Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Un Programa De Instrucción Y Capacitación Para Misioneros Voluntarios De La Unión Mexicana Del Norte, Jose M. Espinosa

Professional Dissertations DMin

The term “lay person” is usually applied to church members to distinguish them from the “clergy.” The New Testament uses the tenn laos, from which “lay” is derived, to refer to all of God’s people and not only to those who are not clergy. Therefore, lay people are the church and not only a part of the church. The function that the New Testament assigns to the laos or people of God is to preach the gospel in order to make disciples, as Christ commanded. According to the New Testament, “disciple” is one who preaches and practices the teachings of …

La Iglesia Adventista Frente A La Disidencia En Colombia, Jose Evelio Garcia

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Colombia at this time is facing dissidence from the group Koinonia. This research was carried out in order to produce material to help pastors, ministerial students, and laypeople to understand and face this dissident movement. The Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White provide the principles on which the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been established. These principles have been applied in order to face the problem caused by the group Koinonia in Colombia.

In order to understand what Koinonia teaches and how it operates, a number of interviews were conducted with former Koinonia supporters, …

Creación De Grupos Pequen̋Os Para Las Clases Media Y Alta De Santo Domingo, Carlos Reyes Javier

Professional Dissertations DMin

Conventional small groups have not achieved the expected results in middle and high classes in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The research showed that there is a great difference between the number of people baptized among the lower class and those of middle and high classes. The Holy Scriptures command Christians to evangelize all people without any discrimination. Because of the potential impact of small groups, it is important to use them in evangelizing both social classes.

The foundation for small groups is in the Scriptures. Besides, there are instructions in the writings of Ellen G. White about using small groups …

Un Estudio Sobre La Vida Espiritual De Los Jóvenes Adventistas En Tabasco, México, Ervin A. Gonzalez Esteban

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Bible gives great attention to youth. Important Bible characters acted under divine direction, leaving teachings regarding leadership and obedience. The biblical terms most used in reference to young people are na 'ar, a young man possessing strength and vigor, and neos, a person full of youth and inexperience. Paul advised Timothy: “Let no one despise thy youth” (1 Tim 4:12). John saw young people as being strong through the word of God and overcoming the wicked one (1 John 2:14). Research of young people shows that in today’s society, generations follow each other approximately every twenty years. Each one …

Estrategia Para Mejorar La Asistencia A Los Cultos Nocturnos De La Iglesia De Mérida 61, Miguel A. Presuel Euan

Professional Dissertations DMin

La asistencia a los cultos es un elemento clave para mantener el compromiso con Dios, por medio del culto y la adoration. Es basica para consolidar la fe de los creyentes y concede la oportunidad de instruirlos y capacitarlos para que desarrollen sus talentos para la mision. La Biblia y la literatura revisada concuerdan, en que la asistencia a los cultos es necesaria y a la vez una serial de prioridad cristiana en el entomo de nuestra relation con Dios y el desarrollo de la mision. La asistencia a las reuniones noctumas de la iglesia Merida 61, en Merida, Yucatan, …

An Integration Of Quality Assurance And Existing Worship Components: A Model To Improve Worship In The Small Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Nelson Fernando De Oliveira

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Corporate worship is an experience that needs to be relevant to all. Small-church leaders face the challenge of transforming existing worship components into a more dynamic service, and increasing member involvement. Leaders at small churches have been known to express frustration trying to improve lives, and to worship in spirit and truth. Currently, there is little or no interface between the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) components of the worship service (e.g., music, offering, preaching, and Scripture reading) and current discussions of quality assurance in relationship to a more vibrant corporate worship experience. There is a need to develop a model …

Empowering And Equipping The Laity In The South Caribbean Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Ray Henderson Walker

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Some pastors in the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists feel challenged by the ministry of the laity. One reason is the lack of a clear understanding of the biblical and theological perspectives on empowering and equipping the laity. Consequently, the potential of the laity is not fully utilized.

Method

Current literature was reviewed. This included books and articles on the principles, strategies, and programs which assist pastors to develop’ their empowering and equipping skills. A comparison was done between the ministry of the pastors and the laity in the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. An evaluation of …

A Strategy For Evangelism Among The Bengali Folk Hindus Of Calcutta, Eric Kujur

Professional Dissertations DMin

The purpose of this study was to develop a strategy to reach the unreached Bengali Folk Hindus of Calcutta. First, general information on the target group was presented. This included information on their lifestyle and traditional religious beliefs and practices. This is a large group of people who do not belong to the castes and do not enjoy the benefits of financial, educational, and political status. A brief review of what Roman Catholic and Protestant churches have done for the Folk Hindus of Calcutta, with their medical, educational, spiritual, and social services, helped us to understand the strengths and weaknesses …

The Development Of The Concept Of Salvation In Lutheran And Seventh-Day Adventist Parochial, Secondary-School Students, Megan G. Brown

Dissertations

Problem. This study took an initial look at the development of the concept of salvation in Lutheran parochial school adolescents, comparing them with Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) parochial school adolescents. This was the first study to compare denominations using the Salvation Concept Interview (SCI).

Method. This study was descriptive and comparative. The SCI was used to interview 16 Lutherans and 21 SDAs ages 15 to 18. Subjects also completed a religious activities survey and a drawing. Parents completed a survey of demographic data and personal and family religious activities. Data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.

Results. The concept …

A Descriptive Multiple Case Study Of Caucasian Female Suicide Attempters: Risk And Protective Factors, Janice Johnson Browne

Dissertations

Problem

Suicide is a problem globally and in the United States. Suicide rates for youth have remained particularly high. Caucasian men complete more suicidal acts than women, but women are more frequent suicide attempters. To gain information about the phenomenon of female suicide attempting, it is important to study the attempter. Awareness of risk and protective factors is necessary to intervene and prevent future incidences of suicide and suicide attempting.

Methodology

For this research a descriptive case study design was utilized. Three suicide attempters who had attempted suicide one or more times in the past was the sample population for …

A Theoretical Proposal For Reaching Irreligious Czech People Through A Mission Revitalization Movement, Petr Činčala

Dissertations

The main goal of this study was to develop a theory of missionary outreach to unchurched Czech people which is biblically informed and culturally relevant. The theoretical proposal for a plausible model of churching in the Czech Republic builds on basic theological, philosophical, and conceptual assumptions (chapter 2), a societal analysis of the problem of Czech churching (chapter 3), and a review of the issues relating to the situation of existing churches and religious movements.

Based on Wallace’s theory of revitalization movements a model is developed for starting a missionary movement that aims at reaching today’s unchurched and seemingly irreligious …

Un Programa De Retención De Miembros En La Iglesia Adventista De Pueblo Nuevo, Solistahuacán, Chiapas, Moises Espinoza

Professional Dissertations DMin

The goal of the Gospel Commission is to make disciples, not only to baptize them. Making a disciple out of a new convert requires the participation of the pastor and of mature church members. This results in the design and implementation of a program to retain members. The Bible emphasizes the retention of church members, using different Greek terms. The most common is mend. The Bible also presents examples of church leaders who affirmed the believers. Ellen G. White asks members and pastors to retain those who are new in the church. She suggests different methods. She speaks of the …

El Modelo Foto Eco-Narrativo: Elaboración, Implementación, Y Evaluación De Sermones Narrativos En La Iglesia Hispana Adventista Del Séptimo Día Vista, California, Haroldo Guizar-Whittemore

Professional Dissertations DMin

The task of this project is narrative preaching in the context of the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Vista California. It is a present reality that different voices compete for its attention, and in such an environment God’s Word frequently goes unheard, and is not necessarily understood by the different generations of Hispanics in a given church. Thus it is of critical importance that the gospel be heard in a language this culture readily understands. Because it is specifically attuned to the contemporary sensibility of human beings, narrative and narrative forms of preaching have particular power to assist individuals in …

Establecimiento De Una Escuela De Capacitación Laica En La Iglesia De La Universidad De Montemorelos, Jose Omar Velasquez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has accepted the command to take the gospel to every nation, tribe, race, and tongue. As part of its strategy to accomplish this mission, the church supports colleges and universities where Christian professionals are prepared so that when they graduate they may join the evangelistic work commanded by God. Montemorelos University is a part of the Adventist educational system. The purpose of this thesis is to provide the design and describe the process of establishing at the university church a lay training school where students may receive a preparation that will enable them to work …

El Ungimiento De Los Enfermos, Juan Jose Andrade Gonzalez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Bible presents several types of anointing, each with a different meaning. Kings were anointed when they were enthroned. Prophets and priests were anointed to indicate consecration and sanctification. Other kinds of anointing were for cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Finally, the anointing of the sick is mentioned. This dissertation deals with the practice of anointing, as recommended by the apostle James (Jas. 5:14), believers who were going through physical or spiritual affliction. Generations following the disciples of Jesus gave a very special meaning to anointing, associating it with prayer and miraculous cures (Mark 6:13).

One chapter is taken up by …

A Historically And Culturally Contextualized Proposal For Health Evangelism In Latvia, Anna Galeniece

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist church leaders in Latvia have used several approaches and methods for reaching people with the gospel, but proclamation evangelism has served as the main program. However, this method has lost its effectiveness since the middle-1990s. Therefore, today the necessity of discovering and developing new ways and strategies has become crucial. One approach to reach the Latvian population could be health evangelism, which has achieved immense success in many parts of the world since the beginning of the Adventist health message in the 1860s.

Method

The research utilized pertinent materials from books, periodicals, and the Internet. The purpose …

Factores De Iglecrecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Sur De México, David Javier Perez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Three questions guided the research: How has the Seventh-day Adventist Church grown in southern Mexico during the last sixteen years? What have been the factors that supported this growth? What elements could strengthen church growth in the Southern Union of Mexico? The average annual growth in the Southern Union, from 1985 to 1990, was 9.49 percent. From 1991 to 2000, the average growth was 4.05 percent. The average growth from 1985 to 2000 was 6.09 percent. Before attempting to identify factors that contributed to growth in the Southern Union, church growth was studied in the Bible, in the writings of …

Programa De Reclutamiento, Capacitación Y Motivación De Líderes De Grupos Pequeños, Jose Javier Sol Martinez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The success or failure of small groups in a church is determined by the leadership of the groups. A good group begins with a good leader. The quality of a group depends on the qualifications of its leader. Because this fact has not been kept in mind in Mexico City, the small group program has been weak. The purpose of this dissertation was to remedy this situation by developing a program for recruitment, training, and motivation of small group leaders. Moses used the small group to minister to the people of Israel. To do so he carefully chose thousands of …

Estrategia Para Plantar Una Iglesia En Puebla, México, Moises Reyna Sanchez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Church planting is one of the basic tasks to which God has called his disciples. The gospel commission of Matt 28:19, 20 implicitly calls for church planting. This dissertation presents biblical and theological foundations for church planting. In addition, it explores the writings of current authors, looking for appropriate church planting strategies. Success in church planting is achieved by applying certain strategies. These include having a clear vision of what God expects, completing a demographic study of the chosen location, pinpointing the place where the new congregation will begin, form the founding group and training them, having the first meetings, …

El Evangelismo De La Amistad Como Factor De Crecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día, Tomas Torres De Dios

Professional Dissertations DMin

The faithful fulfillment of the gospel commission demands the use of correct and appropriate methods to bring new members into the church. For this reason, the Seventh- day Adventist Church has used various evangelistic methods. The purpose of this dissertation was to make a theoretical study of friendship evangelism and prepare a workshop to train church members and local leaders. The Bible shows kindness as one of God’s attributes in dealing with human beings. Ever since Creation God has provided what human beings need to live in an environment of good relationships. One of the ways in which God showed …

Strategies For Evangelizing The Upper-Class People In Ghana, Ampofo Benjamin Akyiano

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, which began its ministry in Ghana in 1888, is experiencing difficulty evangelizing upper-class people. The traditional method of soul-winning, public evangelism, has been successful to evangelize middle and lower social classes but not the wealthy and well-educated class. Currently, the church and the upper-class minority are far apart. The church must update its evangelistic methods to reach all classes to finish the gospel commission in Ghana.

Method

This study presents Ghana's upper-class, their social characteristics, lifestyles, world-views, population, and social and religious groups. Interviews and questionnaires were used to discover the factors that hinder the …

La Retención De Miembros En La Iglesia Adventista De La República Dominicana, Feliberto Paez Martinez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Fulfilling the gospel commission brings as a result the incorporation of new members into the church. Yet a large number of them do not remain in the faith. The purpose of this dissertation was to discover the reasons why some members leave the church in the Dominican Republic, and to elaborate a plan to retain these members.

The Bible shows God's interest in establishing a close and permanent relationship with His children. The creation of man after God's image, the tree of life in the garden of Eden, the covenants made afterwards, the teaching of Jesus, and the emphasis the …

The Rwandan Ethnic Crisis Of The 1990s: An Historical Analysis Of The Causes And A Strategy For Forgiveness And Reconciliation From A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective, Hesron R. Byilingiro

Professional Dissertations DMin

Statement of the Task

In 1994, the central Africa nation of Rwanda experienced a large-scale genocide in which thousands of people were killed. Many Christians including Adventists participated in these mass killings. It is the task of this study to investigate (1) the historical causes of the genocide, (2) why Seventh-day Adventist Christians participated in the genocide, and (3) propose strategies for forgiveness and reconciliation from an Adventist perspective.

Methodology

The study is an historical and analytical investigation of the country and people of Rwanda from precolonial to post-independence time. It draws on the personal experience and direct interviews of …

Concepto Rebautismal Del Adventismo En Venezuela, Edgar La Rosa Brito

Professional Dissertations DMin

The frequency of rebaptism has been increasing within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Venezuela. Some have considered rebaptism as a desirable alternative to reconsecration of active church members. This practice has generated concern among a number of pastors and lay people. Hence, this dissertation.

This dissertation includes a study of the New Testament theology of baptism and a sketch of the history of baptism and rebaptism throughout Christian history. Also studied were the writings of Ellen G. White and Adventist writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The research was completed with personal interviews and surveys of pastors and lay …

Seminario Para Preparar Líderes Laicos Para El Evangelismo Urbano En El Noreste De México, Isidro Lopez Yanez

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Scriptures are clear about the order to evangelize every nation, tribe, language, and people. However, although the cities are part of these nations, the gospel has not been preached there as it has been in rural areas. This reality led to the study of urban evangelism and the preparation of a workshop for lay leaders in urban churches. The Bible presents several cases of urban evangelism, in both Testaments. In the Old Testament God showed his interest in the inhabitants of Niniveh, a pagan nation. In the New Testament, Paul evangelizes the important cities of the first century. Ellen …

A Plan To Start A Self-Suporting Evangelistic Magazine In Zimbabwe, Jonathan Musvosvi

Professional Dissertations DMin

There is a need for an indigenous, contextualized evangelistic magazine designed specifically for the people of Zimbabwe. This dissertation looks at previous and current magazine enterprises in order to outline the implementation of a successful, self-supporting SDA magazine in Zimbabwe. The responsibilities of the editor-publisher, writers, and marketers are examined in relation to the target audience. Information on writer training is outlined in detail. Books and magazine articles on the topic of magazine publishing provided the primary source of information. Current and former magazine editors were also interviewed to provide a first-person look at the magazine industry. In order to …

The Relationship Between Spiritual Belief, Life Attitude, And Mental Health Among Physical Fitness Participants In Northern Indiana, Sharon K. Sacks

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study is to explore spiritual beliefs as defined by an interconnectedness with self and others, generated from a relationship with a higher power, and consider its impact on attitude toward life and mental health.

Method. This study employed the survey research method to collect data investigating the relationships between spiritual beliefs, attitude toward life, and mental health. A battery of three instruments was selected for this study. The Royal Free Questionnaire on Beliefs and Experiences, developed by King, Speck, and Thomas (1994), was used for measuring spiritual beliefs. The Optimism and Pessimism Questionnaire provided a …

The Early Bronze Age Ceramic Assemblage From Tell Ta'annek, Palestine, Mark S. Ziese

Dissertations

The problem

Greenberg has recently stated that isolating temporal ceramic indicators for the Early Bronze II-III periods is "one of the thorniest issues in the archaeology of Palestine" (2000: 183). Part of theproblem stems from the homogenous nature of ceramic assemblages from Early Bronze Age Palestine; part of it stems from a continued lack of published information. Both of these issues are addressed by this study. Excavations at Tell Ta`annek between 1963 and 1967 unearthed the remains of a multi-period site, including the residues of an Early Bronze II-III fortified settlement. It is purposed here to isolate that portion of …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Identification Of The "Tongues" Of 1 Corinthians 14 Utilizing A Socio-Exegetical Approach To Interpretation, Angel Hernandez

Dissertations

Problem. The Corinthian tongues is a subject that has been extensively covered in the literature, especially in exegetical Bible commentaries, but no empirically developed curriculum for college-level instruction has been found. The purpose o f this study was to develop such a curriculum. The approach to the interpretation o f the tongues of 1 Corinthians 14 was interdisciplinary: both theological and sociological.

Method. The instructional product development method formulated by Baker and Schutz and revised by Naden was used in this study. The process consisted of ten steps including; assessment of the need for a new curriculum, identification and …

An Inquiry Of Governance Training, Perceptions Of Board Members' Qualifications, And Board Assessments Of Day Academies In The Southern Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Nathaniel George Higgs

Dissertations

Purpose of Study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the school boards of non-boarding secondary schools in the Southern Union regarding their governance training programs, the perceptions of the board members regarding their qualifications, and the assessments of the school boards for their effectiveness.

Methodology. This study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data. Five board members and school officials were interviewed. Quantitative data were collected by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaires were completed by 109 board members. The population consisted of all willing board members present at a scheduled board meeting. Participants …