Christianity Commons^™

Growing Old (From Dirt And The Good Life), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Excerpt: "After a night interrupted a dozen times or so with a sharp sciatica pain, I felt pleased to see the old digital clock approaching 8:00 as I reached my final awakening-much later than our normal rising and only possible on a sabbatical year. Lisa got out of bed first, rustling the sheets on her side of the bed as I said, "Happy anniversary." Today is our thirty-second. Surprisingly, she didn't respond. She's never been the type to offer silence in response to my words-even when annoyed at me-and I couldn't think of any reason for her to be annoyed …

Church Turnaround: Perspectives, Principles, And Practices, Kenneth E. Priddy

Great Commission Research Journal

Prominent church analysts agree that over 80% of American Protestant churches are in plateau and decline and that the growth of the church is not keeping pace with the growth of the population. Sacrifice on the part of church leaders and congregants is sorely needed but strongly resisted, as congregations tend to prefer stability and familiarity above risk and change. This paper presents insights into the origin of plateau and decline and offers perspectives, principles, and practices that when properly and faithfully applied, generate health, growth, and multiplication in churches that commit to sustainable church turnaround.

Characteristics Of Turnaround Pastors, Gordon Penfold

Great Commission Research Journal

While the population of the United States grows, the percentage of people attending church continues to plummet. Much of the drop can be attributed to the 70% to 85% of the churches that have plateaued or declined in attendance. However, bright spots are on the church landscape. Many churches, after decades of plateau or decline, begin to turn around and grow as they are led by “turnaround” pastors. This paper explores the leadership characteristics of turnaround pastors in contradistinction to non-turnaround pastors and argues that church renewal and church planting are critical components needed for a healthy twenty-first century church.

A Critique Of The Multi-Ethnic Church Planting Strategy, Gustavo Suarez

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper seeks to discover if the multiethnic church planting strategy is effective in reaching a multicultural nation. This paper will first take a brief look at the challenges of an ethnic population in North America with primary emphasis given to the Hispanic population. Second, I will present supportive evidence for the multiethnic church planting view. Third, I will present arguments against the multiethnic strategy. Fourth, I will give observations and implications for the church. The main source of argument centers more in the methodology used. The reader will readily see the contrasting theological and cultural opinions of these two …

Book Review: To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, And Possibility Of Christianity In The Late Modern World By James Davison Hunter, Joel Rainey

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role Of Business In Missions By Steve Rundle And Tom Steffen, Anthony Casey

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Urban Impact: Reaching The World Through Effective Urban Ministry By John L. Thompson, Timothy R. Sisk

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles And Best Practices For Multiplication By Craig Ott And Gene Wilson, Tom Steffen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Autobiography Of John Wesley Hughes, John Wesley Hughes, Andrew Johnson

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

The Presence Of God In His Universe, In His Word, In His Son, In His People : And Other Sermons, Henry Clay Morrison

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Actualizing Faith Learning Integration: Exploring The Tensions Of Mindful Teaching, Susanna Steeg

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This reflective paper describes the experiences of a first-year faculty member negotiating the meaning and living out of faith learning integration within her particular institution. The triple tensions of mindful teaching (ethics/power, individual/collective, and contemplation/action) are framing constructs for this discussion of faith learning integration. Autobiographical narratives of three particular experiences in the author’s first year offer opportunities for readers to reflect on the tensions inherent in mindful teaching as it pertains to faith and learning. The author invites consideration of the institutional supports and constraints within these conversations while sharing vignettes revealing the personal nature of these decisions.

How A Christian Ethic Of Care Can Inform The Organization And Structure Of Schools Of Education, Paul Shotsberger

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

A natural outcome of a Christian ethic of care is the adoption of structures and organizations that facilitate or enhance this kind of caring. This article investigates these kinds of structures as they relate to schools of education. Discussion and recommendations focus on moving away from a hierarchical model toward a more organic structure where authority and decision-making are more distributed, communication is emphasized, and collaboration is the norm.

Religious Identity Formation Among Adolescents: The Role Of Religious Secondary Schools, Timothy J. Wang

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The purpose of this article is to examine the role religious secondary schools play in the religious identity formation of adolescents. Although several research studies have found a correlation between enrollment in private religious schools and adolescents’ religious identity formation, the researchers of these studies have only speculated about which specific characteristics of religious schools are responsible for this formation in the lives of adolescents. Through a review of the literature, the present article identifies several characteristics of religious secondary schools that may contribute to the process of religious identity formation: a community of religious peers, the presence of religious …

Using Storytelling To Integrate Faith And Learning: The Lived Experience Of Christian Esl Teachers, Monir Nazir Atta-Alla

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

English as a second language (ESL) settings lend themselves more easily and naturally than others to storytelling-based discussions and activities that integrate faith and learning. Stories and storytelling offer students from diverse backgrounds a compelling mechanism for understanding their world and creating shalom learning community conducive to the restoration of wholeness of the learners. This qualitative study explores the perceptions and lived teaching experience of Christian teachers regarding the integration of faith and learning in ESL settings through using storytelling. Findings indicated that storytelling is an effective tool for the integration of faith and learning in ESL settings. Using storytelling …

Teaching Our Education Students To Teach Christianly, John Van Dyke

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

What does it mean to teach Christianly? We may not always agree on what it means. There can be no doubt, however, that the calling of teacher education departments in Christian post-secondary institutions is to prepare students to teach Christianly, whether in public or Christian schools. But how do we do this? I shall address this question by considering four themes:

• current conceptions of what it means to teach Christianly,
• an alternative model,
• the context of teaching Christianly, and
• some implications for our teacher education programs.

Faculty Perceptions Of Teacher Professionalism In Christian Schools, James A. Swezey, Donald E. Finn

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Able school administrators understand that teachers are their most valuable asset. If Christian schools are to effectively serve the families who entrust their children to their care, teachers must demonstrate both professional competency and godly character. This study was an investigation of faculty perceptions of teacher professionalism at ten Christian schools in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. An online survey of 24 items was completed by 230 teachers (males=30; females=200). The survey instrument was a modified version of Tichenor and Tichenor’s (2009) four dimensions of teacher professionalism. Data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis-of-variance (MANOVA) …

Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions Of The Integration Of Faith And Learning As Christian Vocation, Laurie R. Matthias, Karen Wrobbel

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The overriding purpose of Christian liberal arts colleges in the United States is to offer a comprehensive education to their students. Inherent in this goal is the deliberate integration of Christian faith with academic content; it is, after all, what differentiates Christian institutions of higher education from their secular counterparts (Muntz & Crabtree, 2006). The mission statement of Trinity International University (TIU) in Deerfield, Illinois is to “educate men and women for faithful participation in God’s redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian fidelity and lifelong learning.” The Division of Education that prepares candidates for certification to …

Book Review: Metaphors We Teach By: How Metaphors Shape What We Do In Classrooms, Christina Belcher

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

As I sit to write this review, I find myself musing over the sub-title to this text, How Metaphors Shape What we do in Classrooms. Worthy of a place in educational texts, this context of shaping targets a consideration for everyone working educationally with students. In this context, this book provides readers with much to think about. In my perspective, it is this consideration toward what I will call the heart and dispositional sensibility of education, a Christian sense of place, so to speak, that makes this book valuable.

Iccte Spotlight: Dr. Susanna Steeg

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Dr. Susanna Steeg, Associate Editor, is the newest member of the ICCTE editorial team. She serves as both a reviewer for the journal, and editorial assistant for manuscripts prior to the final copy edit process.

3 Nephi 9:19–20: The Offering Of A Broken Heart, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

As recorded in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 8), the atoning death of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem brought prophesied destruction and darkness in the Americas. Following approximately three hours of terrible devastation (8:19), a “thick darkness” engulfed the land for three days (8:20, 23; 10:9). During this period of darkness the voice of Jesus was “heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land” (9:1).