Digital Commons Network^™

Salvation May Just Be A Click Away: A Case Study In The Impact Of New Media Communications In The Evangelical Church In The Bible Belt, Robert Montgomery Peerson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This was an exploratory qualitative case study into the usage of new media in the evangelical church within the context of the Bible Belt region of the United States. The problem with the current status of new media communications within the evangelical church is that some churches seem to struggle with using these mediums successfully. The purpose of this study was to gather information on how churches are using new media communications in their environment and equip churches with greater knowledge and tools on how to leverage new media communications to grow the Kingdom. This study features three main research …

Preface, Christopher Oscarson

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Quite often, we take writing for granted. The sublime simplicity of mere symbols or scratches on a page escapes our attention as we search for more significant sources of meaning in a memory that can be only fleeting and fragmentary at best. But what could be more fundamental to our source of self and community than language and, by extension, writing? Human beings could not be saved from living in an eternal present if they lacked the ability given them by language to reflect. Community with others can be formed only if there is a means of preserving and sharing …

Review: Christian Intercultural Communication, Andrew J. Ondo

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

A Review: Chang, C. Tim, and Ashley E. Chang. Christian Intercultural Communication: Sharing God’s Love with People of Other Cultures. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2021. 277 Pages. $82.11.

Improving Communication Access With Deaf People Through Nursing Simulation: A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration, Jamie L. Mccartney Ph.D., Tracy Gidden, Jennifer Biggs, Kathy Geething, Karl Kosko Ph.D.

Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies

Baccalaureate nursing and sign language interpreting students participated in a pediatric discharge simulation with a deaf person playing the role of the baby’s parent. At the conclusion of the simulation, participants were emailed a consent letter and a link to a 17-item questionnaire developed by the authors. Responses were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, whereby nonparametric statistics were calculated to examine Likert-scale items. A Mann-Whitney test statistic was calculated, instead of an independent samples t-test, given the smaller sample in the current study (n = 26). A question was posed to participants that evaluated their self-perception of the effectiveness of …

Nonviolent Communication: A Foundational Skill For Ministry, Mary L. Parks

Obsculta

A need for more formation has been identified during the continental phase of the Synod on Synodality. Furthermore, a conference of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative has observed a lack of time devoted to nonviolence in existing Catholic formation. This paper will demonstrate how incorporating Nonviolent Communication (NVC) into formation will meet these needs.

Lee Pitts, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Story In The Creation And Life Of Man, Leah Ginion

Senior Honors Theses

Story was created by God as a vehicle for the revelation and glorification of Himself. Man, made in the image of God, was created as an innate storyteller. The world was created through story, and story is how it progresses and is sustained. As such, story is the foundation of all culture and the most natural and effective method of human communication. Research points to all of man’s stories being derivatives of the Great Story: the metanarrative of Scripture. Exploring man’s relationship with story reveals his place within the metanarrative and ultimately provides evidence for the existence and active presence …

Dispositions For Christian Witness Among Theravada Buddhists, Stephen Bailey

The Asbury Journal

This article reflects on communicating the Christian gospel appropriately and effectively among Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhists (SEATB). It is concerned with contextualizing the means of communication rather than theological concepts. Contextualization is often discussed with little reference to the level of contextualization, including: the content of the gospel, liturgical forms, social rules for relating, and dispositions shaped by Buddhist virtues used in communication. Examples are given of contextualization among SEATB, and then descriptions of how communicators of the gospel can use dispositions shaped by key Buddhist virtues. An argument is made that among SEATB, the means of communicating the gospel …

Broadcasting Minor Added, Ana Timmer

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Gerontic Evangelism, Yakubu Jakada

Great Commission Research Journal

Gerontic Evangelism focuses on sharing the gospel with senior adults. Many evangelism ministries are focusing on children, youth, women, and other adult members of society, but few focus on the elderly. Senior adults in most cases are not seen as a peculiar group that needs to be strategically reached with the gospel. Their importance in society and their growing population worldwide should attract the attention of evangelists and missionaries to target them as a special group for gospel witness. This paper argues that winning the senior adults to Christ is a necessity and may open doors for the evangelization and …

Cultural Formation Of Place: Making Yourself At Home, Olivia Arratia

Art Theses and Dissertations

The environment you grow up in can become a pivotal part of your existence. The sights, smells, people, and places you experience every day can transform the way you see the world. Growing up in a Mexican-American household has brought its own set of experiences that have made me the artist I am today. I am one of many contemporary artists building on the foundations of their heritage and the Chicano movement. I am also a Mexican-American artist expanding the identity and extending the legacy in the 21st century. This paper will investigate how Mexican-American heritage has influenced my artistic …

Exploring The Root Causes Of Intergenerational Conflict And Its Resolution Between First Generation Korean Missionaries And Second Generation Korean American Leaders In Ubf, Sarah Ahn

Doctor of Ministry

The context of my ministry is the University Bible Fellowship (UBF), a nondenominational, world mission and campus mission organization. In this context, my NPO is to identify the root causes of intergenerational conflict and to propose practical solutions for conflict resolution between first generation Koreans missionaries and second generation Korean American leaders in North America UBF. My Project consists of two parts. Part 1 is the outline of the position paper. It includes sending the outline to people for their feedback. My benchmarks are based on this outline. Part 2 involves the position paper based on the analysis and findings …

Dissonance Between Christian Beliefs And Eating Habits In The South, Karli Dianne Stringer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South is still so prevalent even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the information presented in this research sought to fill the knowledge gap for communicators and educators concerning the dissonance between Christianity in the South and the unhealthy eating habits of Southerners. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study comprised of a semi-structured interview route in which Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11) participated in a descriptive study conducted by a committee …

Keeping Culture: An Evaluation Of Organizational Culture In The Multisite Church, Michael John Grayston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the attendee perception of organizational culture, including the communication pathways, vision, and mission in the three common multisite church models: the local franchise model, the national franchise model, and the live teaching model. The study evaluated the attendee perception of the methods and strategies used by the multisite church to create and keep one unique culture in spite of their method, proximity, or demographics. The researcher attempted to evaluate these methods through a survey and face-to-face interviews with multisite church leaders from six different churches representing three different models. The …

Missional Social Media: Content And Strategies For Missions Organizations, Kathryn Larson

Senior Honors Theses

Technology can be used in amazing and creative ways to spread the gospel and create community across borders. The Apostle Paul used the communication tool of his time, letters, to communicate with churches from a distance. Today’s tools include social media which, when used properly and with intent, can positively influence an organization in the name of the gospel. Missions organizations have an incredible opportunity to use strategies and content to create a viable social media ministry. Theories such as the Community Development Theory and various reception theories contribute to an understanding of two-way communication and engagement between organization and …

21st Century Class Meeting : Wesleyan Discipleship With Software Facilitated Blended Learning, Michael Koho Larbi

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developing Healthy Mbb Community : An Analysis Of Relationships Between Muslim Background Believers, M. T. C.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preaching To Millennials: A Content Analysis Of Preachers' Communication As It Relates To Millennial Congregants, Matthew Joel Hastings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American church is facing a decline in attendance (Barna, 2014). This truth is especially prevalent in the millennial generation, the largest yet also the least religious American generation. Many of whom describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. The church has a unique opportunity through the weekly sermon that other organizations do not have. This opportunity provides the ability to verbally communicate in person with the entire organization at one time. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis study was to better understand how preachers who led the fastest growing churches in the Southern Baptist Convention used communication tactics …

Examining The Intersectionality Of Religious Faith, Spirituality, And Healthcare Communication, Felix Okeke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is my own contribution in responding to the concern raised by certain communication scholars. Their concern was that little research and few publications have been done in the communication field by communication scholars that trace the relationship among religious faith, spirituality, and healthcare communication. While Parrott (2004) describes this apparent neglect as “collective amnesia,” others label it “religion blindness.” Thus, in trying to trace this relationship, this project uses Christian, biblical, and bioethics backgrounds to establish the value, sacredness, and dignity of human life, since these concepts make healthcare and healthcare communication necessary in the first place. These …

الملامح الإعلامية في سورة العصر - دراسة استقرائية تحليلية- The Media Features In Surat Al-Asr – An Inductive Analytical Study, Nidaa Zaqzouq

Jordan Journal of Islamic Studies

This research discusses the media tools featured in Surat Al-Asr, and how it can be utilized to achieve effective communication through the application of Ethical standards. The verses incorporate the four pillars that can help humans overcome the state of loss, which is vital to be practice on the social level, public level, as well as professional level. The research includes two topics: the first provides a definition of the research terms, and the second elaborates on the impact of fait and good deed, recommending patience and truthfulness in the case of media interaction.

The research concluded a number of …

Social Justice: A Catholic Autistic Perspective, Rebecca Schneider

Honors Projects

This is a collection of short stories about social injustices impacting the autistic community and how Catholic Social Teaching supports a more just approach. It is written from an autistic perspective and informed by the stories of people who are actually autistic. Each story is followed by an analysis that explains the choices made, which are backed by both research and the experiences of the autistic writer and the autistic community. This collection also includes information on how justice can be attained on the individual level by allies and on the institutional level by organizations.

A Study On The Process Of Establishing Church Vision Through The Vision Room: The Case Of Incheon Shinkwang Church In Korea, Sungho Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to suggest a systematic process in establishing church’s vision by emphasizing the importance of having a clear vision in church growth and by communicating with the church members in the midst of a situation where stable ministry transition is required due to the replacement of the senior pastor now that 50 years has passed since the church was planted. For many years, the Korean church has experienced steady growth and revival. However, from the 21st century, the growth is slowing down and is stagnant. One of the reasons is the conflict between the former …

The Manifestation Of Missionary Inthe Processes Of Global Economiccrisis, Mansur Musayev

The Light of Islam

This article analyzes the forms of missionary manifestation in a global economic downturn. The article clarifies that in the face of a deepening global economic crisis, the ideological struggle through religion is the most influential force. Indeed, it is worth noting that huge investments are being mobilized to fight on the ideological front. One of the most frequently occurring phenomena in the era of globalization is the growing tendency to spread the ideas of “Gratuitous Aid” and to promote the development of freedom and democracy. They are usually distributed in regions rich in oil and gas. In particular, global control …

Pastoral Leadership In A Cross-Cultural, Multicultural, Conflict-Driven Congregation: A Filipino Case Study, Ed Volfe

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Pastoral Leadership in a Cross-Cultural, Multicultural, Conflict-Driven Congregation: A Filipino Case Study

Christ Redeemer was a Cross-Cultural, Multicultural church where the majority of the members were Filipinos. The church experienced way too many conflicts that distracted everyone in the congregation from the real calling to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”[1] The ethos of Christ Redeemer seemed to be driven by conflict, regardless of whether the leadership provided came from a Filipino or a non-Filipino pastor. The congregation fed conflict upon conflict, creating a cycle of tension with little engagement in critical issues in the …

How Embodied Human Creatures Converse Online, David Edwards

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Have you ever noticed just how much you can learn about what a person has going on in life without asking them a single question? All you have to do is hop on Facebook, scroll through twitter, or scan Instagram and you can see updates on everything! From the birth of a first child to the death of a loved one, from their favorite new show to Fantasy Football failures, it is pretty easy to learn a lot about a person and their life today with only so much as a couple of clicks on a screen or a keyboard.

Gratitude As An Approach To Intercultural Egagement : Exploring The Introduction And Embodiment Of Gratitude As An Approach To Intercultural Engagement Between The Diaspora And Native Christian Leaders In London, Girma Bishaw

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using Comedy To Build Community In Local Churches: How Laughing Together Can Bring People Together, Jason T. Deuman

Doctor of Ministry

Comedy is present in some form in every culture. Understanding humor theories and the effects of comedy on individuals and groups can help local churches foster community in their congregation as well as build bridges for non-congregants to join the community. Developing healthy community through comedy is one of the ways that church leaders can counter the isolation and disconnection occurring in American culture. This project examines humor in the Bible in order to help pastors teach on the value of humor. Church leaders have embraced and rejected humor throughout history. Understanding the various ways comedy has been used in …

Visible Practices Of Christian Community In Online Video Small Groups, Joel Peter Jupp

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Language In Cross-Cultural Interaction, Lacy Norton

Senior Honors Theses

Language and culture are connected. Because of this connection, people have a preferred language with which they have an emotional or cultural connection. In Latin American cultures, it is beneficial to speak to a person in their preferred language. Using a person’s preferred language as opposed to any other language will facilitate a deeper connection with that person, cross cultural barriers that may separate them, and be more effective when attempting to share the gospel.

Increasing Ministry Participation Through Effective Recruitment And Retention, Lyndon F. Robinson

Education Dissertations and Projects

For many years churches have found it to be a great challenge to staff programs and ministries, and that challenge will become greater. There are many churches that face difficulties getting people to volunteer and stay engaged volunteering. This is a critical issue for churches to figure out. Volunteering is crucial to many ministries in the church. Most ministries would not be able to function without volunteers. Increasing Ministry Participation Through Effective Recruitment and Retention was a challenge The Park Church, as other religious organizations, were facing on a daily basis.

The Park Church (as known as The Park Ministries) …