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Practical Theology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Practical Theology

Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale Oct 2022

Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

Biblical and scholarly sources agree on the importance of forming Christians to seek after holy living to make them more effective evangelists, such that the ministries of evangelism and spiritual formation are intertwined. They also agree that one of the primary roles of the church is to provide for this formation. However, the practices for doing this have been complicated by the heavy move toward digital ministry because of COVID-19. Congregations can continue this formational work even in highly digital contexts by helping Christians tell their story through lifelogging, providing rituals and disciplines to sanctify time and physical spaces, and …


Book Review: Cultural Intelligence: Living For God In A Diverse, Pluralistic World By Darrell Bock, Kenneth Nehrbass Oct 2022

Book Review: Cultural Intelligence: Living For God In A Diverse, Pluralistic World By Darrell Bock, Kenneth Nehrbass

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Defending Shame: Its Formative Power In Paul’S Letters By Te-Li Lau, Yi-Sang Patrick Chan Oct 2022

Book Review: Defending Shame: Its Formative Power In Paul’S Letters By Te-Li Lau, Yi-Sang Patrick Chan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Not Just The Sinner’S Prayer: People’S Experiences With “Stranger-Evangelism”, Kenneth Nehrbass Oct 2022

Not Just The Sinner’S Prayer: People’S Experiences With “Stranger-Evangelism”, Kenneth Nehrbass

Great Commission Research Journal

While churches and Christian concerts are typical loci for evangelism, some Christians also broach the subject of faith with strangers they encounter at their health club, at the beach, or while visiting door-to-door. This study draws from 34 stories of “stranger-evangelism” offered by 11 ministers and laypeople who participated in semi-structured interviews. The central finding of this study is that stranger-evangelism contains a rich variety of experiences that are typical of any ministry: sometimes planned (by proclaiming, inviting, programming, befriending, and serving), and sometimes spontaneously. Participants described the fruit of their efforts along a continuum from rejection to interest, and …


Gerontic Evangelism, Yakubu Jakada Oct 2022

Gerontic Evangelism, Yakubu Jakada

Great Commission Research Journal

Gerontic Evangelism focuses on sharing the gospel with senior adults. Many evangelism ministries are focusing on children, youth, women, and other adult members of society, but few focus on the elderly. Senior adults in most cases are not seen as a peculiar group that needs to be strategically reached with the gospel. Their importance in society and their growing population worldwide should attract the attention of evangelists and missionaries to target them as a special group for gospel witness. This paper argues that winning the senior adults to Christ is a necessity and may open doors for the evangelization and …


Book Review: Pastor Unique: Becoming A Turnaround Leader By Laverne E. Brown, Gordon E. Penfold, And Gary J. Westra, Jim Roden Oct 2022

Book Review: Pastor Unique: Becoming A Turnaround Leader By Laverne E. Brown, Gordon E. Penfold, And Gary J. Westra, Jim Roden

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Competing Notions Of Humility: Why Korean Americans Do Not Need To Abandon Confucius To Get To Christ, Eunice Hong, Max Botner Oct 2022

Competing Notions Of Humility: Why Korean Americans Do Not Need To Abandon Confucius To Get To Christ, Eunice Hong, Max Botner

Great Commission Research Journal

Korean Americans often go to church not only for religious reasons, but also for social and cultural reasons. Due to the close tie between the Korean immigrant church and cultural traditions, second-generation Korean Americans often struggle with trying to balance Eastern and Western cultural values. In particular, tensions arise for second-generation Korean Americans between competing notions of humility. Such tensions, however, provide opportunities to reflect on the particular nature of Christian humility. This article presents biblical humility as one that is neither the maintenance of cultural traditions nor the personal growth of individual disciples; rather, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled humility is the …


About The Great Commission Research Network Fall 2022, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2022

About The Great Commission Research Network Fall 2022, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Church-Based Research: Using Theories, Concepts, And Operationalizations, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2022

Church-Based Research: Using Theories, Concepts, And Operationalizations, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Church-based research requires working with abstract concepts ranging from sin to sanctification. Theories, concepts, and operationalizations allow us to work with these abstractions. Theories are sets of statements describing how specific concepts relate to each other. Concepts are broad ideas that exist in our thinking that can be used to describe phenomena, both within and exterior to the church. If we measure the concepts in our theories among multiple people, we can determine to what degree the relationships in our theories are true or discover under what conditions they are true. Sometimes concepts can be measured directly; other times they …


My Journey In Church Growth, Elmer Towns Oct 2022

My Journey In Church Growth, Elmer Towns

Great Commission Research Journal

This is a short autobiography focusing on the authors experiences in the Church Growth movement.


Book Review: Apostolic Imagination: Recovering A Biblical Vision For The Church’S Mission Today By J. D. Payne, H. L. Ward Jr. Oct 2022

Book Review: Apostolic Imagination: Recovering A Biblical Vision For The Church’S Mission Today By J. D. Payne, H. L. Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Motus Dei: The Movement Of God To Disciple The Nations Edited By Warrick Farah, David H. Campbell Oct 2022

Book Review: Motus Dei: The Movement Of God To Disciple The Nations Edited By Warrick Farah, David H. Campbell

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Applying Paul’S Areopagus Model To Generation Z, Tanita Maddox Oct 2022

Applying Paul’S Areopagus Model To Generation Z, Tanita Maddox

Great Commission Research Journal

The members of Generation Z are today’s adolescents and young professionals, bringing with them their own culture. This culture requires other generations to use a cross-cultural approach to evangelism, as modeled by Paul in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). Paul observed the Athenian culture, built rapport, used common language with his audience, found common ground as a cultural doorway for his message, and redefined the audience’s understanding of the relationship between God and humans. The same steps can be applied to gospel proclamation to Generation Z for effective and relevant evangelism.


Apologetics And Disability: Reframing Our Response To The Question Of Suffering, Rochelle Scheurermann Oct 2022

Apologetics And Disability: Reframing Our Response To The Question Of Suffering, Rochelle Scheurermann

Great Commission Research Journal

A prominent question that is asked when people consider God is how to account for suffering if God is good and all-powerful. For Christians, answering this question is a major part of apologetic and evangelistic training. But what if the way we have traditionally approached this question is not good news for everyone? This paper examines the suffering question in light of disabilities and suggests a new way to engage in apologetics that is centered in creation (not fall) and celebrates the gifts and opportunities that come through a diversity of ability.


The Great Commission Research Network 2022 Presidential Address, Jay Moon Oct 2022

The Great Commission Research Network 2022 Presidential Address, Jay Moon

Great Commission Research Journal

Presidential message at the 2022 Annual Conference of the Great Commission Research Network held in Orlando, Florida.


Book Review: Advanced Missiology: How To Study Missions In Credible And Useful Ways By Kenneth R. Nehrbass, Keith R. Sellers Oct 2022

Book Review: Advanced Missiology: How To Study Missions In Credible And Useful Ways By Kenneth R. Nehrbass, Keith R. Sellers

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Development In Mission: A Guide For Transforming Global Poverty And Ourselves By Monty Lynn, Rob Gailey, And Derran Reese, Nathaniel Veltman Oct 2022

Book Review: Development In Mission: A Guide For Transforming Global Poverty And Ourselves By Monty Lynn, Rob Gailey, And Derran Reese, Nathaniel Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Turning Points In The Expansion Of Christianity: From Pentecost To The Present By Alice Ott, David Thiessen Oct 2022

Book Review: Turning Points In The Expansion Of Christianity: From Pentecost To The Present By Alice Ott, David Thiessen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Great Commission Research Journal Fall 2022, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2022

Great Commission Research Journal Fall 2022, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Narrative Preaching For Millennials : Inviting The Next Generation Into God's Story, Daniel J. Jones May 2022

Narrative Preaching For Millennials : Inviting The Next Generation Into God's Story, Daniel J. Jones

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


The Five-Fold Paradigm : Effects Of The Five-Fold Experimential Course Equip, Nathaniel Dean Mcwherter May 2022

The Five-Fold Paradigm : Effects Of The Five-Fold Experimential Course Equip, Nathaniel Dean Mcwherter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Growing A Megachurch Staff's Discipleship Understanding, Michael A. Wooton May 2022

Growing A Megachurch Staff's Discipleship Understanding, Michael A. Wooton

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Consulting For Church Health : A Look At The Effectiveness Of David Vaughn Consulting For Independent Christian Churches, Jason D. Lykins May 2022

Consulting For Church Health : A Look At The Effectiveness Of David Vaughn Consulting For Independent Christian Churches, Jason D. Lykins

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Ministry Mentoring Matters : Best Practices For Mentoring New Pastors, Keith Koteskey May 2022

Ministry Mentoring Matters : Best Practices For Mentoring New Pastors, Keith Koteskey

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Jerusalem The Great : An Analysis Of The Literary Structure Of John's Revelation, Adrian Reynolds May 2022

Jerusalem The Great : An Analysis Of The Literary Structure Of John's Revelation, Adrian Reynolds

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Multi-Site Church : Best Practices To Launch And Sustain Multi-Site, Brandon Beals May 2022

Multi-Site Church : Best Practices To Launch And Sustain Multi-Site, Brandon Beals

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


The Healthy Pastor : Surviving In Ministry Without Losing Your Soul, Terry L. Roberts May 2022

The Healthy Pastor : Surviving In Ministry Without Losing Your Soul, Terry L. Roberts

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Do Mass-Produced Apologetics Help Spiritual Conversations? Testing Mama Bear Apologetics With Millennial Mothers, Joshua S. Johnson May 2022

Do Mass-Produced Apologetics Help Spiritual Conversations? Testing Mama Bear Apologetics With Millennial Mothers, Joshua S. Johnson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


The Challenge Of Change : A Qualitative Analysis Of Pastors As Change Agents, Joshua O. Gale May 2022

The Challenge Of Change : A Qualitative Analysis Of Pastors As Change Agents, Joshua O. Gale

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Evangelism Through Online Gaming : Communicating To Gen Z Beyond The Church Walls, Michael A. Mcmullen May 2022

Evangelism Through Online Gaming : Communicating To Gen Z Beyond The Church Walls, Michael A. Mcmullen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.