| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 高階管理碩士在職專班(EMBA) === 102 === SUMMARY
The global Christian spiritual retreat activities have been well established for many years and are expanding gradually. This research is to study the opportunities of sustainable developments of Christian spiritual retreat centers in Taiwan. The system of primeval nature is not only a good resource of religion, but also that of science, leisure, esthetics, and economy. For a Christian spiritual retreat center surrounded with Mother Nature, “ecological spiritual retreat” provides an alternative avenue to know God more for the retreat participants, thus fulfilling the revelation of the Bible, enhance the holistic life of “walking with God” and “being environmentally friendly.”
This research studies both the historical and current management of four Christian retreat centers by interviewing their persons-in-charge. The interviews focus on three areas: 1. the beginning of the center, 2. the historical predicaments and current situation on the management of the center, 3. the experiences of overcoming the predicaments. The four spiritual centers studied were: (1) Galilee Mission Center, (2) House of Rock Retreat Center, (3) Wesley Grove the Methodist, (4)Village of Water Retreat Center. The researcher has interviewed another twelve Christian personages to talk about their opinions for Christian retreat activities as well as their perceptions and suggestions of the various retreat centers in Taiwan. The contents of the interviews are also included in this thesis.
For the past eight years, the researcher of this study has been directly involved in the operations management of a retreat center located in a Tainan, Taiwan scenic area. The researcher has accumulated abundant experiences and learned the needs and the reliance of Christian community for retreat centers by doing the works from the maintenance of the center to the design of the activities, from marketing to sustainable development. Therefore, the practical experience and management knowhow are presented in the thesis.
The purpose of “ecological spiritual retreat” of Christian retreat centers is, through the spiritual revived beings by the Holy Spirit, in the reflection of the environmental crisis of social reality, to bring an endless, green, environmental conserved earth which can innovate new opportunities of sustainable development. The operations management of nowadays Christian retreat centers in Taiwan, by being able to overcome many predicaments and challenges, has turned adversity into balanced operation. But still there are further goals and directions needed to be pursued and room for improvement.
Key words: siritual turism, Christianity, spiritual retreat center,operations management, ecological spiritual retreat
INTRODUCTION
For the Christianity in Taiwan, it becomes more and more significant to meet the needs of spiritual retreat centers which provide isolated facilities for individuals or small groups to practice spiritual meditation. However the operations management of few Christian spiritual retreat centers (CSRC) has never been easy. The difficulties that CSRC have encountered usually include fundraising, land acquirement, manpower of management and maintenance, and strategy of operation.
Case studies in the operations management of Taiwan’s four CSRC and the discussion and analysis of the researcher’s personal experiences in the involvement of operating a CSRC are the main theme of this thesis. Through the interviews of the persons-in-charge of four CSRC, the historical predicaments, current situation on the management, and the strategy of overcoming their operations difficulties of the centers have been presented and discussed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The first portion of this study is to visit Taiwan’s four CSRC facilities and to interview their managers in order to acquire the data on their operations management during the period from the establishment of the center to the current routine business. The four centers studied were: (1) Galilee Mission Center, (2) House of Rock Retreat Center, (3) Wesley Grove the Methodist, (4)Village of Water Retreat Center.
Additional interviews of twelve Christian personages are also included in the study in order to learn more information on their opinions for Christian retreat activities as well as their perceptions on the various retreat centers in Taiwan.
To her interest and enthusiasm in learning how to manage a Christian retreat center, the researcher of this study has been directly involved in the operations management of a retreat center located in a Tainan scenic area for eight years. Through observing the field routine and running the business of the retreat center, the researcher has obtained a lot of first hand data and precious experience.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The study results of the operations management of the four CSRC are summarized as follows:
(1) Galilee Mission Center provides regular spiritual meetings with the helps, advices, and counseling from the clergy. One of the characteristics of the center is its Ark Church which was built with floating woods and thus possesses the meaning of green environmental ideology.
(2) House of Rock Retreat Center has excellent contributions toward the Christianity community. The center provides the facility and opportunities for Christians in doing daily devotion hours, in seeking the spiritual gifts growth, in edifying the talented people for the kingdom of God.
(3) Wesley Grove the Methodist locates at scenic Yang-Ming Mountain, nearby Taipei City, that has become its advantage. With its well-established experience training activities, the center is reaping its harvest in the area of both personally mental and physical developments as well as group coherence and interaction of team works.
(4) Village of Water Retreat Center, by locating on a small peninsula over a reservoir, enjoys its privilege of owning totally natural environment. Currently, the center provides its facilities for the retreat activities that run by church organizations themselves. However, the shortage of manpower, the inconvenience in accessibility, and rampancy of mosquito during summer season are the current changelings that the center has to overcome.
By doing the works from the maintenance of the center to the design of the activities, from marketing to sustainable development, the researcher has accumulated abundant experiences and learned the needs and the reliance of Christian community for retreat centers. The resulting practical experience and management knowhow are presented.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of “ecological spiritual retreat” of Christian retreat centers is to bring an endless, green, environmental conserved earth which can innovate new opportunities of sustainable development. By being able to overcome many problems and challenges, the operations management of nowadays Christian retreat centers in Taiwan has turned adversity into balanced operation. The goal of “ecological spiritual retreat” of Christian retreat centers has been more or less achieved.
It is the researcher’s sincere wish that more Christian professionals are willing to engage in CSRC industry and more expansive studies related to CSRC should be done in the near future.
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