A study of related factors to the spiritual formation scores of women in selected Southern Baptist Churches in Texas

PROBLEM: The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between Spiritual Formation Inventory (SFI) scores of women in selected Texas Southern Baptist churches and seven predictor variables. Four predictor variables measured the level of participation in activities sponsored by a women's ministry: organized Women's Bible Study, Mentoring Ministry, Missions Activity, and Outreach/Evangelistic Event. The remaining predictor variables measured the participation level in corporate worship, Sunday School, and Quiet Time.;PROCEDURES: The SFI and Disciple Participation Survey were compiled into one online survey. The directors of women's ministry at two Southern Baptist Churches in Texas encouraged 9,468 women to respond to the online survey. They solicited women's participation by making an announcement in their email newsletter. The return rate was 1.09 percent. Standard multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. The data was computed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) 18.0 graduate package.;FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION: The standard multiple regression analysis revealed that the model was significant. Quiet Time, Corporate Worship, and Sunday School were found to have a significant relationship with the SFI score. A stepwise regression analysis revealed Quiet Time, Corporate Worship, Sunday School, and Missions Activity to have a significant relationship with the SFI score. Additional simple regression analysis of each variable revealed Quiet Time, Corporate Worship, Sunday School, Missions Activity, and Outreach/Evangelistic Event to have a significant relationship with the SFI score. The results indicate that women's ministry leaders need to evaluate organized Women's Bihle Study, Mentoring Ministry, Missions Activity and Outreach/Evangelistic Event programs. Church leaders can find satisfaction in the consistent significant results of the church related variables. Women can be encouraged to continue with their Quiet Time since it provides a significant relationship with the SFI score.