The Development of a Concept Map for Understanding Spiritual Integration in Evangelically Based Social Service Organizations

Figures & data

TABLE 1 Sample Description

Variable	All (N = 172)	Officers (N = 50)	Staff (N = 95)	Associated with SA (N = 27)
Gender
Male	46% (n = 79)	60% (n = 30)	39% (n = 37)	44% (n = 12)
Female	53% (n = 91)	40% (n = 20)	60% (n = 57)	52% (n = 14)
Missing	1% (n = 2)	—	1% (n = 1)	4% (n = 1)
Race
White	44% (n = 75)	44% (n = 22)	38% (n = 36)	39% (n = 9)
African American	30% (n = 48)	12% (n = 6)	40% (n = 38)	17% (n = 4)
Other	1% (n = 5)	4% (n = 2)	22% (n = 21)	44% (n = 14)
Missing	25% (n = 44)	40% (n = 20)	—	—
Ethnicity
Hispanic	10% (n = 18)	20% (n = 6)	4% (n = 4)	29% (n = 8)
Non-Hispanic	62% (n = 106)	80% (n = 44)	76% (n = 72)	71% (n = 19)
Missing	28% (n = 48)	—	20% (n = 19)	—
Age
18–29	9% (n = 14)	4% (n = 1)	8% (n = 8)	19% (n = 5)
30–39	15% (n = 26)	8% (n = 4)	20% (n = 19)	11% (n = 3)
40–49	18% (n = 31)	26% (n = 13)	18% (n = 17)	2% (n = 1)
50–59	27% (n = 46)	34% (n = 17)	25% (n = 24)	19% (n = 5)
60 and older	14% (n = 25)	12% (n = 6)	15% (n = 14)	19% (n = 5)
Missing	17% (n = 30)	16% (n = 8)	14% (n = 13)	30% (n = 8)
Role Status
Officer	29% (n = 50)	100% (n = 50)	—	—
Staff	55% (n = 95)	—	100% (n = 95)	—
Volunteer	8% (n = 13)	—	—	48% (n = 13)
Other	8% (n = 14)	—	—	52% (n = 14)
Missing	—	—	—	—
Soldier Status
Yes	48% (n = 82)	—	26% (n = 25)	59% (n = 16)
No	38% (n = 66)	—	61% (n = 58)	26% (n = 7)
Missing	14% (n = 24)	—	13% (n = 12)	15% (n = 4)
Primary Location
Chicago	55% (n = 95)	42% (n = 21)	74% (n = 70)	19% (n = 10)
Suburbs	29% (n = 50)	38% (n = 19)	16% (n = 15)	81% (n = 17)
Missing	16% (n = 27)	20% (n = 10)	10% (n = 10)	—
Average Number of Years Associated with SA	18 (SD 16)	31 (SD 16)	14 (SD 13)	14 (SD 17)

Note. SA = Salvation Army.

TABLE 2 Items by Cluster With Average Importance Ratings

Item #	Items by Cluster	Average Importance Rating
Cluster 1: Treatment of Others		4.21
3	Help others maintain their dignity when they come to us in duress	4.69
101	Treat others no less as you would like to be treated	4.66
51	Help clients develop a sense of hope	4.56
82	Respect clients regardless of where they are coming from	4.55
68	Project a nonjudgmental attitude when working with others	4.51
28	Create a warm and safe environment for others	4.46
16	Avoid labeling when working with others	4.40
18	Build trust with others	4.38
117	Value clients and what they bring to the table	4.34
85	Respect religious and cultural differences when providing services	4.31
45	Follow up with the client	4.29
77	Provide unconditional positive regard toward clients	4.28
100	Treat newcomers like guests	4.27
84	Respect people’s faith roots	4.25
12	Approach each person individually	4.22
88	Smile and shake people’s hand when you greet them	4.22
46	Foster a sense of hospitality	4.19
50	Help client’s meet their basic needs when they first present to us	4.15
94	Tell clients that you care about them	4.15
73	Provide help when you encounter individuals and families in need	4.15
91	Stop to talk to people	4.02
24	Communicate verbally and nonverbally to the client that we believe their presence in our organization is purpose driven	3.92
1	Ask the client if they would like a pastoral visit	3.92
80	Remember the names of the people you meet	3.88
60	Practice mutuality in your relationship with others	3.80
58	Participate in fellowship with clients	3.41
Cluster 2: Providing Support		4.04
103	Use active listening with others	4.46
11	Apply a holistic approach when working with clients	4.39
93	Take time to get to know others	4.36
112	Use pastoral support staff to greet clients when they first enroll in a program	3.91
76	Provide transportation for program participants to the corps or other churches	3.21
Cluster 3: Christian Ethics & Respect		3.76
53	Inspire clients’ faith through your actions	4.50
2	Avoid forcing faith on clients	4.20
55	Make pastoral care available to clients	4.13
9	Allow ourselves to understand and feel the suffering of our clients	4.04
95	Tell clients they don’t have to pray or go to church to receive our help	3.93
107	Use discretion when introducing your faith to clients	3.92
23	Communicate verbally and nonverbally to the client that our motivation to provide help is faith driven	3.89
54	Link clients to networks of Christian support	3.78
6	Act as if you may be the only person that a person interacts with from our organization	3.60
14	Attend corps services with the clients you invite	3.51
47	Framing for clients how we would envision them growing in faith	2.84
13	Ask clients about their religious background	2.60
Cluster 4: Initial Spiritual Growth		3.87
64	Pray for situations in the communities we serve	4.51
49	Grow through personal prayer and Bible study	4.38
7	Adopt a personal intentional focus on spiritual growth	4.31
29	Create opportunities for staff to explore personal spiritual growth	4.18
61	Pray at staff and volunteer meetings	4.12
34	Discuss religious beliefs and interests with coworkers	3.26
111	Use music to communicate the gospel with others	3.06
35	Distribute religious materials to others	3.05
Cluster 5: Living Your Faith		4.40
63	Pray for others	4.56
57	Model fruits of the spirit for others (love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, patience, goodness, and self-control)	4.74
30	Demonstrate faith through actions	4.69
31	Demonstrate God’s love to others	4.66
8	Allow God to work through us to affect others	4.62
32	Demonstrate God’s patience to others	4.62
15	Attend to your own personal spiritual growth in order to be more helpful to others	4.60
17	Be ready to pray with clients if they request it	4.41
109	Use language that models Christianity	4.27
65	Pray with others	4.25
10	Allow yourself to be strengthened by others	4.22
86	Set up rooms for individual prayer for clients coming in for services	3.27
Cluster 6: Evangelism		4.10
96	Testify/evangelize to others about the impact God has had in our lives	3.93
66	Preach the Gospel to others	3.82
72	Provide Biblical teachings to others	3.81
114	Use relationships to communicate the Gospel to others	4.26
87	Share your faith with others	4.09
106	Use Christian values to instruct clients	4.16
69	Project yourself as an ambassador of Christ	4.13
79	Reflect the beauty of Jesus in the way you live your life	4.56
104	Use Bible verses to encourage others	3.85
27	Connect clients to congregations	3.80
105	Use Biblical principles to guide decisions	4.34
62	Pray during program activities	3.86
56	Mentor and support others in the development of their faith	4.15
25	Conduct prayer and/or devotions before and after program activities	3.65
71	Promote God’s love in the community you serve	4.53
Cluster 7: Training & Development		4.04
92	Support the development of and access to a full range of effective services	4.06
99	Train staff to be missionally aligned in their activities	4.27
36	Educate leadership and staff on how programs are linked to each other	4.08
98	Train staff to be intentional in the services they provide to clients	4.24
40	Encourage corps leadership to familiarize/participate in program activities	4.28
4	Understand what other staff and programs do	4.13
26	Conduct teambuilding in order to be more effective in mission delivery	4.12
67	Prioritize grants and donors who do not place restrictions on faith practices	3.66
41	Encourage those in program leadership positions to attend corps services	3.58
42	Engage in collaborate efforts	4.08
38	Educate yourself about the people and resources that exist in the community your serve	4.26
52	Increase involvement in the community you serve	4.07
Cluster 8: Linkages & Collaboration		4.03
75	Provide information about local congregations	3.49
113	Use prompts, telephone reminders, and written reminders to help clients increase attendance	3.31
102	Understand how family structures effect individuals	4.12
108	Use interministry protocols so that services are provided in an “intentional,” appropriate, and relevant manner	3.91
115	Use service opportunities to inform clients about programs in the corps	4.01
33	Develop mechanisms for sharing and using evidence and best practices	3.98
74	Provide information about corps activities	4.05
90	Stay adequately trained and prepared to do your job	4.54
70	Promote evaluation in the planning and development of services	4.06
81	Remind each other of what our mission is	4.31
43	Enlarge the circle of people and organizations that understand our ministry and are committed to helping others	4.20
83	Respect coworkers regardless of their position or where they come from	4.54
Cluster 9: Communication & Education		3.58
110	Use monitors to communicate worship services and gospel messages	3.05
116	Use social media to communicate faith to others	3.27
20	Communicate our mission to others through visuals like posters and videos	3.46
22	Communicate positive messages about working for The Salvation Army with others	3.99
97	Train staff on Salvation Army history and terminology	3.74
21	Communicate our Salvation Army mission and goals to others	4.15
39	Emphasize that The Salvation Army is a Christian organization in client materials	4.07
37	Educate others on Salvationist’s terminology and history	3.21
5	Wear clothing and other items that create opportunities to garner questions about us	2.95
44	Extend training to our community partners so they can learn about us	3.60
59	Place items of Christian identification in public spaces of Salvation Army property	3.59
78	Publicize our services to community members	3.91
89	Staff attend retreats and weekly devotional services	3.48
48	Give preference to job candidates who align missionally	3.58
19	Choose good role models and study them with care	3.96

FIGURE 1 Nine-cluster concept map of spiritual integration with items numbers and latent dimensions.