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Responsible Ones: Young People, Faith, And Letting Go, Jason Lief

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"More thoughts on the Pew Research Center’s findings on the decline of youth in the church: “We need to remember that the life and existence of the church doesn’t depend on us. The church is not something we have to anxiously preserve; the church is created and sustained by God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our task is to BE the church, to live as the new humanity in and for the world.”

Posting about young people and the church from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, …

Babel, Anais Dorian Norman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

babel is a collection of nonfiction essays in which I explore a female twenty-something’s crossdimensional dilemma of spirituality, racism, art, and love in the wake of Bible-belt hipsterdom. I board the train that is human pride, that great metal snake by which we essayists craft our lives, and measure out my stories by cities and coffeespoons—dotted with dark roast, preferably. The train of my collection glides through the first ‘burg and its Godlike aspirations, Babel; travels a ways to Virginia, specifically Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University and Prince Edward County, which was the hotbed of the Civil Rights in Education Movement; …

Young Adults Leaving The Church: The Tie To Intentional Spiritual Mentoring Among Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Teens Through Youth And Confirmation Ministry, Serena Alexandria Pace

Doctor of Ministry

Previously churched Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)1 young adults are leaving the worship community post confirmation and post high school. Is this truly what is taking place? If so, what structures within churches and youth ministries might contribute to this problem? In order to address this problem, it is proposed that the lack of youth mentorship ministry, especially of teen-agers in the church, contributes to the problem. Worship communities can help ensure that young adults stay connected by establishing mentor relationships during the confirmation and teen years.

Interview With Reverend Bill Maloney, Edward Seitz

Chicago 1968

Length: 122 minutes

Interview with Reverend Bill Maloney by Edward Seitz

Rev. Maloney begins by explaining how, by virtue of their location alone, his church was at the center of the Conspiracy Seven [aka Chicago Seven] trial, when protesters, press and police would meet inside their building. He then talks about his childhood in East Liverpool, Ohio, growing up a very observant Lutheran family, participating in his high school newspaper and theater, and later, his college radio station. He recalls his time at Youngstown State University studying philosophy and sociology, his experiences in seminary school at Hammond Divinity School, and …

Inner-City Evangelism: A Model For Reaching Gangs For Christ, Eric Ladell Boone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will focus on the crimes and violence that have corrupted and invaded the world, in a life-threatening, devastating, and unprecedented way. Criminal gangs have made their presence in communities all around the world, which has resulted in mental corruption and spiritual and physical destruction. Regardless of how gang members are looked upon and viewed by society due to their daily ungodly activities, the author will address the importance of the church becoming dedicated to reach gangs with the gospel, which holds the power to transform the life of whoever hears it regardless of their past or present. The …

Cultivating The Practice Of Missional Hospitality For Small Groups At West Houston Church Of Christ, Kevin Stewart

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project in which I led a team to develop a plan to cultivate the practice of missional hospitality for small groups at West Houston Church of Christ. I used missional theology as a framework to give shape to the practice of hospitality. The project team met for nine weeks in the fall of 2014. The team practiced lectio divina focused on Luke 10, participated in theological reflection on missional hospitality, and fulfilled assignments to practice missional hospitality. These activities helped form the group spiritually and informed the development of a …

The Celtic Way: Order, Creativity, And The Holy Spirit In The Celtic Monastic Movement, Fiona Leitch

Senior Honors Theses

The Celtic monastic movement lasted hundreds of years and is responsible for much of the spread of Christianity to the West. Much of the movement’s success can be attributed to the Celtic Christians’ understanding of the importance of the role of creative culture and order as well as an openness and responsiveness to the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is these three things working in tandem that influenced the success of the Celtic monastic movement. Although the movement ended a thousand years ago, it can offer guidance and wisdom for carrying out ministry today. A case study of Cuirim …

Establishing A Solid Foundation Through An Identity In Christ, Matthew S. Pedersen

Senior Honors Theses

An identity in Christ is the only solid foundation on which adolescents or adults can build their life. Identity is a major building block in a person’s life. Individuals with an unhealthy identity as a result of the culture will need to make many changes to this foundation in order to keep an accurate view of their lives. The definition of identity can show examples of negative consequences of an unhealthy identity. An identity based on the views of culture can show areas of weakness. Examining what the Bible says about man before and after a relationship with Christ will …

They Need Your Prayers, Rebecca Coleman

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Emerging Young Adult Spiritual Formation: A Developmental Approach For An Intergenerational Church, Frederick R. Fay

Doctor of Ministry

There is a growing disconnect between young adults and the church. Research into this specific and recent phase of life shows how cultural trends have shaped the spiritual lives of emerging adults. This dissertation claims that the loss of relevancy of the church for young adults is rooted in how the church has either capitulated or ignored these trends. Section 1 addresses the current immature faith that is endemic in many contemporary churches. The church’s history and the culture within which it is embedded are examined. Section 2 describes other approaches to spiritual formation of young adults. Section 3 asserts …

God's Focus On The Fatherless: A Lens To Inform Spiritual Impact In The Local Church, Dwight David Croy

Doctor of Ministry

This study concentrates on God’s focus on and vision for the fatherless as an informal lens from which local churches may measure and implement ministry impact and outreach principles. As a pastor and a military chaplain, I see many young people who are fatherless to the third and fourth generation. The ministry of the present day Church is limiting its impact because it does not see the fatherless as God sees them. Here the question is asked, “What in God’s exhortation of supporting the fatherless are churches to incarnationally infuse into their local outreach to the community?” The claim is …

A Four-Fold Strategy For Training Parents To Teach Spiritual Formation At Home, James Otis Ledbetter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to aid church leaders toward understanding the dynamics of family ministry: what it is and what it is not. Having written five books for Focus on the Family and David C. Cook addressing the role of the church and family, this author has successfully transitioned his church from the traditional family ministry (families in the support role of the church) to placing the church in the support role of the family: strengthening God's family by strengthening theirs. Based on surveys, evaluations of each individual family's health, historical and cultural documents, resources, and actual case …

2015 Program Book

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Sticky Liturgies: Worship, Youth Ministry, And The Faith Of America's Teenagers, Eric Mathis

Symposium on Worship Archive

Research has shown that young people are abandoning the faith and leaving the church by the time they graduate from college. Might worship be part of the problem? This interactive workshop will briefly examine major studies in adolescent spirituality, explore multiple worship paradigms within individual congregations, and encourage reflection on the relationship between liturgical practice and adolescent spirituality

2015 Ncod Pastoral Week Program

National Catholic Office for the Deaf (NCOD) Conferences

Documents from the 2015 NCOD Pastoral Week held in San Diego, CA in 2015

• Conference program

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Cultivating A Religionless Social Imaginary: Youth Ministry In A Secular Age, Jason Lief

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Is there any hope for those who have abandoned the church and the beliefs of their youth? More importantly, how will the Christian community engage those who turn their back on religious belief and practice?"

This paper will argue that the response and focus of the Christian community should not be to call young people back to the church, or to traditional forms of Christianity, instead the Christian community must embrace a radical form of secularity that is the outworking of protestant Christianity. This is a form of Christianity that navigates a middle road between the two idealist positions: much …

Akiah Kamil "Grace" Smith

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

72nd Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectureship -- Faithworks (2015), Mike Cope

Pepperdine Bible Lectures: Programs

Program booklet for the 72nd Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures, held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, May 5 - 8, 2015. The Pepperdine Bible Lectures is an annual event hosted by Pepperdine University featuring a wide variety of lectures and classes on topics and themes in the Bible and Christianity.

Mike Cope, Lectureship Director

Rick Gibson, Tami Williamson, and Joella Michael, Lectures Team

Stop Worrying About The Millennials*: *And Learn To Love Them Instead, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

St. Matthias Episcopal Church, Katherine Gillies

RELS 108 Human Spirituality: Student Perspectives

Student perspectives on worship services from Instructor Jennifer Garvin-Sanchez's Religious Studies 108 Human Spirituality course at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Cover, Editors And Editorial Board, Sponsors, Table Of Contents

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

No abstract provided.

Enriching Christian Hospitality At Malaby's Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church In Knightdale, North Carolina, Barbara Starr Barner

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Hospitality is the welcoming of strangers, family, and friends. In the early biblical and historical traditions, hospitality focused on welcoming the alien and extending resources to them. Hospitality, however, need not be limited to the basic physical needs of the stranger, but spiritual needs are to be addressed as well. In the reflection of Jesus’ work on the cross, Christian hospitality should be the intentional, responsible, and caring act of welcoming or visiting strangers, enemies, the distressed, downtrodden, without regard for reciprocation. The goal of this project was to enhance Malaby’s Christian hospitality culture and take our personal interactions to …

Learning From Experience: A Critical, Collective Process Following International Short-Term Mission Travel, Nancy Vigander Winfrey

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation seeks to explore the impact of short-term mission (STM) travel on American Christian volunteers, leveraging the small group structure already present in many churches. Using a participatory action research approach, small groups from two different Protestant churches engaged in cycles of dialogue, reflection and action. The group process was framed by Habermas’ concept of communicative space with emphasis on emotional knowing, cognitive reasoning, and creative expression. Data were collected from session recordings, written documents and process field notes. Content and process analyses were guided by transformative and situated learning theories. Findings were unique to each congregational group, …

Developing Men/Fathers As Spiritual Leaders In The Home In Kitsap County, Washington, Tobin K. R. Dodge

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Adventist church, along with most religious organizations today, struggles to develop a multigenerational faith vision and practice among its believers. Fewer Adventist youth and young adults appear to have an Adventist worldview or share the churches core values. They are often absent from general church life and worship. The research that has led to this project addresses men/fathers as being a primary solution in faith transmission and spiritual nurture of the next generation. Yet, the current vacancy of fathers in the homes and churches has created some of the greatest social needs in American society today. Literature is …

Making Disciples: Applying Steps To Christ In The Glenorchy Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mark Falconer

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The spirituality of a large percentage of church members at the Glenorchy church in Tasmania, is primarily based on knowledge about God with little concept of how biblical spirituality interacts with daily life. A recent Natural Church Development survey revealed passionate spirituality and loving relationships scored extremely low and revealed a profound need to engage spiritually with God on a daily basis. The members of Glenorchy Church have a high regard for Scripture and the writings of Ellen White, and therefore have read Steps to Christ, but few have experienced the transformational presence of God in their daily lives …

A Co-Created Incarnational Missiology For Evangelizing Hip-Hoppers, Ferguson Lee Harris

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project contextualized the gospel of Jesus Christ for unbelieving hip-hoppers. The research showed that hip-hop culture is a distinct culture that is worthy of contextualization by Christian evangelists. The literary review and the biblical implications suggest that it is the Christian’s duty to contextualize the gospel for unbelieving hip-hoppers. This was concluded by presenting God’s incarnational pursuit of sinful humanity in both the Old and New Testaments. God’s self-initiated pursuit served as an example and mandate for believers to pursue unbelieving hip-hoppers. In his quest to contextualizing the gospel, the researcher conducted a phenomenological investigation. The results of …

Postmodern Teens And Twentysomethings In German-Speaking Europe, Alexander C. Schulze

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"this article briefly summarizes the results of a pioneering study in faith development research. Based on the data gathered by Valuegenesis Europe, the study examined the relationship between family and church variables and the faith development of adolescents and young adults in Germany, austria, and Switzerland. Faith development was seen through the lenses of four new faith development dimensions: believing, belonging, caring, and doing. the article discusses the implications of this study to orient leaders to the faith development needs of the young generation in German-speaking Europe."

Testing A New Method Of Teaching Homiletics At The Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary: Chmn 505, Micheal Lawrence Goetz

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Preaching has always been at the center of Christianity and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is the most visible part of a pastor’s ministry, and it has a significant influence on the spiritual journey of a congregation. It is the express desire of the homiletics teachers at the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary to guide students to be the best preachers possible. However, the problem that is a review of the dissertations at the James White Library revealed that in the last 35 years no attention has been given to evaluating the effectiveness of methods used in homiletic classes at the …

A Soul Care Teaching And Discipling Model To Aid Millennial Youth In Developing Healthy Relationships With God, Self, And Others In The Nottingham Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Georgina Miller

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A large proportion of youth and young adults classified as Millennials (also known as Generation Y) within the Adventist Church worldwide are hurting because of lack of acceptance, love, and healthy self-worth. This youth group has issues with trusting others, especially society at large and authority figures, due to negative experiences in their past, which has painfully scarred them. They have an unhealthy view of who God really is based on the dysfunctional role models they have grown up with and see around them. The church’s limited ability to connect and relate with the postmodern culture, due to a …

Records Of World’S Christian Endeavor Union Arc2015-003 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.