Christianity Commons^™

Impressions And Arrows: Forming Faithful Preteen Hearts, Wes Gallagher

Doctor of Ministry

This project seeks to address the following NPO: Christian parents in today’s culture need resources and training to face the challenge and have conversations with their pre-teen children about matters of God and faith. Today's Christian parents often struggle to share their faith and values with their children. Parents feel that their own relationship with God is too shallow, that their calendar is too full, and that their relationship with their children is inadequate. Several reassurances surfaced from this research. First, parents and extended families really do have an impact on the faith of their children. Of course, involvement in …

Becoming A Spiritually Formed Leader An Invitation To A Life-Long Journey Of Stability, Fidelity, And Obedience, Brad Pembleton

Doctor of Ministry

The project was developed in response to the following need within non-denominational churches that lack vision and resources to invest in their spiritual leaders: Leaders of non-denominational churches should be trained and equipped to attend to a life-long process of being spiritually formed to effectively nurture God’s people. To address an overwhelming need for spiritual leaders to grow in their spiritual formation to the glory of God and for the sake of others, this is a two-fold strategy that utilizes both the left and right brain to engage beliefs, doctrine and strategies while also focusing on relational experiences, emotional development …

Apprentice Life: Finding Life In The Way Of Jesus, Tim C. Mccarthy

Doctor of Ministry

The Apprentice Life: Finding Life in the Way of Jesus course is a project designed to address the difficulty of mobilizing more experienced believers at a large, western Canadian, evangelical anabaptist church to embrace their role in helping new believers grow up in their faith. The author has explored Old and New Testament teachings, various historic Christian traditions, contemporary faith formation theory, disciple-making literature, and the insights of local and expert contributors. Based on these discoveries, new believers are most likely to become resilient apprentices of Jesus when more experienced mentors in faith accept responsibility to pass on a living …

The Satnav Series: Discipleship Journeys In Today's Culture, Tracy Cotterell

Doctor of Ministry

The Project was developed in response to the following NPO (specifically opportunity): In a disorientating culture, forming disciples in the way of Christ needs a relational, experiential model that enlarges their capacity to integrate Bible, Spirit, self and context. A key insight emerging from research was millennial Christians’ sense of being outmaneuvered by a rapidly changing culture. This left them feeling stranded with insufficient way-markers towards flourishing, fruitful lives as followers of Jesus in their context. Research also identified a yearning for a discipleship model that was relationally rich, holistic and experiential in its approach, and which responded directly to …

Forming Anglican Wayfinders In Aotearoa: A Contextual Approach To Ministerial Preparation, Karen Kemp

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation begins with a Church in crisis and a story of vocation under pressure. It identifies the need for clergy who are resilient and adaptive in the face of change.

Using the four phases of Appreciative Inquiry, Sections Two through Six build a picture of what New Zealand Anglican leaders need today.1

Discover: Section Two surveys bright spots in ministerial education, and exegetes the Rule of Benedict using a leadership lens.

Dream: Section Three identifies key challenges, evaluates emerging models of leadership, and proposes a fresh approach to training.

Design and Destiny phases (Sections Four through Six) present the …

Restorying God: Re-Imagining The God Of The Bible And Re-Enchanting Our Neo-Secular Selves, Robert Joseph Burnham

Doctor of Ministry

The Western world has undergone dramatic transformation in the last five hundred years. A premodern world became modern and then postmodern. In the terms of philosopher Charles Taylor, the Western social imaginary—the collection of images and ideas that define human flourishing and guide a populous through daily life—has shifted from one of “transcendent-enchantment” to “immanent-disenchantment.” Christianity, a

once singular Roman Catholic Church, is a diversity of denominations that, despite best efforts and intentions, are watching people of all demographic groups join a mass exodus in body, soul, or both from the church. However, one would be mistaken to denounce those …

Emerging Young Adult Spiritual Formation: A Developmental Approach For An Intergenerational Church, Frederick R. Fay

Doctor of Ministry

There is a growing disconnect between young adults and the church. Research into this specific and recent phase of life shows how cultural trends have shaped the spiritual lives of emerging adults. This dissertation claims that the loss of relevancy of the church for young adults is rooted in how the church has either capitulated or ignored these trends. Section 1 addresses the current immature faith that is endemic in many contemporary churches. The church’s history and the culture within which it is embedded are examined. Section 2 describes other approaches to spiritual formation of young adults. Section 3 asserts …

Sustainable Faith: How The Neuroscience Of Emotion Promotes Spiritual Transformation, Christine M. Mutch

Doctor of Ministry

Current research indicates that well-intentioned practices and programs aimed at forming people into the image of Christ are not producing the intended results. One roadblock is the misunderstanding and lack of value placed on the role of emotion in the transformation process. The purpose of this dissertation is to present neuroscience research about the integral role of emotion in one's life, and suggest practical ways to capitalize on emotion to effect transformation.

Chapter one describes the goals of spiritual formation, in contrast to current attitudes and practices of those inside and outside the church. It provides a basic introduction to …

Technefication: The Art And Craft Of Utilizing Technology In Spiritual Practices, Patrick J. Sehl Jr.

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation claims there is an underutilization of technology in the church resulting in the bifurcation of the sacred and secular and asserts that the church needs to leverage the power of mobile devices to integrate spiritual practices and everyday life. Section 1 enters the discussion of technophobia and its effect on relationships with God and with others. Section 2 names a few ways the church has attempted to help people integrate spiritual practices into their daily lives through hiring a Spiritual Formation Pastor, encouraging involvement in small groups, and developing Bible apps. These attempts have taken great steps forward; …