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Articles 151 - 180 of 2119

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Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman Oct 2024

Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Millennial Evangelism: Mobilizing Millennials Towards Faith-Sharing At Hope Chapel Foursquare Church, Peter O. Kolawole Sep 2024

Millennial Evangelism: Mobilizing Millennials Towards Faith-Sharing At Hope Chapel Foursquare Church, Peter O. Kolawole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the problem of dispassion or apparent detachment from the ministry of evangelism among millennials at Hope Chapel Foursquare church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Evangelism is the cornerstone of the Foursquare Church, of which Hope Chapel is a branch. As members of Hope Chapel come for bi-monthly community faith-sharing events, the largest group in the church, the millennial, was noticeably waning, which, if not rectified, will prevent the church from achieving its missional mandate. Evangelism is the nucleus and gateway to spiritual formation is essential to the Great Commission. Attaining spiritual formation and discipleship leads to …


Church Adoption: Three-Pronged Elements That Support The Revitalization Of Coastal Church Battery Park Location In Virginia, Michael Christopher Bard Aug 2024

Church Adoption: Three-Pronged Elements That Support The Revitalization Of Coastal Church Battery Park Location In Virginia, Michael Christopher Bard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church is God’s plan for delivering the good news of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the Cross. This finished work is evidenced through the bodily resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15). In the US a steady decline in church attendance has been prevalent over the past three decades and church buildings are either near empty or closing. This research explores the concept of church adoption merger in hopes of one avenue that would promote revitalization of local fellowships. Though multiple elements are supportive in revitalization this research explore three elements that should lead towards centralizing the church on Christ. …


Documentation For Developing And Managing Multiple Learning Centers As Gospel Outreach Programs In Nyc Chinese American Churches, Alice Tam Aug 2024

Documentation For Developing And Managing Multiple Learning Centers As Gospel Outreach Programs In Nyc Chinese American Churches, Alice Tam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is dedicated to creating comprehensive documentation for developing and managing multiple learning centers in various Chinese churches in NYC. It is a strategic initiative for the future growth and expansion of the Creator’s Voice Learning Center, and it also builds up a collaborative effort with churches to encourage gospel outreach in NYC Chinese communities. The CV Learning Center has been a pillar of success in NYC Chinatown for over twenty years as a beacon of hope in gospel outreach. However, CV needs assistance to launch its ministry ideology on multiple sites. The project employed two pilot testing …


A Practical Theology Of The Role Of Emotion In Corporate Musical Worship: A Case Study, Kevin Haglund Jul 2024

A Practical Theology Of The Role Of Emotion In Corporate Musical Worship: A Case Study, Kevin Haglund

Faculty Dissertations

Evangelical worship has undergone significant changes since the mid-20th century, culminating in the 1990s with the merger of two theological streams: “Praise and Worship” and “Contemporary Worship.” This research project examines the role of emotion in corporate musical worship, exploring the potential for emotionalism and the suppression of emotional expression. The study analyzes Scripture, the emotional effects of music and religious practices, and cultural influences on emotional expression in worship. Qualitative case study research involving interviews with individuals from three distinct worship environments was conducted. The goal is to develop a practical theology of the role of emotion in corporate …


Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program To Cultivate Leaders Of A Missional Church, Conner Mathias Brew Jul 2024

Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program To Cultivate Leaders Of A Missional Church, Conner Mathias Brew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to design, execute, and evaluate a small group instructional framework that cultivates a missional culture focused on communal discipleship at MVMNT Church, a local church in the Association of Related Churches network, while also addressing a gap in scholarship surrounding the interrelation of discipleship and the missional church. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study leveraged inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with survey data to validate the lack of discipleship activity at MVMNT Church and moderate-to-low comprehension of topics related to mission, discipleship, and leadership in the church. This project recommended and …


A Phenomenological Study Of Church Revitalization In Coastal North Carolina, Paolo Engle Santos Jul 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of Church Revitalization In Coastal North Carolina, Paolo Engle Santos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors and ministry leaders share the important responsibilities of church growth and revitalization. This research focused on overcoming decline and moving towards a season of strength and multiplication. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore church growth and revitalization within Southern Baptist churches in coastal North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Rainer's (2020) central thesis about revived churches, which suggests that churches must adapt to cultural shifts and actively engage with the changing world. The study sought to gain insights into the perspectives and mindsets of full-time pastors and ministry leaders regarding numerical expansion, spiritual awakening, …


Timothy Keller: Champion For The City: Keller's Philosophy Of Urban Contextualization, Michael W. Cunningham Jul 2024

Timothy Keller: Champion For The City: Keller's Philosophy Of Urban Contextualization, Michael W. Cunningham

Liberty Theological Review

Timothy Keller's 2023 passing serves as an occasion to consider his ministry legacy. His magnum opus, Center Church, encapsulated his philosophy of contextualization. This philosophy was rooted in a robust theology that informed and balanced missions, evangelism, and church planting. Keller's passion for city missions defied current ministry trends that favored suburbia and avoided urban contexts. His ministry conviction overcame cultural opposition and ministry bias and grew a thriving ministry in an unlikely ministry setting. Keller’s ministry captured the imagination of rising generations of pastors, missionaries, and ministry practitioners and provided the needed theological framework and training for successful …


The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau Jul 2024

The Blessed Assembly: Irreplaceable Physical Co-Presence In Worship And Healthy Hybridity Reimagined After The Pandemic In The Digital Age, Yvette, Ying Wai Lau

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Because of the unprecedented and unexpected force of the pandemic since 2020, most churches around the world have experienced some online worship during the lockdown of their cities or the mandated closure of the church buildings. For many people, online worship seems to be an equivalent, if not better, alternative for gathering together—a physical co-presence in worship—even after the pandemic has ended. As necessary and vital as online worship experiences have been for Christians during the pandemic, the witness of the church from Pentecost throughout Christian history indicates that gathered worship in physical spaces is irreplaceable for faith formation and …


Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2024, Vicki Biggs May 2024

Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2024, Vicki Biggs

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Making Diciples of all Nations


Evaluating Instruments And Strategies For Change: A Pilot Study For Total Life Ministries, Lisa M. Hunter May 2024

Evaluating Instruments And Strategies For Change: A Pilot Study For Total Life Ministries, Lisa M. Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In times of turbulence and crisis, people and families should look to the church to receive comfort, salvation, spiritual and emotional assistance, and support from the church. Declining rates of prayer and worship church service attendance levels is an issue of major concern. Continually formulating new strategies, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical and theological models are necessary to address this situation. A participatory action research intervention pilot study was conducted at Total Life Ministries church, which comprised a phenomenological study with hermeneutical consistency and a case study essence. The new strategy centered on certain prayer types and ways of praying that …


Biblical Literacy: A Theological Exploration Of What God Says About Women Called To Pastor, Shannel K. Williams May 2024

Biblical Literacy: A Theological Exploration Of What God Says About Women Called To Pastor, Shannel K. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctoral Research Project aims to answer the question, Is there biblical awareness among the congregation about God’s acceptance and call of female pastors? The problem presented identifies a gap in biblical knowledge about women in church leadership due to the lingering effects of patriarchal influence. There may be resistance to church growth due to the uncertainty of the Scriptures, which sanction women to the call of God. This research project proposed to improve the Bible literacy of ten Christian men and women to cultivate spiritual growth and strengthen their theology. Historically, the conservative church taught that the Bible forbids …


Preparing Three Southern Baptist Churches In Mason, Tennessee, As Lighthouses Of Hope In Crisis And Disaster: The Intersection Of The Firehouse And The Church House During A Global Pandemic, Brian J. Styer May 2024

Preparing Three Southern Baptist Churches In Mason, Tennessee, As Lighthouses Of Hope In Crisis And Disaster: The Intersection Of The Firehouse And The Church House During A Global Pandemic, Brian J. Styer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) ministry program faces challenges due to limited awareness among Southern Baptist pastors, leading to inadequate promotion and participation. The proposed solution involves providing targeted education, improved advertising, and encouraging local leaders to promote engagement. The project aims to prepare three churches in Mason and Stanton, TN, to serve as Disaster Relief teams through specialized training and courses like ‘Introduction to Disaster Relief.’ The goal is to increase awareness of SBDR, recruit and train new members, and inspire individuals to become endorsed SBDR and Public Safety Chaplains. The project incorporates a theological foundation to integrate …


The Impact Of Psalm Singing In Corporate Worship In The Canadian Reformed Churches: Perspectives Of The Congregants, Jan Frederik Ezinga May 2024

The Impact Of Psalm Singing In Corporate Worship In The Canadian Reformed Churches: Perspectives Of The Congregants, Jan Frederik Ezinga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Canadian Reformed Churches1 have a rich history of Psalm Singing, which originated in the 16th-century Reformation, continuing the early church and biblical tradition. Their first Synod in 1954 prioritized singing psalms, initiating the development of an English Psalter containing all 150 Psalms.2 After almost seventy-five years, Psalm Singing characterizes worship in over seventy congregations and church plants in Canada and the USA. Despite this tradition and culture of singing psalms in multigenerational worship, General Synods of the Canadian Reformed Churches have received continuous requests to add more hymns or other songs in the past twenty-five years. The arguments tend …


Evangelism Development In A Multigenerational Rural Church, John E. Baldwin May 2024

Evangelism Development In A Multigenerational Rural Church, John E. Baldwin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Berea Baptist Church in Rockville, VA lacks a multigenerational means of evangelism.


Our Longing Satisfied, Rory Fry May 2024

Our Longing Satisfied, Rory Fry

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Our Longing Satisfied


God Will Be All In All: The Visio Dei In The Theology Of Gerhard In The Early Church, Zach Eshelman May 2024

God Will Be All In All: The Visio Dei In The Theology Of Gerhard In The Early Church, Zach Eshelman

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

The beatific vision is a curious doctrine in Lutheran circles. Luther, Pieper and modern commentators all affirm the teaching that “eternal life consists in seeing God.” Nonetheless, the doctrine enjoys only passing reference when it is discussed. Potential reasons for such silence could be a study within itself, but it is worth taking time to look at what is likely the most robust articulation of the doctrine from a prominent Lutheran theologian.


Grapho 2025, Kyle Moellenhoff May 2024

Grapho 2025, Kyle Moellenhoff

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

The theme for this year’s journal, “With Eyes of Faith,” was selected to fit with the Seminary’s theme for the academic year, “Let us Fix our Eyes on Jesus.” As I pondered this theme it was the word “eyes” that stood out most. The Lutheran tradition, with its rich theology of the proclaimed Word, tends to focus heavily on the ears. After all, Paul says that “faith comes from hearing” (Rom 10:17). But with all this salutary emphasis on hearing, we should not neglect the role that the eyes play in the life of faith.


The Congregation In All Her Glory: How The History Of The Association Of Free Lutheran Congregations (Aflc) Can Be Used To Teach Free And Living Church Polity, Stephen Mark Mundfrom May 2024

The Congregation In All Her Glory: How The History Of The Association Of Free Lutheran Congregations (Aflc) Can Be Used To Teach Free And Living Church Polity, Stephen Mark Mundfrom

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Among Lutheran denominations in America, the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations privileges the free activity of the congregation with a unique church polity. Because of its rarity, the AFLC is especially concerned that a correct understanding of its polity be taught at its schools and passed on effectively to future generations. One way to ensure that this occurs successfully is through a combination of theological and historical instruction. Historical education has been in decline for several hundred years due to developments in Western thought. Nevertheless, significant arguments can be made for the necessity of an historical and narrative understanding of …


Reading Karl Barth's Trinitarian Theology Of Freedom In The Sociopolitical Context Of Chin Christianity, Tawk Lian May 2024

Reading Karl Barth's Trinitarian Theology Of Freedom In The Sociopolitical Context Of Chin Christianity, Tawk Lian

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This thesis argues that the act of reading Barth’s Trinitarian theology of freedom in the Chin context helps the Chin to acquire a new understanding of the Trinity, which reminds them of how the triune God stands in solidarity with them in their hard situation and how the triune God gives them freedom, which empowers them to engage their sociopolitical environment in a positive way. The sense of this Trinitarian logic requests the Chin evangelical and ecumenical Christians to appropriate the implications of Barth’s Trinitarian theology for reshaping their Trinitarian misperceptions underlined by the tendency to perceive the Trinity in …


Forya.Ai Business Plan, Landen Usher May 2024

Forya.Ai Business Plan, Landen Usher

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents a comprehensive business plan for Forya.AI, an innovative artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to streamline social media content creation for churches. The platform distinguishes itself by automating the generation of engaging content, leveraging church-provided images to produce visually appealing posts accompanied by contextually relevant captions. By integrating advanced AI algorithms, Forya.AI analyzes uploaded images, identifies thematic elements, and crafts captions that resonate with the spiritual and community values of the church. This process not only enhances the digital presence of religious organizations but also significantly reduces the time and financial resources traditionally required for content development. The business …


Ludamus: An Exploration Of Musical Improv And Spirituality In Christian Theology And Praxis, Will Parker May 2024

Ludamus: An Exploration Of Musical Improv And Spirituality In Christian Theology And Praxis, Will Parker

Yale Divinity School Theses

This project examines the practice of musical improv and group vocal improvisation as an accessible method for Christian worship, formation, and theological reflection, focusing on the Episcopal Church. It explores musical improv’s potential for community-making and transformation through overlapping elements necessary for improv and love: play, attentiveness, acceptance, self-giving, and trust. This paper also gives attention to the loneliness epidemic, one of the most pressing global problems in the wake of COVID-19, and how musical improv in a faith context might serve to help alleviate social, psychological, and existential loneliness by helping people connect with each other, themselves, and God. …


Market Town Resource Churches : Obstacles And Opportunities For Church Revitalization, Martyn Taylor May 2024

Market Town Resource Churches : Obstacles And Opportunities For Church Revitalization, Martyn Taylor

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Missional Movement Through The Local Church : Applying Movemental Principles In A British Context, Nicholas Ralph Allan May 2024

Missional Movement Through The Local Church : Applying Movemental Principles In A British Context, Nicholas Ralph Allan

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Trans-Denominational Unity : A Theological And Pragmatic Necessity For The Post-Christendom Church In England, Fraser J. Oates May 2024

Trans-Denominational Unity : A Theological And Pragmatic Necessity For The Post-Christendom Church In England, Fraser J. Oates

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Hybrid Church Best Practice : Engagement And Discipleship Of 18-35 Year Olds, Daniel Drew May 2024

Hybrid Church Best Practice : Engagement And Discipleship Of 18-35 Year Olds, Daniel Drew

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Strategic Plans For The Formation Of Team Leadership For The Ministry Of Local Churches In Myanmar, Kay Thi Htwe May 2024

Strategic Plans For The Formation Of Team Leadership For The Ministry Of Local Churches In Myanmar, Kay Thi Htwe

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Elementary Disciple-Making : Making Disciple Makers, Joshua Romano May 2024

Elementary Disciple-Making : Making Disciple Makers, Joshua Romano

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Discerning The Expectation Of Lay And Priestly Ministry In The Rural Parishes Of The Dorking Deanery, Peter S. Nevins May 2024

Discerning The Expectation Of Lay And Priestly Ministry In The Rural Parishes Of The Dorking Deanery, Peter S. Nevins

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Church For The Unchurched : Best Practices In Forming Church For A Secular Age, Thomas Jee May 2024

Church For The Unchurched : Best Practices In Forming Church For A Secular Age, Thomas Jee

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.