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The Sobramesa Dinner Group: Discipline Boomers In Active Adult Living Communities, James Divine

Doctor of Ministry

Over the next 25 years, the American Church will be in a unique position to impact the eternity of almost 77 million people. As the Baby Boomer population moves into the third age of life, the church has the opportunity to reintroduce this population to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Within this large mission field is the added dimension of a large migration of retired and semi-retired people into Active Adult Living Communities (AALCs). While AALCs represent the largest-growing urban segment of the USA, the church is doing little to evangelize these communities. What the church does for these adults …

The Ecumenical Remnant: Using A Narrative Approach To Revelation To Form Missional Imagination In An Adventist Context, Michael Larson

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation addresses the renewal of missional imagination in an Adventist church context. This study will make the case that even among members who loyally participate in their local church, many Adventists in North America are conflicted about their witness, leading to ineffective evangelism and disengagement with the mission of the church. Much of this is related to a theological disconnect with exclusive positions the church has embraced regarding its identity as the remnant church. This identity is largely derived from the church’s founding document, the Book of Revelation. How then can local Adventist churches in North America reignite members …

Centers And Edges: Toward A Dialogic Remedy For The Eroding Missional Footprint Of Ecclesial Organizations In America, Jonathan Allen Spellman

Doctor of Ministry

There is a self-inflicted erosion to the missional footprint of ecclesial organizations occurring when leaders at organizational edges are disconnected. When disconnection occurs, the potential for creativity and innovation resident with that leader is lost to the organization. Disconnection is not only manifest in administrative departure from the organization.

Dialogue is a unique kind of speech/listening event, necessarily differentiated from other types of speech/listening events, which may offer a remedy to the erosion.

Chapter one is introductory. It provides the reader with an understanding of the author’s interest in this subject and presents a clear statement of the ministry problem …

Infusing A Paradigm Of Mission And Multiplication Into The Greater Ohio District Of The Wesleyan Church, Christopher Dyer

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation will explore appropriate methodology for reinvigorating the Greater Ohio District of The Wesleyan Church by creating a new paradigm of mission and multiplication. Statistics show there is a declining number of congregations in The Wesleyan Church of North America, and specifically, within the Greater Ohio District. Local churches are being closed at a rapid rate and multi-faceted congregational multiplication is needed to replace these lost congregations and restore missional presence. The narrative of the District is one of fear, fatigue, and closed-mindedness; discriminatory against church multiplication due to nearly two decades of perceived failed attempts which resulted in …

Brain-Based Worship: Re-Membering The Mind-Body Connection, Paula Champion-Jones

Doctor of Ministry

Historically, it has been believed that Christian formation occurs primarily in the context of worship. Because both traditional and contemporary worship services are routinely structured around the skills of persuasive rhetoric and logic, most worship services effectively ignore the impact of experiential, embodied knowledge. Recent research in neuroscience has proven that humans are sensory-motor-emotional-thinking beings who learn best when body, brain, and emotions are simultaneously engaged. A fresh paradigm for teaching, brain-based leaning, is proving to result in learning that is more memorable, more likely to result in long-term change in the behavior of the learner, and more likely to …

Things Which Had Grown Are Being Made New: The Revitalization Of Missional Intent In The Diocese Of Oregon, George Thomson Hemingway

Doctor of Ministry

The problem addressed in this paper is to find out if the application of missional principles in the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon can revitalize this diocese, direct the diocese to missional ends, and provide applications for similar situations in other dioceses. This investigation assumes that the existing infrastructure of the diocese has intrinsic value for mission if it can become focused on God's mission as its primary end. This approach assumes that the diocese has been and perhaps still is distracted by matters of secondary importance such as maintenance of existing facilities, issues of power, lack of trust, and cultural …

A History Of Women In The Episcopal Church, And Its Effects On Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialog, Cynthia M. Reynolds

Seminary Masters Theses

Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed that those who share in His calling "may become completely one" (John 17:23 NRSV). Unity is a major goal of many Christian denominations, both within those groups and with other churches. The second half of the twentieth century was an extremely active period of dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. However, the question of authority has been a significant roadblock in this quest for ecumenical recovery. Traditional faith practices in each church are determined by markedly different models for arriving at final decisions in matters of doctrine. By way of an …

A History Of The Ordination Of Women In The Episcopal Church, And Its Effects On Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialog, Cynthia M. Reynolds

Doctor of Ministry

Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed that those who share in His calling "may become completely one" (John 17:23 NRSV). Unity is a major goal of many Christian denominations, both within those groups and with other churches. The second half of the twentieth century was an extremely active period of dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. However, the question of authority has been a significant roadblock in this quest for ecumenical recovery. Traditional faith practices in each church are determined by markedly different models for arriving at final decisions in matters of doctrine. By way of an …

A Way Of The Soul: The Use Of An Introductory Course In Christian Spirituality As A Path Towards Personal Ministry In The Local Parish, Newton W. Kerney

Doctor of Ministry

Committed laity in the local parish seek ministry opportunities with depth and purpose. The use of an introductory course in Christian spirituality as a tool towards personal ministry is one way to develop a more vitalized lay ministry within the local parish.

A definition of spirituality is proposed and used as a backdrop for the development of a course curriculum. The dissertation examines spiritual formation concepts in the Old Testament and New Testament with an eye to their application in daily life. Martin Luther's spirituality as expressed in scripture, catechism and hymnody is explored along with the spiritual formation concerns …