Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Developing Small Group Ministry Based On Spiritual Temperaments In The Olympic Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Los Angeles, California, Young Rin Kim

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Pastoral observation revealed that members of the Olympic Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church struggle to develop their own spirituality due to a lack of understanding regarding spiritual temperaments. Discerning one's own spiritual temperament or style is needed at both the individual and the church level in order to understand that there are more styles than those in the corporate doctrinal focus reflected in Adventism. Approaches to relationships with church attendees and responses to church-sponsored activities can be transformed by a better understanding of these temperaments/styles. Steps must be taken to expand Adventism to accept all different styles. A variety of …

Formation Of A Millennial Cafe Ministry In Ogden, Utah: An Economically Viable Model, Ryan Kent Hablitzel

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Connecting and retaining millennials within established church structure has proven difficult in my context. I have a genuine desire for community and purpose within millennial groups, yet the majority remain removed from traditional church programming and events. A growing disenfranchisement with current church framework has caused many millennials to disengage or seek purpose elsewhere.

Method

Press Together was formed as a new millennial friendly approach to ministry in Ogden, UT. This raw cold-pressed juicery serves the healthiest organic options from its retail location while providing a space for fellowship, ministry and employment. This uses millenial focus groups and financial …

Hymeno : The Music In Ministry, Jamila Patricie Sylvester

Master of Music Projects

INTRODUCTION

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” — John 3:16 KJV Arguably one of the best-known verses in the Bible is John 3:16. A quick glimpse of those seven little letters and numbers spelling out John 3:16 and, like the first four measures of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, immediately people know what you are talking about. It matters not if they are faithful church-going believers or unbelievers, people know – or do they? In the 2009 live-streamed college championship football game between …

Development And Implementation Of A Ministry Program To Reconnect Former Adventists Within The Waitara Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Roger Govender

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The membership data from the Waitara Church revealed a gain of 1.33% in baptisms and professions of faith. However, attendance data collected indicated that the weekly attendance numbers in the Waitara Church, within the Greater Sydney on any given Sabbath; did not add up to the numbers found on the local church membership roll. This disparity in membership numbers raised questions regarding the whereabouts of those who do not attend church any longer but continue to claim to be Seventh-day Adventists, this is a member retention problem that needs attention.

Method

Reconnecting ministry strategy was developed in order to …

A Singles' Ministry Project At The Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Riverside, California, Ekele Nwankwo

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The purpose of this study was to discover, develop, evaluate, and implement a supportive singles’ ministry at the Mt. Rubidoux Seventh-day Adventist church by way of planned activities and educative programs designed to serve the needs of singles in that congregation. The study was designed to determine the impact the singles’ ministry has on the church and how to shape the ministry in the future. Although society has viewed singles in different ways, depending on time and place, in traditional societies, women and men who did not marry were viewed as imperfect and lacking. Singles battle with strong expectations …

Developing A Structure To Strengthen Youth Ministry In Florida Conference, Pedro E. Perez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem.

Florida Conference did not have a way to connect the Youth Ministries Department to local churches to support the churches’ teen ministry. There was a need for a structure to create a connection between the conference and local churches to strengthen youth ministry in the local church. With over 300 churches in the conference, the youth director could not achieve this alone. Furthermore, there was not even a contact list to know which churches had a youth leader or young people. Developing a structure would be a means of gaining access to local church youth leaders so that the …

A Chaplaincy Training And Support Program To Equip Pastors For Ministry In The South Ghana Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Nathan Teye Odonkor

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There is currently no Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries capacity development plan to clinically train pastors as chaplains in the South Ghana Conference (SGC) of the Seventh-day Adventist church. This has resulted in the absence of professional chaplains within the denomination in South Ghana.

Method

I conducted a Chaplaincy Training and Support Program (CTSP) for 15 selected trainees at the South Ghana Church Headquarters Asoredanho-Accra. The Key area of competencies was Clinical Pastoral Education. I employed qualitative method of evaluating trainees by conducting oral and written assessments of data from trainees and ministry recipients.

Results

As a result of the CTSP, …

Measuring The Perceived Effectiveness Of Five Selected Professional Courses Taken By Alumni Theology Majors And How They Are Related To Selective Demographics: A Mixed Methods Study, Barry J. Tryon

Dissertations

Problem

The study was prompted by the need for the evaluation of current theological educational programs for preparing students to meet the many challenges of pastoral ministry in a rapidly changing world. However, to date there has been little published research addressing the effectiveness of undergraduate theological education. Furthermore, changes implemented in the theological education program at Southern Adventist University (Southern) have not been evaluated for their effectiveness for ministerial job preparedness.

Method

This descriptive study measured the perceived effectiveness of five professional courses taught in the undergraduate theological educational program at Southern for ministerial job preparedness. A parallel mixed …

Profile Of Graduates Of Adventist Latin American Seminary Of Theology In Brazil: A Study To Develop A Selection Process Of Pastors For Ministry At The Brazilian Northwestern Union, Gilmar Zahn

Master's Theses

Purpose

To characterize and evaluate the profile of theology course trainees in Brazil as compared to the profile required for the exercise of pastoral ministry in the UNoB.

Method

Research of a qualitative nature, carried out by means of structured interviews with undergraduated students of the Latin American Theology Seminary (Seminário Latino Americano de Teologia–SALT) in a total of 11 interviews with students who are Brazilian, both married and unmarried, born into the church or converted. Data from the registrar offices of the associations and institutions that compose the UNoB were also consulted.

Results

The interviewees had left professional careers …

Transitioning The Waldorf Seventh-Day Adventist Church To An Integrated Multiethnic/Multicultural Ministry, Kleyton Feitosa

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Charles County, Maryland, is an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The only two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the county are mono-ethnic – one White and one African-American – and do not reflect the multiethnic composition of the community. In the beginning of this study the Waldorf Church had the following ethnic composition: 81% White and 19% of all other major ethnic groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), Waldorf city was made up of 40.6% White and 59.4% of all other groups combined. In light of this reality, being a monoethnic White church presented significant church growth challenges …

Equipping Church Leaders To Minister To Abused And Oppressed People, Marion Winifred Duncan

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Miles (2011) maintains that no church community is "immune" to situations of abuse, "yet" he said, "pastors still receive very little training in this area" (p. x). As a result, many victims of abuse are seen to experience secondary victimization on top of the trauma that brought them to their church for help in the first place. This secondary victimization has been caused by the utilization of simplistic scriptural solutions to complex life situations. These solutions are well known in the churches and commonly used, having been handed down from generation to generation. The pastors who use them are …

Empowering Volunteers For Community-Focused Ministry For Families Of Inmates: Selected Churches Of The Potomac Conference, Jorge A. Ramirez

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Nearly 70% of churches in the Potomac Conference do not have ministries that are geared at serving their communities. As a result of this problem, churches are not growing and are not making a significant impact in their communities. They have become internally focused congregations. Churches are missing opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with these communities through creative externally focused ministries. Externally focused churches believe God has called them to change communities for God’s kingdom. There is a need for churches in the Potomac Conference to become externally focused.

Methodology

The recruiting and training of church volunteers to serve …

Industry-Based Ministry: A Pilot Project At The New Dimension S.D.A. Church, Sendak Kojo Duffu Yankson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, from my pastoral observation here at the New Dimension Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Brooklyn, has not been as successful in retaining the unskilled and uneducated urban poor as other ministries (for example, the Nation of Islam). We preach evangelistic messages to change the lifestyles of the poor and in the process we either lose them or leave them on government assistance because we have no viable economic program to sustain them in our faith.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a model of industry- based ministry by which members could …

Toward An Integrated Youth Ministry: A Case Study Of The Application Of Principles From Ephesians Among Teens And Their Families Of The Collegedale Church Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Timothy Allen Cross

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

According to recent research on young adults in the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, there has been an approximate 68% attrition rate (Rainer, 2009, pp. 5-6). This research revealed that 84% of the young people growing up in the Collegedale Church drop out and only 38% of those who drop out engage in another church. Consequently, of the young people who grow up in the Collegedale Church, this leaves a net result of 68% who drop out from church entirely. DeVries’ seminal work (2004), combined with Rainer and Rainer’s research (2008), demonstrate the potential of a significant increase in …

Motivating And Training The Laity To Increase Their Involvement In Ministry In The Ouaga-Center Adventist Church In Burkina Faso, Boubakar Sanou

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem.

In many Christian religious circles, the subject of clergy and laity has received much attention because of a sharp distinction between them. In Africa, the laypeople are expected to give allegiance to the clergy and also to depend on them for spiritual guidance and help. Although the New Testament teaches the concepts of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9-10) and the priestly ministry of the church as the function of the total church membership, there is still a persistent tendency to create a dichotomy between clergy and laity. This practice clearly shows two classes of believers: …

A Model For Small Group Ministry In The North Zambia Field Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Wellington Supuni Chapi

Professional Dissertations DMin

Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a contextualized model for small group ministry in the North Zambia Field to enhance the retention of new members.

Statement of Problem

While the numbers of members being baptized annually are encouraging indeed, the percentage of members dropping out of the church annually is a cause of great concern. Between 1996 and 2006, the North Zambia Field, through baptism or profession of faith, had 72,652 converts, an annual average of 7,265 converts. However, 17,303 or 23.82 percent of those added and 2.70 percent of the total membership dropped out of the …

A Pilot Grief Ministry Program To Equip Grief Ministry Facilitators In The Local Adventist Churches, Joyce Marie Hatchett

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There is a need for a visible and effective Seventh-day Adventist Grief Ministry Training Program that is theologically sound and culturally sensitive that will serve the bereavement needs of both the local Seventh-day Adventist congregation(s) and others in the community.

Method

For this study, I used formative evaluation, sometimes referred to as pilot testing. Formative Evaluation has two goals: (1) To gain understanding through observation and soliciting responses of participants concerning how the curriculum and instructional processes might be improved; and (2) to develop strategies for improving the curriculum and instructional process. This pilot training program was held September …

The Development And Implementation Of Intensive Training For Planting And/Or Transitioning To Cell Church Models Within The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Donald C. James

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The priesthood of all believers is a theme I have heard sounded within the Seventh-day Adventist Church for many years, yet there are still many who are not really engaged in ministry who are on our church books. In our churches there seems to be a lack of close connections with one another in mutual support and in ministry to others. Equipping for every member is also lacking, an equipping that develops disciples and moves them into the paradigm of disciple-makers. As a church, we have good results with winning and baptizing individuals, but it seems there has been …

Ministry To The Black Middle Class: Strategies For Churches In Transition, Dedrick L. Blue

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Between 1944 and 1997 over 1 million Black people in the United States rose from poverty to middle class status. Increased upward mobility has brought an increased social mobility. Middle class Blacks are moving into close proximity to predominantly White suburban Seventh-day Adventist churches. Simultaneously, the out-migration of the Black middle class from urban areas to suburbia has created not only an economic drain, but also has fostered class tensions within the Black urban church. If churches are to be successful in the recruitment and retention of the Black middle class, then ministry approaches must be developed to address …

Equipping Laity For Ministry In Multi-Church Districts In Brazil, Paulo Cesar Nogueira

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Most church districts in Brazil are comprised of many churches and companies. The average load of pastoral care is one pastor for seven congregations. In addition, members have high expectations their pastors and both lack a clear understanding of the role of lay ministry. Thus pastors feel a heavy work load.

Method

A survey of biblical insights, current literature, and other studies on the priesthood of all believers, lay ministry, and effective pastoral work was undertaken. A program designed to enhance pastoral work in multi-church districts in Brazil was developed.

Results

The concept of the priesthood of all believers …

A Strategy For Ministry To The Homeless In North London, Carl Thorpe

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Despite the benefits that the English Social Security provides, many individuals fall out of the safety net into abject poverty. Every night hundreds of individuals sleep rough. Exposed to the elements, these people are in need of food and a permanent place. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North London is not providing an adequate ministry to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these people. This dissertation sets out to develop a strategy for ministry to the physical and spiritual needs of those who "sleep rough" in North London.

Method This study looks at various aspects relating to homelessness, …

Teamnet Ministries: An Empowerment Paradigm For Every-Member Ministry In The Hamlet Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Amelia, Ohio, Loren L. Fenton

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The Hamlet Seventh-day Adventist Church, located near Amelia, Ohio, experienced a period of significant congregational decline during the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Several contributing factors converged during this time frame to cause much discouragement and burn-out among the church members. Many left to join other congregations, or simply dropped out completely. Attendance dropped from the 120-150 range to an average of 35-40 at worship each Sabbath. By 1992 there was a serious leadership vacuum, coupled with a high level of mistrust, misunderstanding, and factional splintering permeating the church.

Method

In May 1992, I arrived as senior pastor for …

Toward A Theology Of Youth Ministry And Its Praxis In The Local Church, Luis Fernando Ortiz

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

In many Seventh-day Adventist churches in North America patterns of non involvement among the youth were observed. Young people were attending church on Sabbath, but almost none of them were leaders. The objective of this dissertation was to identify biblical principles for the development of a youth ministry in which leaders build responsible servant leaders and encourage young people to grow, learn, and use their gifts in Christian ministry.

Method

The Scriptures were searched for a biblical background for youth work and principles for successful youth involvement. The word “youth” was analyzed in the Old and New Testaments together …

A Training Program For Grief Ministry For Singapore Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors, Chor Kiat Sim

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Many Seventh-day Adventist church pastors in Singapore are not trained in grief ministry. This results in some pastors who are insensitive to the grieving. Consequently, theirs and many church members' grief has been unresolved. This study was undertaken to develop a holistic pastoral perspective regarding grief and to compose a training program in grief ministry that will help pastors understand their own grief dynamics and that of their parishioners.

Method

This project attempts to present the principles of grief ministry through the following dimensions: (1) Singapore's need of grief ministry in the midst of socioeconomic development; (2) the study …

Formation And Development Of Caring Ministries Based On Neighboring Evangelism Model Model, Lloyd I. Munson

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

For more than a decade leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have encouraged various programs under the slogan "caring Church." This new and welcome concept and its corresponding "caring ministries" are in tension with traditional programs and philosophy of lay ministry. There is a need to clarify and articulate the underlying shift toward a more "relational" approach so that truly "caring" ministries may emerge. In addition there is a confusion from the local Church all the way to the General Conference as to how various departments are coordinated.

Method

This study documents one attempt to articulate a biblical concept …

A Program For "Caring Church Ministry" In The Eugene, Oregon, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Robert L. Heisler

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Caring Church Ministry is a strategy for church growth which was developed by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. How that strategy might be implemented in the Eugene Seventh-day Adventist Church was the basic concern of this research project. How theology and management philosophy inform a caring church membership, how to implement a program involving the church membership, and dynamics of that church which favored or inhibited church growth were questions that had to be addressed.

Method

A theological investigation and an examination of contemporary concepts of caring in management literature form a basis for the study. Two …

A Study Of Productivity In Ministry As Related To South America Division, Itamar Sabino De Paiva

Professional Dissertations DMin

This study is concerned with the attributes of the ministry as depicted in the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White as well as with an evaluation of ministerial productivity in selected unions of the South American Division (SAD). Those who have dealt with the problem of evaluation have focused mainly on the numerical achievements or quantitative aspects of ministerial productivity. Although evaluation of qualitative characteristics may be more difficult than that of quantitative characteristics, failure to include both aspects of the minister's work may well result in an inaccurate and unbalanced profile of his accomplishments. Consequently, there is …

An Exploration Of The Needs Of, And Possibilities Of Ministry To, Geographically Isolated Seventh-Day Adventists, Thomas Hunter Ludowici

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

There are some Seventh-day Adventist Church members who, because of mileage distance or other geographic reason, are unable to attend a local church regularly, and whose membership is listed on the conference church roll. If the church is to minister to all its members, this segment cannot be ignored. The geographically isolated members have received very little pastoral nurture, and they have experienced only limited fellowship. As a result, generally they have maintained a weakened connection with the church at large. Because the seventh- day Sabbath is a central aspect of belief and worship practice, it is meaningful for …

An Analysis Of The Role And Functions Expected Of A Seventh-Day Adventist Pastor: As A Basis For Negotiating An Intentional Ministry, Victor Ralph Brown

Professional Dissertations DMin

Since its organization in 1863, the Seventh-day Adventist denomination has grown from a small group to a significant religious movement in the world today. Originally all ministers in the church were evangelists. There were to be no "settled" pastors of local congregations. Local churches relied upon local talent selected from their own ranks for pastoral leadership. The change created by increased numbers and the demands of the laity has meant the role of the ordained minister in the local Seventh-day Adventist church has been considerably altered from its original concept. This has caused many to be confused as to just …

A Study Of The Functions Of Ministry And Laity With Special Reference To The East Caribbean Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Samuel H. Joseph

Professional Dissertations DMin

(No Abstract Available)