{"response":{"docs":[{"system_create_dtsi":"2026-05-29T20:29:33Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2026-05-29T20:29:34Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"f5004556-fe95-4bfc-ba8c-2d8cc76a9332","accessControl_ssim":["04140d7a-963c-449e-9345-3b12102e93f4"],"depositor_ssim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"depositor_tesim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"title_tesim":["Fostering Intercongregational Unity in a Chinese Immigrant Church Through Collaborative Missional Action"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2026-05-29T20:29:32Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2026-05-29T20:29:32Z","isPartOf_ssim":["admin_set/default"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["e9f78494-6ea1-48f3-9624-bb8434e74e1b"],"hasLease_ssim":["d758b32d-76de-4c82-bafd-a5b726913f39"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Trinity International University"],"year_tesim":["2026"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Siu Chung Dai"],"subject_tesim":["Missions--Strategy","Bible--Chronicles I","Bible--Acts","Cross-cultural studies","Church work with immigrants","Bible--Ephesians","Theology, Practical","Congregations"],"abstract_tesim":["This study explores how collaborative missional engagement can foster intercongregational unity within a multi-linguistic Chinese immigrant church in Chicago (Chinese Christian Union Church). The church consists of three distinct \r\ncongregations—Cantonese, Mandarin, and English—each shaped by unique cultural, linguistic, and generational identities. Although doctrinally unified, these congregations have historically functioned in parallel, reflecting relational fragmentation common in diaspora church contexts. Using a qualitative intervention design, the project examined the impact of a jointly organized Chinese New Year outreach initiative. Data were collected through pre-event focus groups, participant observation, and post-event focus groups. The findings indicate that language and leadership culture serve as primary boundary markers; however, participation in shared mission significantly reduced relational distance and increased mutual trust. The outreach functioned as a Third Space, temporarily flattening hierarchical and generational divides and fostering practical interdependence. Theologically interpreted through Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 12, Acts 2, and diaspora missiology, the study argues that unity in immigrant churches is sustained not through structural proximity but through outward-facing participation in the Missio Dei. Sustainable unity requires adaptive leadership, intercultural competence, structural integration, and repeated shared mission. This research demonstrates that linguistic diversity can become a missional asset when reoriented around shared vocation."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["admin_set/default-default-approving","admin_set/default-default-depositing","admin_set/default-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Default Admin Set"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["public","work_editor"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"_version_":1866556061035528192,"timestamp":"2026-05-29T20:29:35.542Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2025-01-13T16:19:27Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2025-01-13T16:19:28Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"b6137f7e-7f50-4a6c-beb5-97c499be8f23","accessControl_ssim":["a9bf103b-f57e-4ad9-aaf0-17e6465dc548"],"depositor_ssim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"depositor_tesim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"title_tesim":["The Impact of Cultural Diversity Month Towards Equipping and Unleashing an Intercultural Congregation for Gospel Outreach"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2025-01-13T16:19:26Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2025-01-13T16:19:26Z","isPartOf_ssim":["admin_set/default"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["ffed1725-c0b3-4527-9516-feb5d67a259e"],"hasLease_ssim":["23aabd85-41d1-4d49-bd78-c42bec9e89e4"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Trinity International University"],"year_tesim":["2024"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Alexander Chu"],"subject_tesim":["Bible--Galatians","Bible--Revelation","Bible--Acts","Cross-cultural studies","Church (Ecclesiology)","Assimilation (Sociology)","Bible--New Testament--Relation to Old Testament","Bible--Genesis","Race relations and church","Worship"],"abstract_tesim":["This DMin major project examined the cultural, relational, and spiritual impact of a dedicated Cultural Diversity Month at Skokie Valley Baptist Church (SVBC), a diverse congregation welcoming over 40 ethnicities located in Wilmette, Illinois. The project corresponded with SVBC’s mission of “equipping and unleashing cultures and generations to authentically live out the Gospel everywhere” and addresses the importance of intercultural unity as a core biblical value.\r\n\r\nThe project’s approach integrates theological foundations, such as the imago Dei and imago Christi, biblical reconciliation, and the redemptive mission of God for all peoples, explored through a sermon series with themes of Identity, Lament, Reconciliation, and Mission. This theological framework sets the stage for qualitative research conducted through focus group interviews to analyze the perspectives of SVBC members on the impact of Cultural Diversity Month. Key findings include enhanced cultural awareness, new relational connections across cultural lines, and a deeper engagement with biblical themes of unity and diversity. Participants expressed a sense of shared identity in Christ, an appreciation for diverse expressions of worship, and a strengthened commitment to living out SVBC’s mission in their daily lives.\r\n\r\nThe project concludes with practical recommendations for SVBC, including steps for ongoing intercultural integration, the development of culturally sensitive outreach strategies, and strengthening SVBC’s mission through regular worship that reflects the congregation’s cultural diversity. The insights gained from this project offer potential insights for other churches aiming to establish an intercultural community that reflects the global body of Christ, supporting a\r\ncongregation that worships, serves, and grows together across cultural boundaries."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["admin_set/default-default-approving","admin_set/default-default-depositing","admin_set/default-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Default Admin Set"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["public","work_editor"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["dminadmin@tiu.edu"],"_version_":1821151245933477888,"timestamp":"2025-01-13T16:19:29.537Z","score":1.0}],"facets":[{"name":"resource_type_sim","items":[{"value":"D.Min. 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