Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Entry Level Lutheran Liturgy For Members And Guest, David Preuss

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Influences inside and outside the Lutheran Church are pressing for change in worship style from liturgical to some free form alternative. Often the purpose is to make it easier for guests without a liturgical background to participate. How can Lutheran congregations and pastors make their worship service more "user-friendly” without abandoning their liturgical link with the church of all ages and places?

First, establish the essence of Lutheran liturgical worship. How did the Lutheran Reformation deal with the need for changes? How are pastors today attempting to resolve the issue? How do we evaluate these endeavors?

One resolution is to …

Principles To Assist The Introduction Of Change In Congregational Worship, Paul Borgman

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Change affects people, which is also evident in worship. Helping them to assimilate change in worship is this project’s purpose.

Two examples of change were considered. The first was quality improvement. This addressed those responsible for the conduct of worship. While significant changes did not result, it did prove that people are more responsive when interest is shown in them.

The second was introducing a new setting of the Divine Service. The results indicated that, with proper planning, change can be introduced positively.

Change does not have to be disruptive. It can be spiritually beneficial if handled sensitively.

An Exegetical, Historical And Practical Study Of New Testament Terms For Pastor And People At Trinity Lutheran Church, Memphis, Tennessee, Ronald Wiese

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

There is a confusion among clergy and laity over their precise function in a congregation. This is an exegetical, historical and practical study of ten New Testament terms used for pastor and people at Trinity Lutheran Church, Memphis, Tennessee. The conclusions were that the pastor's primary role is the public administrtion of the Word and Sacraments, that the laity hold a high calling of the Lay Apostolate, and that the office of deacon should be reinstated in the congregation.

A Vacation Bible School Curriculum With Special Emphasis On Mission Work In Kazakhstan, Thomas Baker

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate a specific technique in teaching a Vacation Bible School course for the purpose of increasing cognitive and affective learning. In the cognitive area, the students are to learn more about what the Bible reveals as well as the opportunities for mission work in Kazakhstan. In the affective area, the students are not only to become aware of the reason for their own inner struggles but also to become concerned about reaching out to those who have as yet not heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the area …

From Invocation Through Creed: A Historical And Doctrinal Analysis Of The Service Of The Word In The Common Service, Timothy Roser

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Cursory study of the text of this liturgy reveals that it was not assembled according to some academic standard. Perhaps a better word for its development would be "organic," as over the centuries it grew to meet the needs of the time. Each addition was tested, tried, and proven not by a single congregation nor even a group of congregations acting in concert, but by the Church at large working over the course of decades and centuries. This is not to suggest that these words are the only way3to receive God's service to us and return our service to Him. …

The Consensus Of Pure Lutheran Liturgies: A Comparison And Analysis Of The First German And First English Service Orders Of Holy Communion In The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, Mark Kufahl

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the source or sources upon which the "Order of Morning Service or the Communion" of the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book is based.1Issued by The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod in 1912, the Hymn-Book was the first English hymnal of this type published by the Missouri Synod. This particular publication, rather than a more recent hymnal, has been chosen as representative of the present liturgical usage of the Missouri Synod for two reasons. First, it is the first “official" English hymnal used by the Synod. Second, the communion liturgies currently employed by The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod …

The Nature And Authority Of Scripture : Historical Sources And Theological Engagement For Congregational Awareness And Reflection, Carson Reed

Doctor of Ministry Theses

For many Christians, biblical authority is rooted in the concept of inerrancy or in the historical veracity. But within a increasingly post-modern culture, the church faces a crisis in both of these foundations. The modern presuppositions that undergird the inerrancy doctrine and the historical-critical method are showing distinct cracks in the once seamless confidence placed in both approaches. Additionally, for Churches of Christ, understandings about the nature and authority of Scripture area just below the surface of a number of issues confronting congregations. This project/thesis seeks to address this growing dilemma within the context of the Westlake Church of Christ …

Using Parents In Preparing Their Children For Confirmation And First Communion, Wayne Wentzel

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The theme of this paper is the involvement of parents in the spiritual life of their children as they prepare for confirmation and first Communion. A problem exists in most churches where these very vital steps are left to the pastor and the church. Through a study of the Scriptures, the writings of Dr. Martin Luther, and the history of the Christian Church, the extent to which parents are to be involved in this process is determined, as well as the age at which the child is ready to begin. Several surveys were conducted at Faith Lutheran Church to determine …

Welcome To Life! Knowing God And The Truths Of His Word, James Witt

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Welcome To Life is a Bible Information class intended to be used as a Christian instruction course for those seeking to join or reenter the church and as a refresher course in Christian doctrine for members who wish to be renewed and strengthened in faith. The course was developed over a 15-year period to address a need for a clear, comprehensive, orthodox and practical study of the biblicalChristian faith. Welcome To Life aims to present the major truths of God's Word in an informative and engaging manner so that learners will readily understand the Bible’s life-giving teachings and apply these …

Recognizing The Law, The Gospel, And Gospel Application In The Sermon: A Seminar On Preaching, Gilbert Duchow

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The importance of making the proper distinction between Law and Gospel clear in the sermon is nothing new for Lutheran pastors, especially in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, thanks to Walther's theses on Law and Gospel. However, the people in the pew still do not generally recognize that distinction in the sermon. There is also considerable confusion among the laity about the proper relationship between the Gospel and the application of the Gospel in a sermon. In addition, pastors often fail to include or keep in balance all three components in the sermon (Law, Gospel and Gospel application). Therefore, I designed …

A Study Of Bioethics For Christian Students At A Secular University, Edward Krauss

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The tenets of humanism have been incorporated into classes that deal with bioethical issues at public universities. Christian students are faced with the dilemma of maintaining their Biblical ethics or adapting tithe philosophy of humanism when studying genetics, or matters of abortion, or suicide, or euthanasia.

This study examines secular humanism and ethical systems and presents a Biblical focus for Christian students when confronted with opposing views. A series of Bible studies and discussion questions on these bioethical issues follows each of the chapters for use in small groups on college campuses.

Enthusiasm And Charismatic Manifestations In Sabbatarian Adventism With Applications For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Of The Late Twentieth Church, James Michael Wilson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Task

It was the purpose of this study to discover what charismatic manifestations were extant among the Sabbatarian Adventists and to determine why those manifestations deceased. This information was then analyzed in the light of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of the late twentieth century in order to find ways of stimulating spirituality and a healthy approach to the Holy Spirit and charismatic manifestations.

Method

The historical section of this project focused on the charismatic manifestations and enthusiasm of the Sabbatarian Adventists between the Great Disappointment of 1844 and the development in formal organization in 1861. The types of experiences of …

A Series Of Sermons And Growth Experiences In Marital Covenant Love Relationships In The Ottawa East Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Vaudré Pierre Jacques

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In my interactions with my church members or more precisely with married couples, I have become aware of their idiosyncrasies in the realm of marital conflicts. It is hoped that this project will help to salvage marriages. However, this project is written from a preventive stance.

Method

In this project, a theological basis for marital covenant relationship was developed. Second, a series of five sermons and five growth seminars were conducted with some married couples and persons contemplating marriage. Third, pre- and post-questionnaires were distributed in order to assess the understanding of what is being discussed.

Results

From the …

Mediating Contexts In Trans-Generational Faith Transmission : A Qualitative Study, David John Mcclintock

Dissertations

Problem. This descriptive study explored the experience of faith transmission across generations in order to seek to identify the conditions that are intrinsic to successful faith transmission, and conversely, the conditions that my lead to a rejection of faith in Jesus Christ.

Method. Diads were chosen purposively so that the diads were: (1) known to the interviewer, (2) representative of the convergent or divergent paradigm, (3) residents of Australia, and (4) composed of children between 20-40 years of age. Convergent diads were defined as diads in which all in the diad when interviewed were members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. …

A Comparison Between The Theological Approach Of The 1992 Australian Catholic Bishops' Statement On The Distribution Of Wealth In Australia, Common Wealth For The Common Good, And Some Selected Theological Types, Eamon Murray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Bishops of the Australian Catholic Church have been issuing annual statements on political, economic and social issues since 1940. The focus of this thesis, the 1992 Bishops' Statement, Common Wealth for the Common Good, has as its main theme the distribution of wealth in Australia. It is the culmination of a five year process of consultation and drafting by the Bishops' Committee for Justice, Development and Peace (BCJDP), under the direction of its Executive Secretary, Dr Michael Costigan. This thesis attempts to identify the theological approach, or perhaps approaches. of the Bishops' Statement by comparing it to five selected …

An Intellectual Approach To The Communication Of The Biblical Message To Secular People, Michele Buonfiglio

Professional Dissertations DMin

One of the most important responsibilities given Christians is to "make disciples from all nations." This includes secular people. The communication of the biblical message to secular people is a complex and difficult assignment. The difficulty increases when secular people are intellectuals. Many currents of thought including philosophy and scientific understandings of reality have contributed to the formation of the Western secular mind.

In Part One of the dissertation, philosophical, theological, and scientific theories that have contributed to the development of the process of secularization are considered. The section culminates with a profile of secular people. The methods and strategy …

Tune In The Bible: A Computer-Based Adult-Learning System, Bradford C. Newton

Professional Dissertations DMin

Computers have been utilized in virtually every arena of American society to convey information and to educate. This project was designed to investigate the adult-learning literature and then produce a computer-based Bible study program that would interest and motivate the user to further investigation of the Bible's contents and message. The adult-learning literature survey yielded significant principles that were applied to the formulation of scripts and storyboards for a computer learning system called "Tune in the Bible." This computer program was produced using the IBM development software, "Linkway Live!"

Twelve participants were engaged to review and evaluate the content, effectiveness, …

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Seminar On Positive Resolution Of Interpersonal And Substantive Conflict In The Hazelton, British Columbia, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Bruce B. Boyd

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Some form of conflict is associated with virtually every human relationship, including relationships involving Christians. Negative conflict situations frequently injure Christians, and sometimes conflicts are severe enough to cripple churches. The purpose of this project was to study whether the teaching of concepts and skills that are, first, related to the management and resolution of interpersonal and substantive conflict, and second, congruent with biblical principles will have a positive impact upon how parishioners understand conflict and, as a result, upon how they behave in conflict situations so that the negative results of conflict are reduced and the positive results …

Enlisting Volunteers In Ministry, Jerry Louis Fore

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Involving church members in ministry annually challenges church leaders. To meet this demand within the Seventh-day Adventist church, a committee typically nominates church members to fill prescribed offices—places of need. Filling offices, however, too often causes a committee to overlook some people or to mismatch interests, talents, and tasks.

Method

While serving the Kansas City Central Church as senior pastor, I introduced a Bible-based process to involve members' gifts and talents in ministry. Using trained interviewers in this one-year pilot project, members became involved after matching their talents and interests with tasks. After the church approved the project, I …