Digital Commons Network^™

Church Based Interventions With Human Trafficking In Southern California: A Denomination Study, Michael Dale Dewit

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The focus for this research project was to explore the development of human trafficking mercy ministries within South Coast Presbytery. South Coast Presbytery consists of 21 churches belonging to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian denomination with member churches throughout the United States. The study was conducted following a constructivist paradigm with a PCA church belonging to South Coast Presbytery to determine the role of the church and the presbytery in addressing human trafficking through the development of mercy ministries. Interviews were conducted with 11 church members. Five major themes emerged from analysis of the interviews: 1) Effects …

A Study Of The Principles Of Missional Pastoral Leadership For South Korean Churches, Ilkeun Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since 2000, the Korean Church has increasingly lost public confidence. The reason for this is that pastors have focused on church growth. They have entirely missed the essence of missional ecclesiology. However, the church is generated from the mission of the triune God to redeem all creation. The church should not be identified as a building or a place but as the people of God who are to be sent into the world to participate in the mission of God. The purpose of this thesis project is to present the principles of missional pastoral leadership for an existing Korean church …

Cruciformity, Differentiation, And Christian Spiritual Formation, David Hooper

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This paper is an examination of two seemingly counterintuitive concepts in Christian spiritual formation. The concept of cruciformity presents the goal of spiritual formation as kenosis, or “emptying oneself of self.” The differentiation of self, as presented in Systems Theory, defines maturity as possessing a clear sense of self. Cruciformity, with its call to kenosis, does not seem to value individuality, making it susceptible to the trappings of enmeshment that emerge from an unbalanced focus on others. Cruciformity seems to judge differentiation as being too balanced, reserving for itself a degree of self-focus that would be deemed inappropriate. It is …

Err On The Side Of Action, Aaron Baart

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"When we become so afraid of doing the wrong thing that we fail to even try to do the right thing, something is askew."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­actively helping those in need 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.

http://inallthings.org/err-on-the-side-of-action/

Following Our Rabbi : Discovering An Apprentice Model Of Discipleship, Judith L. Ransbottom-Stallons

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Church Planting Church In South Korea: A Case Study On Missional Outreach, Deokjong Bang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gallup Korea, in 2015, reported that 30% of people under 30 years old had stopped attending churches in South Korea during last ten years. The primary reasons that young people leave a church is secularization of growth-oriented churches represented by huge buildings, power-oriented pastors and lack of morality of Christians. Therefore, a new church model that will engage young people is required for Korean Christianity. The missional church movement can be an alternative model for churches in South Korea. That is because the movement pursues a small church, a non-power-oriented pastor, and real life as a disciple of Jesus. Based …

A Study On A Missional Church In A Business Corporation: The Case Of The E-Land Group In Korea, Kyo Kum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study considers a new form of the church that can influence the society with the gospel in a more proactive way; it is a church in a corporation. As evangelism is becoming more difficult in Korea, Korean churches need to discover the contact point for the gospel. Existing churches attempted to make nonbelievers come to them, but the church in a corporation reaches out to nonbelievers in the workplace. Existing churches are established around people’s dwelling environment, but the church in the workplace provides a nexus for social life. There surfaces a need for a new form of the …

Romans 12 Living : Older Adults And The Call To Serve, Jeffrey Arthur Hosmer

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Christward Movement Among Urban Dwellers In North India : A Study On Delhi, Jaison George P. V.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurial Church Planting (Ecp) As A Model Of Fresh Expressions In The South Korean Context : Case Studies Exploring Relationships Between Church Planting And Social Capital, Sang Rak Joo

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Towards A Theology Of The Single Mother, Stephanie Townes

Seminary Masters Theses

Families are changing. The white picket fence nuclear family with a mother, father, 2.2 kids and a dog is no longer the norm for American society. Families look less and less like “traditional families.” Blended families, children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, step-families, multigenerational families, adopted children, single parent families, foster parents, and homosexual partners raising children are all part of the fabric of society. Society has changed so much that, as feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether points out, “it is no longer possible to speak of one predominant “normative” model of family.”

Kerux - Vol. 51, No. 3, Calvin Theological Seminary

Kerux

Inside This Issue

• Learning How to Grow from Little Children Page 4
• Storm Chasers Page 7
• Discipleship for Developing Servant Leadership Page 8
• What Leslie Newbigin Has to Say about Christian Leadership Page 10
• Muslims and Christian Leadership in Times of Crisis Page 12
• God's Chinese Kingdom Page 16

Iat Book Club: The Benedict Option, Donald Roth, Scott Culpepper, Erin Olson, Robert Lancaster, Gustavo Maya

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

This submission marks iAt's first book club series featuring the book, "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation," by Rod Dreher. Various voices have contributed to the series as they interacted with one another and responded to the book. Series contributors are Donald Roth, Scott Culpepper, Gustavo Maya, Erin Olson, and Robert Lancaster.

Access publisher's site and additional readers' comments: http://inallthings.org/tag/book-club/

Wilson's "More: Find Your Personal Calling And Live Life To The Fullest Measure" (Book Review), Amy C. Rice

The Christian Librarian

A review of Wilson, T. (2016). More: Find your personal calling and live life to the fullest measure. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 223 pp. $15.99. ISBN 9780310524250

Nettle And Mellado's "Small Matters: How Churches And Parents Can Raise Up World-Changing Children" (Book Review), Paul Drake

The Christian Librarian

A review of Nettle, G., & Mellado, S. (2016). Small matters: How churches and parents can raise up world-changing children. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 185 pp. $21.00. ISBN 9780310521037

A Study On The Effect Of Church Revival And Growth Throught A Bible Academy: The Case Of Jeju Together Church In Korea, Soo Yoo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to emphasize the need for and importance of an intensive Bible study ministry in church and to suggest specific alternatives by studying the effect of church planting and revival through a Bible Academy in a Korean church. Church growth in South Korea has long since accompanied Bible study ministry. Sadly, Korean churches in the 21st century have been experiencing a slowdown and downturn in growth. Though there may be a variety of causes, the absence of a systematic and ongoing Bible study is one of them. This study is focused on providing a Bible …

The Dying Of The American Church: Five Biblical Principles For Revival, Stan Mars

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The majority of churches in America continue to suffer a numerical plateau or a decline in church growth. As a result of disobedience to God to follow His commandments in the making of disciples, the church also suffers from a flat lined, virtually non-existent, adult conversion rate. People of the world who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are not being evangelized by the church using the first century process of discipleship and therefore, the numbers of conversions to Christ are dismal. The modern day American Church needs to return to the first century process of …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 123 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2017), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Everyday Church-Iglesia Cotidiana by Rachel Bouwkamp and Kent Rottman....3

The Heart of Worship by Cory B. Willson....12

Q&A: Sunday's Prayer and Monday's Work by John D. Witvliet....16

Beauty Behind Bars by Phil Schaafsma....18

Articles

Editorial: Expansive by Joyce Borger....2

Pentecost and Missional Worship by Nick Monsma....25

For Pastors: Holy Wings by Scott Hoezee....28

Reflection: Chasing the Ghosts of Worship Past by Chris Marchand....46

Resources

A Service for Pentecost and the Persecuted Church by Pieter and Nelda Looyenga....22

Sing 10: The Spirit is Present by Joyce Borger....30

Visual …

Centers And Edges: Toward A Dialogic Remedy For The Eroding Missional Footprint Of Ecclesial Organizations In America, Jonathan Allen Spellman

Doctor of Ministry

There is a self-inflicted erosion to the missional footprint of ecclesial organizations occurring when leaders at organizational edges are disconnected. When disconnection occurs, the potential for creativity and innovation resident with that leader is lost to the organization. Disconnection is not only manifest in administrative departure from the organization.

Dialogue is a unique kind of speech/listening event, necessarily differentiated from other types of speech/listening events, which may offer a remedy to the erosion.

Chapter one is introductory. It provides the reader with an understanding of the author’s interest in this subject and presents a clear statement of the ministry problem …

Infusing A Paradigm Of Mission And Multiplication Into The Greater Ohio District Of The Wesleyan Church, Christopher Dyer

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation will explore appropriate methodology for reinvigorating the Greater Ohio District of The Wesleyan Church by creating a new paradigm of mission and multiplication. Statistics show there is a declining number of congregations in The Wesleyan Church of North America, and specifically, within the Greater Ohio District. Local churches are being closed at a rapid rate and multi-faceted congregational multiplication is needed to replace these lost congregations and restore missional presence. The narrative of the District is one of fear, fatigue, and closed-mindedness; discriminatory against church multiplication due to nearly two decades of perceived failed attempts which resulted in …

Making The World A Better Place: The Praxis Of Christian Community Development As A Church Planting And Multiplication Strategy In Urban Poor Communities In The United States, Phillip W. Struckmeyer

Doctor of Ministry

The topic of this dissertation centers on church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities in the United States. The ministry problem being addressed is the fact that The Wesleyan Church denomination does not have a strategy for church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities. In Section One, the complexity of this problem will be explored by: first, considering The Wesleyan Church’s predominantly rural-based, white-evangelical past; second, considering the effects of urbanization and globalization, which have created an increasingly urban, multiethnic, and socioeconomically divided mission field in the United States; and last, gaining a deeper understanding of systemic racism …

Instilling Health And Vitality Into The Third Wave Oraon Churches In Jharkhand, Samuel Stephens

Doctor of Ministry

This study is based on the observation that large numbers of Oraon tribals in the state of Jharkhand, India are embracing Christianity, and an increasing number of small churches in the region is evidenced. The Oraon new believers, however, lack adequate spiritual nurture, resulting in spiritual stagnancy, a leaning to syncretism, and practice of unhealthy traditions. These traits leave the Oraon churches spiritually impoverished and unsustainable. The study seeks to ascertain appropriate measures to infuse and instill such health and vitality.

Chapter one describes the nature of the Oraon people movement first and then places it within its national context. …

Missional Communities: Why They Are Failing And How To Help Them Thrive, Matthew L. Murphy

Doctor of Ministry

Missional communities are failing. Missional communities are failing because they do not contextualize the nature, function, and historical forms of the church. Specifically, missional communities fail due to lack of leadership, gospel proclamation, incarnational living to a particular people, and mission dependence on the Holy Spirit. All of these things stem from not putting the nature, function, and historical forms of the church before modern forms.

Missional communities will begin to thrive if communities will not just copy forms of other missional churches, but if they will contextualize the nature, functions, and historical forms of the church in their own …

Shaping A Congregation’S Worship Dna, Kevin Adams

Symposium on Worship Archive

This workshop offers wisdom for designing and shaping the first year of worship in new and restart church settings, with practical and theological insights about how worship connects to the tradition, neighborhood, and persons of the church planting context, leader and team.

Program - 2017 Worship Symposium, 2017 Worship Symposium

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Multi-Denominational Belonging And Quakers In Evangelical Friends Church Southwest, Jennifer M. Buck

Quaker Religious Thought

Quakerism is a tradition rich for the intersection of conservative tradition and emergent positioning to the culture. Some understand this term as ‘convergent Friends,’ and in this context today, the convergent nature of some strands of Quakerism opens it up for hybridity and multi-belonging. Rather than assess Quakerism in regards to other faith traditions or religious communities, this paper seeks to look at a recent movement in Evangelical Friends in the Southwest region, that of multi-denominational belonging.

The Elephant In The Room:, Sarita D. Gallagher

Papers

No abstract provided.

A Congregation Engaging In Missional Dialogue: Strengthening Discernment Amid Diversity Through Healthy Congregational Dialogue, Jeffrey M. Wilson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This transformative mixed-methods modified Participatory Action Research (PAR) project was used to investigate and affect healthy and faithful discernment and decision-making in a diverse congregation within the reality of being the body of Christ in mission. Data were collected utilizing baseline and end-line surveys, recorded and transcribed meetings and interviews, and memos. The data revealed that people who engaged in the research process grew in their perception of the congregation as being healthy and faithful in discernment and decision-making. This research shows that mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and interdependence between leaders and congregation members helps us focus on God’s mission …

Christians’ Cut: Popular Religion And The Global Health Campaign For Medical Male Circumcision In Swaziland, Casey Golomski, Sonene Nyawo

Anthropology

Swaziland faces one of the worst HIV epidemics in the world and is a site for the current global health campaign in sub-Saharan Africa to medically circumcise the majority of the male population. Given that Swaziland is also majority Christian, how does the most popular religion influence acceptance, rejection or understandings of medical male circumcision? This article considers interpretive differences by Christians across the Kingdom’s three ecumenical organisations, showing how a diverse group people singly glossed as ‘Christian’ in most public health acceptability studies critically rejected the procedure in unity, but not uniformly. Participants saw medical male circumcision’s promotion and …

74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectureship -- Spiritual Rhythms, Scrolls For Robust Salvation (2017), Mike Cope

Pepperdine Bible Lectures: Programs

Program booklet for the 74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures, held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, May 2-5, 2017. 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