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Transformation Into Mission : A Case Study Of Forest Park United Methodist Church, Derek Edward Russell

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: April 2008, Lyle D. Bierma, Henry De Moor, Kathy Smith

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Being a Confessional Church
3 - Why Be a Confessional Church? by Lyle D. Bierma
5 - Theology That Sings: A Discussion on the Confessions Today
9 - With Integrity of Heart and Spirit by Henry De Moor
11 - Is It Time for a New Confession? by Kathy Smith

Departments
13 - Formation for Ministry
15 - News

Remembering Bill Sullivan, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

One of the founding members of the American Society for Church, Bill M. Sullivan, passed away on June 23, 2007. Bill’s passion for church planting and evangelism made him a beloved leader in the Church Growth Movement.

A Glimpse Into The Missional House Churches Of America, J. D. Payne

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Discussions of house churches in western contexts have been increasing over the last decade. Though one can speculate as to the reason for the interest and growth in this particular expression of the Body of Christ, few have attempted to study the present realities. For some time I heard of these simple expressions of the Church in countries throughout the world, but wondered if there were such churches in the United States that were evangelistic and involved in church planting. I wanted to know if there were more to house churches than the stereotypical small group of disgruntled believers huddling …

Transforming Chaos Into Beauty: Intentionally Developing Unity In Church Plants, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

This paper describes how unity can be developed in young church planting contexts. Two dimensions of unity are explored: Task cohesiveness and Relational cohesiveness. Empirically verified approaches to increasing both dimensions of unity in organizations are presented along with applications for church planting.

Book Review: A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation To New Life, Randy M. Keeley

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Donald A. Mcgavran’S Church Growth Missiology On The Church Of The Nazarene, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

On February 23, 2004 I interviewed Bill Sullivan by phone regarding the development of the Church Growth Movement in the Church of the Nazarene. The interview was recorded, transcribed, and then sent to Dr. Sullivan for his review. After receiving his edits, I wrote the following history of how Donald A. McGavran’s Church Growth missiology impacted the Church of the Nazarene. As the reader will discover, Bill Sullivan was the primary architect of translating Church Growth theory into action within this denomination.

A Non-Pastor Dependent Model For Churches In The Greater New York Conference, Richard A. Marker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastors tend to hover over the churches and many of the functions of ministry within the local church. Church members demonstrate little personal spiritual growth or activity in witnessing to their communities. A specific church in New York City will be selected as a laboratory for experimentation with the premise that a non-pastor dependent church can achieve better than average growth.

Method

A systematic study of the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, commentaries, books, and articles concerning the development of church leadership and growth was reviewed. Once theological and historical data on non-pastor dependent churches and church growth was identified, …

The God-Equipped Magnificent Obsession: A Christ-Centered And Values-Based Strategic Intent, Allen H. Quist

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

It was the first-century believers’ Christ-centered core values that drove their evangelism behavior. Core values still drive the behavior of present day believers. For present day followers of Christ to maximize the work of Christ’s Great Commission, Christians need Christcentered core values held at an obsessive level, plus God’s preparation and provision. Believers making up the first-century church, engaged their world through touch points of their time; the Roman political system providing relatively safe travel and quality roads, the widely-used Greek language, and scattered post-Pentecost new Christian believers. Today’s Christians need to engage our world through the touch points of …

Church Conflict/Church Growth, Thomas Hammond, Steve Wilkes

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Sadly, conflict is a common occurrence in congregations of every denomination across America. It happens to traditional, blended, and contemporary churches for a variety of reasons, with the capacity to reach extreme levels of intensity. Its impact on a congregation can be devastating. Relationships are damaged, friendships strained, and many decide to stop attending. The church's ministry and evangelism efforts are usually brought to a standstill, leaving a divided fellowship that has taken its eyes off the harvest and has become distracted from fulfilling the Great Commission.

Development, Evaluation, And Implementation Of An Interfaith Pastors' Peer Coaching Group In The Gentry, Arkansas Area, Raymond C. House

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

During my first ten years of ministry I discovered that I was in a lonely work with little peer-interaction or stimulation. Sporadic attempts to find peer- support and friendship among other pastors left me feeling only slightly encouraged. I was concerned that I was not being challenged by another peer or group of peers or held accountable to any particular goals personally or professionally.

Method

This research presents a model where pastors came together from various churches and denominations in a small town setting, and developed peer-coaching relationships for the purpose of improving their personal and ministry goals. Peer …

The Protean Church, Allan Karr

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

This article examines some symptoms of ecclesiological shifts that are being observed and documented in the “church” meta-narrative.

My Pilgrimage In Church Growth, Waldo J. Werning

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

By the Spirit’s strength, various teachers and mentors shared truths and life applications of God’s Word with me to walk the justification and sanctification path Jesus offers with the light that He gives. My pilgrimage in the ministry of church growth that involved both Christian stewardship and church health has been and is one of reflecting Christ, our Savior and Lord, and learning from teachers, mentors, leadership networks and informative books that provided a healthy diet of God’s Word.

A Short History Of Winfield C. Arn And The Institute For American Church Growth, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

This article is being reprinted from the Fall 2005 issue of the Journal of the ASCG in tribute to Win Arn. Readers who are not familiar with the early history of church growth, and particularly the role played by Win Arn and the Institute for American Church Growth, will find this article of interest. —Editor

Equipping And Mobilizing The Laity In The New York Luso-Brazilian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gerson P. Santos

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The New York Luso-Brazilian congregation was organized on October 23, 1971, with approximately ten members. By December 2005, its membership was 329, including two new congregations formed recently. In spite of the growth during the first two or three decades, this church has not experienced much growth in the last ten years. Many members are not committed to the Great Commission. Only ten percent participate in some kind of outreach. Analyzing the profile of this church, it was verified that the growth came mainly through immigration. One of the main challenges, therefore, is to involve the laity in missionary …

Means Of Evangelistic Growth: The First 300 Years, J. D. Payne

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The purpose of this study is to examine the various means, by which the gospel spread across the word throughout the first three hundred years of the Church’s existence. Though some biblical texts will be referenced, the primary focus of this study is upon the post-Apostolic, pre-Constantinian years. This study is descriptive in nature. Though contemporary secondary source literature will be consulted, I will draw predominantly from the historical documents written circa A.D. 100-300 and Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History.

The Shaping Of Things Now: Questions Of Emerging Churches, Darren Cronshaw

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The term ‘emerging church’ has been hotly debated. Some mainstream churches say ‘what are you doing that we are not?’ and some emerging churches resent the implication that they are still ‘emerging’ into being a real church. 3 But ‘emerging’ describes something that is changing and evolving rather than fixed in one place. The label recognizes that such churches are emerging from a modern into a postmodern framework, in a post-Christendom era, in a digital age, for a post-colonial era. Interestingly, it is a term that has been used to describe the early church in the first century, since that …

A Curriculum To Prepare Pastors For Tribal Ministry In India, Calvin N. Joshua

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The dissertation project establishes the existence of nearly one hundred million tribal people who are forgotten but continue to live in human isolation from the main stream of Indian society. They have their own culture and history. How can the Adventist Church make a difference in reaching them? There is a need for trained pastors in tribal ministry who are culture sensitive and knowledgeable in missiological perspectives.

Method

Through historical, cultural, religious, and political analysis, tribal peoples and their challenges are identified. The contribution of Christianity to India, particularly, the impact of the Adventist Church among tribals is reviewed. …

A Comparative Study Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church And The United Methodist Church With A Strategy For Enhanced Adventist Membership Growth In Cote D'Ivoire, Elie Weick-Dido

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Seventh-day Adventists first reached the French colony of Cote d’Ivoire around 1920. In 1946 the Church was organized with only 17 members. By 1985, the membership was 2,057 and in 2000, there were 7,215 members. By comparison, the Methodist Church of Cote d’Ivoire was established in 1924 and in 2000 had 1,350,000 members. Both Seventh-day Adventists and Methodists have conducted with mission in the same context where 20.8 percent of the population was Roman Catholic in 2000, Muslims represented 38.7 percent, and the French cultural influence was strong. Yet, Seventh-day Adventists have experienced a much slower church growth than …

2007 - 90th Annual Bible Lectureship, "Do Justice, Love Mercy, And Walk Humbly: Messages From Micah", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond The Walls Of The Sanctuary, R. Daniel Reeves

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Under The Cross Of Christ: Hispanic Ministry In The Missouri Synod, Lcms

Artículos obra entre Hispano/Latinos

BRTF-En – LCMS (June 2006)

The State Of The Unions—Denominations In The 21st Century, Robert Wenz

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The denominational landscape in America is changing. It is no longer a landscape of blossoming and blooming. It is rather a landscape marked by withering, fallen petals, and some new and different shoots budding. Some denominations are merging or consolidating districts/regions/presbyteries, effectively reducing regional overhead. This serves to reduce the burden on churches to support both a national organization and a regional association. Increasingly, denominations are questioning the relative value and cutting their publications ministries.

Introduction, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Small Groups And Established Churches: Challenge And Hope For The Future, Katie Dudgeon

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Church Planting, Elmer Towns

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The challenge of church planting has never been greater. There has always been the challenge of reaching people. But today’s challenges are different than ever before, and more extreme than ever before. Today’s challenges are exploding population, urbanization, technological innovations, expanding travel, complex international commercialization, the growing threat of terrorism, and growing secularization in First World or civilized countries; and in the Third World countries growing mysticism, spiritism, and demonism. Other challenges involve the influence of postmodernity, the influence of globalization through the United Nations, the collapse of church cooperation, i.e., World Council of Churches, Baptist World Alliance, etc.; the …

The Complex Task—A Place For Everyone: Session Four Manhattan Christian College, October 1981, Donald Mcgavran

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

In 1981, Donald McGavran presented a series of lectures at Manhattan Christian College. Over the next few journals, we will publish this series in a continuing effort to honor McGavran and his legacy of Church Growth Missiology. This is the fourth in the series. This article has been transcribed from the taped lectures.

La Perfilación Como Método Para Identificar Las Necesidades De Los Inmigrantes, Ruben Ramos Rivera

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Hispanic community is currently the largest minority group in the United States and its annual rate of growth continues to be significant. Hispanic immigrants, in particular, face very unique problems and challenges, Seventh-day Adventist pastors and churches need to develop effective strategies that may help them to fill the needs of this group as well as to obey the divine commission of bringing them to Christ. This dissertation seeks to contribute to the wealth of resources and strategies available to pastors by providing them with a valuable tool that may help them to effectively plan their outreach ministries to …

The Evolution Of Church Growth, Church Health, And The Missional Church: An Overview Of The Church Growth Movement From, And Back To, Its Missional Roots, Ed Stetzer

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The American application of the Church Growth Movement has, in my estimation, moved away from McGavran’s original emphasis of mission. While still valuing the approach and learning much from it, I would like to share my personal journey out of mainstream Church Growth into a more missional approach.

Contemporary Korean Ecclesiastical And Social Conditions Calling For Conversion Church Growth, Paul H. Kim

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

“‘Why is the Korean church growing so rapidly? Many Christians around the world have asked this question,” say Bong-Rin Ro and Marlin L. Nelson, in the preface of the book Korean Church Growth Explosion published a decade ago. Today, many Christians around the world ask a different question: Why has the Korean church, that grew so rapidly in such a short time, slipped into a stagnation for about two decades?