Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Qualitative Descriptive Study: What South Carolina Church Leaders Believe About Congregational Active Shooter Preparation, Charles David Watts Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to establish a baseline of understanding what experiences South Carolina Southern Baptist church leaders have in active shooter training and what they believe about preparing, training, and equipping congregations for an active shooter incident in their house of worship. This researcher examined how church leaders prepare, train, and equip congregations for security threats like active shooter incidents. This study fills a gap in the existing literature, adding to the research by Auten (2021), Rainer (2017), and the FBI (2016). This researcher examined how churches prepare for security threats like active shooter incidents. …

Developing A Shared Ecclesial Identity Utilizing Story-Based Elements With First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Georgia, Jeremy T. Shoulta

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Body of Christ is challenged to, “be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). How then could a congregation, comprised of individuals harboring diverse cultural worldviews, discover and live into this reality? Through various individual and group exercises, participants sought to determine whether story elements have the power to serve as a true sense-making device within an ecclesial setting. The results indicate that that a majority of participants found the story-based framework beneficial in regards to their personal understanding of the work of First Baptist Church.

A Strategy To Manage Members Expectation Of Pastor's Work In Multicultural Churches In Birmingham, England, Steve Palmer

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

2017 the North England Conference administrators evaluated my ministry, and although they were satisfied with my work, the feedback from some of the church members indicated dissatisfaction. It was evident that the diverse ethnic and cultural groups had different expectations of the role and responsibility of the pastor. It was difficult for me to do fulfill all their expectations.

Method

The research method employed in the design of this project was a qualitative one. It explored the question under examination by using semi-structured interviews, questionnaire, mentorship training, discussions, pastors' expectations, and cultural intelligence seminars. The semi structured interview and …

Church Leadership: Effectual Strategic Planning Towards The Congregational Growth And Maturation Of Go And Teach Christian Ministries, Christopher L. Kingdom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis action research project is comprised of the effectual strategic planning toward the congregational growth and maturation of Go and Teach Christian Ministries. The project was embarked upon to address what had seemed to be a problem within the church’s leadership. The focus on church growth in membership numbers, rather than the membership, had seemed to creep into the leadership of GATCM. It seemed that the programs and events of the church were geared more toward attracting outsiders and adding new members to the church rather than creating an atmosphere of growth within the church attendees. From a foundational …

A Study On Sermon Preparation By Sermon Types: Focus On Giving Impression To Congregation, Chang Joong Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to study ways to prepare sermons with giving impression to the congregation. In order to give impression to the congregation through preaching, the preacher should be blessed through the Word in advance and deliver that blessing and impression. To execute these procedures, the researcher will examine the principles and elements that trigger impressions in sermons and provide practical suggestions on impressive preaching. To obtain objective data from the fields for this research, a survey was conducted with 75 pastors. 75 participants were composed of pastors who were acquainted with the researcher and pastors who …

Building A Bridge To Community Creating Belonging By Intentionally Incorporating Christians Into The Life Of The Congregation, Michele Doel

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Doel, Michele, M. “Building a Bridge to Community: Creating Belonging by Intentionally Incorporating Christians into the Life of the Congregation.” Master’s thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2020. 86 pp.

How simple is it for a new member to become incorporated into the life of your church? There is a creational need for all humans to have a sense of belonging to God and to those around them. This human need for relationships and community means that congregations should be experts at involving people and building up their relationships with one another. This thesis builds off the author’s experience as an intern at …

Deepening Our Welcome- Embracing Relational Hospitality In Our Homes, Rance Settle

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Settle, Rance A. Deepening Our Welcome: Embracing Relational Hospitality in Our Homes. Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2019. 162 pp.

A benchmark for success in the service industry is effective hospitality. The implication is that the service industry business model must create an environment where people feel welcome. This practice fosters a surface level hospitality but would not necessarily foster deep relationships. My goal for my ministry context was not only to give tools to show hospitality but to go deeper and show biblical hospitality – which is not only about making people feel welcome but is …

Young People And The Baptist Church: Staying And Leaving, Timothy Mullen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to understand and compare the young people’s experiences of the church between those who attended church at the time of the study, and those who were no longer attending church at the time of the study. The study was conducted to understand more about the experiences that lead young people to leave the church, and the experiences that motivate young people to stay. A literature review, and a phenomenological study was conducted into this experience. 15 young people aged 19 – 29 were interviewed using openended questions. It was found through the literature review …

Development And Implementation Of Selected Spiritual Disciplines For The Worship Team Leaders Of Monte Vista Baptist Church, Clifton Edwin Kosier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the foremost doxological problems of the twenty-first century is complacency in worship. Deficient spiritual development of the follower of Christ is rampant among Christians; many believers, suffering from this, have moved away from the purpose of man - to have a love relationship. This relationship has been replaced with a task-oriented spirit. No longer do we leave worship ready to make a difference for the Kingdom of God, but Christians come to complete a task and remove it from a long list of “to dos” in their busy world. Corporate worship has become habitual while lacking spiritual meaning. …

Are You A Pillar Or A Caterpillar?, Harold Willmington

Dr. Willmington's Personal Observations of the Bible

No abstract provided.

Sr. Holy: A Calling From The Lord, Caitlyn Schaffer

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

This paper includes a portion of an interview with Sr. Holy, a woman religious missionary who belongs to the congregation of Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, where her theological beliefs are enacted by her service to others. Within the congregation of Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, she is focused on directing the novitiate, giving spiritual direction, volunteering with the aid for women, networking with the aid for women, and taking part in a life learning center making disciples. She uses her gifts that Jesus has given her to employ her virtues in the service of others. Throughout her life she mentioned the …

A History Of Nondenominational Churches In Denver And Beyond, 1945–2000, R. Norton Herbst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From 1945-2000, nondenominational churches in America developed from a scattering of independent congregations to one of the largest groups of churches in the nation. Few scholars have studied these churches as a cohesive movement. And many think they burst onto the American scene around the 1990s, though statistics suggest otherwise. Two questions, therefore, need to be addressed: What is the historical genealogy of nondenominational churches in modern America? And, is there a recognizable nondenominational church identity?

This study explores these questions in three ways. First, I survey the origins and development of Protestant denominationalism from the Reformation through the early …

An Examination Of The Teaching Of Missional Concepts Of Christian Discipleship And Their Potential For Creating An Attitudinal Change At Berea Lutheran Church, Richfield, Minnesota, Kevin Tiaden

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Tiaden, Kevin N. “An Examination of the Teachings of Missional Concepts of Christian Discipleship and their Potential for Creating Attitudinal Change at Berea Lutheran Church, Richfield, Minnesota.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 132 pp.

The purpose of this study is to examine the teaching of missional principles of discipleship at Berea Lutheran Church. I examine the attitudinal changes that take place as a result of this class. The first step in this process is looking at what those missional and Biblical principles are and then creating a method of teaching them in a large group setting …

Cultivating Cultural Competence Among The Leadership Of A Multi-Ethnic Congregation For Zion Lutheran Church, Oneida Wisconsin, Mark Schumm

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Schumm, Mark E., “Cultivating Cultural Competence Among the Leadership of a Multi-Ethnic Congregation for Zion Lutheran Church, Oneida, Wisconsin.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 164 pp.

Zion Lutheran Church is a congregation composed of Native American and Anglo members serving a multi-ethnic community. A group of leaders from Zion took part in a learning community designed to explore Biblical understanding of church, mission, culture, and the history of the community. The Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory was administered at the beginning and conclusion of the project to assess growth in cultural competence.

Emerging Young Adult Spiritual Formation: A Developmental Approach For An Intergenerational Church, Frederick R. Fay

Doctor of Ministry

There is a growing disconnect between young adults and the church. Research into this specific and recent phase of life shows how cultural trends have shaped the spiritual lives of emerging adults. This dissertation claims that the loss of relevancy of the church for young adults is rooted in how the church has either capitulated or ignored these trends. Section 1 addresses the current immature faith that is endemic in many contemporary churches. The church’s history and the culture within which it is embedded are examined. Section 2 describes other approaches to spiritual formation of young adults. Section 3 asserts …

Understanding The Complexity Of Family: Examining Family Systems And The Process Of Relationship For Families And Congregation Of First Baptist Church Woodbury, Tn, William H. Hay V.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Understanding the Complexity of Family: Examining Family Systems and Processes of Relationship for Families and Congregation of the First Baptist Church of Woodbury, Tennessee is a project designed to share family systems theory with families and church. Through six didactic sessions (triangulation, anxiety, self-differentiation, over and under functioning, crucial conversations, projection) and reflective journaling, families are encouraged to recognize the processes of being family and the parallel processes of family that are present in the life of a congregation. Using quantitative and qualitative instruments, results show that family and congregational functioning can be improved through raising awareness of systems process.

Reaching The Community Through Childcare: A Plan To Use Early Childhood Centers To Assimilate Members Into Resurrection Lutheran Church In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Christopher Ascher

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Ascher, Christopher D. “Reaching the Community Through Childcare: A Plan to use Early Childhood Centers To Assimilate Members into Resurrection Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.” DMin Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, [2014]. [207] pp.

Churches have for some time operated early childhood programs. Often times the stated reason is to reach out to those in their community, and the unstated reason is to bring members and growth into their congregations. This project is a descriptive study that surveyed congregations operating an early childhood center. Follow up interviews were then conducted with church staff whose congregations saw some growth …

Stations Of The Cross: An Imitative Devotional Exercise Conducted At Lamb Of God Lutheran Church Spartanburg, South Carolina, John Rickert

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The general goal of this project was to strengthen the spiritual life of the members of Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Spartanburg, SC. It was held that introducing a form of the Stations of the Cross at Lamb of God could help towards this goal. The congregation responded to both a pre-project survey and a post-project survey. Three couples were also interviewed before and after the project. The results indicate that the Stations of the Cross can indeed be valuable in strengthening the spiritual life of believers who use them.

Pastor Is As Pastor Does – 2kf Ministry Model, Martin Brauer

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The primary purpose of this project was to introduce to pastors The Pastor Is As Pastor Does 2KF Ministry Model. This model has been implemented in the principle researcher’s congregation over the past six years. This model delineates between 2 Kinds of Functions in the church: pastoral and operational. The operation functions are then delegated to nonclergy paid and volunteer staff. This ministry model has improved the performance of both functions while also diminishing role confusion in and about the pastoral office. The secondary purpose of this project was to assist pastors in adapting this ministry model to their circumstance. …

Correspondence Of Roger Hedlund: Letters Jan-June 1995, Roger Hedlund

Papers of Roger Hedlund

No abstract provided.

A Model For Revitalizing And Restructuring Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Jerry Grimes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a model of ministry that will revitalize Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, which over the past 102 years, has been characterized by stagnate membership, diminishing evangelistic efforts and a declining spiritual impact. This project will detail a model that allows for a restructuring of Peter's Tabernacle that neither denigrates its traditional approach to congregational life nor disrupts its standard hierarchy. Presented will be an implementable approach to developing small groups of congregants trained to evangelize those communities surrounding Peter's Tabernacle while maintaining the administrative structure of its congregational leadership.

Unto The Least Of These: The Pentecostal Church And Social Ministry, Stacey U Tucker

Doctoral Dissertations

This project explores the relationship of Pentecostal churches in the U.S. to social ministry. Taken from the results of multivariate logistic regression and likelihood ratio tests utilizing the National Congregations Study , a nationally representative sample of US congregations, I found that Pentecostal congregations are statistically less likely to participate in social ministry than non-Pentecostal Christian congregations. Through chi-square analyses, I also found Pentecostal churches to be less likely than non-Pentecostal Conservative congregations to participate in social ministry. Through a series of interviews and observations of five Pentecostal Assemblies of God churches in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, assessments were …

Scripture Comes Alive, Betty Grit

Symposium on Worship Archive

Grant recipients will describe how their congregations became engaged through sermons, music and visual arts to bring Scripture to life.

From Nominal To Radical Discipleship: One Church’S Approach To Disciple Making, Wayne Berk Walters

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The majority of mainline denomination churches in America have experienced decline in membership, worship attendance, and vitality for over fifty years. As well, church members’ lifestyles, commitments, and habits tend to be not all that unlike Americans who do not attend church. Many church members live relatively nominal Christian lives when compared to the nature of the Christian life and discipleship described by Jesus in the gospels of the New Testament. This nominal understanding and adoption of the Christian life makes church membership and involvement unnecessary or secondary to the many other demands in modern life. Denominational officials, church pastors, …

Congregational Health And Wellness Ministry Using Locus Of Control To Develop Teaching Methods, Theresa Lee Trivette

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

Faith communities have a unique opportunity to help congregational members modify health-seeking behaviors in order to reduce modifiable health risk factors. Health researchers have increased their use of health locus of control as a preferred method for studying health promotion and sick-role behaviors. Targeted education and activities designed from the context of the subjects' health locus of control may provide an effective method to influence people to make positive healthy behavior modifications with a higher likelihood of success because locus of control beliefs have been shown to have direct relationships with healthy behavior choices. The health locus of control theory …

A Pastoral Theology Of Congregational Care And Leadership: Nurturing Emergence, Carol P. Jeunnette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As with all bodies, congregational bodies experience challenges to their health, well-being, and ability to function as they desire. Problems in faith communities range from severe, intractable conflict to lethargy and decline, with far-ranging effects. The practice of offering pastoral care to individuals experiencing difficulties is rooted deeply in the Judeo-Christian tradition. There is, however, no explicit tradition of pastoral care for corporate congregational bodies experiencing difficulties. This dissertation draws on Bowen Family Systems Theory and its application by Edwin Friedman to congregations and leadership, in conjunction with aspects of process theology, to develop a pastoral theology of congregational care …

The Transformational Effects Of Forgiveness In The Lives Of Members Of The Kingsboro Temple Congregation, Joseph E. Ainsworth

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Forgiveness is a crucial need within the congregation, and the lack of a greater practice of forgiveness is severely impacting the emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing of members. This present study investigated causes of hurt within the congregation, and designed a process to assist members in achieving forgiveness to empower them to live a forgiven life.

Method

The Pearson Correlations of Values measured 17 variables of spirituality and forgiveness against variables of avoidance, revenge, distancing, and feeling close. The ] 7 variables were reviewed and validated by Dr. Joan Atwood as a check and balance to personal biases. Forty-eight …

In The Service Of God - Mixed Choir, Keith Rowley

Keith D Rowley

Anthem for SATB choir, congregation and organ with words from D&C 4:2-3. Incorporates the hymn "God of Power, God of Right;" tune by Tracy Y. Cannon and words by Wallace F. Bennett.

Development Of A Servant Leadership Training Process For Elected Board Chairpersons, Larry Tieman

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project is an exercise in training board chairpersons to become servant leaders who will bring people and programs together for the completion of identified tasks within the life of the congregation. The project will seek to: 1) clarify the roles of eight chairpersons; 2) form the chairpersons into servant leaders; and 3) mentor each chairperson through the counsel and guidance of others.

As a result of the project the percentage of active members has increased by 58% and the average member gives 33% more time in service to the church.

Congregational Caring For Those Experiencing Pain And Suffering, Nanette Dost

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Often people feel inadequate both in handling their own pain and in helping others who are in pain. It is easier to walk away and refuse to see the pain we know is there. In a world where self-help books and medical treatments abound, how can the Christian congregation offer its unique contribution of the Gospel? Christian community can help to remove pain, teach skills in coping with pain, and integrate pain meaningfully into life. A benefit of Christian community for individuals is in giving meaning to the pain they experience through Jesus' presence.

Chapter 1will explore the history and …