Developing Kingdom Professionals

Abstract

This article explores students' perceptions of academic learning, spiritual growth, and Kingdom impact from serving in an international context. Previous research demonstrates the importance of reflection in promoting learning, personal development, and connecting with the service context in international service-learning courses. However, there is little research on faith-based reflective models to facilitate the integration of faith, learning, and service in international service-learning experiences in Christian college courses. This study examines whether educators in Christian Colleges and Universities can use White and Jacob's (2016; 2017) Kingdom Professional Model as a reflective tool to promote the integration of faith, learning, and service after an international service-learning experience. Participants in the study included students from a global practicum in Malawi, Africa, who had served with a faith-based organization that provided health education to impoverished communities. Participants attended a debriefing session after returning from Malawi. The debriefing experience using the Kingdom Professional Model facilitated deep connections between their service and their understanding of educational content and spiritual growth, concluding that their experiences of faith, learning, and service were closely interrelated. They highlighted differences between this experience and traditional mission trips, lessons related to faith; what they learned about the social work discipline; how they grew personally; and the faculty member's role in facilitating integration. The article proposes an extension of the model to promote the integration of faith, learning, and service and concludes with lessons and considerations for educators interested in using the model as a reflective tool.