Practical Theology Commons^™

Shared Leadership In Congregations: How To Construct A Holding Environment To Do Adaptive Work, Zach Ellis

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Many congregations struggle to adapt to changes in their environment. Congregational and pastoral leadership is an important factor in a congregation’s success or failure. The emerging practice of Shared Leadership offers congregational leaders one tool that might help them successfully engage in the adaptive work necessary in the face of a changing environment. Recent research has connected the practice of Shared Leadership to increased innovation in businesses. This form of leadership should be explored as a model for congregations as they engage in adaptive change. However, because it is adaptive change that is required, and not only technical change, a …

Concordia Seminary Magazine Fall 2017, Dale Meyer

Concordia Seminary Magazine

500th Anniversary

Church Differentiators, Pivot Nw Research

Blog

No abstract provided.

A Psychotheology Of Losing, Matthew D. Ruiz

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

This paper explores what it means to lose in a contemporary American society. Kanter (2004) suggested that losing serves as an alarm, notifying one that it is time to recalibrate. For Duina (2011) losing offers a time for reexamination. Sports equates to winning and losing. Thanks to well-indoctrinated maxims like Lombardi’s “winning is the only thing” and a cultural rejection of “losers” we are in an era where the pursuit of winning trumps other variables which are also worthy of pursuit and consideration. Thus, losing becomes an insult to our ego-driven lives. As such, one cannot discuss losing without also …

Religiousness And Perceived God Perfectionism Among Elite Athletes, Benjamin J. Houltberg, Kenneth T. Wang, Sarah A. Schnitker

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Little research has been conducted examining the link between athletes’ religious beliefs and practices and coping with the pressures related to elite competition. The purpose of the study was to investigate athletes’ global self-worth and perfectionistic concerns as key variables that link religiousness and perceived God perfectionism to dealing with performance failure and appraisals of upcoming competition. Self-report data was collected from a sample of 99 elite athletes (Mdn age = 22, 48% female, 89% believed in God) that were currently competing at a NCAA D1, professional or Olympic level. We used structural equation modeling to test direct and indirect …

Christianity And Sport Psychology: One Aspect Of Cultural Competence, Trevor J. Egli, Leslee A. Fisher

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

There is currently a dearth of literature relating to how applied sport psychology practitioners might work with a Christian sportsperson (Czech et al., 2004, Egli et al., 2014). Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide practical suggestions for sport psychology practitioners based on relevant research related to Christianity and sport psychology as well as personal and professional experience. We first explain the various sport psychology roles before providing a brief review of literature. Studies related to Christian athletes, Christian coaches, Christian prayer within sport, and sport psychology consultants’ experiences of spirituality are presented. Lastly, the authors include four …

Exploring The Role Of Spirituality And Spiritual Beliefs In The Pursuit Of Excellence And Attainment Of Peak Performance In Professional Athletes, Ashley Ballard, Charles H. Wilson Jr.

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Little research has been found which examines the assessment of spirituality in sport performers and its possible role in performance enhancement. The goal of the current study was to understand if and how spirituality impacts athleticism. The subjective experiences of Christian spirituality in an American World Sprinter (male), a British Olympic Sprint Canoe Racer (female), and a retired American Minor League Baseball player (male) were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith & Osborn, 2003). Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data leading to three major themes: “The Belief and Confidence in God”, “Individual and Communal Prayer”, and “The Influential …

An Alumnus Learns And Serves: Vincentian Mission In Education, Brian Crimmins

Journal of Vincentian Social Action

My Dad would talk about the mission of St. John’s University—and how going to St. John’s was about more than just getting an education. It was also about a commitment to service. Funny thing was—at first, like many of my peers, I looked at St. John’s and saw an opportunity to celebrate the great tradition of college basketball while also getting an education. I didn’t realize at first that what my parents were saying and doing as I grew up—namely the importance of the Vincentian mission—would ring true in my life in such a profound and lasting manner, day in …

Advent 1 Series B 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments on the Propers for the First Sunday of Advent, Series B and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching.

Evangelism Training For The 21st Century: Complexities And Opportunities For Seminary Education, Jay Jay Moon, Tim Robbins, Irene Kabete

Witness

No abstract provided.

Expository Preaching At The Dawn Of The Reformation: An Evaluation Of Martin Luther As Preacher In Light Of Modern Expository Theory, Randall Rozelle

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This thesis examines Martin Luther as an expository preacher. Contemporary authors such as Ewald Plass, Peter Brooks, Fred Meuser, Sydney Greidanus, James MacKinnon, John MacArthur, and Hughes Oliphant Old describe Luther as an expository preacher, yet none of them clarifies how or in what way they reach that conclusion. To that end, chapter 1 introduces Luther as a preacher and the need for this study.

Chapter 2 defines modern expository theory and presents a four-fold method for creating faithful, expository sermons.

Chapter 3 tracks Luther’s change in hermeneutic from a medieval, allegorical approach to a Christ-centered, historical-grammatical method. Luther’s postils …

Thailand Church Planting As A Mission Field Through The Korean Church With A Focus On The Church Of Thailand Sarang, Taewan Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research is a study on planting Thailand churches as mission fields, with a focus on the Church of Thailand Sarang (CTS). Christians in Thailand are estimated to be 0.5 % of the whole population. Bangkok is considered a gateway city for Buddhism in Southeast Asia; the city is strategically important for Christian mission. Thailand has had a Christian influence during the past 190 years, but the number, influence, and self-support of the churches are still weak. Therefore, the necessity for the cooperation between Korean churches in Thailand and Korean missionaries is present. The human, material, and spiritual resources may …

Integrating Public, Private, And Homeschool Students Into A Cohesive Youth Ministry, Michael Cunningham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parents make agonizing educational decisions for their children, and there are more options than ever before. Some opt to teach their children in the home; others pay handsomely to put their children in the best private schools money can buy. The remaining groups of parents select public, charter, or magnet schools based on those schools’ particular merits or because those schools represent their primary educational option. These subtle lifestyle decisions are building blocks upon which students develop their personality, intellectual ambition, extracurricular interests, and social networks. Neighborhoods, schools, and community activities are often as influential in the formation of a …

An Examination Of Art In The American Evangelical Church For The Purpose Of Discipleship And Evangelism, Joshua Dugan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christianity, in previous eras, has been the foundation of the art community. But, it has surrendered that role over the past three centuries and with it a significant potion of its influence on culture. In addition the church is not effectively reaching an entire demographic of people, those who would define themselves as creatives and artists, because it has distanced itself from the arts. This paper will research the previous methods employed by the church and the current limitations of art within the American Evangelical church through applied academic research as well as interviews with church leaders and artists. The …

The Black Church And Community: A Model For Church Community Engagement And Development, Brye Mcmillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project examines the role of the Black Church in the development of the African American Community and seeks to encourage churches to embrace this role. Support for communities by churches in rural North Alabama is key to improving living conditions and achieving biblically based outreach. This project investigates the church’s theological duties for community outreach and provides a biblical mandate as a part of a larger community development model, while preparing ministry teams for outreach. This paper will consider the equipping methodology that leads to a trained ministry team able to reach, identify, and fulfill the needs of the …

The Church Of The Abiding Presence Of The United Lutheran Seminary, Gettysburg Location Reformation Day, J. Jayakiran Sebastian

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Learning To Pray The Lord’S Prayer For Spiritual Transformation At Tachikawa Church Of Christ, Naoyoshi Fukushima

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This thesis describes a project to lead the members of Tachikawa Church of Christ to learn and experience the power and blessings of praying the Lord’s Prayer for spiritual edification and maturity. The program consisted of eight weeks of learning the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and doing spiritual exercises. To provide a theological foundation for this project, I delivered eight sermons on the Lord’s Prayer with strong emphasis on the relational nature of the prayer.

Those who engaged in the spiritual exercises were given opportunities to experience joy, peace, and correction as they tried to live in harmony …

Reformation, Conquest, And Circumnavigation: The Global Destiny Of Luther’S Theology, Vitor Westhelle

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Men And Gender Justice, Sunder John Boopalan

Consensus

No abstract provided.

The Tough Wedge: Reformation Now And Onward, Matthew R. Anderson

Consensus

No abstract provided.