Digital Commons Network^™

Effective Blended Family Ministry In The Twenty-First Century Church, Ronald Lee Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Blended or Step family is the number one family unit in the United States today. As a result, it is imperative that the New Testament Church learn to more effectively minister to the needs of this growing family group. Although the blended family has many issues, six of the more prevalent issues are discussed in this thesis with solutions given to help any family in the blending process to have a better chance of success.

A Christian Apologetic To A Buddhist Christ, David James Forbes

Masters Theses

This is a paper that expands on the concept that Jesus may have been a Buddhist "bodhisattva". It then gives a Christian apologetic as to why this cannot be true. This is accomplished by referencing the historical origins of Christianity and the differences between the lives of a bodhisattva and Jesus Christ.

Influence Of Technology On Adolescent Development And Spiritual Formation, Kevin Daniel Monahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is the time when a person develops perceptions about religious thoughts and with proper guidance, can be a stronger follower of Christ. The purpose of this project is to analyze the effects of technology on young people and to show a direct correlation between the influence of technology and spiritual growth of adolescents. I will argue that both the positive and negative influences of technology have made our students more informative yet less personally intimate. This shift of personal interaction presents a challenge to the cognitive development and spiritual formation of all students.

Stress And Anxiety Among Korean International Students At Liberty University Analyzed With The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y), Jae Duk Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

International students face unique issues, including anxiety while adjusting to cultural unfamiliar and academic challenges. This research study examined characteristics and anxiety levels as Korean international seminary students (n = 61) living in the U.S. and compared them with Korean domestic seminary students (n = 120) living in Korea using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) (Spielberger, 1983). The results: the Pearson correlation indicated that the state anxiety scores and trait anxiety scores were significantly related. Korean international seminary students had statistically significantly higher mean scores on state and trait anxiety than Korean domestic seminary students. The 2×2×2 ANOVA revealed …

Evaluation Of Pastoral Peer Learning Groups And The Application Of Principles In A South Florida Context, Dale R. Faircloth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The choice of peer learning groups by the Florida Baptist Convention as the primary leadership development approach for pastors is documented and examined. Surveys, Delphi Panels, and questionnaires were utilized to examine the perspectives of peer learning group participants and leaders regarding the effectiveness of the peer learning group method. Additionally, highly effective pastors in South Florida were surveyed to formulate their perspective of what characteristics are needed for a pastor to be effective in South Florida. Results were compared and evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the peer learning groups. Practical suggestions are then offered for improvement.

Discipleship: Stepping Stones To Developing Your Church’S Strategy, John G. Johnston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to guide a church to develop a biblically based discipleship strategy that is intentional and ongoing. This will be done by focusing on current and future plans of developing a discipleship strategy of a local church. This project is influenced by my experiences in a disciplemaking process , observations and visits I conducted with hundreds of church leaders over the past twenty years, and my work to develop a church's disciplemaking ministry. This project proposes five steps toward developing a discipleship strategy that will encourage a lifelong journey of obedience that spiritually transforms values …

Study To Show Thyself Approved: The Case For Continuing Clergy Education, Dan R. Jividen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been little study focused upon the role of the pastor's personal growth and how it may relate to growth or the lack thereof in the local church. Although the problem of ministerial competence as a whole can not be fully addressed in the limited scope of this project, it is this writer's contention that much of the plateau in church growth experienced in Southern Baptist Churches today may be predicated by the lack of ministerial training in the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention as a whole. It is the intent of this project to determine if there …

When Calling A Pastor To Succeed A "Legend" Pastor, Ronald Kovack

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dr. D. James Kennedy founded the world famous Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His ministry spanned fifty years and he launched a number of separate related ministries: schools, seminaries, television ministry and a personal evangelism program known as Evangelism Explosion.

The church discovered that calling a pastor to succeed a very influential pastor was not going to an easy task. This paper looks at the process and problems that resulted into the search and selection of a new pastor. The research examines the experience of seven other churches that had influential pastors leave and documents their results.

The Christian School As A Means Of Effective Evangelism In India: History And Evaluation Of The Saint Paul Mission School In Bangalore, India, Stanley Jeonsik Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian lives are a transforming agent for the world. Therefore, every Christian must influence society. A Christian school ministry has a great potential to influence the local community both in the homeland and on a mission field. This study is of a Christian school on a mission field. St. Paul High School in India inherits the strong foundation of a biblical attitude which is Christ-centered and Bible-centered, expressed in the five spiritual guidelines. The ultimate vision of St. Paul High School is the total evangelization of India and its neighboring countries by planting same kind of educational ministries in different …

Narrow Your Focus: A Strategy For Revitalization Of A Small To Medium Size Plateaued Or Declining Traditional Church, Johnny Lamar Kendrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis attempts to identify reproducible principles for the revitalization of small to medium sized plateaued or declining traditional churches. These principles were identified by the author in his experience serving as the pastor of three small to medium sized plateaued traditional churches. The principles involve the importance of preparation for Sunday morning worship and Sunday school, the importance of developing leadership, the importance of evaluating and implementing successful ministries, and the importance of indentifying with the community. The principles were studied and validated in the author's interaction with two churches during a year of research in which he consulted …

Christian Yoga As A Product Of Hinduism And The New Age Movement, Injib Kim

Masters Theses

This thesis is divided into four main parts. Part one examines the origin of Hindu yoga practice. It will focus on the ancient Hindu origins of modern Yoga practice. Part two deals with the introduction of yoga into the western world. It examines the socio-cultural-religious phenomenon that Yoga has become. Chapter three inspects yoga in American churches. It concerns the origins, meaning, and detailed methods of Christian Yoga. The last part formulates a biblical response to Christian yoga. It is an apologetic for biblical Christianity.

Transitioning The Local Church From A Rural To Suburban Context, Jeremy Paul Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist pastors and church leaders in transitioning their churches from a rural to suburban context. This project will serve as a tool to assist pastors in leading their churches to transition from a rural to suburban context. Based on demographic studies, an historical analysis, the development of a plan to move the church forward, analyzing potential disruptions, and seeing the end result of the rural to suburban transition, the goal of the project will be fulfilled.

A Church Growth Model In Korean-American Presbyterian Churches: With Special Reference To The Messiah Presbyterian Church Of Washington, Sung Gyu Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study attempted to develop a model of healthy church growth and apply them to the Korean-American Presbyterian Churches (KAPC) in Washington. D. C. The model of churches used was Messiah Presbyterian church (MPC). This paper utilized surveys and interviews; this project also analyzed the current conditions of 100 KAPCs, exploring growth factors such as: Preaching, professional development, prayer, evangelism, Sunday school, and ministry focus. Secondly, church growth was investigated and delineated based on literature reviews, on the personal studies and questionnaire surveys submitted to members of MPC. Finally, this project suggested seven principles to develop KAPC for the next …

The Influence Of Acculturation, Religiosity, And Forgiveness Style On The General Health Of Korean Americans, Woohyun Daniel Chong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study investigated the psychometric utility of several psychological instruments for the Korean population and explored the relationship between acculturation, religiosity, unforgiveness, forgiveness style, and general health of Koreans. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were conducted to investigate the appropriateness of the Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (RCI-10), the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale - 12-Item Form (TRIM-R and TRIM-A), the Rumination about an Interpersonal Offense Scale (RIO), the Decisional Forgiveness Scale (DFS), and the Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS) with collected data from 273 Korean Americans and Koreans. Several instruments required item adjustments to meet CFA criteria. Multiple regression analyses indicated that factors …

John Damascene In Context: An Examination Of "The Heresy Of The Ishmaelites" With Special Consideration Given To The Religious, Political, And Social Contexts During The Seventh And Eighth Century Arab Conquests, D. Bryan Rhodes

Masters Theses

John Damascene's work concerning "The Heresy of the Ishmaelites" confronts Islam--a heresy according to John--with respect to fundamental disagreements between Christians and Muslims concerning the deity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity and the authenticity of Muhammad's prophethood and revelation. I argue that John's work was prompted and influenced by his context in seventh-and eighth-century Byzantium. More specifically, my argument is that John's firsthand understanding of Islam, the new rhetoric of a heavenward focus within what had been the Roman empire, the development of apologies and disputations concerning Islam, and the growing tensions in Christian-Arab relations in eighth-century Byzantium …

You Could Say That Again: Examining The Probability Of Parallels Between Stephen And Moses In Acts 6-7, Samuel Cooper Smith

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis posits the idea that the author of Acts intentionally creates a literary parallel between Stephen and Moses. Comparative analysis seemingly confirms that Stephen is being portrayed as a parallel of Christ. However, little scholarly attention has been given to the possibility that the author of Acts 6-7 intentionally creates a connection between Stephen and Moses. Following an attempt to provide an objective foundation for asserting such parallels, the Stephen-Moses connections will be presented. Two implications follow from this parallel which impact the Stephen episode as well as the larger Acts narrative. The pertinent literature involves commentaries on the …

An Apologetic To The Neo-Pagans As Represented By Dr. Gus Dizerega, William Tennison Smitherman Ii

Masters Theses

The current trend of multi-religious observance can be traced to various root sources. In particular, the advocacy of Christianity and another religious tradition is particularly strong within Neo-Pagan circles. Through historical investigation, as well as response to the writings of Dr. Gus DiZerega, a prominent Neo-Pagan proponent, these connection will be made. It will be posited that the core of modern neo-pagan belief and perhaps that of modern Celtic Christianity are found in similar traditions. This study, while not exhaustive is a beginning to a fruitful conversation between Christians and Neo-Pagans. It also provides a bridge to see that there …

The Most Evangelistic Kentucky Baptist Churches In Eastern Kentucky, Paul R. Badgett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to acknowledge the value and role of the smaller church in Eastern Kentucky as it relates to reaching people for Christ. According to Gary England, Richland Southern Baptist Church in Peoria, Illinois, the average size of a Southern Baptist Church is around one hundred active members. This means that the majority of Southern Baptists are being reached for the kingdom of God by the smaller church. Almost all of the churches in Eastern Kentucky fall into this small church classification. Therefore, this project will attempt to deal with the smaller work, and will seek …