has to be encouraging the involvement of individuals and organizations in the business of blessing other human beings. That service cannot be measured through abstract indicators, like the growth rate of gross economic product or federal job-training programs, that have no human content. And, indeed, the needs and differences between the individuals to be served by these programs are so great that it is probably a better idea to devote the resources of the federal government to charitable organizations and thus give them the leverage to deal with some of those problems that the federal government is not so good at addressing.

7.1. Community Outreach Projects

The IB learner profile commits students to take action and to help them discover and develop their person and God-given talents, preparing them to be problem-solvers and to live a life of service. For those who are interested in ways to incorporate service throughout the curriculum, the document Faith in Action - Service Learning includes some examples. If each of us is willing to give of himself or herself, to model the qualities that lie at the heart of our mission and, armed with the knowledge and confidence that our schools provide, to listen to our students and to learn from them, then service and justice will become true living realities. Throughout the course of our lives, our actions and our lifestyle will change and, in so doing, inspire others to do likewise, building a spirit of justice and compassion throughout the world. With their commitment to service and their whole-hearted response to the challenge, it is not just our students who are changed - it is the world.

By integrating service into both the curriculum and the culture of our schools, we include in our mission the development of students who are conscious, concerned, and caring. Our graduates will leave our schools with the ability and the desire to contribute and to serve, not because it is required, but because they have come to recognize social justice as a calling. It is our hope that by having been actively involved and having experienced the gift of God's grace reflected in those we serve, they will have also come to see service to others not as a requirement, but as a privilege and a responsibility.

7.2. Educational Initiatives

The volume of the Exploring the Impact of Faith in Action series contains two levels of activities, one for Grades 3-4 and one for Grades 5-6. Those interested in giving a full year of religious instruction based on these themes can find additional activities and a variety of components in the two subsequent volumes. Let's use the theme of religious symbols to think about how educators can adapt activities for different situations and still communicate the same core message through the use of different adaptations. This book suggests making a religious item to represent the core message of the activity and placing it in the prayer table area. This is an effective and affective way of reinforcing concepts and nourishing the human spirit but is not the only way to arm children with the information they need to take their faith out into our world.

Kate Ristow and Michael Theisen, both authors and educators, make an important point in the preface of their book, the first in this series of publications about using faith to guide our daily lives. They acknowledge that this series is not a textbook to be followed strictly from the first through the last chapter. The series is composed of a number of independent units that can be used in any order and at many different levels in the educational process. Each activity is meant to be the starting point for a unit, not the end product. Very specific suggestions are included about how to expand on and adapt activities for particular educational settings. In addition, nearly all of the books or materials needed to complete these activities come under the broad category of religious symbols and sacramentals, part of the third-grade organization scheme discussed in the preface to this series.

8. Evaluation and Measurement of Impact

Faith in Action examines the purpose and impact of community service actions led by faith groups. This action research evaluation project's partners are Christian and Muslim faith communities or groups, the University of Cumbria Postgraduate Group, and the Cumbria Youth Alliance. The work is funded studies by a research initiative grant for Masters level studies at the University of Cumbria. The work has included literature reviews, a publicity event for the project, an evaluation of outcomes of an award scheme, and a focus group with volunteers and mentors of projects in school. The findings show the outcomes of volunteering have been changes in personal things, an increased sense of the experience of giving, the recipient's need, and finding purpose.

Our evidence comes from stories collected from teachers, members of faith communities, and young people who have taken part in some of the faith-in-action schemes operated by the Young People's Centre at Manchester Cathedral. These are predominantly Christian projects, but the young people taking part come from a wide range of faiths and some of none. The evaluation process was managed by the Young People's Centre using a range of questions, carefully designed and focused particularly on capturing stories about things that would otherwise not have happened. We draw upon these in evaluating our impact data. We report relevant key findings from this field focus group, but first outline the background to this in terms of impact and monitoring contribution.

8.1. Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment Tools

Despite prevailing cultural property, beliefs, and practices, many Americans are attempting to reverse the trend through promotion of better spiritual lives, stronger families and communities, and more service to others. From religious leaders, congregational members, service programs, and seniors themselves, evidence based on qualitative and quantitative assessment methods show positive impacts on those who serve and those who are served through intergenerational programs. Through intergenerational programs, younger and older individuals are brought together to serve others, build understanding and respect, and revitalize congregations. The success of programs depends on how well they plan and implement faith-based volunteer initiatives, evidenced-based practices such as mentor recruitment, training, and technical support, mentoring interactions such as mutual respect, listening and patience. Data are derived from case studies to find out what key components, benefits, and lessons can be learned to build the concept of different programs. Data are used to illustrate selection criteria for a concentrated study on selecting and assessing different intergenerational programs.

Transforming evidence-based practices, quality practices, and research from tools into daily experiences in the field is a challenging task. Strategies that help practitioners maintain their focus on their efforts and share their learning and successes are valuable. The following is a summary of some of the best strategies that can support the maintenance of a strength-based community. To demonstrate effectiveness, a program should include quantifiable outcomes linked to its goals and objectives. Most of the programs highlighted in Faith in Action: Models and Tools provide a combination of measurement approaches - both qualitative and quantitative tools - to learn more about the impact of their activities and track improvements in the quality of their programs.

9. Conclusion and Future Directions

Two areas of political behavior that are often neglected and that serve as the focus of this chapter are political consumerism and community service. Research finds that even with the decline of traditional civic organizations, ordinary citizens are spending substantial time volunteering through a dizzying array of groups. Together, the public policies implemented by public officials, the purchasing behavior of consumers, and the act of service each represent different ways of shaping the world. Immersion in each level of engagement takes on added significance given the demonstrated crisis of confidence in public institutions. The experience of empowered service learning may start young people on their way to being more fully engaged in addressing needs at each of these three levels. Devlin, Dobson, and Bateman point out that our actions also have multiplier effects. Acting as socially responsible consumers, and demanding such action from the companies we patronize, can bring positive change in the human rights record and sustainability practice of businesses.

The definition of global citizenship that is offered in this book emphasizes both levels of engagement with human rights as crucial to meeting local as well as global needs. In democratic societies, voting is a powerful act that can help determine which groups benefit from public policies as well as whether public dollars are invested for the good of the many or for the enrichment of a few. Voting is clearly important and directly connected to this type of engaged citizenship. However, there are relatively few opportunities to directly interact with the political system, especially given the levels of low voter turnout. How do we more fully engage and form the next generation of justice advocates?

Conclusion: Multilevel Citizen Engagement and Service

9.1. Key Findings and Implications for Practice

Certainly, despite larger trends suggesting decreased participation in religious life, religious adherents continue to have an interest in helping their children foster their faith development. Research has shown that faith in action is an effective manner of achieving this goal. Participation in urban-service domestic mission trips results in increased religiosity, changed attitudes about society and others, leadership skill acquisition, and changed attitudes about other racial and ethnic groups. Attracting and retaining youth is important to building and maintaining strong faith communities. Churches that offer youth programming and provide mission trip opportunities with messages that resonate with today's youth may find themselves richly rewarded with rising attendance. As pastors, parents, and adult leaders of children's ministries look at these multiple roles of such church-based experiences, urban-service domestic mission trips are revealed to help address a number of these imperatives.

In this chapter, we have provided an overview of how researchers have approached our central question: what is the impact of participating in an urban-service domestic mission trip? This chapter has acquainted you with the aggregate findings of nearly two decades of research and offered a bit of insight about how to interpret findings. Our most important section, the five results, wants to familiarize you with the main things researchers have learned about the impact of participating in an urban-service trip. The research has shown that participation has a positive impact in the following areas for youth participants: religiosity is increased, attitudes about society and people are changed, perceptions of others are broadened, leadership skills are learned, and attitudes about other races are changed.

9.2. Recommendations for Further Research

According to the LTL literature, faith has implications for leadership development. Given the research discussed above, future research studies could explore the relationship between faith and leadership. Utilizing more than just a personal/trait perspective could provide additional information regarding how faith influences the changing landscape of leadership development. While religion and spirituality are increasingly becoming important components of the college student's educational experience, future research studies may now consider how followers are influenced by their leaders, how faith affects the relationship between leaders and followers, and what the influence of faith is on followers. Such areas in need of further investigation will provide valuable contributions to both leadership development theory and practice. Furthermore, researchers interested in expanding the LTL literature might consider including instruments designed to assess the role of faith and other variables not included in existing research studies to investigate associations between religious variables and leadership development. Finally, Long and Spears recommend that future research investigations must be undertaken, describing, interpreting, or developing an appropriate LTL model with firms that have a faith-based culture and analyzing the impact of the corporations displaying their faith-based culture.

Research on LTL (leadership theory and leadership educators) has emerged as a developing field. Despite the growth in the LTL research over the past decade, major gaps still exist in the LTL literature. The following recommendations can be used to guide future research in the domain of LTL. Future research studies might consider topics that remain underrepresented in the LTL literature. Emerging topics, such as service-learning and LTL, faith-based service, faith and service, and Barrett's theory of leadership, are untapped within the context of exploring leadership theory and leadership educators research.

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