Understanding Encouragement: At the Intersections of Christian Leadership and Positive Psychology

By Dr. Diana R. Williams

Adapted from the dissertation entitled, Phenomenological Study of Encouragement as a Protective Factor for New Christian Pastors, this book gives clarity in laymen’s terms on how vital encouragement is to one’s well-being. It is a condensed discovery of how encouragement can be a protective factor or the thing that safeguards one from the stressors encountered. This protective factor through encouragement distinguishes those who seem to adapt to circumstances or overcome adversities and those who merely give up. Encouragement helps one see others and circumstances through the eyes of faith and is a key factor in empowerment, fulfillment, inspiration, transformation, and success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669842521

Dr. Diana R. Williams

Dr. Diana R. Williams is an ordained Elder, a published Christian author, radio host, and professional inspirational speaker with over twenty-five years of ministry experience in mentoring and motivating Christian leaders. She received the Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Christian Ministry from Grand Canyon University (GCU). She currently serves as Dissertation Committee Content Expert at GCU to support students in developing their dissertations. Dr. Diana is a prolific writer of numerous books, uplifting Internet articles, Bible studies, and online Christian education courses. She has served as a revivalist, guest preacher for campus chapel and Women’s Day services, and inspirational speaker for nonprofit organizations, retreats, symposiums, civic groups, and social events. Dr. Diana is married to her college sweetheart, John M. Williams, and they are the proud parents of five children and their spouses and fifteen grandchildren.

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Rev. date: 08/11/2022

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Chapter 1   Introduction

Chapter 2   Literature Review Part One

Chapter 3   Literature Review Part Two

Chapter 4   Methodology

Chapter 5   Interviews

Chapter 6   Data Collection, Analysis, and Findings

Chapter 7   Research Implications and Recommendations

Final Chapter

Notes

Dear Readers,

I am so pleased that you are reading my newest book, Understanding Encouragement. With over thirty years of ministry and leadership experience and now serving as Chief Encouragement Overseer (CEO) of DRW Ministries & Encouragement Consulting, the gift of encouragement is my ministry mandate and informs my purpose on earth. Scripture compels us at Romans 12:8a, CEB, If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. . .. The New Living Version puts it this way, If someone has the gift of speaking words of comfort and help, he should speak.

When I worked on my dissertation research, I sought to discover how encouragement could be a protective factor or the thing that safeguards us from the stressors we encounter. These protective factors that come through encouragement distinguish those of us who seem to adapt to circumstances or overcome adversities and those who merely give up. Encouragement helps us to see others and circumstances through the eyes of faith.

On the other hand, despair makes us feel that things will never get better, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Depression can also creep in to invade our thought process and manifest in a long list of maladies with an overall state of gloom and doom. Even though we have never seen anything like the pandemic we are living through, we must not cast away our confidence. Sad times invariably will come, but we must continue to trust God and God’s love for us.

In order to fully comprehend what encouragement is and how it functions in our lives, we understand it is a key factor in empowerment, fulfillment, inspiration, transformation, and success. It is not flattery or praise. It is what we say to move ourselves from a problem-failure mindset to one of solution-success. The emphasis of encouragement is always concerned with moving forward. It is not an evaluation of something done in the past or a reward for accomplishments. Those who can encourage themselves and others in the face of challenges and opposition are the people who can thrive and enjoy life.

If we want to pick up the pieces of our lives after this pandemic, we cannot give in to the urge to throw up our hands in despair, nor can we sit around waiting for things to get back to normal. We are now living in our new reality. Therefore, each of us must decide to keep moving forward in a spirit of gratitude that we are yet alive. Life is precious and having good health is priceless, as this pandemic has taught us. We must recognize that we have been given a gift by God.

The gift of exhortation is often called the gift of encouragement. The Greek word for this gift is parakaleo. It means to beseech, exhort, and call upon, to encourage and strengthen. The primary means of exhortation is to remind the hearer of the powerful and amazing work of God through Christ. The Spirit of God gives this gift to people within the body of Christ to strengthen and encourage those who are wavering in their faith. Those with the gift of encouragement can uplift and motivate others as well as inspire them in order to foster spiritual growth and action. The goal of the encourager is to see everyone continually enjoying their lives and glorifying God. Sometimes, the encourager must also use self-encouragement techniques to remain steadfast in his or her commitment to serve the Lord.

With a deeper understanding of encouragement, this book can be a resource to develop encouragement strategies and techniques to use in our daily lives. I am sharing with you the research and empirical data derived from my dissertation. The entire document, Phenomenological Study of Encouragement as a Protective Factor for New Christian Pastors, can be read at ProQuest, and an article condensing the research was published in the Journal of Pastoral Psychology. I invite you to take this journey with me through each phase of the research process. By sharing excerpts from the dissertation in this book, my hope is to give clarity in laymen’s terms on how vital encouragement is to our well-being. After absorbing all of the encouragement literature and data presented, please use the final chapter of this book to apply what we’ve discovered and to create your personal Encouragement Action Plan!

Be Encouraged,

Rev. Diana R. Williams, EdD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is with honor and great pleasure that I present this book that was compiled with excerpts from my dissertation. I, therefore, want to express my deep appreciation for my doctoral committee members. Special thanks to the Dissertation Chair, Dr. Paula Thompson, for your constant support and encouragement. Thanks to Methodologist, Dr. Dana Shelton, for your guidance in the structure of phenomenological research. Thanks to Content Expert, Dr. Bari Seif, for your prompt assistance and timely words of encouragement.

I thank the panel of experts, Dr. Rosalyn Vaughn, Dr. Y. Joel Wong, Dr. Moses Taiwo, Rev. Dr. Teresa Angle-Young, and Dr. Darlene White, for your validation of the interview guide and your kind support. Thanks to clergy members, Bishop Stephanie Strafford-Jennings, D. Min, District Superintendent, Rev. Brenda Jones, Rev. Steve Reneau, and Pastor Dana Taft, for giving your time and ministry experience for the interview field tests. Heartfelt thanks to each study participant, clergy colleagues, and friends who have prayed and expressed your support throughout this process. Thanks to my mom, Deaconess Rosa Freeman, my siblings, Joseph and Vinson Baker, and my extended family for your good wishes.

Lastly, I thank my husband, John, our children, Keisha, Anita, Emojoy, John II, and Dana, their spouses, Tony, Omari, AJ, Candace, and Chris, and our grandchildren, Christian, Amaiya, Camille, Kayla, Mia, David, Omari, Victoria, Xavier, Ethan, Candace, Donovan, John III, Chrystal, and Jai, for your love, constant support, and sweet encouragement. I appreciate each of you for helping me, and I hope that this book helps more people with understanding encouragement.

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to every person living through this global pandemic and its aftermath. I pray that this empirical research will be a source of spiritual encouragement to transform lives. There is still much to learn about encouragement and its practical application in daily life. Hopefully, this book will expand the knowledge and inspire each reader to create an atmosphere of encouragement within their sphere of influence.

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in

doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but

we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at

times, we are not destroyed.

—2 Corinthians 4:8-9, GNT

Many have suffered a crisis of faith through witnessing the horrors of the coronavirus pandemic and experiencing the loss of loved ones. When a sudden unexpected disaster happens, it can bring about acute shock. According to the New York Times statistics, as of July 1, 2022, global cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 567 million, with over 6.38 million deaths. The total cases in the US have exceeded ninety million, with over 1.02 million deaths due to this acute respiratory syndrome COVID-19 virus. This news may have us totally devastated and crying out in despair, asking how this horrible disease could take so many lives all over the world. Some have lost hope or are overcome with anxiety, grief, and coronavirus pandemic fatigue. We may feel totally devastated and unable to recover. In overwhelming grief, some have lost hope and cried out in despair, asking how this horrible disease could take so many lives all over the world. Who do we turn to now?

Many churches have suspended in-person