Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Strategy For Reaching Secular People, Ernan Alpin Norman

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Secularization is a process that has effected and continues to effect massive changes in the cultural, social, and religious experience of many people. It is characterized by a loss of the influence of religion on society’s institutions and peoples. It came about when the scientific method became the principal means of discovering truth, while the biblical and theological perspectives became increasingly sidelined. People have become increasingly secular in their thinking, and many currently view the church as archaic, irrelevant, and boring. This presents a problem for the church and its mission in our contemporary society. Because of the lack …

A Seminar On Reaching The Secular Mind For Members And Guests Of The Hickory Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenneth J. Ford

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Western civilization is now pre- or post-Christian. Secularism has entrenched itself in our culture. Many churches are still utilizing mostly antiquated methods of reaching a Christian culture. We need to discover methods to engage the twenty-first-century secular mind.

Method

This report is outlined in the following way. It gives a brief overview of secularism by defining and then tracing its origin and development. Then it gives an overview of biblical, SDA, and selected evangelical literature on reaching the secular mind. A six-session seminar was formulated utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint, to be conducted sometime in the near future.

Results

The results …

Evangelizing The Secular-Minded: A Training Seminar For The University Seventh-Day Adventist Church In East Lansing, Michigan, Roy Anthony Castelbuono

Professional Dissertations DMin

Topic

Today in many ways our world has been unified, not by a political empire but by a way of thinking. People today find common ground in a shared experience of living guided by a set of values that spans the divide of culture, language, and history. The process of this transformation is best described by the term “secularization.” Secularization best describes the far-reaching changes we find in our communities and in our personal lives, and is one of the greatest challenges the Seventh-day Adventist Church faces as we begin the twenty-first century.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was …

Islam, Indigenous Traditions, And Adventism In Kenya: A Comparative Study To Determine Effective Approaches To Evangelize Kenyan Muslims, Joseph Kilonzo

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Islam is spreading speedily in Kenya from the coast and the north towards inland areas, converting great number of persons and communities. The Islamic influence is evident in almost all spheres of life in the country, including social, political, economical, and spiritual. Muslims are particularly hard to reach with the gospel. However, this does not mean the task of reaching them is unsurmountable. The task of this project, therefore, was to provide a biblical, theological, and missiological strategy for presenting the gospel to Muslims in Kenya with the view of winning them over to Christianity (Adventism).

Method

The research …

Using The Heritage Of The St. Thomas Christians To Develop An Outreach Strategy, Kunjunjukutty Yohannan

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The St. Thomas Christians in Kerala claim their spiritual heritage from Thomas the apostle. Yet they are not generally aware of a number of scriptural teachings including the seventh-day Sabbath, which Thomas and their forefathers observed. For the last one hundred years there has been no developed Seventh-day Adventist strategy to proclaim the full biblical message, which was their heritage, to this people group.

Findings

The St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, India, believe that Thomas the apostle took Christianity to India. Their very existence bears witness to it. Thomas is reported to have arrived in Kerala in A.D. 52. …

Proyecto De Capacitación Laica Para La Iglesia Local, Hector Solera

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Christian Church has the duty of evangelizing all nations. This task requires that all church members participate actively in evangelism. However, not all church members get involved because they do not know how. This research initiated and evaluated a project to train the members of the Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the purpose of enabling them to evangelize the city.

The project was developed in five different seminars during five consecutive weekends. The topics covered were the following: the priesthood of all believers, how to present the gospel in a Christ-centered fashion, the art …

A Health Evangelism Strategy For Reaching Rural Indians With Giffard Memorial Hospital As A Model, Measapogu Wilson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Like many nations, India offers notable opportunities for church growth in spite of its diverse cultural and language barriers. The challenge is to understand the growing populations. Masses of Indians are suffering from disease, poverty, and ignorance. They desperately need to achieve health and learn how to maintain it. About 80 percent of the Indian population lives below the poverty line and many are ignorant of healthful living. Health evangelism work can break down prejudice as nothing else can. At the same time, India is resistant to the gospel. A recent census shows that there are only 2.43 percent …

An Evangelistic Strategy For Reaching Baby Boomers In Rock Island County, Illinois, Clarence H. Small

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Moline Seventh-day Adventist Church, with a regularly attending membership of approximately 65, has fifteen Baby Boomer members in a county of over 160,000, of whom at least 44,000 are Boomers, with over 30,000 of these being unchurched. This project sought to develop a strategy for attracting Baby Boomers to the Moline church.

Method

A strategy was developed and implemented to attract Baby Boomers to church based upon six valid and transferable principles drawn from existing literature and the successful programs of the Willow Creek and Saddleback churches-and the clearly established legitimacy of targeting specific groups for evangelism. This …

A Strategy For Public Evangelism In Russia, Mikhail K. Morar

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

After Perestroika ushered in new opportunities for public evangelism in Russia, local and foreign evangelists have been baptizing thousands of new converts every year. The rapid growth resulting from these crusades has brought about new challenges. This study analyzes some of the challenges associated with public evangelism in Russia and suggests a strategy to improve the longterm results of these campaigns.

Method

A descriptive analysis of John Carter's 1992 evangelistic campaign in Nizhniy Novgorod city was conducted in order to suggest ways to improve long-term results from public campaigns. The strengths and weaknesses of evangelistic campaigns in Russia are …

Reaching The Unchurched: An Evaluation Of And Recommendations For Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church's Downtown Community, Raymong Andrew Mcdonald

Professional Dissertations DMin

Task

The task of this project was to evaluate and make recommendations for the future of Downtown Community, the Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church’s contemporary, ongoing evangelistic ministry to reach the unchurched.

Method

After establishing the philosophical basis for the ministry, a careful review of the preparation for and initiation of Downtown Community was conducted. The effects of the ministry were ascertained by observations, focus groups, and surveys. In addition, comparisons were made with other area churches.

A number of unexpected effects from the ministry of Downtown Community were reviewed. This study is highly dependent on observations, testimonials, and opinions, …

The Development And Implementation Of A Creative Approach In Training Hispanics For Evangelism In The Oregon Conference, Ramon J. Canals

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The rapid growth of Hispanics in the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists represents a challenge for evangelistic outreach. This project was to determine how a conference-sponsored lay evangelism school could enhance Hispanic lay participation in evangelism.

Method

Research was conducted to understand the role of lay people in evangelism, followed by the establishment of a school of evangelism for training Hispanic lay people in the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Fifty-two lay evangelists graduated from the school.

Results

The Hispanic lay people who participated in the training program believe that their spiritual lives have been enhanced. They also indicated …

La Evangelización De La Clase Media Alta De Buenos Aires, Daniel Belvedere

Professional Dissertations DMin

The biblical instruction commands us to evangelize every person without discrimination. Nevertheless, the evangelization of the higher classes has not been highlighted enough. The purpose of this thesis was to prepare a manual that would enable pastors in Buenos Aires to accomplish this task. Throughout the Bible, different types of evangelistic methods to reach the higher social status people are described. The writings of Ellen G. White present health related evangelism, person-to-person and small group evangelism, and public efforts as effective methods to evangelize the higher classes. Very little has been written by Evangelical authors about evangelism of the higher …

A Strategy To Reach The English-Speaking People Of The Bay Islands Of Honduras, Stavely P. Elwin

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The English-speaking Seventh-day Adventist church in the Bay Islands has experienced slow growth over the last ten years. An evaluation reveals that some of the problems include poor evangelistic methods, few well trained pastors and workers, the churches' lack of support from the local mission and pastors, and no material provisions for the departments of the church. In addition, programs are lacking to help members come in contact with secular-minded people, and the methods used to improve the retention rate of newly- baptized members indicate there is a tremendous need for change in the style of evangelism in the …

Bipolar Preaching For Hispanic Evangelism In The North American Division, Eradio Alonso

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

This dissertation deals with the bipolar concept of preaching as it applies to Seventh-day Adventist evangelism in a Hispanic-American context. Bipolar preaching is preaching that focuses on answering human problems or needs by applying eternal truth to the human condition. In my experience bipolar preaching was missing for many years. This project attempts to make the homiletical theory of bipolar preaching better understood I hope that it will be integrated into the preaching ministry in general and into evangelistic preaching in particular. The Hispanic evangelistic sermon seems to be well-anchored in the Word of God, but it does not …

Formation And Development Of Caring Ministries Based On Neighboring Evangelism Model Model, Lloyd I. Munson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

For more than a decade leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have encouraged various programs under the slogan "caring Church." This new and welcome concept and its corresponding "caring ministries" are in tension with traditional programs and philosophy of lay ministry. There is a need to clarify and articulate the underlying shift toward a more "relational" approach so that truly "caring" ministries may emerge. In addition there is a confusion from the local Church all the way to the General Conference as to how various departments are coordinated.

Method

This study documents one attempt to articulate a biblical concept …

Strategy For Holy Week Incarnational Evangelism For The West Puerto Rico Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Efren Pagan

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Most of the people living in Puerto Rico claim or are claimed to be Catholics by the Catholic leadership of the Island. Most of them have only a form of religion, having lost sight of the power of Christ's religion. They need to be led back to Christ, even though they are unconscious of their situation or of their spiritual need.

Method

Each person is unique, but some characteristics are similar to most of the people in a specific group. Catholics constitute a large group in Puerto Rico. To reach them, one must understand them and approach them in …

Towards A Model Of Congregational Evangelistic Campaigns In The Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In West Germany, Ekkehardt Muller

Professional Dissertations DMin

In the Western world it is a great challenge for churches to reach secular persons. This is true especially for West Germany where only an almost insignificant percentage of the population attends church regularly. Traditional methods to win people for Christ usually focus on this small percentage of people instead of on the vast majority of the unchurched people. Reaching the unchurched is a situation in which the laymen of the church are of special importance, for they are able to be in touch with persons clergymen will almost never reach. Thus laymen need to have a larger sphere of …

Christian Mission : A Biblical Foundation And Its Application To Evangelistic Work For Indonesian Muslims, Bahasa Soemarna

Professional Dissertations DMin

As far as Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic work for Indonesian Muslims is concerned, it appears that there is no formal, well-defined program to guide the pastors and members in working for the Muslims. It is, therefore, the purpose of this project to develop an evangelistic program which is specifically geared toward reaching the Indonesian Muslims with the Christian message, and which could be used by the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) churches in Indonesia.

In order to achieve this purpose, the project is organized into two main parts. Part I, "Biblical Evidence for the Universality of Jesus' Mission," will attempt to establish the …

Tv-Radio Spot Evangelism: An Experiment In Attitude Change, James David Chase

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Although marketing and advertising firms spend millions of dollars annually to determine which types of commerical radio spots are most effective in appealing to specific audiences, little of this research has been done by churches using the broadcast media. The objective of this project, therefore, was to discover which of the most commonly used radio production formats contribute most to credibility and acceptability of religious radio spots whose intended audience is either nominal or rion-Christian and to produce a thirteen-week series of daily public service, radio spots for evangelistic purposes based on this determination.

Method

A telephone survey of …

A Process Of Self-Assessment And Goal Setting For A Latin American Local Congregation As A Possible Means To Create The Necessary Conditions For Church Renewal, Fruitful Evangelism, And Effective Nurture, Ruben Pereyra

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Dropouts from church membership have increased during the 1960s among Christian denominations. Abundant literature has been circulating analyzing possible causes and suggesting remedies. The. picture is not yet clear. Meanwhile, several types of solutions have been proposed and tried with different degrees of success or failure. As the issue is also a concern among Seventh-day Adventists, a program considering the particular situation of this denomination, in a Latin-American setting, is presented. One way to a renewal experience that would help confirm members and thus prevent dropouts is suggested.

Method

As a first step, a review of the current literature …

A Study And Analysis Of The Bible Lands Travelogue-Archaeological Approach In Public Evangelism, Victor A. Schulz

Professional Dissertations DMin

To investigate the method of a selected number of evangelists who are using the Bible lands travelogue-archaeological approach, to ascertain what they consider as the most significant and seemingly effective characteristics of their methods was the purpose of this project. Then, incorporating these findings, to develop an approach that may help the author and other evangelists to use this method effectively in public evangelism, has been the problem under investigation in this study.

The project was organized into three main parts. The first searches for a justification for a Bible lands travelogue approach. The second analyzes the method as it …

A Strategy For Seventh-Day Adventist Public Evangelism Within A Roman Catholic Society Context In Hispanic America, Salim Japas

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The so-called "New School of Integral Evangelism" which has been operating in many countries of Hispanic America for the last few years has been demonstrated as quite successful in its evangelistic approach to Roman Catholic Hispanic Americans. To discover the nature of this approach has been the problem under investigation in this project.

Method This research is a description of the nature, strategies, and techniques that this particular method uses. This was done mainly by analyzing the San Pedro Sula, Honduras, campaign, which was the first Andrews University School of Evangelism conducted by the author in the summer of …

A Study Of Evangelism Of West Indian Immigrants In Five Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In Toronto, Canada, Aaron R. Hitlall

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

It is estimated that of the almost 20,000 West Indian immigrants who settled in the province of Ontario, Canada, from 1966 to 1975, fifty percent now reside in the city of Toronto. Of the total West Indian immigrants baptized in Toronto during the stated period, about 2,000 of them have become members of five local Seventh-day Adventist churches. An evaluation of Seventh-day Adventist evangelism during the ten-year period is necessary to determine the relative effectiveness of evangelistic programs West Indians perceived to have introduced them to Seventh-day Adventist doctrines, and influenced them most, to become members of the selected …

An Evaluation Of Evangelism In The Seventh-Day Adventist Churches Of The Southern California Conference, Russell Edward Johnson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The recruitment of new members is a major objective of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many of the departments within the Church compile reports including the number of baptisms which have resulted from their programs. Data from these departments frequently overlap, lack detail, and are of questionable value in evaluating the relative effectiveness of various evangelistic methods. An evaluation of current Adventist evangelism is needed to determine the relative effectiveness of evangelistic methods that the new members perceive as having influenced them to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

The methods used divided the study into three areas: (1) the …

The Development And Evaluation Of A Program For Bible Evangelism To Be Used By Laymen Employing Small-Group Methods As A Basic Format, Johnny Durant Johnson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Theologically in the Old and New Testaments the laity or "God's own people" are commissioned with the responsibility of communicating the gospel to the world in word and life. However, the contemporary Christian church finds itself under growing criticism for its failure to fulfill this commission. Although the gospel of Jesus Christ offers solutions to man's inmost needs an increasing number of congregations seem unable to meaningfully promulgate their message. This study contends that a chief weakness is the lack of genuine Christian life and fellowship within the churches.

What approach or means can be taken to encourage and stimulate …

Evangelism Among Muslims, Kenneth S. Oster

Professional Dissertations DMin

The issue to be addressed by this project is specifically the apparent ineffectiveness of evangelization among Muslims of the Middle East as evidenced by thirteen centuries of polarization between Muslims and Christians. The project is an analysis and evaluation of existing methods of evangelism and approaches to Muslims as conducted by the Seventh- day Adventist Church with proposals for new and improved methods and approaches emerging from the study.