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A Study Of The Renewal Of Worship Through The Restoration Of The Public Nature Of The Gospel: A Case Study Of The Seed Church, Jubilee Together, And Cris, Kang Hyeok Lee Aug 2019

A Study Of The Renewal Of Worship Through The Restoration Of The Public Nature Of The Gospel: A Case Study Of The Seed Church, Jubilee Together, And Cris, Kang Hyeok Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Korean church which advocated evangelicalism is now in crisis. It is because the actual meaning of the Kingdom of God and the public and social significance of the gospel have been lost while the aspect of the individual salvation or the church itself has been its primary concern. As a result of losing the social meaning of sin and salvation, Christianity as a holistic truth has been excluded from the public sphere and is merely regarded as a personal religion. The gospel and the church, which have been reduced to religion and institutions and have acquiesced in the divided …


A Comparison Of Eighth Grade General Education Students’ Ela Scores In Co-Teaching And Regular Classrooms, Deborah Cecilia Mitchell Aug 2019

A Comparison Of Eighth Grade General Education Students’ Ela Scores In Co-Teaching And Regular Classrooms, Deborah Cecilia Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal comparative, ex post facto quantitative study compared the Georgia Milestones English Language Arts (ELA) scores of 8th-grade general education students taught in a co-teaching classroom compared with scores of students taught in a regular classroom. The research focused on a comparison of the academic performance of two groups on statewide standardized assessments in ELA over 2 consecutive years, 2017 and 2018. The study contributes to the limited research regarding student achievement of general education students in co-teaching classrooms. This study was based on Vygotsky’s social development theory. The research questions examined the differences in the academic performance of …


Tracing God's Hand In Redemption: Exploring Evidence Of The Imago Dei In Human Molecular Biology, James Don Johansen Aug 2019

Tracing God's Hand In Redemption: Exploring Evidence Of The Imago Dei In Human Molecular Biology, James Don Johansen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This interdisciplinary dissertation examines how Imago Dei and the impacts and redemption of sin may be observable in molecular biology. It introduces the idea of biological redemption, where, in support of our Imago Dei mission and calling, our bodies can respond to environmental and spiritual factors with biological redemptive adaptations. This project does both theological and scientific assessment. It explores how God is engaged with individuals in community via spiritual social networks, where Christian communities act as an ecosystem in which individuals can thrive and undergo spiritual formation, living out Christian spiritual practices. The main question this dissertation addresses is: …


The African American Church Response To Homosexuality And The Reasons There Is No Response, Robert Jackson Jr Aug 2019

The African American Church Response To Homosexuality And The Reasons There Is No Response, Robert Jackson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although the Bible records over eight passages which directly condemns homosexuality, many African-American churches are silent on this controversial issue. The purpose of this thesis is to present information that suggests that the African-American church compromises on this Biblical principle, by embracing homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle, both outside and within the church. The church leadership has chosen to either overlook or accept this lifestyle. Based on statistical surveys and interviews, this project will offer practical and Biblical solutions and advice to all churches and ethnic groups, assisting them in dealing with the issue of homosexuality and gay marriage. The …


The Role Of Band For Former Military-Connected Students When Transitioning Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Purifoy Goehring Aug 2019

The Role Of Band For Former Military-Connected Students When Transitioning Schools: A Phenomenological Study, Beverly Purifoy Goehring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the role of wind band for former military-connected (MC) students that graduated Carn Schools (pseudonym) in the past five years who experienced a transition to a new school. The theories guiding this study were Gates’ music participation theory as it describes reasons and explanations of why people actively participate in music and Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory as it relates to learning in a social context. The central research question for this study was as follows: How do former MC children describe their experiences in wind band during a transition to …


Evaluating Discipleship Program Effectiveness Of Liberian Churches In Worcester, Massachusetts, Jesse G. Gibson Jul 2019

Evaluating Discipleship Program Effectiveness Of Liberian Churches In Worcester, Massachusetts, Jesse G. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project is evaluating discipleship program effectiveness of Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts. The goal of this thesis is to develop a strategy and effective program for the Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts as a tool to train and educate the Liberian churches for effective and adequate discipleship programs. This project will survey Liberian Christians residing in Worcester, Massachusetts who are members of churches that are dominantly Liberians. This research will help others to understand their religious background, social lifestyles and commitment to discipleship. Implementation of the 12-step training proposed in this project will enable the Liberian churches to be …


Short-Term Missions: Developing An Effective And Sustainable Program In The Local Church, Matthew Alan Trill Jul 2019

Short-Term Missions: Developing An Effective And Sustainable Program In The Local Church, Matthew Alan Trill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing numbers of churches, schools, and Christian ministries are sending out teams to foreign countries for brief trips. Without proper oversight these may become little more than sightseeing excursions. This project seeks to develop a ministry for the New Testament Baptist Church in Largo, Florida that will support its missionaries’ objectives and provide significant spiritual experiences for participants. The project focuses on determining proper objectives, training team members, raising funds, arranging logistical matters, and implementing components into a successful outreach. Research includes a thorough examination of biblical principles, contemporary resources on the topic, and at least sixty surveys from experienced …


Analyzing Millennial Student Perceptions Of Spiritual Development While Attending Religious Colleges In The United States, Gregory Thomas Adams Jul 2019

Analyzing Millennial Student Perceptions Of Spiritual Development While Attending Religious Colleges In The United States, Gregory Thomas Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to measure the perceived degree of spiritual development of graduating seniors at 26 denominational religious colleges and universities in the United States to analyze the possible effects of secularization on religious colleges. The study focused on the Millennial religious college student and suggests an approach towards improving the academic environment at religious colleges to promote a positive atmosphere for improving spiritual development. A question on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was analyzed over an eight-year period to determine student and denominational college trends. The researcher determined the degree of perceived spiritual growth …


Mitigating Decline Of Church Growth Resulting From Misunderstanding Of Selected Messianic Passages In Psalms And Isaiah, Hiwatha Bell Jul 2019

Mitigating Decline Of Church Growth Resulting From Misunderstanding Of Selected Messianic Passages In Psalms And Isaiah, Hiwatha Bell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Paul admonishes the leaders in Ephesus to guard the flock whom God gave them oversight, to develop their spiritual insight by advancing their Scriptural aptitude so they would be able to withstand opposing forces outside the church as well as threats that would emerge from inside the church (Acts 20:28-30). Christ often engaged religious leaders in Judaism, accusing them of evangelizing to others (Matt. 23:15) and misleading those whom they had evangelized and proselytized (Matt. 15:1-13). The Bible is replete with Scriptures that require the shepherd to protect the sheep from wolves, thus the impetus for this report. This report …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin Jul 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Male High School Sophomores Who Are Struggling Readers, Nechellar Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American male high school sophomores in the metro-Atlanta area who are struggling readers. The study encompassed investigation of the self-efficacy, future outlook, and how past and present reading experiences impact African American adolescent males’ ability to be hopeful and optimistic in their future career paths and postsecondary options. Participants comprised 12 African American high school sophomores enrolled in a Title I school found in the metro-Atlanta, Georgia area. The study was guided by one central research question and two research subquestions. In general, the research …


A Correlation And Causal-Comparative Study Of The Worldview Of K-12 California Christian Educators, Mariellen True Jun 2019

A Correlation And Causal-Comparative Study Of The Worldview Of K-12 California Christian Educators, Mariellen True

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian schools identify developing a Christian worldview in students as an important component of the school’s mission. Many influences affect student achievement. The teacher is one of those influences. At a Christian school, it is reasonable to expect that educators possess a Christian worldview. This study sought to examine the Christian worldview of K-12 Christian educators from ACSI member Christian schools in California. Participants took the Three-Dimensional Worldview Survey (3DWS) and the Worldview Measurement Project Survey (WMPS). Christian educators participated in this study voluntarily and anonymously. The survey results were analyzed to determine if the 3DWS correlated to the WMPS …


The Impact Of Lyric Choices On Spiritual Edification, Hanna Jane Byrd May 2019

The Impact Of Lyric Choices On Spiritual Edification, Hanna Jane Byrd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern Christian worship music has gained influence within the evangelical community. The words of these songs, sung corporately, have the potential to influence the spiritual lives of church congregants, making it important for worship leaders and songwriters to identify the most beneficial lyrics. Despite numerous opinions about theological and personally relevant lyrics, little research has been conducted on the spiritual effects of lyric content within the lives of Christian believers. Diminutive scholarly inquiry has been limited to historical, theological or qualitative methodologies. Utilizing the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Spiritual Transcendence Index (STI), this quantitative quasi-experimental study …


The Rise Of The Part-Time Worship Leader In The Mid-Size Southern Baptist Church, Donald Oren Blakeney May 2019

The Rise Of The Part-Time Worship Leader In The Mid-Size Southern Baptist Church, Donald Oren Blakeney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to explore the prevalence of part-time, bivocational, semi-retired and volunteer worship leaders within mid-size Southern Baptist church and the need for further training and education through a denominationally-driven mentor program. The known decline in attendance and financial giving that most Southern Baptist churches have experienced has affected the moneys available to fill staffing needs and thereby require a reassessment of staff positions; the percentage of the budget allocated for staffing and continuing education. Most of these part-time worship leaders are already educated in another field and cannot allot the resources for a return to …


Trying Times: 21st Century Sexual Revolution, Churches And Ministers At-Risk, Samuel H. Murray May 2019

Trying Times: 21st Century Sexual Revolution, Churches And Ministers At-Risk, Samuel H. Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The 21st Century Sexual Revolution in America is redefining marriage, gender identity, human sexuality and public interaction while simultaneously challenging those who dare disagree. As the pastor of a small church, this writer is concerned about potential litigation as a result of these societal changes. These issues are rapidly emerging and evolving. Governmental bodies, corporations, advocacy groups, and courts at all levels are engaged. Churches and ministers may be at risk of adverse legal actions. A review of legal cases will reveal trends and precedents concerning these issues. Individual interviews will engage ministers and churches as to their preparedness and/or …


The Logic Of Intersubjectivity: Brian Mclaren’S Philosophy Of Christian Religion, Darren M. Slade May 2019

The Logic Of Intersubjectivity: Brian Mclaren’S Philosophy Of Christian Religion, Darren M. Slade

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To survey harsh criticisms against Brian Douglas McLaren (1956‒), readers gain the inaccurate impression that he is a heretical relativist who denies objective truth and logic. While McLaren’s inflammatory and provocative writing style is partly to blame, this study also suspects that his critics base much of their analyses on only small portions of his overall corpus. The result becomes a caricature of McLaren’s actual philosophy of religion. The thesis of this dissertation is simple: McLaren is, in fact, a rationalist and empiricist, who utilizes irony, humor, generalization, and ridicule to disturb those expressions of faith common to mainstream, Western …


A Study On Church Revival And Growth Through Prayer Ministries: The Case Of Busan Sooyoungro Church In Korea, Dong Won Chun May 2019

A Study On Church Revival And Growth Through Prayer Ministries: The Case Of Busan Sooyoungro Church In Korea, Dong Won Chun

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to emphasize the necessity and importance of prayer ministries by studying the effect of prayer church revival and growth and to offer practical and concrete suggestions. Korean churches are currently experiencing a serious crisis of stagnation and decline due to their focus on the quantitative measurement of success and the moral failure of pastors. It is certain that various aspects of churches must go through major changes in order to overcome the current crisis and to revitalize the churches. It is meaningful to highlight the role of prayer ministries as a part of the …


Worship Pastor's Need For Pastoral Leadership Development, Jerry Leonard Newman May 2019

Worship Pastor's Need For Pastoral Leadership Development, Jerry Leonard Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral leadership development must occur beyond the musical development that is gained through practice and musical education. The premise of this study considers the developmental needs of those in church leadership. Music ministers may be equipped for musical aspects of leadership. However, failure in obtaining knowledge, understanding, and enacting of the pastoral leadership elements required to fulfill the role of a music pastor may not have been developed. It can be argued that a change in role from ‘music minister’ to ‘a pastor who happens to lead worship' should occur. While little research can be found confronting the need for …


A Case Study Of The Culturally Diverse Worship At The Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Richard Edwin Hickam May 2019

A Case Study Of The Culturally Diverse Worship At The Florida Hospital Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Richard Edwin Hickam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church (FHC) is a multicultural, multigenerational church in Orlando, FL. This case study will examine the history of the worshiping community with particular attention to the change in the culture of the worship services enacted in 2014 and its ongoing impact. The church moved from a traditional and a contemporary service to two identical culturally conscious worship services. This format is unusual in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) denomination. Seventh-day Adventism was named in a Pew study as the most diverse religion in the United States, but that does not mean its people are racially worshiping …


Worship Ministry Leadership: Principles For Age-Related Transition And Succession, John Rollin Mohler Apr 2019

Worship Ministry Leadership: Principles For Age-Related Transition And Succession, John Rollin Mohler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The tenure of a long-serving worship pastor is affected by many variables, but few are as impactful, challenging, yet unexamined, as the pastor’s age. In this historical research study, the researcher assesses the best strategies of professional development necessary for aging worship pastors as they transition for lasting relevance and honorable succession. This study focused on the necessities of cultural engagement and people development as a means to maintain, among other things, platform credibility and leadership reproduction. Historic rationale and precedent was established through the examination of principles of age-related recalibration, transition, and succession from the researcher’s own experience, as …


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 …


Helpmeet: The African American Pastor's Wife As An Extension Of The Pastor In Pastoral Care And Counseling - A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Ministry Helping Experiences Of Black Pastors' Wives In Predominantly Black Churches, D'Juana Chantel Pittman Apr 2019

Helpmeet: The African American Pastor's Wife As An Extension Of The Pastor In Pastoral Care And Counseling - A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Ministry Helping Experiences Of Black Pastors' Wives In Predominantly Black Churches, D'Juana Chantel Pittman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The position of pastor’s wife presents itself as a unique role. For the African American Pastor’s wife, this role takes on an even more interesting dynamic, considering the cultural back drop of the population many pastor’s wives serve. A hermeneutic phenomenological research study was conducted to understand the phenomena of helper among African American pastor’s wives who serve alongside their husbands in ministry, particularly in pastoral care and counseling. The study included a total of seven African American Pastors’ wives from the state of Texas. The pastors’ wives participated in structured interviews that were extensive in nature. Answering thirty-six questions …


Common Areas To Integrate Young People Into Active Church Ministry Roles, David M. Gantt Apr 2019

Common Areas To Integrate Young People Into Active Church Ministry Roles, David M. Gantt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

All throughout Scripture one can see God calling and using young people to carry out important parts of His narrative. Research has shown that seventy percent of young people drop out of church following high school graduation. One of the reasons this group is leaving is due to a lack of opportunities within ministries in the context of the local church for young people to serve. Through the investigation of applied research and surveys completed by pastors, youth pastors and other church pastoral staff of one hundred forty-seven different churches, the author will identify ministry practices that churches today are …


Declining Inner-City Church Membership: Creating Spiritually Healthy Inner-City Churches Through Acts 2:42-47, Arthur L. Foster Apr 2019

Declining Inner-City Church Membership: Creating Spiritually Healthy Inner-City Churches Through Acts 2:42-47, Arthur L. Foster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Churches Are Declining in the Inner-City Multi-ethnic, inner-city churches are declining in membership. This premise is validated through surveys of inner-city church leaders and rigorous academic reviews from books, theses, dissertations, and peer-reviewed journal articles that discuss typical church problems in multi-ethnic, inner-city churches. Corroborated by applied research (qualitative and quantitative surveys), and academic research, this thesis project proposes a biblical solution to the problem of declining membership in the form of a step-by-step practical church model based on Acts 2:42.


The Black Church And The Current Generation: A Program To Address The Decline Of African-American Church Attendance In Johnston County Of North Carolina, Robert Allen O'Neal Jr Apr 2019

The Black Church And The Current Generation: A Program To Address The Decline Of African-American Church Attendance In Johnston County Of North Carolina, Robert Allen O'Neal Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study concentrates on issues dealing with the decline of attendance in African American churches. Although long-standing statistics since the Civil Rights Era have always shown the African American Church keeping higher audience percentage than European American churches, the tide has changed, and now African American churches are uncharacteristically declining at a faster rate than usual. Unchurched young adults, particularly African American males, are disproportionately missing in the African American church. The fundamental purpose of this study is to focus specifically on evangelical denomination African American churches in Johnston County, North Carolina by employing quantitative and qualitative research. The survey …


Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Worship In The Community Group Ministry Of Grace Bible Church, Jeremy G. Sauskojus Apr 2019

Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Worship In The Community Group Ministry Of Grace Bible Church, Jeremy G. Sauskojus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many local church fellowships have embraced small groups (life groups, community groups) as a means of connecting people with one another from within the larger church body. These small groups are a means of building community. Furthermore, many churches testify to the importance of pursuing worship as much more than music in the corporate worship gathering that takes place once a week. However, very little has been done to connect these two components together in the small group ministry environment. As will be presented, people have written concerning each one of these important elements of church body life. Yet, connecting …


Carl F. H. Henry's Presuppositional Theology And Its Implications Within Educational Settings, Adam L. Lickey Apr 2019

Carl F. H. Henry's Presuppositional Theology And Its Implications Within Educational Settings, Adam L. Lickey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the mid-twentieth century Carl F. H. Henry was committed to articulating a cohesive theological understanding from an evangelical perspective. The primary feature of Henry’s theology was the ultimate authority of God’s Word. This presupposition impacted every area of his thinking and manifest itself in the practical outworking of theology. This dissertation argues that Carl Henry’s theistic presuppositions provide a workable framework for the practice of education. This thesis will be developed in three ways: establishing the consistency of revelational theism, demonstrating the irrationality of naturalism, and analyzing Carl Henry’s published perspective toward the American educational system. This study will …


How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings Apr 2019

How Participation In The Arts Impacts Learning Comprehension For High School Students During Stem Coursework At Two High Schools In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Tiffany Lynn Jennings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand how participation in the arts impacts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) coursework for students at two Southwest Florida High Schools. Within the context of the study, the term “arts’ was used to collectively refer to all visual and performing arts courses, including painting, drawing, graphic arts, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, music, and theatre. Studies show that in order to be innovative, students need to have the experiences that the arts can foster in the right side of the brain, the side associated with creativity (Eisner, 2002). I chose a case study …


Join The Band: Benefits Of Engaging Intergenerational Volunteers In The Local Church Worship Ministry, Jamie R. Coates Apr 2019

Join The Band: Benefits Of Engaging Intergenerational Volunteers In The Local Church Worship Ministry, Jamie R. Coates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the Bible and much of church history, intergenerational ministry was the common practice. However, in recent decades many local evangelical churches have abandoned the practice of intergenerational ministry and have instead embraced age-segregated ministry models. Reflecting this shift, age-segregated worship ministries within the local evangelical church have become the norm. This qualitative study examined biblical examples and teachings regarding worship and ministry and examined worship and ministry practices from throughout church history. Analysis of the research findings addressed the characteristics of an effective intergenerational worship ministry. Although facilitating an intergenerational worship ministry is a complicated endeavor, this study revealed …


A Strategy For A Successful Church Plant In An Un-Churched, Yet Spiritual Culture, Ernest Smith Apr 2019

A Strategy For A Successful Church Plant In An Un-Churched, Yet Spiritual Culture, Ernest Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Planting a church is difficult, especially when the church is planted in a post-Christian culture. Denver, Colorado is this type of culture and has commonly been called “A Church Planter’s Graveyard” by various church planters, church planting network leaders and senior pastors in Denver. According to the North American Mission Board and other reports, Denver is 88-95% un-churched. This writer moved to Denver in the summer of 2013 to plant a church. The goal is to create a different strategy to reach a community of people who are not Christ-followers. This strategy will research former and current Denver church planters. …


A Multiple Case Study On Fifth-Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of Scripted Reading Programs' Impact On Reading Comprehension, Antonio Tyrone Hairston Apr 2019

A Multiple Case Study On Fifth-Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of Scripted Reading Programs' Impact On Reading Comprehension, Antonio Tyrone Hairston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine fifth-grade Read 180 teachers’ perceptions of a commercial scripted reading program and how their perceptions might influence implementation at eight elementary schools in only one school district in Virginia. The theoretical framework of this study was adapted from Lave’s (1991) situated learning theory grounded in constructivism. According to Lave, situated learning should occur in an environment where the instructor provides a learning situation that embodies problem-centered activities that support knowledge. The study assessed how perceptions of a commercial scripted reading program impacts student comprehension for fifth-grade Read 180 elementary teachers …