Practical Theology Commons^™

From 35,000 To 15,000 Feet: Evangelical Statistics In The U.S. And Canada: A State/Province, Metro And County Glimpse, J. D. Payne

Great Commission Research Journal

Identifying the areas of the greatest evangelical need in the U.S. and Canada, this paper is designed to help churches and denominations take seriously the realities presented and to make any necessary adjustments in their church multiplication strategies to better extend the Kingdom into areas where few are laboring. This article is to be used in conjunction with an extensive corresponding PowerPoint presentation (10MB) showing evangelical statistics in selected places of the United States and Canada. The presentation may be downloaded for free from the Articles section at www.NorthAmericanMissions.org under the title “From 35,000 to 15,000 Feet: Evangelical Statistics in …

Book Review: Christianity Encountering World Religions: The Practice Of Mission In The Twenty-First Century By Terry Muck And Frances S. Adeney, Will Brooks

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Ignite: How To Spark Immediate Growth In Your Congregation By Nelson Searcy With Jennifer Dykes Henson, James Cho

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Deep Preaching: Creating Sermons That Go Beyond The Superficial By Kent J. Edwards, Lloyd Grant

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

About The Great Commission Research Network, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Hispanic Ministry Where Language Is No Barrier: Church Growth Among U.S.-Born, English-Dominant Latinos, Daniel Rodriguez

Great Commission Research Journal

During the past one hundred fifty years of mission and ministry among Latinos in the United States, most denominational and local church leaders have assumed a “Spanish-speaking immigrant-church model.” This model still dominates the landscape of Hispanic ministries among evangelicals in the United States. Unfortunately, this model is generally not successful when targeting U.S.-born English-dominant Latinos. This study explores how linguistic, cultural and social-economic factors have re-shaped ministry paradigms and practices in several churches across the country that traditionally targeted foreign-born Spanish-dominant Latinos but now also successfully target U.S.-born English-dominant Latinos.

Church Growth: A Holiness Perspective, Christopher Mark Baldwin

Great Commission Research Journal

The purpose of this article is to outline the Holiness Perspective on Church Growth. Some may be tempted to think of Church Growth and Holiness as mutually exclusive ideas. This article attempts to bring these concepts together. This is accomplished through biblical, theological, and historical foundations. The biblical foundation is based on the church of Antioch and the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. The theological foundation focuses on three aspects: missio Dei, Incarnation, and kingdom of God. The historical foundations outline a number of church planting strategies used throughout the history of the church.

Book Review: Churchmorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities By Eddie Gibbs, Tom Harper

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Process Model For Church Change As Reflected In St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, Sheffield, England, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

This article is an abbreviation of research originally presented to Dr. Eddie Gibbs, Donald McGavran Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary. Gibbs has been involved with the church under study for over two decades and lauded the author’s research. The research indicates a five-stage/four-trigger process model of change that may serve as an ecclesial prototype for effective change. The article is presented here in honor of Dr. Eddie Gibbs on his retirement.

A Return To Our Roots: 1st Century Church Growth In The 21st Century, Robert E. Logan

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper reviews the history of the church growth movement with the underlying question: Can such happen in the 21st Century? The origination of the church growth movement is explored with a challenge to recontextualize the posture of church growth initiatives. A key to this process is the development of leaders through both missional and relational processes. Returning to our missional roots and becoming more and more incarnational as we walk alongside the next generation of leaders will have historic impact not only for church, but for the world, for the marketplace, and for all the new ways God may …

Emerging Church Growth Oxymoron: Mcgavran And Newbigin In Dialog, David Drury

Great Commission Research Journal

The Emerging church and the Church Growth movement are presented in the article in comparison and contrast, with special attention paid to the fathers of both movements, Lesslie Newbigin and Donald McGavran, respectively. An overview of problematic critiques and unhelpful practices in the treatments of each movement is given. Current trends are noted involving shifts in both movements, leaving open a possibility for more constructive dialog and partnership. A final synergy is suggested to envision a future way forward.

The Conversations Of Our Times, Bill Easum

Great Commission Research Journal

The changes in what the church is and what the church does is explored in this article. These changes are the result of the challenges that have descended on culture in the 21st Century. In the midst of these challenges several conversations are taking place that Christian leaders can’t afford to ignore because each one challenges the fabric of Western Christianity as we know it today. With the goal of reporting what is at stake six budding movements are explored: Emergent, Incarnational, Organic, Reproductive, Missional and Sim Card. Each is summarized with a short explanation as to their potential impact …

Book Review: The Hip Hop Church: Connecting With The Movement Shaping Our Culture By Efrem Smith And Phil Jackson, Robert W. Strong

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around And Yours Can, Too By Ed Stetzer And Mike Dodson, Keith Stone

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges Of God During Calamity: Lessons Learned From India, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

The Church Growth Movement has historically placed a priority on evangelism over that of social action. From a church growth perspective, if social action takes priority, evangelism is eventually lost amid the numerous good things that a church can do. In contrast the thinking of the missional church declares it is possible keep evangelism and social action in balance with neither gaining a priority edge. Using a real story from the missionary life of Donald McGavran’s father, John G. McGavran, this article illustrates that when social action does, as it often must, take first place over evangelism, effectiveness in evangelism …

Changing Paradigms Of Evangelism: Three Generational Views, Elmer Towns

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper attempts to summarize the overarching movements of evangelism in the past 70 years in the United States, most of which this author has personally observed and influenced. While there has always been evangelism in various expressions and to some degree, certain expressions of evangelism have been more effective than others. The primary emphasis of evangelism has gone from soul-winning evangelism (pre-1950), to Church Growth evangelism (1960–1990), to missional evangelism (2000-to the present). Each of these categories will be explored with concluding observations made as to the continued import of evangelism as a priority.

Programa Para Mejorar La Salud Espiritual De La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Gainesville-Florida, Byron Alexander Rivera Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Every church as a social group has the potential to grow and improve its spirituality, its cohesion, its commitment, its fidelity and its participation. The Gainesville Spanish Adventist Church is formed by members that have the ardent desire to improve in all these areas. This investigation aims to improve the spirituality of the congregation.

Methodology

The investigation began with the selection of 25 members of the Gainesville Spanish Church in Florida who were available to collaborate in the investigation in order to detect the spiritual deficiencies among church members. A questionnaire was used to discover the spiritual weaknesses and, …

Clueless! (Work Station Two), Gary B. Swanson

Perspective Digest

No abstract provided.