| In the Seeking the Song of the Desert project, qualitative research is utilized to determine the efficacy of preaching in the context of an online retreat. To conduct the study, a special focus group was created of parents of children with a disability. This group of people is sometimes more isolated and less involved in faith communities, hence offering a faith enriching experience via the Web held much intrigue and promise.;Chapter 1 argues that the church should, indeed, be involved in online ministry. This would not be solely for the purposes of broadcasting messages or information about a parish's brick and mortar activities, but for actual relational ministry taking place in digital spaces.;In Chapter 2, a spirituality for parents who have a child with a disability is articulated. This spirituality arises from the unique circumstances of the caregivers, calling them to be present in the moment, to let go of anything unnecessary, to being a compassionate presence in the world, and to understand their role as that of prophetic witness to God's love.;Chapter 3 describes the movement of the entire project from gathering the focus group, running three test sessions and then the retreat, and, finally, how feedback was collected. Chapter 4 reports on the participants' feedback from the test sessions and the retreat.;In Chapter 5, we consider the conclusions of the project and its implications for the greater church. Though not without limitations, results confirm that online retreat preaching is a powerful method for deepening participants' spiritual lives when done with attention to quality. Conclusions reveal an enormous potential for the church in ministering within the expanse of the Web both for people who may be isolated, such as the focus group, and for anyone else with access to the Internet. |
