Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Developing Adaptive Leaders: An Initial Intervention For Transforming A Church Culture, Molly Schroeder

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

The Church’S Call To Minister To Refugees: A Case Study On Liberian Refugees In Minnesota, Rufus Kudee

Master of Theology Theses

The paper is divided into seven chapters. Chapter one explores a brief historical background of the Liberian Refugee Crisis. Chapter two discusses ministering to the refugees: a Biblical foundation. Chapter three quickly reviews different ways of ministering to Liberian refugee families. Chapter four identifies challenges that refugees face. Chapter five explores the potential blessings that refugees bring. Chapter six highlights the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among refugees. Finally, chapter seven addresses the conclusion.

New Every Morning: Epectasy As A Theology For Innovation, Joel Hinck

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

A Reinterpretation Of Chin Christian Spirituality Beyond One Century In The Light Of Martin Luther's Freedom Of A Christian, Bawi Dua

Master of Theology Theses

This thesis examines a brief history of Chin Christianity which primarily focuses on the hlimsang movement, the revival movement, and the free evangelist movement that impacted contemporary Chin Christians’ understanding of Christian spirituality. The preachers of the three movements solely emphasized Martin Luther’s notion of “justification by grace through faith alone.” Unfortunately, they minimize the preaching and teaching of the good life and works in Christian life which Luther emphasized and discussed in his treatise Freedom of a Christian. As a result, Chin Christians emphasize too much the significance of Christian spirituality with emotional expressions in the worship service. Faith …

Apostolicam Ecclesiam: Socio-Liturgical Interpretation Of The Mission Of The Church In The Perspective Of Friedrich Nietzsche's "Antichrist", Sebastian Ryszard Madejski

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

Breathing With God: Inhaling God's Spirit, Exhaling God's Reign, Douglas Scott Dent

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This action research project engaged transformative mixed methods to determine the effect of directed interventions on a cohort’s participation with the triune God. “Breathing with God” embraces an inspiring by God, aspiring to be Christ-like, and conspiring with the Holy Spirit. Theoretical lenses included respiration and personality preferences. Biblical lenses included Genesis 11:1-9 (Babel), Psalms 42-43 (the deer pants), Acts 2 (Pentecost), and Romans 12:1-8 (church as body). Theological lenses included spiritual capacity and discipleship. Findings revealed that improved comprehension of personality preferences and spiritual gifts coupled with consistent spiritual practices improved participation and willingness to engage in missio Dei.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow: Innovating, Evaluating, And Improving Worship To Participate In God's Mission, Andrew K. Barnett

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This case study asks how a Cathedral might innovate, evaluate, and improve worship to participate more fully in God’s mission. Theoretical frameworks include: Missional Church (Zscheile, Keifert, Bosch), Adaptive Leadership (Heifetz, Linsky), Playful Acts in Scripture (Taylor), Doxology (Anderson), and utilizes Mixed-Methods Social Science Research. The central findings are that participation leads to transformation in worship, engagement helps communities innovate together, and innovation requires prolonged investment. Theoretical codes yielded a model of church as sailing vessel: seeking transformation, balancing identity with financial realities, dependent on trust, steered by a sense of shared purpose, and powered by the Holy Spirit’s wind.

Leadership And Faith Formation In Youth Ministry: Explaining The Relationship Between Leadership Experiences And Faith Formation In Middle School Students, Neil A. Christians

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This research project explained how leadership experiences of middle school age students during their time in a youth ministry Confirmation program affected their faith formation. The lenses of Believing, Behaving, and Belonging were helpful in framing a missional view of faith formation. Results revealed these four aspects of leadership experiences to be important to the youth: leadership and helping others are connected, relationships are integral and vital within these experiences, there needs to be an element of fun by making the experience enjoyable and/or meaningful, and leadership experiences bring relevance to a student’s faith both inside and outside of church.

Practicing Community: Naming, Claiming, And Practicing The Holy Spirit's Sending Of A Congregation In The Midst Of Change Into The Open Future, Meghan K. Gage-Finn

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project utilized social science research, through a transformative, mixed- methods strategy, to investigate a thriving, downtown Presbyterian Church (USA)

congregation’s missional awareness and response to change, disruption, and chaos in their midst during a major building expansion and movement into new spaces. This study explored in what ways members of the congregation relied on or adjusted their patterns of engaging in spiritual practices as a result of a change in their surroundings. This research shows how a greater missional understanding developed for members of the congregation because of a movement through a season of modification to both their building …

Unity And Diversity: How A Bilingual-Multicultural Congregation Reflects The Nature Of The Trinity In Unity And Diversity, Albert W. Triolo

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project used the lenses of adaptive change, transculturation, church size theory, love the stranger, led by the Spirit, unity and diversity in God’s family, imago Trinitatis, and missio Dei to study how action research interventions might affect a culturally diverse congregation. It was found that understanding culture is complicated, homogeneous units typically stay apart but do come together, crossing boundaries of homogeneity is difficult, ongoing education helps for transculturation, transculturation comes mostly through conversation, and people can experience Trinitarian equality through transculturation. In short, the Common Culture of a Community is Cultivated in its Context through Conversation and Communion.

Risen With Healing In Her Wings: An Ecclesiological Ethnography Of Three Young Congregations In St. Paul, Minnesota, Catrina Louise Ciccone

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This dissertation assumes that death and resurrection is the rhythm of life for all disciples of Jesus Christ, and that this baptismal pattern of dying in Christ and being raised to new life in Christ plays itself out in many penultimate iterations across our lives until our ultimate Death and Resurrection. As such, living in a cultural climate in which the white North American Christendom Church is captive to an ecclesiology of death, fixated upon and anxious about its imminent demise, this dissertation seeks to provide a counter-narrative: an ecclesiology of the resurrection occurring in this new missional era, a …