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Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi Apr 2024

Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the need to develop committed Christian servants within a church ministry context by utilizing a spiritual formation initiative focused on service as a means towards and evidence of spiritual formation and development. Fairhaven Church of Rootstown had not been instructed on the fundamental need for members to serve together. Consequently, service within the church was not a necessary part of discipleship or its spiritual growth plan. The purpose of this intervention was to create and implement a three-fold spiritual development initiative focused on Christian service that includes a sermon series, a midweek study, and a …


Church And Community: Bridging The Gap To Create A Culture Of Acceptance And Inclusiveness, Matthew L. Brown Apr 2024

Church And Community: Bridging The Gap To Create A Culture Of Acceptance And Inclusiveness, Matthew L. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN project helped St. Paul High Street Baptist Church develop a community engagement team that helped them reestablish its long-lasting relationship with the community surrounding the church. Certain issues within and outside of the church were discussed that had led to a lack of community engagement within recent years. A community engagement team was put together to help bridge the gap between the church and its surrounding community. To help with this, several community engagement team events were held, and surveys were given to both church and community members. Through the successful completion of this project, St. Paul High …


Developing Health Ministries Beyond The Disparities In The Community, Tasha Renea Berry-Lewis Mar 2024

Developing Health Ministries Beyond The Disparities In The Community, Tasha Renea Berry-Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an upswing in the lack of awareness concerning disparities and the lack of resources available in many of the neighborhoods in the Chicagoland area. The Washington Park and Bronzeville areas are two (2) communities among several others in the Chicago area that are considered to be low-income neighborhoods with minimal resources and an increasing concern of disparities. As a church in the community, it is vitally important we provide a place of hope and trust for people to come for help and refuge. Developing a service such as a health and wellness ministry …


Exploring The Foundations Of Music Education Learning Communities In Rural Texas School Districts, Carnell De'leon Simmons Sep 2023

Exploring The Foundations Of Music Education Learning Communities In Rural Texas School Districts, Carnell De'leon Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This explanatory sequential mixed method study identified the challenges of creating, implementing, evaluating, and revising a Music Education Learning Community (MELC) model in developing/metro-commuting rural school districts outside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex of Texas. Influences such as Professional Learning Communities (PLC), the Community Learning Exchange (CLE), and educational partnerships have accelerated the need for applied collaborations to improve music programs. This study showed increased support through a Music Education Learning Community (MELC). MELCs enhanced the skills and knowledge of music educators, families, and community organizations through collaborative analysis, an exchange of expertise, and frequent dialogue. The focus of this study …


Metamorphosis Of The Traditional Church: The Hybrid Church Model, Steven Edward Adams Aug 2023

Metamorphosis Of The Traditional Church: The Hybrid Church Model, Steven Edward Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For several decades, Church attendance in America has steadily declined. This observation is corroborated by extensive surveys and academic research analyzing church attrition. The national attendance phenomenon is evident is also evident at Livingwater Church of God. Using the Livingwater Church of God as the test lab, this project utilized and implemented the Hybrid Church Model, and evaluated its effectiveness for improvements. Substantiated by practical research surveys, interviews, and academic research, this thesis addresses attendance decline with a systematic implementation, evaluation, and modification of the Hybrid Model for the local church unique to the Western North Carolina area. This ministry …


Resetting Foundations. Congregational Training For The Small Group Ministry: An Action Research To Correct Intent, Cultivate Community, And Grow Spiritually, Jarrett Gallardo Jul 2023

Resetting Foundations. Congregational Training For The Small Group Ministry: An Action Research To Correct Intent, Cultivate Community, And Grow Spiritually, Jarrett Gallardo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Small group ministry is crucial for the health and well-being of the church. The problem this DMIN action research sought to address was that Valley Gate Church did not grasp the purpose of small group ministry due to not implementing small groups with well-defined intent. Valley Gate Church is a church plant that launched in 2016. This DMIN action research aimed to create and implement a six-week congregational training to develop small group leaders and members at Valley Gate Church. Twenty-two participants were involved in the entire six-week training. All participants took a pre- and post-training assessment consisting of surveys, …


The Impact Of External Stakeholders' Collaboration On International Student Enrollment In The College Of Career And Technical Education In A City In The North-Central United States: A Case Study, Jacques Kubranz Buhendwa May 2023

The Impact Of External Stakeholders' Collaboration On International Student Enrollment In The College Of Career And Technical Education In A City In The North-Central United States: A Case Study, Jacques Kubranz Buhendwa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This intrinsic case study aimed to understand how the external stakeholders' (ESs) collaboration impacts international students’ enrollment in the College of Career and Technical Education (CCTE) in the North Central United States. The stakeholder theory guided this qualitative case study, based on the philosophical assumption expressed in the ontological assumption taken from the social constructivism paradigm (Vygotsky, 1916). The central research question was: How do the collaboration of the external stakeholders of the college of career and technical education, the alums (international students), and their local community leaders impact new students’ enrollment? The objective was to understand this phenomenon and …


Virtual Recovery: Bringing The Kingdom To An Online Community, Andrew Charles Matts Apr 2023

Virtual Recovery: Bringing The Kingdom To An Online Community, Andrew Charles Matts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Soon after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension, the fledgling church community divided into two camps: One favoring the inclusion of Gentile converts only if they observed traditional Jewish Law and custom (e.g., circumcision) and the other, led by Paul, asserting that following Jesus did not require such formality and legalism. A lengthy debate concluded by reaching into the Gentile community to provide a captivating kingdom message of hope, love, and compassion. Today, the traditional, physical church community faces a growing challenge: reaching into a growing online community by providing a captivating kingdom message, while recognizing that potential recipients of the message …


Organic Leadership Training: A Training And Assessment Program For Potential House Church Leaders, David Glenn Bailey Apr 2023

Organic Leadership Training: A Training And Assessment Program For Potential House Church Leaders, David Glenn Bailey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research thesis project engaged non-professionally trained Christians who worked through the early stages of Christian leadership development and house church planting. The project utilized a six-week training program in which participants hosted a prayer meeting, chose a confession, led a Bible study, designed an outreach ministry, hosted a worship meeting, and drafted future house church resolutions and a community rule. The participants engaged in a weekly targeted spiritual discipline to foster spiritual formation. Data were collected through journaling, entrance and exit questionnaires, activity guides, post-activity questionnaires, and participant-observations. The research indicates that organic leadership training inspires confidence in …


A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin Dec 2022

A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current events and relatively recent technological developments have caused and significantly increased the use of digital technology in most aspects of life. The digital revolution, as some have termed it, has permeated all organizations, from businesses to institutions of higher learning, including religious institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine Christian church leaders’ perspectives on whether the internet church fulfills the biblical and theological definitions of the church or biblical community. At this stage in the research internet church, also known as online church, e-church, virtual church, etc., is defined as a group of people with shared …


Disaster Preparedness Plan For Cascade Hills Church, Columbus, Georgia, Kenneth Durell Dawson Jun 2021

Disaster Preparedness Plan For Cascade Hills Church, Columbus, Georgia, Kenneth Durell Dawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While churches, especially large churches, may consider themselves well-prepared for a disruption in normal activities, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated churches’ lack of preparedness on multiple levels. This disaster as well as other natural or manmade disasters could disrupt normal functions of a church and seriously impede a church’s outreach to the community. This project defines the problem and delineates a plan for Cascade Hills Church in Columbus, Georgia. This study designs and implements an intervention by interviewing church staff members and by seeking the input of an expert in the field of disaster recovery. Results are measured by a tabletop …


Church Guests Matter: A Strategic Program To Welcome Guests, Adam Mark Walker Apr 2021

Church Guests Matter: A Strategic Program To Welcome Guests, Adam Mark Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will measure the success of acquiring and retaining guests by gauging the efforts made to welcome guests by utilizing a questionnaire among community guests. A Church sitting in a diverse community in Moravian Falls, North Carolina, accessible to nearby schools and a local town is in decline. Today, small churches close their doors, and pastors are leaving the vocational ministry. The ministry of the church is to fulfill the greatest commandment by loving God and loving others. However, many churches today have confined the essentials of the church to inside the walls. A church willing to seek the …


The Lived Experiences Of Male Generation Z Collegians: Transcendental Phenomenological Approach, Nona Pratt Oshman Reynolds Apr 2021

The Lived Experiences Of Male Generation Z Collegians: Transcendental Phenomenological Approach, Nona Pratt Oshman Reynolds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the academic experiences of 11 male Generation Z born between 1995-2012 and describe their undergraduate collegiate experiences by exploring their thoughts and perceptions. The central question is: What are the academic experiences of male undergraduate Generation Z college students? Intrinsic and extrinsic factors are sinuous in the lives of Generation Z males; therefore, sub-questions investigated the views of participants regarding the implications of generational shifts, motivations, societal trends, and technology within higher education. Purposive, criterion, and snowball sampling were used to select 11 participants. The educational theories of constructivism, sociocultural, …


A Study Of American Rural Music Educators: The Impact On Community Involvement In Music, Stanley Norman Harris Iii Apr 2021

A Study Of American Rural Music Educators: The Impact On Community Involvement In Music, Stanley Norman Harris Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study intends to discover and evaluate positive and negative relationships that music educators experience while teaching in rural educational settings and to discover if broader community involvement can help mitigate resource reductions. Influences such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) have accelerated reductions in music programs. The purpose of the investigation is to recognize the feasibility of rural music educators leveraging increased support through community involvement to benefit their local music programs and students. The study's focus is twofold: first, to discover and examine what causes rural music educators to not participate …


A Strategy For Conducting Evangelism And Discipleship With The Unchurched In The Cane Bay Plantation Residential Development’S Restricted Communities In Summerville, Sc, John Paul Tornifolio Sep 2020

A Strategy For Conducting Evangelism And Discipleship With The Unchurched In The Cane Bay Plantation Residential Development’S Restricted Communities In Summerville, Sc, John Paul Tornifolio

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The late Twentieth and early Twenty-first Centuries witnessed an unprecedented rise in the numbers of families moving into restricted, residential communities, seeking security, an improved quality of life, and high property values. These communities hinder traditional churches from fulfilling the Great Commission. Homeowners’ associations disallow door-to-door neighborhood evangelism. Zoning laws prevent churches from erecting buildings for church services and discipleship programs. This research studies the effectiveness of small group ministries, using non-traditional evangelism and discipleship methods, as a counter measure to these hindrances. The study results found small groups are an effective method of fulfilling the Great Commission in restricted, …


A Model For Mentoring The Millennials Of The Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church To Perform Relevant Urban Ministry In Harlem, Cory Ryan Marshall Jun 2020

A Model For Mentoring The Millennials Of The Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church To Perform Relevant Urban Ministry In Harlem, Cory Ryan Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to one scholar, the millennial generation shares the same core values as the older generational cohorts within the Christian church. Though both groups share these values, the point of contention that arises is the way that ministry is performed. All these generations possess an ideal concerning the right way to execute the tasks associated with performing ministry but fail to realize that all generations have something valid to contribute to the conversation on the praxis of ministry. This is the attitude reflected at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harlem, which is located in the Manhattan section of New …


A Study On ‘Big Forest Movement’ Of Ansandongsan Church: The Case Of Church Planting, Dongsung Park May 2020

A Study On ‘Big Forest Movement’ Of Ansandongsan Church: The Case Of Church Planting, Dongsung Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation aims to study about the ‘Big Forest Movement’ conducted by Ansan Dongsan Church which experienced healthy growth in its community through small group ministry. The Korean church has been leading growth and revival through church planting. However, from the 21st century, church growth is rapidly declining and planted churches are also experiencing severe period of decline. There are still many churches being planted but the reality is that many of them are not growing or being shut down. There may be various reasons for this phenomenon but the main reasons would be the lack of preparation and no …


Developing Reciprocal Community In Jackson Baptist Church, Jamie Ryan Wilson Apr 2020

Developing Reciprocal Community In Jackson Baptist Church, Jamie Ryan Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Jackson Baptist Church lacks reciprocal community amongst its regular attendees and visitors. The focus is on the large group gathering on Sundays which has developed a consumer-based culture within the church. In both the Old and New Testaments, there are examples of reciprocal community. Acts 2:44(NASB) it states, “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common.” The church in the first century developed an active reciprocal community. Strategies laid out in scripture and church history can assist building community. This project by taking those strategies will conduct an awareness campaign at Jackson Baptist on …


Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland Feb 2020

Spiritual Transformation: Community Outreach And The Harvest House Of Hope, In San Bernardino, Ca, Kevin Duane Strickland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Harvest House of Hope (HHH) located in the inner-city of San Bernardino, Ca offers a mission services ministry to their community, they had become inactive in their community outreach missions. The ministry concerns of HHH surround the subject of spiritual transformation and the role of the church in community outreach. The purpose of this project is to educate the men, women, and children of Harvest House of Hope on the value of mission services, in hopes to drive them towards the spirit of community outreach. The proposed educational component included a theological structure built upon the Holy Scripture, as …


American God Story: Creating Shared Cultural Context With Popular Television, Timothy Joseph Rosenberger Jan 2020

American God Story: Creating Shared Cultural Context With Popular Television, Timothy Joseph Rosenberger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers increasingly encounter a stark divide between their cultural contexts and those of the people they seek to evangelize. This divide is particularly pronounced in popular culture where the television, movies, music, and books that appeal to Christians often are radically different than those that appeal to mainstream Americans. Without a shared cultural language, and a shared network of cultural touch points, it can be challenging to form meaningful connection between, and amongst, church members and unchurched community members. This study pioneers an intervention in which church members, and unchurched community members, come together to view popular television episodes and …


Developing A Strategy To Vitalize Volunteering For Successful Community Service In Korean Churches: Focusing On The Korean Baptist Church Of Blacksburg, Daijoong Park Apr 2019

Developing A Strategy To Vitalize Volunteering For Successful Community Service In Korean Churches: Focusing On The Korean Baptist Church Of Blacksburg, Daijoong Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Volunteering is a practical method of community service which is an essential ministry of the church’s mission as the salt and light of the world. In order for a church to fulfill its mission of community service, the volunteer work of church members should be activated. However, many church members are still not participating in community service, and some volunteers have difficulty in continuing their volunteer work due to the lack of volunteer management for volunteering properly. The purpose of this study is to develop a viable volunteer management process to vitalize volunteering for community service of a church properly …


The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon Dec 2017

The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project examines the role of the Black Church in the development of the African American Community and seeks to encourage churches to embrace this role. Support for communities by churches in rural North Alabama is key to improving living conditions and achieving biblically based outreach. This project investigates the church’s theological duties for community outreach and provides a biblical mandate as a part of a larger community development model, while preparing ministry teams for outreach. This paper will consider the equipping methodology that leads to a trained ministry team able to reach, identify, and fulfill the needs of the …


A Study Of Fatherlessness In The African-American Community In Relationship To The Positive Role Of Christianity, Kevin Smith Dec 2017

A Study Of Fatherlessness In The African-American Community In Relationship To The Positive Role Of Christianity, Kevin Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following study is a qualitative investigation into the issue of fatherlessness among African Americans and its relation to the positive role of Christianity. The primary objective of the study is to determine, understand, and describe the circumstances that brought about fatherlessness and what role Christians may play to help address the problem. Also, the study focuses on developing a deep understanding of the consequences of fatherlessness and what role Christians may play to help mitigate these consequences. The results of this research will reconnect, revitalize, recover trust, ease the pain, and implement healing for fathers, children, and all involved. …


Community Relational Soul Care: A Transformational Paradigm For Restoring God's People To Spiritual Vitality, Julie Ann Larsen Nov 2017

Community Relational Soul Care: A Transformational Paradigm For Restoring God's People To Spiritual Vitality, Julie Ann Larsen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This ministry project is a transformational paradigm for relational soul care in a community that partners with mentors to restore God’s children to spiritual vitality for the fulfillment of His plan. The reason for this topic is that after counseling, people still need continued soul care; without continued soul care, they falter, get frustrated, and fall back into unhealthy behaviors. In this research approach, the care seeker is placed with a mentor and a community fellowship group until they flourish in their time. The research method will be a twenty-question Likert Scale Interview for two fellowship groups: men and women. …


A Study On Church Growth Through Social Work As A Contact Point Of Community, Young Lee Jul 2017

A Study On Church Growth Through Social Work As A Contact Point Of Community, Young Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The objectives of this study is to provide a vision for developing the churches in South Korea and to develop a method to recover the missional function of churches through non-profit organizations. Although Korean churches have achieved a remarkable growth both quantitatively and qualitatively, they have been busy maintaining their status in an immature fashion, resulting in the loss of their influence around the rapidly diversifying world. This study aims to provide a direction and an alternative for the church to recover its mission and approach to the world by studying the ministry associated with non-profit organizations. In order to …


The Formation Of A Church Community United With A Local Community: The Case Of Vision Village In Changwon, Kyungsangnamdo, Hang Cho Apr 2017

The Formation Of A Church Community United With A Local Community: The Case Of Vision Village In Changwon, Kyungsangnamdo, Hang Cho

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to build a platform for a united community of church and local residents. In the community, the church expands its boundaries so as to become embedded in the local resident community. Nowadays, Korean churches have lost the public character and the ability to fulfill their social roles and functions in the community. As a result, the churches have low reputation and influence in society, and they face the crisis of reductions in the number of churches and its members. For the sake of overcoming these problems of Korean churches, the thesis studies biblical …


Biblical Principles Of Small Group Ministry, Shawn Barr May 2016

Biblical Principles Of Small Group Ministry, Shawn Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Small group ministry models abound today, and so do the materials that provide the methodology for these models. However, there seems to be a dearth of resources that connect the methods with a theological foundation. This project will demonstrate the need for examining small groups from a theological aspect, and then examine the principles of biblical community as found in Scripture. These principles will then be measured through surveys of at least fifty participants in small group settings from several churches, including the churches where the author was the small group pastor for the last seven years and where he …


The Manifestation Of Biblical Community Understanding In A Facebook Community: A Qualitative Study Among Christian College Students, Paul Perkins Jun 2012

The Manifestation Of Biblical Community Understanding In A Facebook Community: A Qualitative Study Among Christian College Students, Paul Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Applying theoretical studies of social capital, social presence, cognitive presence, and community helps researchers understand more fully the phenomenon of online social networks. The debate has moved from the positive and negative effects of online social networks to understanding how they fit into daily life. However, do biblical community beliefs transfer to Facebook? If Facebook is considered a community, does it exhibit the characteristics of a biblical community? Through a qualitative case study design, this research explored eight Christian college students, four men and four women, from two Midwest Christian colleges, investigating their understanding of biblical community and its application …