Digital Commons Network^™

A Design For Learning And Developing Skills For Handling Interpersonal And Substantive Conflict In The Ardmore, Oklahoma, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Jan Gary Johnson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

While a great deal of attention has been given in conflict literature to the role of intra-church structures and the political/managerial processes and strategies for conflict intervention and/or management, this project is more concerned with relational matters. That is, the problem addressed in this project is the teaching of certain skills that would help church members preserve their interpersonal relationships even though engaged in conflict. The thesis is that an enlightened understanding of conflict and the development of certain communication skills can significantly affect how the parishioner perceives conflict and thus how he/she will behave in conflictive situations thereby …

A Study Of The Meaning Of "Works" In The Book Of Revelation With A Syllabus For Applying The Findings In Religious Instruction, Vel Eric Kotter

Professional Dissertations DMin

This paper represents an attempt to clarify the significance of the term ergon ("work") in the book of Revelation. The first part investigates the word group ergon ("work") as used throughout the Scriptures, and especially in the book of Revelation. Special attention is given to the word as used in the Gospel of John, since this study accepts John, the Son of Zebedee, as the author of both the Gospel and the Revelation. The second part presents five studies representing a practical application emerging from the investigation. Not only is there a lack of discussion of the word ergon in …

Selected Variables Related To Alienation From Religion Among Church-Related High School Students, Carl Robert Laurent

Dissertations

Problem. One of the most important concerns of parents and church leaders is alienation from religion among church-related adolescents. This research was conducted to discover relationships that might exist between alienation from religion and other selected variables.

Method. Three hundred and ninety students were selected by a stratified random method from among all students attending three church-related youth conferences. Each teenager was asked to respond to an inventory which consisted of 162 statements divided into eighteen attitude scales. One scale measured alienation from religion, while the other seventeen measured the independent variables. The major statistical method used in analyzing the …

Premarital Preparation Within The Home, School, And Church As Perceived By Adolescents In The Lake Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Ernest James Stevens

Dissertations

Problem. In today's society increasing stress and problems face the traditional Judeo-Christian marriage and family. Adolescents are being confronted with these problems as a result of the continuing rate of divorce and internal stress within family relations. The Seventh-day Adventist church has historically emphasized the importance of marriage and the family. However, as the Christian marriage and family face changes in today's society, there is a need for greater awareness of the factors which influence the premarital preparation of adolescents. The purpose of this study was to research adolescents' perceptions of their premarital preparation. The primary hypothesis of this …

Development, Teaching And Evaluation Of A Course In Church Leadership And Administration For The Theological Seminary, Marienhoehe, Germany, Johann H. Gerhardt

Professional Dissertations DMin

One of the most important concerns of the clergy and the laymen of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany is the future of the local congregations. There may be many reasons for the dwindling of a church's attractiveness and relevance in a given situation. One is how the local church lives its organizational life. Adequate church leadership and administration proves to be an important instrument for a healthy development of a congregation. That is why prospective ministers need special training in this field.

It was the purpose of the present study to develop adequate administrational strategies and to apply them …

A Comparison Of Receptivity To The Deductive And Inductive Methods Of Preaching In The Pioneer Memorial Church, Dwight K. Nelson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. There are two basic methods into which all preaching falls, deduction and induction. Homiletical literature advocating either method extols the virtues of the one over the other. However, such literature offers little supportive data based upon listener responses and preferences. An historical survey of preaching reveals that the preaching of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament was dominantly inductive, whereas the preaching of the post-New Testament church has been generally deductive. Therefore, it was the task of this project to seek listener response to deductive and inductive preaching in the Pioneer Memorial Church in order to ascertain …

A Needs Assessment Of A Continuing Education Program For Korean Pastors In The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Kei Hoon Shin

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Continuing education for NAD Korean SDA pastors' ministry has been conducted since 1981. To make this continuing education program relevant a needs assessment was necessary. This study attempted to assess the specific needs of Korean pastors in knowledge and professional skills. Method All Korean SDA pastors in the NAD were included. Data were gathered through a written questionnaire. A graphic comparison method and other complementary instruments were adopted in terms of a discrepancy model.

Results

Among ten general subject-matter areas, the results from the survey show the area of biblical knowledge as most in need of continuing education. This …