Building a Community-Oriented Church through Beautification Projects: A Case Study of the Application and Practice of Service-Learning as a Catalyst for Community Development
Doctoral Dissertation Project Overview by Shota Iwasaki | Shotaiwasaki1031@gmail.com, +1 267 333 2347
This dissertation project aimed to show how an active, genuine, community-oriented ministry could establish a practical ethos to attract more youth through consistent community cleanup projects and the need to facilitate numerous in-person and online meetings with was to promote community engagement, encourage residents, and convince public officials to stop illegal dumping and maintain the beauty of the Germantown section of Philadelphia. It also sought to understand how to realize the possibility of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Beloved Community in the present day by applying key ingredients to generate synergy. Another focus was on determining how a service-learning format offers a strong pedagogy for project participants in developing a Beloved Community.
The first finding was that maintaining the beauty of a community requires residents to know which political officials are responsible and have the proper tools. The second finding was that maintaining transparency, trust, and integral relationships with attendees and their organizations in every meeting could generate new synergy among constituents, potentially boosting the overall outcome of the beautification projects. It would be necessary to examine further whether the same condition may apply to coordinating with a larger number of stakeholders to undertake larger-scale projects. The last finding was that Consistent beautification projects paired with a quality service-learning curriculum may generate an effective ethos within the ministry and attract Millennials and Generation Z.
Five key recommendations are suggested based on several findings that include developing a comprehensive strategy for community improvement, emphasizing research, congregational projects, stakeholder meetings, youth engagement, and innovative methodologies for community development.