Abstract
D.Phil.
Communities in a society consist of individual members of the communities. Only
when the individuals in communities are thriving can the communities contribute to
the health of society. This study focuses on the members of macro communities. A
macro congregation was used as an example of a macro community.
An unhealthy imbalance between individual growth, self-assertion, and a healthy
self-esteem, on the one hand, and functioning as part of a larger community, on the
other hand is indicative of massification that has a detrimental effect on the wellbeing—
spiritually, psychologically, socially and potentially even physically—of the
individual. Little or no research has been done about the role of the spiritual
disciplines in personal wholeness, specifically as far as members of macro
communities are concerned. The following question can therefore be asked: "What
can be done to accompany members of a macro community to understand the
importance to be self-responsible to implement the disciplines of spirituality?" The
purpose of this study is to develop a model for accompaniment of members of macro
communities to promote wholeness. A theory generative, qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research
design was used to conduct this study. The fieldwork was done by having semistructured
interviews with members of macro communities. The results obtained
were analysed and categorised. The findings from all data were contextualised and
a literature control was carried out. In this way findings were validated. The results obtained from the analysed data reflect the fact that members of macro
communities are preoccupied with the mass gathering of the community during the
Sunday service. Members of macro communities often associate strongly with the
macro community, its leaders, dogma, philosophy and culture, but fail to grow as
individuals.
Members of macro communities are in desperate need of exercising selfresponsibility
for spirituality. A lot can be done to facilitate self-responsibility for
spirituality. The central concept of facilitation of self-responsibility for spirituality can
be defined as the facilitator creating a safe space in order to assist, intervene,
empower and motivate a community member to bring about self-awareness, selfacceptance
and the making of a conscious effort in order to bring about selfdiscipline
to practice spiritual disciplines and private spirituality in order to grow
towards wholeness.
A model was developed as framework of reference to facilitate self-responsibility for
spirituality. The interrelated divisions were identified for the model of facilitation of
self-responsibility for spirituality namely initiation, facilitation and mobilisation. The
unique factor about the model of facilitating self-responsibility for spirituality is that
members of macro communities are facilitated to live in a way that they will not be
victims of massification. The aim is to assist them in living with a new inner
functioning. This new inner functioning is available through the self-discipline of
practicing the spiritual disciplines. That would bring about the healthy condition of an
inner locus of control and a healthy relationship with the macro community,
promoting hope, positive beliefs and personal growth.
Members of macro communities can exercise self-responsibility for spirituality
through self-awareness, self-acceptance and the making of a conscious effort. This
thesis therefore proposes a model of facilitating self-responsibility for spirituality on
which guidelines can be operationalised. This will assist members of macro
communities to exercise self-responsibility for spirituality in order to continue in the
lifelong process of growing towards wholeness.