Digital Commons Network^™

Donald Mcgavran And The City, Jeff K. Walters

Great Commission Research Journal

As the “father of the Church Growth Movement,” Donald A. McGavran’s impact on twentieth century missiology is undisputed. His teaching on missions in urban contexts holds great value for our rapidly urbanizing world, but those contributions have been studied very little. The purpose of this article is to survey McGavran’s urban missiology, especially as presented in his seminal work, Understanding Church Growth.

Sanctuary: Cosmos, Covenant, And Creation, Elias Brasil De Souza

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

A Pilot Project To Increase Member Participation And Revitalization Of The Coffeyville And Independence, Kansas, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The Central States Conference, Andre M. Trofort Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Mt. Moriah and South 18th Street Seventh-day Adventist Churches, located in Coffeyville and Independence, Kansas, had not experienced membership growth in the ten years of 1987-1997. These two churches were part of a three-church district, which also included a church 145 miles away in Springfield, MO. That church was active in developing outreach and evangelistic strategies whereas the Kansas churches were not. The two Kansas churches were headed toward closing due to stagnation. Unless revitalization and consistent leadership training took place, a turnaround would never happen for these two small churches.

Method

This project explored the Coffeyville and …

An Examination Of Reaching, Teaching, Feeding And Loving People For The Kingdom Of God, Gwendolyn Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the biblically prescribed methodologies and innovative tools for attaining the desirable results of more disciples instead of followers of Christ. It is incumbent on every believer to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission, to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every ethnos. There are several contributing factors that are conducive to people globally starving holistically mainly due to a deviancy of knowledge imparted and less implementation of discipleship. The inclusion of this thesis is a partial account of interviews with some Christian leaders and selected Disciples of …

Five Principles To Make And Multiply Disciples Through The Small Group Ministry, Timothy Yates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The unchanging command of the Great Commission is to "make disciples" of all ethnic groups of the world. Unfortunately the church has struggled with her primary mission and has been grossly negligent in equipping church members to become Great Commission leaders. Therefore, this author will develop a small group training manual consisting of five principles to make and multiply disciples through the small group ministry. This manual will provide a laser focus on how to intentionally develop and deploy the common layman within the local church in order to reproduce disciples who reproduce disciples. As a small group pastor, this …

Ar Trebui Femeile Să Fie Hirotonite Ca Pastori? Considerații Asupra Vechiului Testament - Partea A I, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

In the modern discussion over whether women should be ordained as pastors, the foundational passage for both those who affirm and those who oppose women’s ordination is Gen 1–3. Those who affirm women’s ordination find in the Genesis creation accounts a statement of full equality without hierarchy of man and woman, set forth as the divinely ordained creation order. They see the rest of Scripture calling us back toward that creation ideal, and allowing for women to fill any position of authority to which God calls and gifts them. Those who oppose the ordination of women also go to Gen …

Eight Key Principles To Transform Church Culture To Retain Ministry Leaders, Trent Lambert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today's culture, there is an ever-growing population of unchurched and dechurched within our local communities, not to mention dysfunctional leaders within the Church. This project attempts to create a healthy quality of life for ministry leaders that transcends into relevant evangelism and empowering discipleship. Based on scripture, segments of church history leadership styles, surveys of current ministry leaders, various books/articles, and personal perspectives this paper will delineate lessons to be learned and principles that are effective in the remodeling process. The principles within this project will show how church culture can transition from an antiquated paradigm of ministry to …

About My Father's Business: Pastoral Succession From Father To Son, Clifford Hartley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A son who follows in his fathers' footsteps is not unique to many situations but it is to the office of pastor of the local church. Such a succession raises several questions: Is this a call of God, or the passing on of a dynasty? Is this a healthy transition for a church to consider? What are the associated problems and benefits? What biblical foundations should be considered? Are there common factors that make this transition successful? It is evident that unique planning and caution is necessary that is different from other successions patterns of pastoral ministry. This paper will …

By This They Will Know: Discipleship Principles To Transform The Church, Mark R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current research indicates that ninety-five million individuals in America do not attend church. Nearly forty percent, of this group, have a negative impression of Christianity. The purpose of this project is to study the forces that that are transforming the American culture, and the dynamics that are perpetuating a bad image of Christianity. The author will evaluate the current state of spiritual formation in the Christian community, and make recommendations for developing an effective discipleship strategy for the church. The impetus for this paper is the Great commission issued by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 28:19. The paper will incorporate …

Sabbath & Management, Theology & Application, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

Without detracting from the importance of setting aside one day of worship each week some scholars believe that the meaning of Sabbath contains broader principles. This paper presents a summary of Sabbath theology based on two biblical themes: Creation and Covenant. It provides support for why managers should consider applying Sabbath principles in their work. Part III shows some of the ways in which this might play out in managerial work.

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

Great Commission Research Journal

“Building Self-Replicating Core Teams for Church Planting” will assist church planters in building more effective teams that can reproduce themselves in the second-generation leadership of the church. The article begins with a summary of the problem in building self-replicating core teams and continues with a look at the example of the apostle Paul’s church planting ministry. The article goes on to share the results from a survey of highly experienced church planters in the United States. It concludes by presenting a list of key components necessary for building core teams for church planting. The principles were shown through research to …

A Model To Recruit And Implement Volunteers To Serve And Create A Culture Of Biblical Servanthood In The Church, Rodney Briles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a viable and applicable model for finding and recruiting volunteers to serve the local church and create a culture of Biblical servanthood. The project focuses on: where to find potential volunteers; discerning the volunteer's giftedness; the enlisting process; interviews; and training the volunteer to serve. It also provides practical methods that allow the local church to create a culture of Biblical servanthood. The content of the project is built on the foundation of God's Word coupled with resources from experts in the field.

Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions Of Evangelistic Preaching, Kenneth Kinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines biblical, historical, and theoretcial trends in evangelistic preaching. This has been accomplished using biblical evidence, as well as insights from theologians and scholars within the realm of society, politics, and Christianity. The study provides a suggested methodology of sermon preparation for communicating to the modern Church.

Engaging Ecclesia: A Model For Training And Leading Circuits To Engage In Mission As Ecclesia, Jeffrey Shearier

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Shearier, Jeffrey E. “Engaging Ecclesia: A Model for Training Circuits to Engage in Mission as Ecclesia.” DMIN MAP., Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, 2012, 110 pp.

This Major Applied Project sought to measure if attitudes and understandings about what the church (ecclesia) is theologically and to apply that definition to the ecclesiology of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The author recounts his personal quest to match ecclesiology with the mission of the church. He also tells the story of recent attempts to encourage church planting in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at large and specifically within the Rocky Mountain District (a part of the …

Transformational Discipleship: A Model For Sermon-Based Small Groups For Life Transformation, Jon Harless

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In consideration of the Great Commission commanded by Jesus Christ, it is certain that the goal of every pastor is to present to the Lord transforming or maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. With this in mind, the purpose of this project is to research and champion the effectiveness of Transformational Discipleship by providing the biblical and theological merits of this discipleship process while also providing a more concrete understanding of the practical effectiveness of this method of discipleship for life transformation in the fulfilling of the Great Commission. This method of discipleship here described as "transformational" is when the pastor's …

Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current worship literature reveals very little guidance to assist Protestant church leaders in training, discipling or mentoring congregational worship leadership. Therefore, this thesis project researched and presents a basic rationale for developing worship leadership discipling curricula strategically targeting the needs related to discipling and training artistic Christians who are called to worship leadership in the local church.

Reexamining The Place Of Public Confession Of Sins In A Reformed Context., Matthew John Webber

CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses

A dangerous tendency plagues the scripturally mandated practice of confession within many mainline Christian churches. The danger is that the theological thrust of the practice has been ignored or compromised in such a way that the manner in which confession is practiced ignores fundamental elements which underlie the need for confession, specifically public confession performed before one's fellow believers. It is especially evident that the confession of one's sins, which once took place in pubic before the ecclesial body, has seen a significant amount of change within the Reformed context. The focus of this essay is to identify the theological …

Teaching Disciples To Pray: Improving The Understanding And Practice Of Prayer At Calvary Baptist Church Of Floyd, Virginia, Randy Thomas Mcdaniel

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project was undergirded by a theory that intentionality and discipline in prayer will yield valuable benefits. Growing more knowledgeable in prayer practice as well as learning to faithfully set aside time for prayer were two components of specific importance in this project. Such components can be engaged by the individual in private study. However, the position of this ministry experiment is that the greatest gains regarding knowledge and practice with prayer are to be found from intentional study with the additional element of a dialogical small group experience.

A University Course's Influence On Students' Perpectives Regarding Sabbathkeeping As Spiritual Discipline, Ifeoma I. Kwesi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although most students who attend Oakwood University are self-identified Seventh-day Adventist Christians, from general observation of their activities, conversations, and attitudes displayed on any given Friday night and/or Saturday (i.e., Sabbath), it would be easy to conclude that many neither enter nor exit their collegiate experience with a holistic understanding or experience of Sabbath and Sabbathkeeping.

Methodology

1. As part of the research for this project I used a pre- and post-test methodology to determine the cognitive, behavioral and affective realms of Sabbath and Sabbathkeeping among students enrolled in RP131: Spiritual Formation for Ministry. The intervention was the aforementioned …

Book Review: Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role Of Business In Missions By Steve Rundle And Tom Steffen, Anthony Casey

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: A Light To The Nations: The Missional Church And The Biblical Story By Michael W. Goheen, Tereso C. Casino

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Did Paul See The Saving Significance Of Jesus’ Death As Resulting From Divine Violence? Dialogical Reflections On Romans 3:25, Christian Eberhart, Don Schweitzer

Consensus

No abstract provided.

2012 - 106th Annual Summit, "Intimacy", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Pauline Spiritual Warfare: How A Warfare Mentality Shaped Paul’S Approach To Missions, Will Brooks

Great Commission Research Journal

Paul’s understanding of the condition of nonbelievers and his understanding of how Satan attacks believers is explained in this article. In support of this effort the biblical data is examined and lessons arising from the Pauline corpus in relation to these two issues are noted. Paul’s perspective on these two issues is explored as it relates to his missiological practice. The article, then, concludes with some contemporary applications of this study as they affect current missiological practices.

The Urban Legacy Of Twentieth Century Missiology, Jeff K. Walters

Great Commission Research Journal

In this “urban century,” it is sometimes easy to forget that urban work is not new to global missions. The purpose of this article is to review the work of four key twentieth century missiologists—Donald A. McGavran, Francis DuBose, Harvie Conn, and Roger Greenway— and consider their impact on the evangelism and missions in urban contexts. The article concludes with a brief analysis of their missiology and its application to twenty-first century missions strategy.

Rethinking Urban Theology: A Critique For Moving Forward, Cory Wilson

Great Commission Research Journal

The last 300 years have witnessed the worldwide urban population jump from just two percent in 1700 to fifty percent at the turn of the twenty-first century. The Christian community has sought to adapt and respond to this current trend in the form of developing an urban theology. This article seeks to provide what is intended to be a helpful critique of some aspects of urban theology. Specific attention will be given to three aspects of urban theology that are in need of critique: urbanization, the gospel and social justice, and biblical theology. Following an analysis of these three areas, …

Saving The Church From The Sinner’S Prayer, Christopher R. Little

Great Commission Research Journal

The Sinner’s Prayer has become part and parcel of Western evangelistic methodology. Its historical derivation can be traced to American revivalist techniques. The prayer’s application in twenty-first century popular culture has added further obstacles to the process of making genuine disciples as Jesus is presented as a commodity to be consumed in order to achieve self-actualization. In this setting, the calls to count the cost of discipleship have been neglected, which has adversely affected the church. To reverse course, baptism should replace the prayer’s usage as an indication of one’s commitment to Christ, and disciple formation should incorporate the biblical …

Concordia Seminary Magazine | Spring/Summer 2011, Paul Devantier

Concordia Seminary Magazine

International influence

John Wesley‟S Liturgical Revision: A Pattern For Reshaping Worship For Post-Christian America, Lawrence A. Lacher

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Lacher, Lawrence A. “John Wesley‟s Liturgical Revision: A Pattern for Reshaping Worship for Post-Christian America.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2011. 316 pp.

This project seeks to find a solution to the current malformation of Christian Worship in the American church through re-examining John Wesley‟s Sunday Service for Methodists in North America (1784) in order to extract the underlying pattern. That pattern is then proposed as a paradigm that allows for the contextualization of worship while retaining its historic shape, function and purpose.

John Wesley‟s liturgical advices are examined for several reasons. Since the writer is interested in helping those who …

As Good As It Gets: A Review And Consideration Of "Healing Prayer", Its Theological And Ministry Implications, And The Hope For Change It Evokes., Henry Kranenburg

CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses

If healing is possible, and Christian prayer is a means to achieve it, how do Christians 'make it happen'? The answer to this question has had renewed and increasing interest for Christians in Reformed circles (Chapter I). While different healing 'ministries' have claimed to unlock (some aspect) of healing, there has been limited assessment of these ministries in both their methodologies and their claims. This paper reviews four of these ministries, first looking at aspects of their teaching and methodology (Chapter 2). It then reflects on these from a behavioural-psychological perspective by asking a number of questions (Chapter 3) before …