Christianity Commons^™

Developing A Lay Ministry Of Caregiving Skills To Parents And Families Who Grieve The Death Of A Child At Zion Hill Baptist Church, Cherryville, N.C., Roger Fuller

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project aims to educate those who minister to people who may experience the difficult misfortune of the grief and loss of a child. The concentration and intent of this work are to cultivate a ministry of caregiving skills for the members at Zion Hill Baptist Church of Cherryville, North Carolina. This caring ministry of the church will serve all who grieve, but the general focus of this project is to offer specialized care in aiding those who grieve the death of a child. This training is of great necessity because most church members, having not experienced losing a child, …

Increasing Parental Participation In The Spiritual Formation Of Children At Spencer Baptist Church In Spindale, North Carolina, Kelly Settlemyre

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A program was created at Spencer Baptist Church in Spindale, NC to increase parental involvement in spiritual formation in the home. The 5-week program sought to connect spiritual identity with parental actions and confidence. The project focused on spiritual formation and then examined biblical mandates of family discipleship as well as examples of biblical family formation. Resources were given to participants for use within the family. Surveys measured the quantitative effectiveness of the program, while group participation provided qualitative insights. At the conclusion, there was a significant increase in participation in the spiritual formation of children in the home.

Breaking The Davidic Covenant And The Rape Of Zion, Holly Strother

MA in Religion Theses

Second Samuel 7 lays out the relationship between God and David through a covenant. David breaks the covenant with God when he takes Bathsheba and kills Uriah, and the consequences impact David, his lineage, and Daughter Zion (his kingdom). The language used to describe the city's fall is that of sexual violence, highlighting the horrors of rape within David’s life and lineage after he breaks his covenant with God by taking Bathsheba. The methodology of this thesis is a narrative approach to the biblical text that uses reader-response criticism while exploring the narrative of 2 Samuel 7, 11, and 12. …

Determining Rural Church Growth And Sustainability Based On Population Trends And Outreach, Kimberly Ford

Education Projects

Farmington Baptist Church is a church located in rural Davie County, North Carolina. The church’s mission is focused on children, community, and culture. Due to consistent growth of the church population over the past 5 years, the church will soon outgrow its current space and needs to determine if they are to invest in a new building. The purpose of this project was to help determine if the growth of the church is sustainable based on both external and internal factors, and if so, what was the number of members they should anticipate accommodating with a new sanctuary building. External …

Strengthening An Understanding And Practice Of Spiritual Transformation For Sunday School Teachers Of Ellis Chapel Baptist Church, Patterson Springs, Nc, Linda Williams Lockhart

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The spiritual formation process can be clearly viewed through the lives of those who lived during the biblical era. People desire to change; however, the problem is that they do not know how because training in the spiritual formation process is not present within many churches today. This project was designed to train selected Sunday School teachers of Ellis Chapel Baptist Church through a four-week spiritual transformation process, hoping to strengthen their understanding of becoming image-bearers and practitioners of the Gospel that Jesus taught and exemplified. Through utilizing spiritual disciplines in journaling, training sessions, and assessments, selected teachers became aware …

Soul As Sanctuary: Awareness Of God Alone And Assembled At Freedom Alive Church Of Greenville, South Carolina, Paulleatha Bruce

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A Christian practicum was established at Freedom Alive Church of Greenville in Greenville, South Carolina to examine and to promote the depth of influence and impact awareness of God in self, in daily living practices, and in the world at-large have on the congregants’ engagement and participation in corporate worship. Utilizing Scripture and the employment of solitude, meditation, prayer, and worship as spiritual practices, congregants from the generations of Silent, Baby Boomer, Xer, and Millennial were enlisted to participate in a six-week study. Upon the analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data, it was revealed that congregants’ exposure to the …

Integral Missions: A Framework For Developing A Missional Community Engagement At New Ellis Chapel Baptist Church In Shelby, North Carolina, Paul Christopher Gash

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Church is called to be passionate about leading the cause of being influential, inspirational, and impactful in the community that she is housed. God has commissioned all believers to embark the grand opportunity of effectively engaging the community through integral missions. The formation of this ministry project was born out of various studies that was researched that revealed a high degree of poverty that exists within the community where New Ellis Chapel Baptist Church is located. Additionally, during the development of this project, COVID-19 has plagued the world and caused an increase in mental health, emotional instability, financial constraints, …

Undergraduate Session Iii: Presentation 1 - Disrupting The System: How Harriet Beecher Stowe Used Uncle Tom's Cabin To Challenge Calvinistic Ideals Of Christianity, Michelle P. Lominac

Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference

Analyzing Harriet Beecher Stowe's methods of challenging traditional Calvinistic beliefs in her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Assistant Professor’S Research Focuses On Women’S Roles In China’S Modern Transformation, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Zhang is also working to publish a book this year, titled “Materializing a Gendered Modernity: The Beijing Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) (1927-1937).”

Decreasing Stigma And Increasing Partnership: The Black Church And Mental Health Community, Harriet Lakisha Bryant

Education Projects

Mental illness of any form needing mental health assistance has come with some negative stigmas and perceived apprehension in the Black community. African Americans' low use of mental health services, historically and presently, has been well-documented. As a result, many African Americans seek assistance from within their faith-based organization, particularly their clergy staff. Pastors influence views on mental health counseling and mental health-seeking attitudes of their congregants. For my consultancy, I partnered with Watts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, a predominantly African American church to integrate mental health services into their church-based programming and to conduct an analysis of best practices …

Building Health And Safety Initiatives In Faith-Based Organizations, Jaqueline Denise Palmer

Education Projects

The church has always responded to the needs (the sick, dying, and hungry) of the community. The church is more than a place to feed the soul; it is a place for healing of the mind, body, and soul. How effective is the church in providing health and wellness education? There has been an increase in domestic attacks on faith-based organizations. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (n.d.) stated that from 2009 to 2019, there have been 37 attacks on houses of worship resulting in 64 people losing their lives. These attacks prompted houses of worship to review their security policies or …

The Reception Of Hagar In The Writings Of Origen, John Chrysostom, And Augustine, Mariah Case

MA in Religion Theses

The premise of this thesis is to explore the reception of the Hagar stories through three prominent early Christian thinkers -Origen, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo - in order to evaluate the theological significance she had for those particular contexts. Hagar functions predominately as a symbol in contexts where group identity, power, and ideology are contested. The hermeneutical and theological stances of the authors are examined to expose and mitigate the religious conflict occurring in their historical location. The resulting interpretations of Hagar and her story vary from Christianization of the character to outright scorn and rejection of the …

Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds Through The Practice Of Learning And Mission At First Baptist Church Valdese, Nc, Joshua Lail

Doctor of Ministry Projects

An education program was designed to encourage intergenerational unity among a mixed group of youth and adults at First Baptist Church in Valdese, NC. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the program on the intergenerational experimental group. There was movement toward intergenerational unity from the pre-test to post-test in the experimental group. Insights were learned from the data, particularly that there were different rates of growth between the youth and adults, and the observation that participants may have liked the idea of working together more than actually working together. The younger participants …

Nurturing Emotional Intelligence To Encourage An Increase In Compassion Among The Members Of Ecclesia Baptist In Asheville, North Carolina, Aileen Mitchell Lawrimore

Doctor of Ministry Projects

God’s infinite chesed for humanity, embodied in Jesus, calls Christians to claim their inherent brokenness and their infinite beauty and to offer the same grace to others. This chesed, experienced as compassion, enables Christians to extend compassion to themselves and others. To encourage this behavior among members of Ecclesia Baptist, this project paired psychology with theology and biblical study to nurture emotional intelligence (EQ). Participants attended five two-hour sessions and spent time on reflection and practice outside of meetings. Results indicated that increased EQ boosts confidence in compassionate behavior and increases intentions to continue practices formed from the study.

Measuring The Value Of Guided Preparation On The Worship Experience At First Baptist Greenville, Sc, Matthew Rollins

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Worship is a central part of the life of the church. There exists an understanding that the church will provide a time and space for regular, meaningful worship to occur, as well as an expectation that the people will attend and engage, open to an encounter with God, alongside their brothers and sisters in Christ. This study investigates the latter responsibility - that of the people to fully participate in worship that gives worth to God, listens to God, and responds to God. In this project, volunteers from First Baptist Church Greenville, SC, engaged with specially designed pre-worship guides to …

Kan In Don Nah (All Are Welcome Here): A Framework For Developing Intercultural Worship Practice At First Chin Baptist Church Of New Bern, North Carolina, Janice Daynette Snead

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The process of intercultural ministry across human boundaries is modeled throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ. Regardless of culture, the scriptures actively engage understanding of God’s Word for all the people and His love to reach each one. This project sought to encourage a biblical understanding of intercultural discipleship by guiding the worshiping community of First Chin Baptist Church through a four-week ministry project to welcome and worship with non-Chin guests. Through a series of study on John 21:1-17, the community discovered a new biblical and theological foundation for understanding and guiding non-Chin guests before, during, and after worship to …

Empowering The Church To Promote Hope And Healing To Those Suffering From Addiction Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship In Lexington, South Carolina, Donna Seay

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Addiction continues to be on the rise in the United States. “Empowering The Church To Promote Hope and Healing to Those Suffering From Addiction” was designed to educate, equip, and empower members of the church to journey with those who suffer from addiction. The four-week curriculum was based on the four functions of Pastoral Care which are healing, guiding, sustaining, and reconciliation. The project utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the results.

Minister As Mentor: A Biblical Model For The Preparation Of A Mentoring Ministry At First Baptist Church In Reidsville, North Carolina, Thomas Leroy Barksdale Ii

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A preparation model was developed to equip mentors to effectively engage, encourage, and guide community youth. Members of the Christian faith have a responsibility to reach out and impact positively the next generations of leaders. Potential mentors were led through developmental sessions to prepare for the mentor relationships. Surveys, journal entries, pre-posttests, and questionnaires measured the effectiveness of the developmental weekly sessions and engagement.

The Cost And Value Of Your Education, T. Perry Hildreth

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

This brief address explores the issue of the dominance of the economical way of valuing education over a more traditional idea of education as moral formation. An education in a Christian liberal arts university uniquely gives priority to the idea that education should shape the student's moral understanding and consequent actions. The address is an invitation to consider how one, professionally and personally, might serve members of a culture shaped largely by the idea that human meaning and purpose are reducible to economic value as merely producers and consumers.

Improving Ministerial Effectiveness In A Multi-Site Church, Randa M. Ross

Education Dissertations and Projects

In the modern church, it is not uncommon for churches to be comprised of congregations that worship at multiple locations offering several worship times and some even offering a virtual worship experience. In order to effectively manage Sunday worship along with other church activities, churches rely heavily on their congregants to volunteer in the various church ministries. The need for actively engaged volunteers is only amplified when the resources are spread across multiple campuses. The Park Church is one of those churches presented with the challenge of Improving Ministerial Effectiveness at a Multi-Site Church.

The Park Church desired to improve …

The Divine Collaborative Effort: Agency As A Tool For Examining Power And Relationship In The Exodus Narrative, Harley Burgess

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

The character of Moses as seen within the Old Testament is perhaps the most dynamic and powerful character within the biblical text. Continually throughout the Exodus narrative, Moses faces opportunities for growth and development that lead him toward becoming the archetype for leadership. Moses’ journey is rife with choice. Though many would place Yahweh at the forefront of the narrative, it is truly Moses whom the audience witnesses generating change, making decisions, and even influencing the decisions of his God.

Advent 2017, Gardner-Webb University

Advent Devotions

Annual Gardner-Webb University Advent devotional book from the year 2017 with contributions from various students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Each page in the book represents a day of Advent and contains a scripture and short devotion. There are also spaces provided for prayer requests and advent reflection.

Making Room: Conversations About Race And Faith Between Members Of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc And St. John's Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc, Martha Dixon Kearse

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In this project, the candidate recorded personal stories from members of two different Baptist congregations: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as African-American) and St. John’s Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as Caucasian). Using those recordings, the candidate created a podcast called “Making Room,” and invited participating group members to listen to each other’s stories. In addition, the candidate invited these same group members to participate in conversations about issues of race, especially as they present themselves in Charlotte, NC. The candidate and group members challenged themselves with the …

Educating Calvary Baptist Church, Asheville, Nc, On The Value Of Following The Christian Year As A Means For Spiritual Renewal Through Worship, Jeffrey C. Hayes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project introduced the spiritual value of following the Christian year in worship. Through a series of sermons and study lessons that focused on eight major seasons (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time), participants were exposed to the history and spiritual purpose of each, respectively. Two surveys were administered, along with weekly evaluations, and interviews, to measure the project’s effectiveness. The desired outcome was a greater degree of knowledge and interest in worshipping through the Christian year. According to the final analysis, increased understanding, spiritual growth, and desire to worship through the Christian year did …

Practicing Sabbath To Reduce Stress Among Ministers In The Tyger River Baptist Association, Spartanburg, South Carolina, James Hailstock

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Sabbath is the zenith of God’s creation and the climax of living. The key to reducing stress among ministers is the Sabbath lifestyle which includes practicing the disciplines of prayer, silence, feasting and fellowshipping in addition to identifying the signs and symptoms of stress. The Sabbath lifestyle empowers ministers with coping skills that can be personalized and implemented consistently as they progress and deal with the daunting demands and responsibilities of ministry. This project tested and compared the stress levels of the research and control groups before and after teaching four courses (disciplines) in the context of a Sabbath …

Meditation And Contemplation: Framework For A Coping Mechanism Among Small Groups At The Mount Moriah Baptist Church In Spartanburg, South Carolina, Gary W. Jordan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

“Don’t say God is silent if your Bible is closed.” - Church Sign This project aimed to encourage and enable a small group class at Mount Moriah Baptist Church to adopt meditative and contemplative prayer as a framework for a coping mechanism. In practicing this type of prayer life, participants anticipated to receive the benefit of being better able to cope with stressors of life. Utilizing a small group study, Lectio Divina, biblical examples, breathing techniques and various surveys, participants were enabled to experience a deeper interaction with Scripture, aided by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to hear God …

Chaplain Spiritual Assessment And Its Efficacy For The Palliative Care Team At Roper St. Francis Healthcare: An Interdisciplinary-Phenomenologic Inquiry, Yhanco Monet

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A qualitative phenomenological research methodology was designed and implemented to answer the question: what is it that chaplains assessed which is perceived as useful for the Roper St. Francis Palliative Care team? Twelve Palliative Care practitioners, representing diverse specialties, were interviewed and surveyed to answer the research question. Evidence suggested that spiritual care and chaplaincy assessments were perceived as relevant to the Roper St. Francis’ Palliative Care praxis. However, the gathered data indicates that chaplains and Palliative Care practitioners would benefit from a more standardized/consistent spiritual assessment practice. A set of “Teaching Guidelines” and educational “Activities” was created with the …

Guiding The Members Of Polkville Baptist Church In Polkville, North Carolina Toward A Greater Awareness Of Their Place In The Body Of Christ, Richard Lee Hamrick

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A church-wide emphasis, with preaching and teaching, provided the platform for instilling in members of Polkville Baptist Church a better understanding of the individual's role in the community of faith, the goal being that a greater percentage of members take an active role in the church. The twelve-member research group was tracked individually, and the control group was tracked as a unit. Following the emphasis, care was taken to discover if there were more members involved in the life of the church than before the emphasis. There was a clear growth in understanding and in the number of active members.

1902, Apr 28 - Death Of Mrs. Amanda Dixon, Cleveland Star

Series 7. News Clippings, 1902 – 2000, and undated

No abstract provided.

Changing Attitudes Toward Life : Using Viktor E. Frankl's Logotherapy In Ministry With Christian Women In Church Of The Lord, Anyang, Kyounggi-Do, South Korea, Jihye Kim

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Changing Attitudes Toward Life: Using Viktor E. Frankl’s Logotherapy in Ministry with Christian Women in Church of the Lord, Anyang, Kyounggi-do, South Korea is a project designed to help the target group increase the degree of meaning and purpose in life and motivate a desire to live lives more meaningfully and responsibly with hopeful attitudes by exploring the biblical messages with integration exercises utilizing the key concepts of Dr. Frankl’s Logotherapy. Through a five-week sermon series, six weeks of group sessions including the final group reflection session, and writing reflection and autobiographies, the participants are provided opportunities to evaluate and …