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Shepherding Church Staff: Stakeholders' Perceptions Of A Useful Leadership Development Plan, Bobby Allen Thompson Oct 2022

Shepherding Church Staff: Stakeholders' Perceptions Of A Useful Leadership Development Plan, Bobby Allen Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As leadership demands grow, churches need a way to develop more effective leaders. Many pastors have received limited training in how to develop leaders and may not be aware of stakeholders’ expectations for leadership development. This thesis project reveals the importance of intentional leadership development of those who have answered the calling to work in the local church. The researcher believes the current shortage of lay leaders as well as consistent burnout rates among staff and volunteers can be altered with the correct plan and people in place. The researcher conducted open ended semi-structured interviews for those currently working in …


Pastoral Pitfalls: Solutions To Navigating The Stresses Of Twenty-First Century Ministry, Chris Moore Sep 2022

Pastoral Pitfalls: Solutions To Navigating The Stresses Of Twenty-First Century Ministry, Chris Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

American church clergy and their families are suffering from the effects of Twenty-First Century ministry and the stresses of the local church, according to research from the Fuller Institute, Barna Group, and Pastoral Care Inc. Much of the research in this area and its effects on the clergy and churches occurred more than a decade ago. Through updated research and surveys of current Southern Baptist ministers in the Baptist General Convention of Texas, this thesis will offer solutions to how these dangers can be lessened or alleviated. Through the presentation of updated statistics, the seriousness of this problem for the …


A Training Manual For Small-Group Evangelization Of Youth Unbelievers, Stanley Vincent James Aug 2022

A Training Manual For Small-Group Evangelization Of Youth Unbelievers, Stanley Vincent James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is a study on the evangelism toward young adult unbelievers by church members of The Power of the Living God Church of Galveston. This DMin action research project aims to motivate church members to evangelize this critical group of unbelievers. The focus will concentrate on the reasons given by members for non-participation. The questions concerning the lack of participation would be analyzed to assess the behavior of the members and to ultimately determine a path forward for effective participation. The project will utilize interviews and focus groups to ascertain the reasons for the lack of motivation for …


How To Help The Bi-Vocational Pastor At Sandy Grove Church To Have Balance In Ministry And Life Through Equipping & Teaching Of The Saints Along With A Structured Plan To Meet The Ministry Demands, Duran Kiley Odoms Aug 2022

How To Help The Bi-Vocational Pastor At Sandy Grove Church To Have Balance In Ministry And Life Through Equipping & Teaching Of The Saints Along With A Structured Plan To Meet The Ministry Demands, Duran Kiley Odoms

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout, a subject that was birthed in the 1970s was only associated with the private and public sectors of the workforce. It has transitioned into other avenues where personal interaction takes place. Ministry is a profession where people interaction happens weekly and sometimes daily. Ministry is repetitive work that must be done daily, weekly, and monthly. Many pastors have fallen prey to this awful and painful enemy. Burnout has caused many pastors to lose their church, family, and life. The lack of ministry assistance and the demand for the job have taken a toll on many pastors whether they are …


Developing And Implementing A Strategic Ministry Plan For Crosspoint Community Church In Huntington, West Virginia, Eddie C. Gandy Jun 2022

Developing And Implementing A Strategic Ministry Plan For Crosspoint Community Church In Huntington, West Virginia, Eddie C. Gandy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Various organizations use strategic planning to produce growth and promote organizational health. Crosspoint Community Church in Huntington, West Virginia, had never developed or implemented a strategic plan. This project seeks to develop and implement a strategic plan for Crosspoint Community Church to produce growth and promote ministry health. A team of twenty congregants participated in the project. Through six three-hour sessions, the team used storyboarding to create a mission statement and a vision statement and identify and define the foundational values framing the strategy. The team evaluated the church’s ministries, leadership structure, facilities, and finances to develop a strategy to …


Building Healthy Families Through Intergenerational Worship Ministry, Frank Richard Gillespie May 2022

Building Healthy Families Through Intergenerational Worship Ministry, Frank Richard Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although literature exists concerning family ministry in the local church, there is little research that gives explicit insight into music and worship ministry’s role in helping to strengthen families. Since worship is one of the ultimate functions of both the church and the family, this study integrates family ministry methodology with worship ministry methodology to discover theological sound and practical ways to build up the family through corporate worship, structured music programs, and community involvement. Guided by biblical and historical foundational teachings on church and family, this qualitative research study identifies perspectives that have not yet been explored and documented …


Discovering, Developing, And Deploying Emerging Ministry Leaders In The Assemblies Of God, Janet Kay Bruner Faggart Apr 2022

Discovering, Developing, And Deploying Emerging Ministry Leaders In The Assemblies Of God, Janet Kay Bruner Faggart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Across America, the need exists to identify young, potential Christian leaders who sense a call to ministry, to grow these emerging leaders through spiritual parenting or mentoring, godly relationships, education, training, and ministry experience, and to send out the next generation of ministers to fulfill the Great Commission. The purpose of this mixed-method phenomenological study was to explore and better understand the nature of the discovery, development, and deployment of a call to ministry for emerging leaders who are credentialed ministers with the North Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God and under 40 years of age at the …


An Exploration Of The Attitudes And Expectations Of African American Congregants Regarding The Succession And Transition Of Their Senior Pastor, Tony O'Neal Hinton Apr 2022

An Exploration Of The Attitudes And Expectations Of African American Congregants Regarding The Succession And Transition Of Their Senior Pastor, Tony O'Neal Hinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addressed the relevance of assessing the attitudes and expectations of African American congregants regarding the succession and transition of their senior pastor. The study focused on a local church in Baltimore, Maryland. The research assumed that including laity within the succession planning of their senior pastor would produce a healthy transition and future of the church. It further examined how the lack of succession planning within the Black church has caused challenges that could be prevented. The literature and biblical text suggest that the people’s role in the success of their leader was critical to the operation of …


The Decline Of Youth At Ministry Under The Sky, Wanda Elaine Belvin Apr 2022

The Decline Of Youth At Ministry Under The Sky, Wanda Elaine Belvin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The decline of youth attending their services is no secret for many churches. The influences of the world, technology, wanting to fit in are just a few reasons youth find other things to do than attend their church services faithfully. Ministry Under The Sky is a small ministry with a big heart. At its birth in 2001, Ministry Under The Sky’s start was in the researcher’s home and her husband, the Overseer of the ministry. God blessed Ministry Under The Sky with its first building in 2007. The church outgrew the first two buildings less than two years each. The …


Investigating The Impact Of Spiritual Gifts On Church Growth, Johnnie James Finkley Mar 2022

Investigating The Impact Of Spiritual Gifts On Church Growth, Johnnie James Finkley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project uses spiritual gifts found in scripture as teachable models for church growth to address a decline in church attendance at Friendly Missionary Baptist Church. The research assumes that if church members are aware of their spiritual gifts, they will use them to build a healthy church. Therefore, the question that this thesis project asks is, “Will an understanding and development of spiritual gifts grow Friendly Missionary Baptist Church?” The Bible is the primary literary resource for God’s provision in transforming believers into His image. It is the foundation for church members’ spiritual growth. The book of Acts …


Using Intentional Relationship Building And Community Presence To Minister To An Addicted Population In Cookeville, Tennessee, James Bailey Simpson Feb 2022

Using Intentional Relationship Building And Community Presence To Minister To An Addicted Population In Cookeville, Tennessee, James Bailey Simpson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Addiction and substance abuse are banes in American society as they destroy lives, families, hopes and dreams. Individuals with potential for productive lives and societal contributions are reduced to hollow shells and find themselves laser-focused on their next fix. Cookeville, Tennessee, is no different than any other rural American town as addiction and substance abuse are prevalent, especially within the northwestern areas of the city. West View Baptist Church was planted in this area in 1950 and has actively attempted to minister to the community's residents for the last 71 years. Recently, internal issues in the congregation and increasing disconnections …