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Full-Text Articles in Christianity
A Kingdom Model Of Leadership: Developing A Biblical Leadership Standard Established On Kingdom Principles And Exemplified By The Person And Ministry Of Jesus, Meredith James
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Although secular leadership principles and insights may benefit pastors and ministry leaders, business practices and cultural trends should not be the driving influences that guide and inform the church. Many pastors and ministry leaders are not practicing the biblical concept of kingdom leadership that Jesus modeled. Instead, they have increasingly relied on secular leadership strategies to produce successful results for their churches. This approach to ministry can often guide ministry leaders to depend on their natural gifts, marketing campaigns, and elevated production elements to grow attendance. The problem with this ministry methodology is that faithfulness and biblical truth are many …
Providing Effective Pastoral Leadership Through Difficult Seasons: Overcoming Barriers To Becoming A Revitalized Church, Joseph Lee
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Leading churches in revitalization is challenging. Church plateau, decline, and revitalization have been issues for major denominations for years. Revitalization efforts have produced positive results for some churches, but the overall trend of decline in church attendance and participation in North America persists. One complicating factor in engaging church revitalization is the contextual nature of barriers contributing to plateau and decline. Some barriers may be specific to the churches' time, location, and culture. A second complicating factor impacting church revitalization is the COVID-19 pandemic that began early in 2020. This project explores church leadership dynamics during challenges seasons by focusing …
Engaging And Mobilizing Baby Boomers For Effective Ministry, Paul D. Russell
Engaging And Mobilizing Baby Boomers For Effective Ministry, Paul D. Russell
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
In the 21st-century church in America, can Baby Boomers, who presently range from 57 to 76 years of age, be envisioned and commissioned to make a difference through effective and meaningful ministry? The intent of the research was to discover relevant information and present considerations to help those entering the last third of life make an informed contribution to the church and community. Evidence will be presented to show that Boomers need the church and that the church needs the presence and resourceful productivity of the Boomer cohort. This reality does not circumvent the essential mission of reaching other generations …
An Exploration Of The Role Of Vulnerability In Ministerial Leadership: A Qualitative Examination Of John 13 As Lived Experience In Contemporary Ministry, Lance L. May
PhD in Organizational Leadership
When leaders experience personal failures, it often causes negative repercussions across an entire organization, and Burns (1978) noted that devastating leadership failures had become increasingly common at the close of the 20th century. Leadership failures have continued to be a prominent problem, and the failures of ministry leaders are just as prevalent and devastating (Shaw, 2006). Brown (2015) concluded that vulnerability is a powerful tool for maintaining trust and integrity for leaders, followers, and entire organizational cultures. This study centered on both the role of vulnerability exemplified by Jesus in John 13 and the lived experiences of Christian ministry leaders. …
A Gospel Centered And Holistic Approach To Caring For Indivduals Experiencing Poverty, Leon Battle
A Gospel Centered And Holistic Approach To Caring For Indivduals Experiencing Poverty, Leon Battle
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Poverty is a major contributor of negative effects to individual health, mental health, and quality of life. The call God has for Christians is to care for individuals experiencing poverty. The question the research aims to answer is: “What elements are important to provide a holistic feeding program that meets the need of an individual physically and spiritually?” Literature on the issue of poverty, a thorough review of scriptures, as well as insights from experts in the field provided information on historical and contemporary issues affecting the poor. Data for this project was collected through a mixed methods study consisting …
A Proposed Curriculum To Improve The Scientific Literacy Of Pastoral Leadership In The Church, Kacey Mewborn
A Proposed Curriculum To Improve The Scientific Literacy Of Pastoral Leadership In The Church, Kacey Mewborn
Selected Honors Theses
Scientific illiteracy is a widespread reality in the Christian church today. The observatory and evidentiary nature of science seems to strongly contradict the faith-based belief in religion that often lacks physical evidence. This contradiction has incited many different conflicts between the congregation of the church and proponents of scientific advancement. A potential cause of this division is that the current education provided for church leaders is severely lacking in exposure to scientific topics that would allow these leaders to effectively communicate with their congregation when scientific issues are raised. Therefore, this research proposes a supplementary curriculum in the form of …
Mental Health Of Creative Professionals In Ministry, Anna G. Fawkes
Mental Health Of Creative Professionals In Ministry, Anna G. Fawkes
Selected Honors Theses
This study examines the perceptions of creative professionals working in ministry. A “creative” is defined as anyone whose job relies on their ability to create and innovate, and the focus of this research is on creatives that serve in church environments where their creativity and spirituality are intertwined with their work. A quantitative research approach was designed to study the creative’s perception on six key-areas of their work/life balance. The resulting survey was administered online to willing participants who identified themselves as creative professionals in ministry. The data found that found that the creative's perception of their organization as "stifling …
The Father’S Business: Exploring The Challenges Of Second-Generation Ministry Leaders, Garrett Booth
The Father’S Business: Exploring The Challenges Of Second-Generation Ministry Leaders, Garrett Booth
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Today’s pastoral leader must balance more competing priorities than ever before. Pastors are responsible for strategic planning, providing excellent messages, developing a staff or ministry team, overseeing finances, and building ministries to meet the needs of their flocks and communities. Many times, the demands of pastoral leadership, especially in a growing church environment, can be so consuming that the family of the pastor pays the price. Pastors’ children who grow up in such a leadership environment face their own additional pressures and extra challenges. This project explores the question “What are the challenges of growing up as a pastor’s child …
Soul Food: Understanding And Implementing An Effective Creative Arts Ministry At The Collegiate Level, Kristen Jones
Soul Food: Understanding And Implementing An Effective Creative Arts Ministry At The Collegiate Level, Kristen Jones
Selected Honors Theses
The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the varying roles of the creative arts in society and the church. It provides a review of literature examining how the arts are being implemented in entertainment, therapy, education, and ministry today, along with a handbook on how to run Soul Food, a college creative arts ministry club. Through a discussion on the intrinsic value of the arts and their ability to provide people with new and deeper ways to encounter God, this thesis provides a basis for the significance of integrating the arts, and empowering artists in the church. The Soul …
Millennials: The Unreached In Our Midst. A Practical Theology Of Reaching Millennials Through Organic Church Principles And Repurposing The Church, Janelle Anderson
Millennials: The Unreached In Our Midst. A Practical Theology Of Reaching Millennials Through Organic Church Principles And Repurposing The Church, Janelle Anderson
Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)
There is an unreached people group in your community--you interact with them on a consistent basis, but they are beyond the reach of the Church right now. The Church has missed her opportunity to reach and disciple Millennials as children and is now struggling to connect with them at all. The first step to reaching this people group is understanding them. This thesis presents the three major longings of generalized Millennial culture, in hopes of highlighting ways to interlace individual lives with faith and Christian community. Each of the three cries of this generation has varied implications for the world, …