Digital Commons Network^™

Let’S Go Outside: Transforming The Transitions, Kirk King

180 Symposium Publications

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is serious about the spiritual nurture of younger generations. It spends millions of dollars and dedicates countless hours to preserve the faith of children and youth. However, perhaps the most glaring gap in the church’s ministry for younger generations is the absence of ministry during significant times of transition. This is particularly true when those transitions take the young people outside the bubble of the Adventist world. Nowhere is this issue more critical than in the lives of Adventist college students who attend secular schools. The Church is also serious about evangelism. Curiously, the church is …

Supporting An Army Of Youth: Providing Needed Support For Adventist Students On Public College Campuses, Ron Pickell

180 Symposium Publications

The Seventh-day Adventist Church stands poised before a great mission field opportunity to reach today’s college campuses. We have a clear mission field – the campus closest to the nearest local Adventist church. We have a clear mandate in the stated mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church: “To proclaim to all peoples the everlasting gospel.…” We also have potential missionaries on those campuses in the estimated 50,000 Adventist students enrolled there. In addition, we also have an organizational structure in the NAD Youth/Young Adult Department (ACF/NAD), which is ready to move forward to develop resources and provide networking, training, and …

Jump On Board, Steve Case

180 Symposium Publications

No abstract provided.

Implementation And Evaluation Of The Jesus Loves Jeans Initiative To Evangelize And Retain Youth For The Houston International Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kendall Turcios

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Topic

The Houston International Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has had significant challenges baptizing and retaining its youth. In the last five years, only a few youth have been baptized and nearly 50% no longer attend church. A primary contributing factor seems to be the lack of training to develop genuine biblical discipleship in the youth and young adults. Eims (1978) describes the process of discipleship as ―[taking a] person from the time of his conversion and helping him become a solid, dedicated, committed, fruitful, mature disciple who could in time repeat that process in the life of another‖ (p. …

The Development Of Leadership Competencies For Children And Youth For Implementation In Pathfinder Club, Hyungsik Ju

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Children and youth members in the Korean Adventist church have been steadily decreasing in numbers. Although there are many causes, the most serious problem is a lack of leadership development training for children and youth. And then, the lack of a leadership program for young people not only fails to promote an evangelistic passion, but also causes a deficit of training for future church leaders. In this sense, various leadership competencies should be applied and developed in order to nurture young people spiritually.

Method

Library research, a theological analysis, a contextual analysis of South Korea and the Korean Adventist …

A Strategy For Effective Youth Ministry In The Bantama Seventh-Day Adventist Church Ghana, Kofi Opoku Acheampong

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Young people comprise two-thirds of the 1,500 members of the Bantama I Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana. Despite a continuing increase in the number of young people, only a few of them attend youth activities. It appears that there may be a lack of formal programming or clear directions for youth ministry in the church. The result is a lack of spiritual connections between the youth and the church. In addition, there are behavioral problems among the young people when they are left to their own activities; consequently, parents are not allowing their children to attend youth-initiated activities, resulting …

What This Is All About, Steve Case

180 Symposium Publications

No abstract provided.

"Standout" Public School Retreat, Andrea Jakobsons

180 Symposium Publications

Standout is a public high school retreat created by the enrollment team at Andrews University in order to respond to the growing concerns of Adventist youth choosing public schools over Adventist schools. Since the statistics of youth who leave the Seventh-day Adventist church are grim for those who attend public schools, the enrollment team decided to address the issue. The team created a weekend on the campus of Andrews University specifically geared towards public high school students (while including home-schooled youth) in hopes of inspiring Adventist youth to seek a deeper experience with Christ and in turn begin to make …

Taskforce Now, Michael J. Stevenson

180 Symposium Publications

The world is currently wrestling with an economic downturn. As life gets rearranged; plans have to change. The convergence of a sluggish economy, lack of jobs and fewer slots available means that more Adventist young people are out of a job. At the same time the huge needs for leadership, mentoring and global economic mix up, we can seize the moment, employ and deploy hundreds to nurture the needs of thousands through the revival and adaptation of Adventist Collegiate Taskforce (ACT).

2010 - 104th Annual Summit, "Aliens & Light: Finding God In The Darkness", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Reach Your Campus, Reach The World: Prioritizing Our Mission To And Through Those In Schools, Steve Case

All Books

DESCRIPTION

An estimated 70% of Seventh-day Adventist college and university students attend non-church sponsored schools. Many of these students are not finding a spiritual community they can connect with, creating a tremendous need for public campus ministry.

How can the Seventh-day Adventist Church intentionally foster biblical community on public college and university campuses? How can we reach both Adventist and non-Adventist students? How should we conduct evangelism to fit a changing world? These and many other questions were addressed at the 2009 180º Symposium held on the campus of Andrews University.

Papers presented at the 180º Symposium covered three major …

Eight Keys To Overcoming Apathy Towards Church Growth, Danny R. Van Kanel

Great Commission Research Journal

Nothing zaps ministry efforts towards growth more than apathy among church members. Nothing energizes those efforts more than genuine interest and enthusiasm in growing the church. How can we turn apathy into enthusiasm? The answer is not as difficult as we might think.

Adolescents As Cocreators In Ministry, Derek J. Tronsgard

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Proclamation Vs. Protection: Reshaping The Vision Of Adventist Youth Ministry, Ronald R. Pickell

180 Symposium Publications

In this chapter, the author argues that youth ministry in the Adventist church has focused on protection and retention of the youth that have grown up in the denomination. To achieve this goal, the majority of the denomination’s resources have been invested into the educational system (I). Drawing attention to some of the short-comings of this approach, the author suggests a transition to a proclamation model of ministry and provides some basic principles (II). Furthermore, he draws attention to the increasing number of Adventist youth studying outside the denominational educational system and argues that it is both urgent and opportune …

Church Climate And Youth Ministry, Barry Gane

180 Symposium Publications

This paper compares youth who belong to congregations with a strong program of youth ministry with those who do not. Those who experience youth ministry are more likely to have personal devotions, remain in the church, perceive the pastors’ influence more positively, and avoid at-risk behaviors. It stresses the need for personal involvement, demonstrations of caring, and willingness to make changes in congregational programming. It gives a number of suggestions for discussions with youth groups.

How To Have A Christ-Centered Youth Ministry In A Small Church Using Mentoring, Missions And Meetings, Kris R. Eckenroth

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

As of 2005, there was only one Seventh-day Adventist church within the Pennsylvania Conference that was providing consistent youth ministry. Many of the churches have seemed to have had difficulty finding individuals who have both the experience and the necessary training to lead a local church youth program. Due to the absence of local church youth ministry, the needs of the youth are being unmet and many are leaving the church.

Method

The method used to address this problem began in 2005. Training sessions were provided to potential leaders within the churches in the Pennsylvania Conference. There were five …

Recruiting And Equipping Postmodern Immigrant Youth Preachers In Emmaus, Christian Fellowship, And Community Tabernacle Seventh-Day Adventist Churches, Anthony L. Usher

Doctor of Ministry Projects

After spending over six years at Emmaus SDA church, on January 1, 2004, the author was assigned to Christian Fellowship SDA Church and Community Tabernacle Mission. He observed that the fierce shifting winds of postmodernism have fueled the retardation of youth evangelism. If the trajectory of this dreaded trend goes unchecked, youth preaching in these churches will spiral downward into the obscure corridors of oblivion. A relevant profile, as well as a specific demographic composition of all three congregations, enhanced the development of an empowering argument that potentially could reverse the momentum of this encroaching tide back to God’s side. …

The Millennial Generation: A Demographic, Ethnographic, And Religious Profile, Monte Sahlin

180 Symposium Publications

A new generation is emerging into adulthood in the first years of the new century. Born from 1977 through 1994, most are the offspring of parents in the Baby Boom generation. Just as their parents’ childhood and adolescence largely paralleled the development of television, so the Millennial generation has grown up with the Internet. They share many of the values and interests of their Baby Boomer parents, although the world is starkly different. There is much greater diversity, and global boundaries are transparent, while economic anxiety is increased. The young adults and teens in the Millennial generation tend to be …

Unity And Ministry Through The Massification Of Adventism, Van G. Hurst

180 Symposium Publications

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a history of ministering to people groups who have been fractured from their original congregations or social norms (demassification) and then renew their identity in Adventism (remassification). The unique needs of today’s generations are a rapid remassification of youth groups who need to be discipled. The uniqueness of these youth, their need for parental influence, peer affirmation, and a horizontal leadership structure to enable future mentoring and ministry at minimal cost are a vital part of the cycle of ministry which appears to be currently nonexistent in many Adventist congregations.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Summer Day Camp In The Local Church As An Opportunity To Encourage Youth In Their Spiritual Growth, Church Identity, And Service, Michael J. Stevenson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Large amounts of time and effort are expended by youth directors in providing camp related opportunities for employment. It is widely hoped by these youth directors that the experience of being a camp staff person will increase spirituality among the staff, that it will strengthen their identification with the Seventh-day Adventist church, and that, in the future, these same staff members will desire more opportunities to serve in the mission of the church. The purpose of this project is to qualitatively study whether staff are affected positively or negatively in the ways mentioned above, by being staff members of …

Bringing Home Our Adventist Prodigals: A Strategic Plan To Reclaim Youth In The Trans-European Division, Paul David Tompkins

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church is losing far too many of its young people. This trend is hurting the world-wide church, the local congregation, and individual families. Yet very little is being done about it! The purpose of this study is to address this issue and to specifically formulate a Strategic Plan for reclaiming inactive youth in the Trans-European Division (TED).

Method

The TED territory is extensive, covering over thirty-five countries, therefore, a local pilot project was conducted. This involved identifying young people who the local church listed as inactive, or non-attending, and then contacting them with a questionnaire as …

Three Reasons To Serve, Gary L. Hopkins, Duane C. Mcbride, Stuart Tyner, Jonathan Duffy

Faculty Publications

Young people in the Seventh-day Adventist Church are in need of leadership creating effective strategies for protecting the youngsters from engaging in high risk behaviors along with finding effective methods of keeping these same youngsters churched. It is clear that God had answers to these problems long ago. A review of Matthew 25 clearly states that our purpose as Christians should be to serve individuals in need. When young people engage in service, they are more likely to be attracted to the church, get involved in the church, and stay in the church. Furthermore, service is associated with better grades …

Transformational Youth Ministry, Allen Walshe

Faculty Publications

This paper will point out how deeply ingrained post-modern thinking has become in Western culture. It will remind us that our youth and young adults, who are post-modern, are not the enemy (as some would categorize them), but that they are ‘the beloved of God.’ We have been called and commissioned to reach them by the grace of God. This paper will argue that the church’s response to our post-modern youth, if it is to be efficacious, will require a paradigm shift, from its predominantly information style toward a more relational model of ministry. This can be facilitated by restructuring …

Church Of Refuge: A Support Ministry For Youth And Young Adults, Ron Whitehead, Jeff Boyd

Faculty Publications

At least 40 to 50 percent of youth and young adults leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church. To reverse this trend by helping local congregations meet the spiritual, social, and community impact needs of youth and young adults, the Center for Youth Evangelism proposes to launch Church of Refuge (COR). This organization will support churches in incorporating nine principles in their master planning. After demonstrating the inclusion of these principles, local congregations will be certified as Churches of Refuge and will be promoted to youth and young adults through web and print materials.

Adventist Identity Crisis: In The Leaders Or The Led?, Japhet De Oliveira

180 Symposium Publications

Recent church attendance statistics indicate a high percentage of the millennial generation is exiting their local faith communities–either openly rejecting the values or silently slipping away. In addition to these two types of departure lies a third group not included in the statistics that appear faithful through attendance but in reality are disconnected. Should we combine these three categories our only success is retention with engagement. Which begs the answer to this question: Retention and engagement with what? Our once proclaimed uniform Adventist identity is crumbling by globalization. Today within two streets of each other you can experience practically opposite …

"There They Go": Short Term Mission Trips As A Metaphor And Model For Youth Slipping Out The Back Door, Steve Case

180 Symposium Publications

Millennials slip out the back door of church involvement for a variety of reasons. One currently popular youth ministry activity, Short-Term Mission Trips (STMT), provides a metaphor and a model for this phenomenon. STMT take into account both positive and negative elements as well as a host of factors with intensities that vary from one millennial to another. Utilizing STMT as a metaphor, and the varieties within the model, demonstrate the complexity of the issue rather than providing a singular and simplistic explanation and solution. Inherent in this model is a proactive sending motif rather than a passive clinging for …

Suffer The Little Children (And The Young Adults), Ed Dickerson

180 Symposium Publications

In addressing the problem of young adults leaving the church, Adventists tend to concentrate on changing the youth, while the real solution calls for changing the church to adapt its methods and worship to make the congregation attractive. This involves making church a place friendly for children and creating intergenerational worship. Separate ministry to young adults fails to integrate them into the congregational life.

Stop The Sad Exodus: Three Practical Solutions, Chris Blake

180 Symposium Publications

Students of Adventist campuses of higher education experience the finest in ministry options. When they graduate, they often return to congregations that are much lacking the ministries to which they have been accustomed. Three solutions for the campus are: (1) Risky Sabbath schools that involve students in outreach, (2) Youth summits, and (3) Training for involvement in local congregations.

Circle Of Courage, Jonathan Duffy, Gary Hopkins

180 Symposium Publications

This chapter promotes the “Circle of Courage” as a model for developing resilience in young people. Resilience in the context of this chapter refers to factors which contribute to the success of young people and protect them from participating in risk behavior. The “Circle of Courage” is a child rearing model used by Native Americans before white conquest and has four main components – Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. The components are in alignment with what modern psychologists are promoting for young people today and are common to most indigenous groups.

A Study Of Youth Retention And The Challenge Of Delayed Commitment In The Norwegian Union, Victor Marley

180 Symposium Publications

A contributory factor in the increasing rates of young people going through the “back door” and out of our church is the extension of adolescence and the corresponding postponement of commitment. This paper will look at pluralism, the extension of adolescence, and the erosion of adulthood as some reasons why commitment is being delayed. Some fundamental questions will be addressed: Is there a need to focus on the age of commitment? What about rites of passage? Do we need some in the Adventist culture? This paper will, in conclusion, look at the experience of the Norwegian Union and the Absolute …