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Articles 31 - 60 of 116
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Son Of God And Trinitarian Identity Statements, Matthew Owen, John Anthony Dunne
The Son Of God And Trinitarian Identity Statements, Matthew Owen, John Anthony Dunne
Seminary Faculty Publications
Classical Trinitarians claim that Jesus—the Son of God—is truly God and that there is only one God and the Father is God, the Spirit is God, and the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct. However, if the identity statement that ‘the Son is God’ is understood in the sense of numerical identity, logical incoherence seems immanent. Yet, if the identity statement is understood according to an ‘is’ of predication then it lacks accuracy and permits polytheism. Therefore, we argue that there is another sense of ‘is’ needed in trinitarian discourse that will allow the Christian to avoid logical incoherence while …
Awana Together: Empowering Parents As Spiritual Mentors For Their Children, Sara-Jane Heacox Sosa
Awana Together: Empowering Parents As Spiritual Mentors For Their Children, Sara-Jane Heacox Sosa
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The post-Christian culture in the United States presents a significant challenge to the spiritual growth of adults and children. At Plymouth Covenant Church, ministry leaders recognized that young parents often lacked a biblical foundation. Many did not feel competent to lead their children spiritually. These parents needed a vibrant personal faith as well as good role models and encouragement. As a result, ministry leaders designed a more effective way to empower parents as spiritual mentors for their children. They created a new ministry that would provide personal faith development for parents, a supportive faith community, family-focused programming, and solid biblical …
A Phenomenology Of Authentic Leadership, Joshua J. Tilley
A Phenomenology Of Authentic Leadership, Joshua J. Tilley
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This thesis asks a question about what if feels like to experience authentic leadership. The purpose is to grasp the essence of authentic leadership as experienced through the lives of those who have served under and/or over those they perceive and identify as “authentic” leaders. This was done through a series of steps. This began with a literary and a biblical review which were conducted to establish the current scholarship related to authentic leadership. Finally, a new phenomenological study was conducted in October of 2018 to expand upon these findings and the essence is described. Through the phenomenology and subsequent …
Can The Church Of God Pursue Ethnic Diversity In Leadership?, Fijoy Linord Johnson
Can The Church Of God Pursue Ethnic Diversity In Leadership?, Fijoy Linord Johnson
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Church of God denomination has more than seven million members in 185 nations and territories. More than 36,000 congregations serve around the world. The Church of God denomination has been in existence for 130 years and in its entire historyno person of color served on the International Executive Committee until the year 2008.The question this project explored is how can the Church of God promote cultural diversity in leadership? The lives of Joseph, Jonah, and Jesus and the Antioch Church were studied to seek God’s view of diversity. A study was conducted on the importance of diversity and inclusion …
Diaspora, Migration, And Refugees In Europe: Developing Leadership Within Multicultural Teams, Matthew S. Paschall
Diaspora, Migration, And Refugees In Europe: Developing Leadership Within Multicultural Teams, Matthew S. Paschall
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This research study addressed the challenge of developing leaders in the midst of the recent refugee crisis in Europe, historic waves of immigration, and ongoing global migration of diaspora peoples. Migration has led to unprecedented diversity in leadership as leaders from the Global South are relocating North and West. Each person carries preconceived cultural notions of how leaders should function and interact. Church and mission leaders must be equipped to navigate this complex cultural environment in order for multicultural teams to work effectively. The researcher based the theology of multicultural leadership in the Trinity where Father, Son, and Spirit expressed …
Narratives Church: A Missional Church Planting Path For Cultivating A Unified Theological Vision, Mark Miller
Narratives Church: A Missional Church Planting Path For Cultivating A Unified Theological Vision, Mark Miller
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This research project focused on the development of a unified theological vision for the missional movement with specific attention given to the United States. The researcher conducted a thorough investigation of Scripture and current biblical material in order to discern the barriers existing within the missional movement. The researcher looked at key areas that shape the missional church planting movement: leadership development, theological interpretation of the early church, church planting methods and practice, ecclesiology, and the application and interpretation of Ephesians 4:11. Four church planting organizations participated: North American Mission Board (NAMB), Acts 29 Network, Association of Related Churches (ARC), …
Can You Hear Me Now? Effective Preaching In A Post-Church Culture, Randall Dean Ahlberg
Can You Hear Me Now? Effective Preaching In A Post-Church Culture, Randall Dean Ahlberg
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This project addressed the need for preaching principles that more effectively communicate to those living in the realities of our current cultural. In examining the sermons of the apostle Paul, it was evident that he significantly contextualized his message to his various audiences, demonstrating for all preachers the need to engage in not only good exegesis of the text but in good exegesis of the audience. The researcher attempted to gain a better understanding of the culture of the community surrounding his church in Andover, Minnesota and ways to communicate clearly to this culture. The primary tool used was a …
Multiethnic And Missional: God’S Heart For An Integrated And Diverse Church, Justin Saul Hiebert
Multiethnic And Missional: God’S Heart For An Integrated And Diverse Church, Justin Saul Hiebert
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The American church is largely segregated and homogenous. This has not only stunted the growth of the church but led to an ineffective and limited mission vision. The contemporary American church must reclaim the biblical mandate to be both ethnically diverse and missionally minded. Through a qualitative research methodology this research project focuses on creating a healthy and sustainable multiethnic identity and leadership structure. Through interviewing and visiting some of the leading multiethnic churches of the Central Valley of California, the researcher lays out a clear understanding and argument for multiethnic churches. This paper examines the book of Acts, interviewing …
The Contributions Of Spiritual Formation Questions To Redeeming The Shadow Side Of Pastoral Identity, Natalie Hendrickson
The Contributions Of Spiritual Formation Questions To Redeeming The Shadow Side Of Pastoral Identity, Natalie Hendrickson
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
There is a well-documented problem of shadow side issues, hidden sin or dysfunction, derailing many pastoral leaders and devastating families, congregations, and whole communities. In response to this problem, this Doctor of Ministry thesis project sought to explore the contributions of spiritual formation questions to redeeming the shadow side of pastoral identity. This researcher explored biblical questions and focused on the questions of Jesus in the Gospels to identify an efficacious spiritual formation approach to using questions in redemptive work. In addition, this researcher conducted more than a year of fieldwork with pastoral participants utilizing mixed-method data analysis. Quantitative data …
Fivefold Ministry: An Expressional Church Model For Releasing 21st-Century Disciples Into Their Missional Potential And Design, Nick Francis Stephens
Fivefold Ministry: An Expressional Church Model For Releasing 21st-Century Disciples Into Their Missional Potential And Design, Nick Francis Stephens
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Making disciples is the mission of the church. However, the task of equipping and releasing disciples has become progressively complex with the increased access to information and influence shaped by popular leadership content. This has resulted in the emergence of numerous discipleship methodologies that have targeted specific church growth models while lacking transference. While the 21st-century church is undergoing drastic change, a new discipleship perspective is needed for releasing 21st-century disciples into their missional potential and design. The problem this research addressed is the need for identifying barriers keeping the church from fully expressing the fivefold functions listed in Ephesians …
Palatable And Profitable: Making The Sermon More Useful As A Catalyst For Millennials' Spiritual Growth, Frank E. Weller
Palatable And Profitable: Making The Sermon More Useful As A Catalyst For Millennials' Spiritual Growth, Frank E. Weller
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The problem this project addressed is the limitation of the sermon as a catalyst for spiritual growth in Millennials due to the static nature of the sermon as a means for communicating the gospel and the significant differences in the Millennial cohort compared to previous generations. In response to this problem the researcher studied the principles of contextualization exhibited in the sermons of Peter and Paul recorded in Acts. He reviewed literature related to the unique characteristics of Millennials, including how they learn and interact with faith, and the missiological concept of contextualizing the gospel to cultures where it is …
Unity In Diversity: An Intentional Plan To Move From Inclusion To Belonging To Becoming, Brian R. Mowrey
Unity In Diversity: An Intentional Plan To Move From Inclusion To Belonging To Becoming, Brian R. Mowrey
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this thesis project was to develop an intentional plan to embrace and celebrate unity in diversity at Walnut Hill Community Church. The church enjoyed diversity in race, ethnicity, age and ability but had no plan to embrace and celebrate the diversity present within the congregation. The purpose of this project was to present recommendations to the leadership of Walnut Hill that would guide the church into a new season of unity in diversity, attract more diversity into the church and more effectively impact an increasingly divided world by uniquely living out the vision of Jesus Christ to …
Disciple-Making: Key Ingredients For Building God’S Kingdom, Sid Emory
Disciple-Making: Key Ingredients For Building God’S Kingdom, Sid Emory
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The first century Church was founded in response to the disciple-making processes of Jesus. His disciples were transformed by following Jesus in a way that obedience, transformation, community, education, worship, and the expansion of God’s kingdom became the central themes of their lives. This study addressed the need to understand the disciple-making process found in Scripture in a way that will yield the results that are found in the Book of Acts primarily those found in Acts 2:42-47. Christian churches of every denomination, tradition, model, and size have been called to make disciples. The Scripture, literature, interviews, and surveys researched …
Addressing The Need For Greater Social Competence Of Lutheran Brethren Seminary Students Entering Pastoral Ministry, Nathan G. Oldenkamp
Addressing The Need For Greater Social Competence Of Lutheran Brethren Seminary Students Entering Pastoral Ministry, Nathan G. Oldenkamp
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study employed an interview process with pastors and leaders in a small Lutheran denomination to investigate the relationship between social competence and pastoral development. The study data was then evaluated alongside other research regarding what should be taught and how it should be taught to pastoral students. Results indicated that spiritual, intrapersonal, and interpersonal dimensions were related to pastoral competence. Spiritual competence was related to a pastor who lives in the Word of God and is a servant of the Word of God. Intrapersonal competence was associated with pastors who reflect on themselves and develop themselves. Interpersonal competence was …
In Humility: Developing Intercultural Competence Among Leaders Of A Reconciliation Organization In Israel-Palestine, Debra J. Bayes
In Humility: Developing Intercultural Competence Among Leaders Of A Reconciliation Organization In Israel-Palestine, Debra J. Bayes
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to explore the need for intercultural competence development among leaders of a Christian reconciliation organization (Musalaha) in Israel-Palestine. Success in reconciliation work depends on many factors of which intercultural competence is one. Living in a region of great diversity or even frequent interaction with cultural others is no guarantee of a high level of intercultural competence. The researcher sought to gather information on current levels of intercultural competence among Musalaha leaders as well as material on the best means for continued development. A biblical reflection included an examination of Philippians 2:1-11 as a source …
The Need To Equip Lutheran Congregations In Mission For Christ Church Planters For Spiritual Warfare, David John Heinrich
The Need To Equip Lutheran Congregations In Mission For Christ Church Planters For Spiritual Warfare, David John Heinrich
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this research project was to address the need for spiritual warfare training and equipping for church planters to be more efficient in mission within the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) movement. The researcher designed a sequential mixed method approach to this research with LCMC church planters. The research findings demonstrated that church planters were well educated but 96 percent did not receive any formal spiritual warfare training and equipping in seminary or Bible school; the spiritual warfare training environment preferred was hands-on activation workshops.
An Investigation Of Self-Care Practices And Principles Among The Pentecostal-Apostolic Clergy, Chelsea A. Hall
An Investigation Of Self-Care Practices And Principles Among The Pentecostal-Apostolic Clergy, Chelsea A. Hall
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this research project was to investigate the perspectives and practices of self-care among Pentecostal-Apostolic (P-A) clergy, and create a set of principles to assist the P-A clergy in conducting a God-honoring self-care. This was done through use of a convergent-parallel mixed method research design, with a case study approach. Literature reviews were conducted in biblical, theological and psychological research areas, while a survey containing both qualitative open-ended questions and quantitative Likert-scale items was developed and distributed via email to P-A clergy from the United Pentecostal Church International, Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship, and Independent organizations. Thirty-four complete responses were …
The Crucible Of Orthodoxy And Orthopraxy: Examining The Intersections Of Social Justice, Moral Development And Theology, Eydie Dyke Shypulski
The Crucible Of Orthodoxy And Orthopraxy: Examining The Intersections Of Social Justice, Moral Development And Theology, Eydie Dyke Shypulski
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research was to better understand the relationship between moral development, theology and social justice within a Christian context. An apparent disconnect exists regarding how people of faith apply personal morals and theological perspectives when positioning themselves with regard to public policy and social justice issues. The researcher sought to extract information that would have implications for professional social practice, social work ethical and practice pedagogy, for faith-based institutions of higher learning and for the broader Christian community. A theological reflection included a brief examination of Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophies of moral and ethical development followed by …
From Apathy To Mission: A Critical Transition For Pastors And Leaders Of Faithful, Yet Changing Congregations, Dale R. Stiles
From Apathy To Mission: A Critical Transition For Pastors And Leaders Of Faithful, Yet Changing Congregations, Dale R. Stiles
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Throughout the researcher’s 20 years of ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church he has continually been interested in the critical role effective biblical discipleship practices have on the 21st century church as well as the Church of the future. It is also of interest to many clergy and leaders of communities of faith, and with good reason. Many feel the discouragement when observing high levels of apathy within their churches and among the people they are called to serve. It is evident in many communities of faith and among individual believers that there is a problematic lack of passion, urgency, …
The Whole Servant Leader: Leading From The Inside Out, Jewel Denise Williams
The Whole Servant Leader: Leading From The Inside Out, Jewel Denise Williams
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
While research on servant leadership focuses on the behavior or actions of leaders toward the follower, this project examines the inward development of those leaders to determine what godly attributes need cultivation to demonstrate the seven virtues of Kathleen Patterson. Patterson’s doctoral work “Servant Leadership: A Theoretical Model,” was published in 2003 by Regent University School of Leadership Studies. The examination of the lives of pastors, leaders, and lay leaders defined as servant leaders based on Patterson’s theory helped in the development of an attribute-driven virtue-focused servant leadership development model for this project. These leaders were asked to share what …
A Model For The Development Of The Leaders Of A Regional Gospel Movement, Daniel Ray Nold
A Model For The Development Of The Leaders Of A Regional Gospel Movement, Daniel Ray Nold
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The problem this research project addressed was the need for a leadership development model for a regional gospel movement. While it is hoped that the research will serve regional gospel movements nationwide, the specific focus was the development of a model for leaders of a gospel movement in State College, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area. As the needs of our world expand and the transformative influence of the typical local congregation decreases, followers of Christ are seeking new expressions of church and new paths of transformation. This is driven by a desire to take the whole gospel to the whole …
Cultivating Emerging Leaders: Understanding A Pastor's Role, Spencer A. Click
Cultivating Emerging Leaders: Understanding A Pastor's Role, Spencer A. Click
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to understand the influence and impact a local church pastor can have in the development of emerging leaders. The researcher sought to understand a biblical model of the leader/follower relationship through examining the examples of Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, and Jesus/the disciples. These examples provided insight into the behaviors of established and emerging leaders and what roles each play in the developmental process. To further the study, a review of relevant literature pertaining to transformational leadership and follower-focused leadership models was completed. Servant leadership, situation leadership, and redemptive leadership were examined to understand the part an …
Shared Leadership: Bringing The Local Church Back To Its Biblical Roots Of Leadership, John A. Harrison
Shared Leadership: Bringing The Local Church Back To Its Biblical Roots Of Leadership, John A. Harrison
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The North American culture is experiencing seismic shifts in its leadership structures. One of these shifts is the growing momentum from traditional, hierarchical leadership models to flatter, team-driven, shared leadership structures. The first section of this project aims to understand the biblical and theological reasons for shared leadership. The relationship within the Triune God and other examples of shared leadership from Scripture are used to build the foundation and rationale for this type of structure in the local church. This section also identifies factors that caused the drift from shared leadership through a plurality of elders in the New Testament …
From The Suburbs To The City: Seeking The Shalom Of An Inner City Neighborhood, Elias Soiles
From The Suburbs To The City: Seeking The Shalom Of An Inner City Neighborhood, Elias Soiles
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Journey Community Church, a five-year old white, suburban, college-educated, middle class church, moved into the Bell Hill neighborhood of Worcester, Massachusetts on July 1, 2015. This was a neighborhood of which Journey Church knew almost nothing and of which it seemingly had little in common. The Bell Hill neighborhood is poor, working class, culturally and ethnically diverse with whites comprising less than forty percent of the population. This project outlines the model of ministry that enabled Journey Church to begin to reach its neighborhood and contribute to its holistic flourishing. The biblical and theological review examined the role and nature …
How Crisis And Relationship Lead To Faith Ownership, Jason D. Steffenhagen
How Crisis And Relationship Lead To Faith Ownership, Jason D. Steffenhagen
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
College is often the time when students are asking questions about their identity and worldview. These questions are brought on by conflicting authority figures and institutions while experiencing a location change and significant transition. The painful circumstances within someone’s life can also play a significant role in a student attempting to resolve tension and make sense of previously unchallenged belief systems. The question this project engaged is how college students take ownership of their faith. The methodology for the project was mixed methods with a qualitative emphasis. The research instruments utilized were the Faith Development Scale, an online open-ended questionnaire, …
The Need For Interchurch Unity Among Northern New England Evangelical Churches, Philip Andrew Wood
The Need For Interchurch Unity Among Northern New England Evangelical Churches, Philip Andrew Wood
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This project addresses the lack of and need for unity between evangelical churches in northern New England. It is not an area known for cooperation, being open to change, or orthodox Christianity. It is a region with typically small churches that should unify under the Gospel message, yet many of these churches have lacked the desire to cooperate in the past. This project provides a route to a more cooperative, Christ-like, and unified evangelical interchurch community. Biblical and theological sources were used to gather data for this project. This data focused on passages pertaining to church unity and disunity from …
Homophobia In The African American Church In Dmv, Nurney Kasem Mason
Homophobia In The African American Church In Dmv, Nurney Kasem Mason
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A look at some causes of homophobia in the African American(AA) church in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Using mixed methods and interviews, the researcher uncovered some reasons why homophobia exists in the AA church. Based on the data the researcher constructed a rubric scale AA leaders can use as a reference. The researcher offered fourteen recommendations AA church leaders can use as a tool to assist them in ministering to the LGBT members in the AA church.
A Model For Small Church Leadership To Support Their Minister’S Self-Care, Jeremy Allard
A Model For Small Church Leadership To Support Their Minister’S Self-Care, Jeremy Allard
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The complexity of vocational ministry is difficult to manage and maintain. Balancing the complex nature of the church, relationships, family life, spiritual and personal life provides the minister with a struggle that rarely ceases. Pursuing self-care within this environment can provide relief to the struggle but is difficult to do alone. The study seeks to provide a model for local church leadership to support their minister so he or she can successfully manage ministry and personal life through self-care practices. The project identified ministers employed at Stone-Campbell churches with a weekly attendance of less than 125 in Minnesota and Wisconsin. …
Biblical Metaphors For Servant Leadership: A Strong Foundation For Leadership Development, Gary A. Runn
Biblical Metaphors For Servant Leadership: A Strong Foundation For Leadership Development, Gary A. Runn
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This project addresses the lack of a biblically grounded model for servant leadership. Research explored three biblical metaphors as the foundation for a leadership development framework: servant, shepherd, and steward. First, the servant metaphor, through a posture of worship and submission to Jesus, gives expression to servant leadership through representative authority and genuine humility. Second, the shepherd metaphor, through a posture of selfless sacrifice to followers, gives expression to servant leadership through compassion and care. Third, the steward metaphor, through a posture of extreme faithfulness to the Master, gives expression to servant leadership through courage and risk-taking in the mission. …
Life Mapping As A Means Of Redemptive Transformation: Change The Name And The Story Is About You, Noel A. Sherry
Life Mapping As A Means Of Redemptive Transformation: Change The Name And The Story Is About You, Noel A. Sherry
All Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This project explored the formation practice known as Life Mapping, on the hypothesis that it is a catalyst for varied forms of spiritual transformation, quickening, and awakening. Though there are clear antecedents in the Christian tradition, the practice was initiated when Saint Augustine explored the work of God in his life, recording that first spiritual autobiography in his classic theological and philosophical work Confessions. A “Life Map” is a contemporary term for a spiritual quest to make sense of one’s whole life. This researcher discovered the practice with mentors who guided him through a church crisis at midlife using a …