Digital Commons Network^™

Leadership Dynamics And Factors Of Fast-Growing Church Plants And Revitalized Established Churches In The Christian And Missionary Alliance, Kedrick L. Hirschy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The pursuit of this action research project is to construct a leadership growth plan for Christian and Missionary Alliance churches experiencing a decline in their local church or slow church plant growth for the sustainability of the local church in the Alliance movement.

Megachurches Can Have Mega Problems - Insights From Toxic Leadership In Modern Megachurches, Brandon Billings

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The Christian megachurch is a relatively recent phenomenon, championing new ideals and theological practices for faith communities around the world. Megachurches, by definition, are Christian churches that consist of over a thousand attendees. Most megachurches are independent from a denomination – a characteristic that brings a multitude of advantages as well as challenges. One specific challenge for megachurches is the problem of potential abuse by pastors that are characterized by toxic and destructive leadership. In recent years, many Christians, as well as non-Christians, have been shocked by the number of megachurch pastors revealed as bullies, narcissists, or sexual assailants. Although …

Fundamentalism, Marginalization, And Eschatology: Historical, Socio-Economic, And Theological Factors Influencing Early Pentecostal Theological Education, Daniel Topf

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Pentecostalism is recognized and appreciated, for instance, for its fervent evangelism and vibrant worship but generally not well-known for its contributions to scholarship and formal theological education. Why is that the case? Rather than simply pointing to an anti-intellectual attitude within Pentecostalism, this article emphasizes there are complex historical, socioeconomic, and theological factors to be considered when describing the development of early Pentecostal theological education in the United States. From a historical perspective, early Pentecostalism had to come to terms with its nineteenth-century roots, which included the fundamentalist movement. Regarding socio-economic factors, many early Pentecostal leaders came from the margins …

The Acts Way: Returning To The Original Plan A Of Church Planting, Joshua D. Sorrows

Great Commission Research Journal

This article examines the question: Is there a way to plant gospel-centered churches faster? Building off of Donald McGavran’s homogeneous unit theory, this article explores the biblical basis, the varied methodologies, and the successful implementation of a micro-church planting strategy in the Colorado Rockies. It evaluates the validity of micro-church planting alongside our current methods of church planting. The article calls for consideration to return to the Acts model of church planting through disciple-making that will help the Church go deep and reach wide.

Ministry Among The Afar: Implementing Holistic Strategies, Cheyenne King

People Group & Region Research (Capstone Papers)

The obstacles that the spread of the gospel faces among the Afar people of Djibouti are many. The prevalence of fear-power and honor-shame orientations, as well as a hostile religious context are just a few of these hurdles. Despite their presence, there is an extensive history of Christian work among the Afar. Many different ministry strategies have been utilized, but one is needed that will be applicable to all areas of the Afar life as outlined in this paper.

Universal Leadership Model, Derwin Lamont Hickman Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Great Commission is the call of Jesus to his people to go out into the world and make disciples. The universal leadership model presents an opportunity for disciples/leaders to step up and fulfill the Great Commission. The church should be involved in discipleship training, outreaches and supporting the issues that are aligned with Christian ideology and important to people in the communities they serve. An effective universal leadership model should include diversity, training, desired change, accountability and effectiveness of change. In so doing, the church can then find parishioners within the church who may be transformed into disciples/leaders and …

The Acts Way: Returning To The Original Plan A Of Church Planting, Joshua D. Sorrows

Great Commission Research Journal

This article examines the question: Is there a way to plant gospel-centered churches faster? Building off of Donald McGavran’s homogeneous unit theory, this article explores the biblical basis, the varied methodologies, and the successful implementation of a micro-church planting strategy in the Colorado Rockies. It evaluates the validity of micro-church planting alongside our current methods of church planting. The article calls for consideration to return to the Acts model of church planting through disciple-making that will help the Church go deep and reach wide.

Book Review: Remission: Rethinking How Church Leaders Create Movement By Gary Comer, Jim Roden

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Something Old, Something New: How New Churches Are Embracing Liturgy, Winfield Bevins

Great Commission Research Journal

The movement toward ancient church tradition has been well documented; however, there has also been a steady rise of new churches that are embracing church tradition and liturgy. The first part of this article will examine the history behind this movement and the factors that have contributed to its development. Next, it will look at four case studies of new churches that are embracing liturgy, which I refer to as neo-liturgical churches. It will end with an exploration of the promise that this may hold for reaching young adults.

That All May Hear: How Indigenous Church Music Encourages Church Growth In Africa, Trevor Yoakum

Great Commission Research Journal

This article demonstrates how indigenous church music can be an effective tool in promoting healthy church growth. After defining indigenous church music through the insights of ethnodoxology, the author explains how it engages local hearers through their own conceptual categories. This cognitive interaction is relevant in that it augments comprehension of biblical themes and content. But it also impacts hearers through the various levels of their worldview. The article ends with a case study of how a consortium of African theological institutions and IMB missionaries are developing orality-based indigenous music to teach, refute heresy, and evangelize the continent.

The Song Of Cuba’S Great Awakening: Music In Baptist Worship And Witness, Michael Sharp, Ed Steele

Great Commission Research Journal

From the 1990s to the present, Cuban Baptists have witnessed a time of unparalleled church growth. During that time frame, musicians have participated in ministries aimed at church growth by organizing largescale public musical events, compiling a Cuban hymnal that included indigenous Cubano worship songs, developing new programs of leadership training for church musicians, and employing music in missionary projects both at home and abroad. This article explores what can be learned from the Cuban Baptists’ experience regarding music as an effective tool in evangelism, the value of musicians reaching musicians as a mission strategy, the importance of ethnodoxology in …

Evaluating The Role Of Empowering Leadership And Church Health, Brent Colby

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of empowering leadership on overall church health. This quantitative study evaluated data collected by Natural Church Development from Assemblies of God churches in the United States between 2006 and 2016. Examining results from 361 churches and 9,619 surveys, this research answered questions relating to the statistical significance of empowering leadership on overall church health, the statistical significance of empowering leadership as a predictive domain of church health, and the most statistically significant predictor of church health. The one sample t-test, binary logistic regression test statistic, and multiple linear regression test …

Healthy Church Multiplication In Modern Churches, William J. Burns

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 leaves no room for interpretation. The role of the followers of Jesus and of the church is decidedly clear. We are called to make disciples of all nations. An honest assessment of my local ministry context, Access Church, reveals that we, as a church, have fallen short of Jesus’ Great Commission. The intention of this research project is to understand the biblical mandate to make disciples as taught throughout Scripture, study Jesus’ discipleship methods in the book of Matthew, and, ultimately, create a new rubric to help Access Church—and other churches—understand how to measure its …

Denominational Influence In Church Revitalization, Donald J. Immel

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many churches and denominations in North America have been experiencing plateau or decline for the past sixty years. In recent years, the Assemblies of God has experienced trends of plateau or decline in a majority of their churches. The PennDel Ministry Network, one of sixty-four districts within the Assemblies of God USA, has also observed that a majority of its churches are also in a state of plateau or decline. The primary intent of this dissertation is to explore denominational influence in revitalizing churches. Specific attention is given to the church’s participation in the missio Dei as well as the …

Factors That Produce High-Capacity Leaders Within The Church, Daniel O. Floyd

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Population is exploding, and yet the church, in some areas, is declining. High-capacity leaders, who can lead large groups of people toward gospel advancement, are needed now more than ever. The research question that this project seeks to answer is: what are the factors that produce high-capacity leaders within the church? The topic of leadership boasts a wealth of research; however, there is a gap in the research regarding what it takes to develop a highcapacity leader, as defined in this project. The research questions are answered through a qualitative phenomenological study that involve interviewing eight pastors who are leading …

Developing A Church Planting Growth Strategy For Growing Metropolitan Communities In The United States, Aaron R. Burke

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The United States is becoming increasingly urbanized. The metropolitan areas are thriving with new residents and new industries. While the cities are growing, the church is declining. The church has a problem to solve. How do we plant rapidly growing churches in growing metropolitan areas? The focus of this doctoral dissertation is to present rapidly growing church plants as a solution to the declining church attendance in the metropolitan areas of the United States. Not only do new churches need to be planted, but these new churches need a strategy for growth. I found this strategy by researching five rapidly …

The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Leaving A Legacy, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

As the Church Growth Movement continued to develop, it gained strength and respect. The establishing of the McGavran Chair of Church Growth was a red-letter day, which established the CGM as an academic discipline. Donald and Mary McGavran slowly backed away from direct ministry, but continued to follow the movement’s impact. This except reports the final years of McGavran’s life and ministry

Smooth Transitions: An Examination Of Succession Planning And Leadership Continuity Among Directors And Associate Directors Of The Potomac Conference Corporation Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Fred-Richard T. Warfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Far too many organizations fall short of the strategic task of succession planning. The absence of satisfactory solutions in this area stifles the ability of an organization to achieve its mission and vision. Lack of planning in this area also contributes to a negative impact on overall morale, staff performance, and effectiveness as these turnovers ensue. The purpose of this thesis project is to explore the perceived absence of intentional succession planning and leadership transitioning among director and associate director-level leadership positions within the Potomac Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. In this project, surveys and one-on-one interviews are conducted among …

The Christian Family: Implications Of Familial Language For The Identity Of The Church, Rebekah Lukas

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Lukas, Rebekah L. “The Christian Family: Implications of Familial Language for the Identity of the Church.” M.A. thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2020. 85 pp.

The family is a prominent image for the identity of the Church. Biblical language reflects the truth that the Church is a family, and God’s promises include familial rhetoric. For Christians, God is “Our Father who art in heaven,” and Jesus is our brother. Christians are made “sons of God” through Baptism, becoming a member of the whole family of God. These are essential aspects of the Christian’s identity. When the Church neglects its use of this …

Reclaiming A Multiplying Discipleship: Fostering The Dance Of The Gathered And Sent Church, Matthew Lake

Doctor of Ministry

In the postmodern world, the local church has experienced significant decline as Christendom gives way to a more secular culture. Many shrinking denominational churches have missed imaginative opportunities and practices to produce multiplying disciples. This dissertation explores how declining denominational churches can embrace new opportunities for flourishing in a postmodern context through the development of a culture of multiplying discipleship. History—through examples such as the early church and Wesleyan movements—has shown that multiplying discipleship movements are possible in cultures not familiar with the Gospel. Such movements reveal new possibilities produced through the tension found between more formational offices of teaching, …

Discipleship In A Digital Age: Leveraging Multimodality And Digital Networks, Jennifer Miles

Doctor of Ministry

Advancements in communication technology, particularly since the Internet Age, have impacted culture in several fundamental ways. Cognitive and psychological changes have changed how people seek and understand knowledge. The development of horizontal networks made of both space of places, physical locations, and space of flows, Internet locations,1 has reshaped academic, social, and political spheres. The rise in entertainment to transfer information has shifted society’s focus to one of experience and service in everyday life. These changes have impacted the institutional church through a reduction of individuals self-identifying as Christian and in behaviors traditionally considered Christian.

In response, the church has …

Not A Megachurch? Creative Methods Toward Intergenerational Worship Within A Small Evangelical Church: A Case Study, Brenda L. Widger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Larger churches have historically had the advantage in the realm of creative worship ministry due to larger budgets, more volunteers and dedicated professional staff. While megachurches have dominated the creative worship model, smaller evangelical churches have struggled to capture the essence of creativity in their services. There is a need to explore the obstacles faced by the smaller church along with methods that can be applied to overcome the challenges to offer effective worship experiences that include creative worship elements in a multigenerational model. In this qualitative historical case study, insight into the processes and resources necessary to move the …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 135 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2020), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Listening to God: Scripture, Spirit, and Stillness by Joyce Borger....3

Why Are You Just Standing Around? by Rachel Bouwkamp....12

"Amen" Living by Rachel Bouwkamp....24

To God Be the Glory by Laura TenHave-Chapman....28

Articles

Editorial: The Story Isn't Over by Joyce Borger....2

Ascension: To Do or Not to Do by Eric Dirksen and Rod Snaterse....10

For Pastors: The Eventful Spirit by Scott Hoezee....14

Q&A: Like a Multifaceted Diamond by John D. Witvliet....36

A Tribute to Chris Overvoorde by Emily R. Brink....38

Grace and Peace by Joel Jupp....40

Resources …

Faith, Force, And Fear: Factors That Influence Ancestral Worship Among Hindus, Santosh Kumar, Petr Cincala

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of Intercultural Discipleship: Learning From Global Approaches To Spiritual Formation, By W. Jay Moon, Daniel Matthew Duffis Gordon

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Atomization, Decentralization, And Sustainability: Prominent Trends On The Russian Protestant Church Scene, William Yoder

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"At least in Russia–and China–the age of euphoria prominent 30 years ago is gone. The church missions committed to short-term gains have left for greener pastures and the congregations remaining behind are now, more than ever, required to determine their own fates. Increasingly required to live from their own funding, church projects are becoming more sustainable. Huge building and educational projects are only a memory. This general and expected course of events can be attributed in part to short attention spans in the West; increased government pressure is only one of numerous factors."

Church Leadership: Examining The Role Of Non-Pastoral Leadership In A New Church Plant, Douglas Martin Beckman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s western Christianity, many small churches are closing their doors; hundreds of pastors are quitting the ministry. Churches are planted quickly, and just as quickly close and disappear. What can be done to bring a halt to this downhill slide? The great message of Jesus Christ is as important and powerful as it always has been. However, in many churches today, there are dissident elements working to take attention away from the gospel. Dissident non-pastoral leadership (a person or persons who undermine the Pastor’s authority and cause disruption for their own benefit) can destroy the entire vision of a …

'Converted Co-Ethnics': Romanian Migrants In The Northern Serbian Province Of Vojvodina, Aleksandra Djurić-Milovanović

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In this paper, my case study highlights Romanian neo-Protestant migrants from Serbia who either returned to their “home country,” or work on different missionary activities among their co-ethnics after the fall of communism. To a large degree, members of the Romanian minority in Serbia belong to the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is the dominant confession, then a smaller number to the Romanian Greek-Catholic church and various neo-Protestant communities, such as the Nazarene, the Adventist, the Baptist, and the Pentecostal community. Starting from the hypothesis that the conversion of the Romanians in Serbia to neo-Protestantism is closely related to issues of …

Intergenerational Formation As A Tool For Main Line Protestant Revitalization, Scott Crane

Doctor of Ministry

Generations X (“Gen X”), Y (“Millennial”), and Z (“iGen”) are not being formed in the faith by many mainline protestant congregations, such as the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Pacific Northwest, as evidenced by their absence. Practices of applied intentional intergenerational Christian formation are vital for being formed in and passing on the faith to subsequent generations. This can take place in worship, Christian education, spiritual formation activities and missional service.

Foundational for the author’s approach to the problem is how shifts in culture, theology, learning theories, and spiritual formation intersect with the cyclical pattern of generation theory, including related …

A New Rural Missiology: Bringing Hope To Forgotten People In Forgotten Places, Steve Swinburne

Doctor of Ministry

The social, economic, and religious landscape of rural America has changed. Rural America is experiencing brokenness and misplaced hope, yet rural churches are often ignored in terms of missional priority and resources by the Protestant church. However, the biblical story shows that God cares for rural people, and they have not been forgotten by him. A new rural missiology must be developed in order to do for rural ministry what Tim Keller and other urban theologians have done for city ministry in the 21st century. A new rural missiology will motivate Protestant churches to resource rural churches, dignify the call …