Digital Commons Network^™

Transitions In Collegiate Church Music Pedagogy: Developing A Pedagogy For Undergraduate Modern Worship Curriculum, Christopher Andrew Brown

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

Church music pedagogy has a rich history dating back to the 9^th century and is rooted in scripture and ancient traditions. Changes over the centuries have been gradual with incremental transitions; however, since the introduction of pop and rock musical stylings to church settings almost sixty years ago, changes have been swift and dramatic. The advent of modern worship has left Christian higher learning institutions scrambling to find a place where the curriculum would be useful and relevant to the modern 21^st century Church. This paper seeks to examine the historical background of Christian church music pedagogy while …

Biblical Literacy: An Expositional Christ-Centered Approach To Bible Study, Paula K. Offutt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research aimed to examine biblical literacy from an expositional Christ-centered approach to Bible study. Using a triangular curriculum design focusing on scriptural theology, Bible study methodology, and a transformative approach to Christ-centered learning, the action research results revealed that an expositional Christ-centered approach increases biblical literacy. The researcher garnered data by hosting four bi-weekly Bible study sessions employing pre-and-post assessments to capture participants' current and post-state of biblical literacy. The validity and reliability of the pre-and-post assessments were determined by a focus group that reviewed the measurement tools and provided feedback confirming the trustworthiness and dependability of the …

An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Of Phronetic Administrative Competencies In Experienced Student Ministry Practitioners, Tripp Atkinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the impact of a healthy student ministry in the local church is culture-shaping and eternally significant, many churches are not experiencing success in this ministry area. Among the many challenges modern student ministry face, a high turnover rate and perceived lack of competence among student ministry professionals contribute to this lack of sustained fruitful ministry (Devries, 2008). In many cases, the lack of competence is a primary contributing factor to the turnover. While a number of studies have identified the necessity of student ministry professionals possessing sound administrative competencies in sustaining success, a significant gap in the literature exists, …

Calvin Theological Seminary Academic Catalog 2022-2023, Calvin Theological Seminary

Seminary Academic Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Exploring White Racial Identity Development Within Christian Colleges, Glen Kinoshita

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Racial identity development is a growth process in which many college students engage as they regularly interact with peers and instructors from diverse backgrounds. As compositional diversity, as well as diversity of thought, lags at Christian colleges, the purpose of this qualitative, narrative study was to understand how White students who have undergone significant progress in their racial identity development, describe their process while attending predominantly White, evangelical, Christian colleges. Three participants from three Christian colleges/universities were interviewed, a total of nine, White student participants. One college was located in the Pacific Northwest and two colleges were located in Southern …

Advising And Supporting College Students Experiencing Imposter Syndrome: A Christian Perspective, Jeannine Kranzow

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

For Christian student affairs educators, it is essential that the methods of advising and supporting students be in line with biblical directives for a whole and holy life. This paper will examine approaches for advising and supporting students experiencing imposter syndrome. Current research on impostor syndrome is presented as well as a discussion of ways that Christian insight can provide additional guidance and awareness for supporting struggling students. By connecting both biblical wisdom and the current scholarship, a Christian perspective of impostor syndrome, anchored in a discussion on spiritual warfare, is offered. Using this perspective, recommendations for practice are identified.

"Read It Again!": Storytelling To Imitate The Great Teacher, Kate Whatley

Senior Honors Theses

The student’s mind is bent on stories, asking mothers around the world to ‘read it again’. These stories preserve information and emotions for centuries. In the classroom, stories enliven motivation and empathy in ways that result in higher academic achievement and social awareness. Learning to use stories as a key instructional strategy will allow for more equitable opportunities in classrooms, encourage mental health and truth telling for the teacher and the student collectively, and allow the academic community to imitate Christ by contributing to the bigger story taking place across time. In application of using stories as teachers, this thesis …

Our Firm Foundation: A Biblical Theological Study Of Hebrews 2:5-18, Jenna King

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Hebrews 2:5-18 highlights the passage's emphasis of the relationship between Christ and man, as well as how this interacts with the ideas of suffering, glory, and atonement also present in the passage. This paper examines the text itself as well as its broader context within Biblical canon, concluding with an application of the content for modern-day Christians.

Apologetics And Science Instruction For Educators In Secondary Christian Schools, Brett Austin Craddock

Masters Theses

Without the incorporation of apologetic instruction into the science classroom students will be ill-equipped to defend the Christian faith. The academic world has seen a decrease of importance that is placed on the Christian mind and therefore the academic world and the majority of scholarly debates have been left to secular thinkers. Secondary Christian schools are in the optimal position to answer the need to raise up a generation of students that may apologetically and academically defend the Christian faith. Through including topics such as Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity, anatomy, and fine-tuning to various fields of science, secondary educators will …

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear: Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Person-Centered Disability Awareness Seminar In A Congregational Setting, Joshua H. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

People with disabilities and their families frequently experience barriers toward inclusion and belonging in multiple spheres of life. These barriers are also present in Christian congregations. However, many congregations express a godly desire to love people with disabilities and their families without these obstacles.

The Old and New Testaments provide examples of how God’s people sought to love people with disabilities in their midst creatively and intentionally in response to God’s gracious actions, invitation, and command. Recent research in disability studies routinely highlight the necessity of being attentive to the uniqueness of each person with disabilities and his or her …

"Building The Temple": An Alternative Metaphor To The Use Of "Kingdom" In The Christian University Context, Donald Roth

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Relevant Bible Centric Studies As A Means Of Retaining Young Adults In Active Church Membership And Ministry In An Older Puerto Rican American Baptist Church, Jessica Lugo-Melendez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will explore how the integration of young adults’ everyday life issues and struggles into Bible Studies content can become more attractive for this demographic. With the intention of adding relevancy as a means of retention of young adults within a local American Baptist Church in Puerto Rico. Several recent studies provide a concrete picture of the lack of local church involvement among young adults’ lives, translating into attrition in many cases. In terms of church attendance, a study maintains that only 30.9% of young adults attend religious services "regularly," meaning at least twice a month, 35.4% report never …

Commencement 2021, Taylor University

Commencement

The program of the 2021 Annual Commencement of Taylor University, May 15, 2021.

Parental Involvement To Support School Choice For Children Transitioning From Middle School To High School And Beyond, Jacqueline W. Boswell

Theses and Dissertations

It is a belief that when parents participate in the transition process of school choice for their children’s secondary schooling, parental involvement increases the likelihood of their youngsters graduating from high school, having opportunities for selecting the best colleges, and a trajectory for greater success in the career opportunities of their children. This study examined transition-focused parents to understand what factors affect their satisfaction with the college and career transitions in grades 9 through 12.

The 66,202 parent participants in this study were from the northeast region of the United States. The children are enrolled in public schools, and they …

Chimes: November 13, 2020, Calvin University

Chimes

Profs plan to prevent cheating on online finals by Jamison Van Andel

Case spike traced to off-campus socializing, administration says by Alex Raycroft

Professor publishes book exploring public land, conservative politics by Ezra Craker

Social work intern organizes care package program for isolated students by Abigail Ham

Interim changes cause problems for engineering students by Katherine Benedict

Nursing prof recognized for outstanding work in reproductive health by Sarah Gibes

Thanksgiving brings tough choices for some, no options for others by Abigail Ham

The Blessed Bread Of Life: A Biblical Theology Perspective And Research Of John 6:30-35,44-58, Adina Shabe

Biblical Studies Student Projects

John 6 is a passage that can seem confusing, graphic even. However, through concepts of Biblical theology, exegesis and application, one can come to a greater understanding of the teaching of Jesus in this passage. Throughout John 6:30-35,44-58 Jesus defines Himself as the bread and blood in which we are to eat and drink of and the great importance that lies within eating and drinking of Him.

Biblical Theology Exegesis Of 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Samuel Hardy

Biblical Studies Student Projects

This research paper takes a close look at Paul's theology from a short excerpt of his letter to Timothy. It is applicable to the lives of believers still today. Paul's letter touches on topics such as prophecy, apostasy, eschatology, and creation theology which are overarching themes throughout all of Scripture and this paper attempts to make those connections.

A Biblical Theological Analysis Of Hebrews 3:7-14, Caleb Rolling

Biblical Studies Student Projects

In Hebrews 3:7-14, the author of Hebrews encourages his distraught audience to persevere in faith while also warning of the consequences of apostasy. Throughout this paper, the text is examined in its canonical and immediate contexts, its meaning is explained within these contexts, and finally, the text is applied to the lives of contemporary Christians.

Evaluation Of Church Plant Training Methods Within The Assemblies Of God, Bethlehem Backes

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The steady decline of churches in America is a cause of great concern among spiritual leaders (Stetzer & Im, 2016). Missiologists agree that church planting is vital to presenting the gospel to unreached people groups. If church planting is the vehicle to deliver the life-giving message of Jesus to the world, church planters are the drivers who actively accomplish the purpose of healthy multiplication. Recent data on the health of church planters indicates many of them are not adequately prepared and desire long-term support to be successful. The Assemblies of God denomination has tasked the Church Multiplication Network with leading …

The Lived Experience Of Evangelical Christian Homeschooling Fathers In Fulfilling The Biblical Role Of Disciple-Maker: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, William Robert Farrington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of Evangelical Christian homeschooling fathers in discipling their children. The theological framework that guided this study was that of the biblical call to discipleship by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20, and how that calling applies to parenting. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the responsible fathering theory, as it focuses on the complex relationships between the father, the mother, the children, and contextual or outside influences. The central research question of the study was: How do Evangelical Christian homeschooling fathers describe the lived experience of …

Better Stewards, Better Givers: What Financial Behaviors Relate To Giving By Christians In Churches, Parachurch Ministries, And Their Alma Mater?, Andre Sergeyev

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The subject of Christian stewardship including financial behavior continues to receive heightened attention due to low giving rates in the ecclesial community and within faith-based academia. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine associations between the most frequently exercised financial management behaviors and giving by Christian devotees. The study identified and explained degrees of relationships among selected financial behaviors of giving, by percentage and amount, by participants to churches, parachurch ministries, and alma maters. A new theory of giving behaviors was introduced to analyze relationships between the giving and financial behaviors of participants who identified as Christian and …

A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Spiritual Formation And School Induced Stress In Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists During Hospital Residency, R. Dawn Whybrew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student registered nurse anesthetists in hospital residency undergo a rigorous schedule. For Christian nurse anesthesia students, spiritual formation may suffer due to the stressors of anesthesia residency. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study sought to understand and describe the perceived influence of participation in spiritual formation opportunities during nurse anesthesia hospital residency on students’ spiritual formation level as well as their ability to handle stressors of hospital residency. In phase one of the study, the researcher conducted a purposeful convenience sampling of 54 Junior and Senior students in a quantitative quasi-experimental design. In phase one, the participant's spiritual formation …

Complete Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Reforming Christian Higher Education: Why Christian Colleges And Universities Need Reformation Theology, Javier Garcia

Pro Rege

Editor's Note: Dr. Garcia presented this paper at the Prodigal Love of God Conference, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Canons of Dort, April 2019, sponsored by Dordt University and co-sponsored by the Lilly Fellowship Program, as a regional conference.

Chimes: February 14, 2020, Calvin University

Chimes

Four Calvin athletes recognized as MIAA players of the week by Ellington Smith

Trump admin travel ban affects Calvin students by Grace Cole

Local United Methodist churches uncertain amidst possible schism by Joshua Polanski

Grand Rapids reaches for the sky by Ethan Stafford

Going global: new initiative prepares to expand university's reach by Harm Venhuizen

Practicing praise: the job of a Worship Apprentice by Harm Venhuizen

Branching out: double majoring outside of STEM by Katherine Benedict

New women's tennis coach looks forward to new season by David Swartzentruber

Identifying And Implementing The Theology Of The Domestic Church, Mishel Stefanac

Theses

This project explores the development of the theology of the domestic church and how it can be implemented in Catholic families. It investigates the origin of the phrase domestic church, traces its development over centuries, and considers the implications this has on the Church and families. The overall objective of this project is to inquire into the significance of this term and identify the principles that ought to be incorporated in a practical resource for families.

The project begins with a comprehensive analysis of the origins of the term domestic church, and how it developed over time. It investigates why …

Fostering Self-Efficacy For Biblical Learning And Doctrinal Awareness With Micro-Teaching In A Brief Course On Bible Study, Robin K. Henson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-efficacy for biblical learning was explored in the context of a small group experience focused on how to study the Bible. After first developing a new instrument to measure self-efficacy for biblical learning in a pilot study, ten church attendees participated in a seven-week course designed around the hermeneutical principles of understanding a Scripture passage in textual and historical context, placing the passage in the grand story of God, and relating it to relevant doctrine. The small group process employed micro-teaching as a mechanism to facilitate challenge and mastery experience in learning. Micro-teaching places the student in the role of …

A Phenomenological Understanding Of A Calling With Implications For Pastoral And Vocational Education, Thomas R. Connors

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of calling for seasoned pastors. Guiding the research were four related sub-questions: (a) How do seasoned pastors describe their initial experiences of calling? (b) How do they describe the ways in which they have critically reflected on their experiences of calling ? (c) How do seasoned pastors describe their subsequent actions that have resulted from their calling? (d) HAnd, how do seasoned pastors describe the development of their calling? A purposeful sampling of 11 pastors who have for six or more years functioned as a full-time pastor were engaged …

The Grand Narrative Worldview: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Impact Of Biblical Metanarrative Teaching In Liberty University’S School Of Divinity Global Studies Program, Chesed Anne Dent

Masters Theses

There is limited research and literature on the effectiveness of narrative-centered academic learning environments that utilize biblical metanarrative as a tool for teaching. Literature exists showing that story is an effective tool within education, within discipleship, and within training for cross-cultural effectiveness. This narrative inquiry research study focused on Liberty University’s Global Studies Program, a program that overlaps these distinct areas into one platform. Global Studies uses the power of story through the Grand Narrative of Scripture to teach students academic content, equip them as messengers of God’s Story, and help them assess and understand their own narratives within a …

Chimes: October 11, 2019, Calvin University

Chimes

Student debt decreased, despite increases in tuition by Harm Venhuizen

Sammy Obeid brings stand-up comedy to UnLearn Week by Garrett Strpko

Explainer: what Calvin expects in English proficiency for international students by Juliana Knot

Candidate Hillary Scholten talks faith's call to action by Garrett Strpko

"Joker" fails at social commentary by Connor Veenstra

Engineering dept seminar offers grad school advice by Katherine Benedict

All One Body discusses homosexuality within CRC by Sophia Morgan

The Knight's Stand: Why you should care about Line 5 by Garrett Medina