Digital Commons Network^™

A Return To Our Roots: 1st Century Church Growth In The 21st Century, Robert E. Logan

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper reviews the history of the church growth movement with the underlying question: Can such happen in the 21st Century? The origination of the church growth movement is explored with a challenge to recontextualize the posture of church growth initiatives. A key to this process is the development of leaders through both missional and relational processes. Returning to our missional roots and becoming more and more incarnational as we walk alongside the next generation of leaders will have historic impact not only for church, but for the world, for the marketplace, and for all the new ways God may …

Church Growth: A Holiness Perspective, Christopher Mark Baldwin

Great Commission Research Journal

The purpose of this article is to outline the Holiness Perspective on Church Growth. Some may be tempted to think of Church Growth and Holiness as mutually exclusive ideas. This article attempts to bring these concepts together. This is accomplished through biblical, theological, and historical foundations. The biblical foundation is based on the church of Antioch and the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. The theological foundation focuses on three aspects: missio Dei, Incarnation, and kingdom of God. The historical foundations outline a number of church planting strategies used throughout the history of the church.

From 35,000 To 15,000 Feet: Evangelical Statistics In The U.S. And Canada: A State/Province, Metro And County Glimpse, J. D. Payne

Great Commission Research Journal

Identifying the areas of the greatest evangelical need in the U.S. and Canada, this paper is designed to help churches and denominations take seriously the realities presented and to make any necessary adjustments in their church multiplication strategies to better extend the Kingdom into areas where few are laboring. This article is to be used in conjunction with an extensive corresponding PowerPoint presentation (10MB) showing evangelical statistics in selected places of the United States and Canada. The presentation may be downloaded for free from the Articles section at www.NorthAmericanMissions.org under the title “From 35,000 to 15,000 Feet: Evangelical Statistics in …

Book Review: Ignite: How To Spark Immediate Growth In Your Congregation By Nelson Searcy With Jennifer Dykes Henson, James Cho

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

About The Great Commission Research Network, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Churchmorph: How Megatrends Are Reshaping Christian Communities By Eddie Gibbs, Tom Harper

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Process Model For Church Change As Reflected In St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, Sheffield, England, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

This article is an abbreviation of research originally presented to Dr. Eddie Gibbs, Donald McGavran Professor of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary. Gibbs has been involved with the church under study for over two decades and lauded the author’s research. The research indicates a five-stage/four-trigger process model of change that may serve as an ecclesial prototype for effective change. The article is presented here in honor of Dr. Eddie Gibbs on his retirement.

Book Review: Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around And Yours Can, Too By Ed Stetzer And Mike Dodson, Keith Stone

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Curriculum To Equip Lay Pastoral Candidates For Service In The Pennsylvania Conference, James Richard Wibberding

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

During the first decade of the twenty-first century, Pennsylvania Conference leaders nurtured a desire for lay pastoral development. However, a cohesive training program did not emerge. Although lay training programs with other foci and the efforts of some local salaried pastors had produced a few lay pastors, a streamlined, accessible, principle-driven, and competency-based program was needed. With an increase in pastor to member responsibility of 64% from 1970 to 2005 and no growth in the number of churches in the same period, the creation of a training program was deemed to have missional import.

Method

An eleven-month curriculum was …

Transforming The Devonshire Seventh-Day Adventist Church Into A Missional Community Through The Biblical Alignment Of The Church’S Spirituality, Passion And Ministries, Errol N. Mclean

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Churches experiencing plateau or even decline often arrive at that stage in their life cycle because they are no longer fulfilling the great commission. They have lost their spiritual vitality, vision, and a purpose for mission. The challenge is renewing in this context a vision for growth and a commitment to ministry to the lost. This project details how this challenge was responded to at the Devonshire Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method. Identifying that the church was in the plateau stage of its life cycle was fundamental to approaching the problem. A theological foundation was established as a first step …

Developing Team Ministry Among Pastors And Elders In The Eastern Sector Of The Reunion Conference Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Johnson Andriamanalina Razafimamonjy

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In 2005, two of the churches in the eastern district of Reunion Island experienced severe conflict between the assigned pastor and elected local elders. The response of one church was the removal of its elders from their posts. In the other church, the church board expressed that they did not want the pastor. The result was minimal church growth during the two years that followed. The continuing confusion and conflict that has stymied the evangelistic potential of the congregations must be addressed in order to recover mission and witness.

Task

The task of this project is to develop and …

Developing Relational Communities: An Evangelistic Approach To Non-Adventist Students At Solusi University, Herbert Ndlovu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The purpose of this study was to determine how healthy relational communities contribute to membership growth and the retention of non-Adventist students at Solusi University. Some of the effects of current public evangelistic approaches and the loss of community spirit were studied. The challenge of nurturing a community of meaning and relationship at Solusi was also explored.

Method

A self-reported questionnaire was completed by both Adventist and non- Adventist students. In order to verify the results of the self-reported questionnaire, interviews were conducted with the church leadership, 10 church members, and 20 second and third year students.

Results

Analysis …

Creating Synergy In Churches With Multiple Congregations, C. Michael Pearson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discover Your Wesleyan Dna : A Curriculum For The Wesleyan Methodist Church Of New Zealand, Richard James Waugh

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Contextualization Of The Public Worship Practices Of Vietnamese Protestant Churches In The Greater Ohio Valley Region, Dennis G. Crump

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Stranger In Our Midst, The Gypsies, Cristian Dumitrescu

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

The Gospel And Australian Culture, Part 1, Peter Roennfeldt

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Adopting Your Local Public Elementary School, Kevin Becker

180 Symposium Publications

God promised to give Joshua every place he set his foot. It is my belief that most Seventh-day Adventist churches have little or no impact on the community in which they are located. Depending on which statistic you look at, the median age for an Adventist is between 51 and 62. I believe one of our biggest hurdles, “the graying of Adventism,” could become our greatest strength. I believe that if churches would adopt their local public elementary school they would not only increase their impact, but would establish a positive presence in the community that would transform their image …

An Evaluation Of The 2009 Mindanao Training Event For Camacop Evangelists Involved In Public Proclamation For Church Planting : Its Impact On The Attitudes, Knowledge, And Practices Of The Participants, Isaias F. Catorce

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Public Leadership Formation In Select Zimbabwe Churches, Kurai Chitima

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Leadership Of The Umc As A Prophetic Community For The Holistic Transformation Of Post-Conflict Liberia, Jerry Paye-Manfloe Kulah

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Opening Their Eyes And Ours : A Study On The Belief And Practice Of Prayer Evangelism, Mitchell L. Reece

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Components To Effect Spiritual And Numerical Growth In The Good News Churches Of Palakonda Division, Srikakulam District, A. P. India, Victor John Ratnam Palla

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From Traditional To Missional Church: Describing A Contextual Model Of Change For Ingrown Korean Diaspora Church In North America, Gil Pyo Lee

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Transnational Migration And The Reverse Mission Of Nigerian-Led Pentecostal Churches In The U.S.A.: A Case Study Of Selected Churches In Metro Atlanta, William E. Udotong

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Toward Addressing Split-Level Christianity : A Study Of The Interaction Between Christianity And Folk Religions In Romania, Florin Paul Botica

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Banner - V. 144, No. 12 - (December 2009), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

10 - Editorial: Sooooo Busy! by Bob De Moor / 11 - Letters to the Editor / 12 - CRC News: Plantinga steps down from seminary / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 19 - Catch Your Breath: Streak of Grace by John Lee / 20 - The Nightmare of Christmas by James C. Schaap / 25 - Parenting: Two Little Girls by Donna Huisjen / 26 - CRC Annual Ministry Report / 41 - Dear Reader: May There Be Peace by Jerry Dykstra / 44 - Tuned In: The Truth About Fiction by Phil Christman Jr / 46 - …