Mount Zion is a traditional AME Church steeped in denominationalism. Like many Christian churches who have been around for centuries, a new strategy is required to do the work of ministry in a postmodern context. Similar to most traditional churches, lay leadership is seemingly challenged and insufficiently grounded in spirituality to successfully meet the changing and shifting demands of ministry. On the other hand, pastoral leaders are not adequately trained to motivate laity for ministry to expand beyond the walls of the church. This project revealed the nuances and changed paradigms that shape congregations today.

This project attempts to address these shortcomings through a spiritual formation process, to deepen and nurture the spiritual growth of the individual. The goal of the project is to employ Christian practices to nurture spiritual growth and facilitate spiritual transformation for the next generation of disciples. The participants were guided over a six week period in meaningful Christian practices for spiritual growth. The methods included a period of personal Bible study and discussion, writing a series of short prayers, and writing and articulating personal narratives. Discipline and routine played a significant role for each participant to apply this strategy. The success of the project depended on the willingness of the team to engage in this spiritual formation process.