Digital Commons Network^™

So The World Will Believe : Discovering The Invitational Nature Of God, Frank Sterling Harris Iii

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Biblical Guide To Maximizing Great Commission Emphasis By Transforming Your Church Government, Marcus W. Bridges

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

After learning 3500-4000 churches close their doors each year, Ed Stetzer believes, "the church will not change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change." This project will compare Congregation-led churches to Elder or Board-led churches to explore the need for changing the practical operation of the church in attempts to fulfill the Great Commission. The thoughts presented will provide a guide for church leaders, pastors, and church planters to adopt the style of governing policies that best results in for Jesus Christ. There will be fifty pastors polled from Congregation and Elder-led churches …

Planting, Transitioning, And Growing Multiethnic Churches, Gloria Young-Eun Kim Fowler

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Convergent Friends: The Emergence Of Postmodern Quakerism, C. Wess Daniels

Quaker Studies

Postmodernism is ushering in radical change for the Church. Some theologians argue that this change, especially given the discontinuities between modernism and postmodernism, affords new opportunities. Because of these changes there is a decline in many Christian traditions in the West, but there is also a renaissance of ' emerging churches'. The same can be said for Quakers who are experiencing a renaissance of their own. 'Convergent Friends' are a decentralized, international, body of Quakers seeking to renew their tradition through a growing awareness of the need to interact with culture missionally. Their origins and interactions are unique to Convergence …

Hispanic Religious Outreach In The Upper U.S. South: Missionary Outreach, Strategies, And Institutional Praxis Among Mainstream Denominations, John Benitez

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Hispanic religious ministry provides a way for long established mainstreams to stay afloat in the face of the demographic realities in the U.S. today. Unfortunately, the lack of literature, particularly in geography, precludes the examination of elements of contemporary Hispanic religious outreach, including such considerations as strategies, their effectiveness, and institutional praxis among mainstream religious denominations in the U.S.

Using a hybrid methodology that relies on several techniques, I examine Hispanic religious ministry in the Upper U.S. South, which geographers tell us is America’s newest Hispanic destination. I, thereby, develop and present here a case study to compare Hispanic religious …

From The Archives: Tillman Houser: Missionary Educator In Zimbabwe, Robert Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Identity Maintenance Within The Latino-American Church: A Structuration Perspective, Charles W. Choi, Deborah Berho

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

The Latino ethnic/immigrant church plays a significant role in maintaining the ethnic identity of its congregants. Through the perspective of structuration theory, this qualitative analysis investigates how the activities of the church impact its members and how an individual might contribute to the cultural structure of the Latino church (i.e., duality of structure). Interviews of 25 pastors from Spanish-speaking congregations in both urban and rural settings in Oregon resulted in several themes including the initial planting of the church, the denominational structure, the emergence of a new multiethnic cultural identity, generational differences, and the influence of Spanish.

The Toronto Blessing: Key To Evaluating Recent Revivals, Jordan Ballard

2014-2016 Graduate

The charismatic revivals of recent decades have sparked as much controversy as they have revival fires. Pentecostal and charismatic churches generally embraced the revivals at Toronto (1994), Pensacola (1995-2000), Lakeland (2008), and Mobile (2010) as genuine works of the Holy Spirit, but non-charismatic Christians are often unsure of what to think. On the one hand, Christians do not want to be so gullible that they believe any miracle report or legitimize any manifestation as authentic. On the other hand, Christians do not want to attribute the work of the Holy Spirit to the flesh or to the devil. Evaluating any …

Sacra Domus: The Anglican House Church In Theology And Context, Alan Andraeas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The author is an evangelical Anglican priest with a recently formed sacramental house church. Though the house church movement is gaining popularity, no formal guidelines or methodologies exist which address this trend from a liturgical and sacerdotal perspective--even within his diocese. Because of this void, he will examine the following critical issues:

* What are the scriptural foundations for mandating the use of liturgy?

* What are the biblical, theological, and historical precedents for house churches?

* Can there be a complementary union between priestly liturgy and the house church model?

Without guidance from other `reference parishes,' the need for …

Bridging The Latino--Anglo Gap: A Transition Towards A Cross-Cultural Church At First Baptist Church, Robbins, North Carolina, Ernesto Robledo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In its 2,000 years of existence, the church has remained mostly segregated in regards to the inclusion of other cultures within one setting. Christians from various traditions have spent centuries trying to be more like Jesus as they worshiped in many different settings. Even though the church has been active for so long, the reality is that she has been predominantly white. Through an intentional pastoral project, twenty-four individuals participated in a four-week bilingual Bible study and a community-wide missionary event. These purposeful interactions proved that the church can change her traditional ministry pattern by engaging members of the Latino …

Evangelical Friends, Wayne Evans

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Friends In India And Asia, Ron Stansell

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Friends In Central Africa, D. Elizabeth Todd

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Jordan J. Henderson, Jeremy B. Griffin, Paul L. Whalen, Jeremiah K. Garrett, Benjamin D. Espinoza, Michael Shire, Brian C. Small, Andrew D. Kinsey, Moe Moe Nyunt, Paul A. Tippey, David Bundy, Benjamin J. Snyder

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Friends In Central America, D. Gene Pickard

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Quakers In Central America, Alvin Anderson, Lucy Anderson

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

Building Self-Replicating Core Teams For Church Planting, Dr. J. R. Miller

The WATS Journal: An Online Journal from West Africa Theological Seminary

No abstract provided.

Following The Glory Cloud: Bethel Church & Maintenance Of The Revival Church, Jenny Edwards

Honors Theses

This departmental honors project examines the effects of routinization of charisma upon Bethel Church in Redding, California. As a movement related to both the Assemblies of God and the Toronto Blessing of the 1990s, Bethel has begun to declare an eternal revival based in their city. To prevent the movement from routinizing and dissipating, the leadership has instituted several structures within the church. The overall corporate hierarchy, the recent policy of inclusion within the hierarchy regardless of gender, the involvement of the congregation in performing miraculous acts, and the discipleship of future generations of participants and leaders through established ministry …

Witnessing The Web: The Rhetoric Of American E-Vangelism And Persuasion Online, Amber M. Stamper

Theses and Dissertations--English

From the distribution of religious tracts at Ellis Island and Billy Sunday’s radio messages to televised recordings of the Billy Graham Crusade and Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, American evangelicals have long made a practice of utilizing mass media to spread the Gospel. Most recently, these Christian evangelists have gone online. As a contribution to scholarship in religious rhetoric and media studies, this dissertation offers evangelistic websites as a case study into the ways persuasion is carried out on the Internet. Through an analysis of digital texts—including several evangelical home pages, a chat room, discussion forums, and a virtual church—I investigate …

An Evaluation Of The Growing Healthy Churches Program As A Method For Producing Healthy, Growing, And Reproducing Southern Baptist Congregations, Donald Hardaway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current status of Southern Baptist churches in the United States necessitates the development of a strategy for renewal toward health and multiplication. The purpose of this project is to suggest a proven model for local church revitalization through the "Growing Healthy Churches" program developed by Dr. Paul Borden. Based on responses from churches participating in the Growing Healthy Churches program and pastors who have led their churches through the strategies presented by Borden, the project explains the revitalization process, reviews the results, and makes a recommended plan of action for local church renewal through association-led programming.

The Banner - V. 147, No. 12 - (December 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Living with a Foot in Each World by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Wake Up and Pay Attention by Joyce Kane / 8 - IMHO: Muzak by Frank DeVries / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 11 - News: Christmas Dinner for Lacombe / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - God’s Belly Button by Leonard Vander Zee / 21 - Relating: When Traditions Fail Us by Mary Vandervennen / 22 - The View from Here: ’Tis the Season by Joel Boot / 23 - Finding Truth Amid Turbulence in China …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 11 - (November 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Rich Toward God by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Resonance by Jennifer M. Parker / 8 - IMHO: Arm in Arm by Harry Kuperus / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Board of Trustees Endorses U.S. Asylum Legislation / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Can a Growing Business Sustain a Healthy Planet? by Evert Van Der Heide and Cal Jen / 21 - Next: I’m Staying by Tom Kok / 22 - Many Tribes, One Gospel by Nancy Vander Meer / 26 - The View from …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 9 - (September 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Not Bad by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Reality Check by Rebecca Jordan Heys / 8 - IMHO: Getting Ready for Church by Calvin Seerveld / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Colorado Church Responds to Theater Shooting / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Negotiating Coffee Time: Introverts at Church by Otto Selles / 20 - Leadership: Peanut Butter to Potblessings: A Guide to Finding a New Church Home by Brian Pikkaart / 22 - Bringing the Seminary to You by Nathan Bierma and Peter Choi …

Extending Story Listening As A Practice Of Communal Formation At The Lake Orion Church Of Christ, Eric R. Magnusson

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project that explores the potential for extending a practice of story listening as a way of forming community across social circles at the Lake Orion Church of Christ in Lake Orion, Michigan. The intervention involved guiding a group of six participant-researchers, each of whom had previous experience in story listening, through six sessions in the fall of 2011. Each phase of the project was informed by a participatory social Trinitarian theology. The first three sessions were designed to empower participant-researcher pairs to facilitate story listening groups of four to five …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 8 - (August 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: A Tippy Canoe by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: In Pursuit of Solitude by Kathryn Van Zanen / 8 - IMHO: Be Still and Know by John Franken / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Ontario Youth Event Draws Record Crowd / 18 - Fiction: He Knows Each One by Name by Hugh Cook / 21 - Leadership: Ten Questions for Debriefing after a Mission Trip by Dave Miller / 22 - Building a Church You Can Call Home by Sandy Swartzentruber / 26 - The View from Here: …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 7 - (July 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

9 - Editorial: Boldly Proclaim and Profess by Bob De Moor / 10 - Candidates for Ministry 2012 / 15 - Catch Your Breath: A Wise Investment by Kory Plockmeyer / 16 - Under the Radar by Mark Nelesen / 18 - Discipleship: Celebrating Faith Milestones: Profession of Faith by Jill Friend / 20 - Just for Kids: Small Wonders by Joanne De Jonge / 22 - Tuned In: Ten Mainstream Albums Every Christian Should Hear by Adam Stout / 24 - Relating: Ask . . . and Make a Friend by Jim Kok / 25 - Next: Hungry for …

The Application For Church Planting Through The Intercessory Prayer Ministry Of Young Adult Ministry In Choong Hyun Presbyterian Church, Kwang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is about researching church planting through the intercessory prayer ministry. This project describes several spiritual awakenings through this ministry. The most important result of spiritual awakenings is that skeptical believers in spiritual life have been changed into positive ones and passive believers have been transformed into active ones. Actually the author as an assistant pastor ministered in Choong hyun Presbyterian Church for almost five years. His wife and he led this ministry for one and half years. The author tried to find out the biblical background related to intercessory prayer through the New Testament, write …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 6 - (June 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: A Political or Apolitical Church? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Missing Maggie by Judy Hardy / 8 - IMHO: Let’s Break the Mold by Nicole Launiere Bode / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 17 - News: Synod 2012: What to Watch For / 18 - The Gifts of God for the People of God: Deepening Table Practice for People of All Ages by John Witvliet / 21 - On the Journey: Sunday Morning by Cal Buquet / 22 - Living Out the Mission by Matt Kucinski / 26 - The …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 5 - (May 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Which Line to Toe? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: What’s That Smell? by John Luth / 8 - IMHO: The Blessing by Richard Vandezande / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Synod 2012 Asked to Make Climate Change Declarations / 18 - Pentecost Dreaming by Mary S. Hulst / 20 - On the Journey: “How’s Your Mom?” by Stacia Polinder Hoeksema / 22 - Leaders for a Growing Church by Sarah Van Stempvoort / 26 - The View from Here: Once . . . and Four ‘Alls’ by …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 4 - (April 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Show Some Respect by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Gardens and Cemeteries and Parks by Wayne Brouwer / 8 - IMHO: Food for Fuel? by Bernie Vander Molen / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 12 - News: CRWRC Seeks Approval to Change Name / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Why Did Jesus Die? by Sylvia Keesmaat / 20 - Practicing Resurrection Where It Matters Most by Ken Baker / 22 - A Ministry of Encouragement by Chris Meehan / 26 - The View from Here: The Christ Folks …