Digital Commons Network^™

Worship, Discipleship, And Evangelism: How The Purpose Of The Church Affects Congregational Singing, Justin Aaron Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For several hundred years, in response to Charles Finney’s innovations, American churches emphasized evangelism over worship within corporate worship services. This approach redirected the vertical focus of corporate worship from God to the horizontal focus of non-believers as the primary audience. The Bible supports a horizontal audience for corporate worship for edifying fellow believers, but non-believers as the primary audience of corporate worship is contrary t¬o both the Bible and most of church history. The purpose of this project is to establish the necessity of worship preceding evangelism by examining their relationship through biblical exegesis, scholarly literature, and church history …

Innovations In A Nursing Home Ministry, H. L. Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Cultural Relevance Model Of Worship, Mark David Brumagin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

n the early decades of the twenty-first century a new model of worship has begun to emerge in some North American evangelical churches. Significant events in North American church history combined with cultural ideologies inherent to the North American context have influenced particular churches resulting in new worship practices. Churches that are affected are often marked by the development of highly affective worship experiences, the production and consumption of goods, the involvement of the worship team in marketing, and an elevated use of technology. In examining the cultural values at work in this development, this study found a historical thread …

Effects Of Nonmusical Factors On Virginia High School Band Concert Performance Assessment Results, Larry Michael Seipp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nonmusical factors affect the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA) concert performances and subsequent assessment results; namely, school size, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. A comparison of ratings given by individual trained evaluators demonstrates interrater reliability. A comparison of final ratings given at different assessment locations and times reflects the reliability of ratings. However, administrators and evaluators must consider nonmusical factors to report instrumental music performance results accurately. Predictor variables included SES, school size, and minority percentage. Outcome variables included overall band rating and band performance literature difficulty. Using an MLR design, the researcher compared data from the 2019 VBODA …

A Study On The Essence Of Worship In Online Worship Groups Under Covid-19 Pandemic: Focus On Korean Ministers In The Northern Virginia Area, Nakjung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to review the current needs regarding online worship that were conducted by Korean ministers in the Northern Virginia area under the COVID-19 pandemic and thereby supplement the found needs through establishing a theological basis and a summary of essential elements of worship that should be applied to online worshiping groups. Thirty-three (N = 33) Korean ministers in the Northern Virginia area who conducted online worship under COVID-19 participated in this survey. Results showed that the dominant need in online worship was an education on the essence of worship followed by technical support and ways …

"It's All About Relationship": The Purpose Of Life And Its Origin In The Triune God, John Gabriel Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The impetus for this study is the fact that many times I have heard people describe Christianity using the phrase, “It’s all about relationship,” and the more I meditate on that thought, the more I do not think most people know what they mean when they say that. Sometimes the relationship they describe amounts to prayer and Bible study. Sometimes it is an attempt to draw a contrast between works-based religion and “the real thing.” In my experience, however, they never drill down to defining what that real thing is. I wholeheartedly agree it is all about relationship; thus, this …

Sixth-Grade Sight-Singing For Low Vision Students: A Course To Enhance Confidence And Music Reading Ability, Jamie Lane Carpenter

Masters Theses

Students enter the private or public-school system with a wide variety of emotional, mental, and physical impairments that impact their confidence, self-esteem, and overall path to their future. One misunderstood and under-represented population of students are those who are not fully blind but fall under the category of low vision. Since the low vision spectrum is wide, students must advocate for themselves according to their unique visual condition. While some students may be nearsighted, others may experience color blindness, tunnel vision, a wide variety of partial blindness in one or both eyes, and more. If educators are not aware of …

Overcoming The Lack Of Expressive Worship In The Haitian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Yoner Valmyr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Haitian Seventh-day Adventist members are not pleased with the Haitian Seventh-day Adventist Church’s lack of expressive worship. According to research, Haitian church members are unable to freely express themselves in corporate worship due to rationalistic, as oppose to kinesthetic worship practices. During worship services, Haitian Seventh-day Adventist members, young and old, are afraid to have an authentic demonstrative worship experience because of “soma phobia,” the fear of letting themselves or their bodies get out of control. Because of a traditional European cultural ethos that still exists, there is a fear that others may look upon them as ungodly. When …

Old Testament Principles For Worship: Worship Practices Applied To Modern-Day Worship In The Evangelical Church From The Life Of Abraham, Cameron Scott Gaddy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Worship in the evangelical church faces challenges regarding its purpose, design, and method of expression. In order to cultivate an authentic community of worshippers, Christians must first strive to understand the biblical basis of worship. Worship is initiated by God and requires a response from man. Many studies have shown the importance of understanding the biblical foundations of worship; however, few studies have focused on understanding biblical worship through observing the historical development of God’s identity through the biblical character of Abraham. The purpose of this study is to identify key worship principles from the life of Abraham that may …

Non-Traditional Means Of Worship, Courtney Ann Blanchard

Masters Theses

The purpose of worship is to praise the God of all and give Him thanks for all He has done. Based on the Old Testament and the New Testament, one thing is certain: God has always desired to have a relationship with His people. However, it was not until the death, resurrection, and ascension of God’s only Son that believers could worship God freely. Now, worship is unhindered. Jesus Christ broke every chain and has become the bridge-way for all God’s people to have a free relationship with Him. This research paper will uncover the biblical principles discovered in the …

Hospitality In The House Of God: Deconstructing Habit And Building Missio Dei, Julia A. Carlson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This research project addresses neighborliness, change, and hospitality in the life of a mainline church of 1,200 members. It is a congregation that has traditional worship and programming with progressive values. The congregants are not comfortable with change and are coming to terms with the missing Millennial generation. Mixed method Action Research using missional practices of hospitality and neighbor interviews offered new faith formation and relationship growth with neighbors. There were also educational opportunities on change, the missional church movement, and neighborliness. The work relies on the theology of Serene Jones, Kosuke Koyama, and Miroslav Volf.

Going Deeper With God Than King David: Cultivating Intimacy Using Hymns, Classical Sacred Songs, And Contemporary Christian Music, Ivy Elizabeth Cole

Masters Theses

In the time of King David, a worshipper did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enhance worship as worshippers have today. At present, the modern church age worship leader utilizes mostly contemporary Christian music to help lead a congregation into the presence of God. However, the Psalms, hymns, and classical sacred songs may also be used in the exploration of enhancing a worship experience. This study explores the concept of music evoking an emotional response that may allow a worshipper to surrender to an intimate relationship with God. With studies in emotion related to music, Scriptural references, professional writings …

Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Constitution allowing for the removal of religious conceptions from public schools, the perspectives of most United States middle school-age kids show that the cultural shift towards scientific naturalism as the de facto worldview has impacted worship music in the Church. The worldview is one of worship that presents more as a concert than that of praise. The data, such as suicide statistics, show that there is a correlation between a negatively shifted moral valuation and the aversion, or inability, for the subject of God to be approached in the school setting (i.e., the science classroom) - even where …

Biblical Concepts In Action: A Case For Discipleship In The Worship Ministry, Wendall D. Reed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative historical study is to examine the discipleship of the worship ministry in the local church according to biblical principles of discipleship. Despite the biblical examples of discipleship benefits, worship ministry personnel are often not included in discipleship efforts from church leadership. The leadership and the congregation alike may assume their spiritual maturity. The preaching ministry and the worship ministry are the most public act of worship viewable by congregants. Some worship ministry volunteers and staff may feel they are expected to have already been discipled and may be reluctant to pursue discipleship engagement. This study …

Whole Life Worship: A Review Of Work And Worship, Jeremy Perigo

Staff Work

"Kaemingk and Willson’s integration of liturgy and labor is well-researched and creates needed theological and liturgical bridges between work and worship."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book Work and Worship from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/whole-life-worship-a-review-of-work-and-worship/

Who Is Leading Our Churches In Worship And Are They Ready? A Study On Worship Leading In The Free Will Baptist Denomination, James Anthony Cooper Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since the institution of Old Testament-Temple corporate worship, there has been someone assigned the task of leading congregational worship. The Chronicler records King David’s divisions of the sons of Asaph to be “set apart for service…under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord.”1 Although for some churches, a full-time, salaried position is not feasible or there may not be enough existing duties to justify a paid position. In this case, the responsibility of leading worship falls to a person in the congregation who might have any type of background in music or an …

The New Digital Media: Opportunities For Church Sound Recording, Songwriting, And Music Publishing, Christopher Andrew Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The new digital media, particularly streaming music, has made the original record industry model antiquated. Now it is possible for independent artists to be their own label and publisher and through streaming platforms, have a national or global reach. This new model also applies to churches with some church leaders considering beginning a songwriting ministry and producing original worship music, Church record labels are not new; in fact, there is precedent for this extending back to the Jesus Movement of the late sixties. Although research and literature covering changes in the old music paradigm and new opportunities are plentiful, there …

Modern-Day Korahites In Crisis: Causes And Consequences Of Moral Failure In Worship Leaders, Adely Thelus Charles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the Bible and throughout the history of Christianity, examples of moral failure in ministry leadership demonstrate a negative impact on the leader's family, congregations, faith traditions, and ministry efficacy. This qualitative study examines the causes and consequences of moral failure in worship leadership by considering the biblical account of Old Testament leaders who morally failed and apply psychological principles to assess moral fragility that may be faced by some worship leaders. Finally, this study offers biblical principles and practical strategies that target the potential pitfalls of leadership in an effort to hinder moral failure among worship leaders.

Surviving A Divorce With An Intact Faith: A Strategy For Ministering To Those Experiencing Divorce In The Church, Brandon Paul Wells

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Effectively ministering to divorcees is a unique aspect of church leadership. The majority of church leaders have never experienced divorce, so the unique problems that divorce presents are not familiar to them. The purpose of this D. Min Thesis Project is to investigate those problems and develop strategies that will allow church leaders to minister to divorcees effectively. This will be accomplished using questionnaires and interviews where difficult questions are asked to divorcees, and honest answers are revealed. Church leaders will also be interviewed about their positions on divorce and their responses compared to those given by divorcees in order …

An Experience, A Story And A Song: An Investigation Of How Using Biblical Parables Can Aid As A Method In The Creative Process Of Songwriting And Self Efficacy, Willie James Stroud Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Psalm 96:1 declares, "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord all the earth." In essence, of this scripture, there is a need for the worship leader to return to this unique command. The church can be the creator of not only worship songs but also worship songs that are rich in theology. The interest for worship leaders and their staff to write their songs, operating in the role of a musical artist, is becoming more of a sought-after asset to produce a freshness on the worship platforms. Parables are stories used to capture the imagination …

The Intergenerational Worship Model: Youth-Specific Benefits, James Alan Lott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

King David declared that one generation should proclaim the goodness of the Lord to another, yet what David writes of cannot take place in an age-segregated setting. Multiple generations must be present. Much progress has been made regarding the church’s acknowledgment of the significance of an intergenerational worship (IGW) model. Though each generation is precious to God and created in His image, IGW holds considerable benefits for churched youth, as it is one of the few places in society where youth can intentionally connect with older generations. Despite the importance of youth engagement in IGW, there is a limited amount …

Dynamics Of Youth Engagement In The Local Church, Jacqueline C. Hanna

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to many biblical accounts, children were included in worship experiences. Despite the efforts of many churches to engage, attract, and retain youth, there is still a lack of youth participation, involvement, and interest in the local church. This not only affects youth, but also the church. Unengaged youth do not have the opportunity to become future leaders of the church. In turn, churches will experience a void in future leadership and will be prohibited from flourishing. This qualitative historical study examined reasons for youth disengagement in an effort to find strategies for effective retention and engagement to benefit youth …

Biblical Principles Of Music And Worship, Tim Alan Hall

Masters Theses

Since creation, God's plan for humanity was for the purpose of worship. How we worship matters, and there are stringent guidelines in the Old Testament and the New Testament on how it should be conducted. As society has changed across ages, modes of worship have changed both negatively and positively. This research paper aims to discuss the Biblical principles of music and worship directed toward the worship leader by exploring the principles of worship taken from the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. The review will employ a qualitative explanatory study design to answer the question, what, in addition …

The Old Testament Precedent For The Role Of The Worship Leading Choir, Justin Alan Mclaughlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God designed mankind to find fulfillment through worship of him in corporate praise and worship. Detailed plans for corporate worship are outlined in the Old Testament Pentateuch, Books of History and Kingdom Books, especially as related to guidelines for worship in the Tabernacle and Temple. Despite the many biblical examples of the importance of corporate singing and the use of choir in worship, many contemporary evangelical congregations are finding just reason to abandon the use of choirs in any strategic role in facilitating or leading of worship. Thus, establishing the need to discover, determine and articulate the biblical role choir …

The Rise Of Corporate Individualism In Twenty-First Century Worship, Russell Allen Robbins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Western society has experienced a monumental paradigm shift which has influenced the way in which the church worships in the twenty-first century. Postmodernism has led to an increasingly self-focused individualism in corporate worship which overvalues personal experience and undervalues the communal aspect of corporate worship. Despite much discussion concerning postmodern generations, the influence of postmodern thought upon the rise of corporate individualism in worship has yet to be examined. The purpose of this qualitative, historical study is to examine the factors that have led to the rise of corporate individualism in worship, the indications of corporate individualism in worship, and …

Experiencing God: Engaging Elementary-Aged Children In Corporate Worship, Laura Rushing Hancock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The engagement of children in meaningful worship has been neglected, despite the investment of modern churches in essential safety protocols and digital media in children’s ministry. The twenty-first-century consumerist mindset is driving worship design, essentially undermining the worship leader’s role as the shepherd of a child-centered and Christ-focused approach. Many churches are neglecting the biblical instruction to cast vision and express value for children’s corporate worship. A sense of awe and wonder is notably absent in many corporate services designed for children. Drawing upon biblical principles, educational theory, and corporate worship practices throughout history, this qualitative historical study seeks to …

The Influence Of Charismatic Worship Forms In The Local Evangelical Church In The 21st Century In The United States, Kyle Edward Grizzard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite a continued desire to understand the direction of worship liturgy in the American evangelical church culture, many scholars are unable to identify the influence of charismatic worship forms in various evangelical churches in the United States. This research is important for understanding the future of worship in the local evangelical church in America and will aid in determining the theology, liturgy, and philosophy of worship and its practices. Guided by scholars of worship in both charismatic and traditional evangelical worship cultures, this qualitative historical research study provides insight to the worship culture in current evangelical worship. Perspectives on behavior, …

The Jewish Origins Of The Ordinances Of Christianity: Worship Within Baptism And The Lord's Supper, John Edward Ross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The modern evangelical denominations have worship services that include many forms of worship and functions to bring the worshiper into communion with the living God as a disciple of Christ. These worship forms include the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Generations of denominational congregants have participated in these ordinances with little knowledge of the origin of these two rites. This qualitative historical study focuses on the roots of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper formed within Christianity during the early church years. Using research from Christian and Messianic Jewish scholars along with Jewish sources, this …

Minor Letnica: (Re)Locating The Tradition Of Shared Worship In North Macedonia, Ksenia Trofimova

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper addresses trajectories of historical and devotional continuity of the annual pilgrimage to a Marian shrine. It analyzes the ways in which traditional worship of the Catholic Church in Letnica (Kosovo)—a major regional sanctuary of the former Yugoslavia—is relocated and replicated in a small chapel of St. Joseph in Skopje (North Macedonia). Both sites have been for a long period of time institutionally connected and shared by followers of different religious traditions (Catholic and Orthodox devotees, and especially by Muslims). Drawing upon fieldwork carried out in Macedonia and Serbia between 2014-2019, I focus on the processes of social construction …

The Responsibility Of Christian Female Influencers: A Biblical Response To Progressive Christianity, Alicia W. Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Christian female influencers have large followings of Christian women, although many influential Bible study authors, teachers, motivational speakers, musicians, worship leaders, social media, and online influencers may not be instructing Christian women in the core beliefs of Christianity. As a result, many Christian women are not defending the Christian faith, but are rejecting core Christian beliefs and are identifying with the diverse beliefs of progressive Christianity. Christian women who have embraced progressive Christianity are therefore no longer worshipers of the God of the Bible but are idolaters who practice the progressive ideologies of relativism, pluralism, and cultural tolerance. In …