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Three Updates On Protestantism In Russia, William Yoder

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Bulugo Vine Story: Redemptive Analogy Case Study, John Holbrook

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"Shaw indicates that rather than contextualizing the missionary’s perception of Christianity to make it understandable within the local people’s culture, the missionary should facilitate the people themselves discovering God from within their own cultural context ... In my own mission experience, I have found this approach to be valid and preferable, once there are local believers, and as God begins to develop leaders from among them. At times, cultural dynamics or God’s preparation of an unreached people group allow them to discover God without a great deal of intervention on the missionary’s part. However, in the beginning stages, it is …

Reaching Thai Buddhists And Those With A Background In Thai Buddhist Beliefs, Warren A. Shipton, Jared Wright, Tonya Wright, Nilubon Srisai

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"One of the greatest challenges for those working across cultures is to understand the unique features of the host culture and the dominant religious beliefs and practices found in the society represented. If this is to be done acceptably, the written and spoken language must be mastered and personal friendships formed with community members. Much damage has been done by Western missionaries arriving with preconceived ideas on evangelism taken from their home country and with an attitude of being holders of superior knowledge in many areas of thought beyond that held by the host culture. Catholic missionary activity has been …

Cultural Based Discipling According To The Strategies Of Jesus, Jonathan Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many newly planted and existing churches in America have difficulty developing a discipleship culture. They focus on weekly worship gatherings and Bible Study classes. Gathering for worship and Bible Study is needed and right, but when this is the only activity, discipleship and a holistic healthy church culture is not occurring. Unfortunately, many churches engage in a consumer-driven culture with people unwilling to be in a sacrificial discipleship process for the Gospel’s sake. Jesus had four primary strategies for developing disciples. They are the gathered strategy, the small group strategy, the mentoring strategy and the sending strategy. Each is part …

A Study On The Influence Of Seasonal Feast Ministries On The Church Growth: The Case Of Seoul Shindo Church, In Hwan Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to suggest an alternative method for church growth based on the seasonal feast ministry. The Korean church experienced a quantitative revival unprecedented in the world. Recently, however, the reality is that many Korean churches lost their lively dynamics as they failed to strive to meet, and consequently their members gradually decreased. In this context, the researcher emphasizes the importance of feast ministries as an alternative method for church growth, based on the idea that feasts found in the Bible were days that gathered people. For this, the researcher will investigate feasts found in the …

Chapel Schedule 2017-2018, Taylor University

Chapel 2017-18

The chapel schedule for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Reaching Millennial Generations Ministry Leaders From Around The World Gather To Focus On Mission To Younger Generations, Samantha Angeles

Andrews Agenda: Campus News

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Transformation At Austin Christian Church, David Hooper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project was designed to meet a need at the Austin Christian Church (ACC) for enhancing the spiritual formation of new converts to Christianity by providing clear direction for mentors seeking to disciple others into the image of Christ. The scope of this project is focused directly on taking the first steps toward a deliberate pathway for spiritual formation by establishing the foundational principles. The apostle Paul’s pastoral theology provides the theological rationale for the project. Theosis, the theologically rich description of the Christian transformative process, also informs the theological foundation for the project. Drawing on the work of Richard …

A Return To Our Roots : Towards A Way Forward For Mennonite Church Planting, Christopher M.E. Scott

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Biblical Community : Moving From Multicultural Congregation To An Intimate Spiritual Family, Anand Varghese Abraham

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Missional Discipleship Initiative : Coaching Leaders To Develop A Discipling Culture Within Hispanic Congregations Of The Mennonite Church Usa, Marvin Lorenzana

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluating “Discovery Bible Study” In An Evangelism Program At African Christian College, Floyd Vidler

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this project emerges from my understanding of evangelism. For me evangelism must include proclamation, discipleship, a reliance on the Holy Spirit, and the utilization of small groups. I see DBS as accomplishing these goals, and the problem of this work was to demonstrate whether this is true in the context of African Christian College and the surrounding area.

I used a method called participatory action research. I made it my goal to learn all that I could about DBS and then share this material in a classroom setting with my students at ACC. We then participated …

Grammars Of Transformation: Saving Evangelical Cultural Engagement, William Watts

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Watts, William J. “Grammars of Transformation: Saving Evangelical Cultural Engagement.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2018. 137 pp.

Evangelical Christians have been struggling to offer a thorough and unified account of cultural engagement for the last several decades. H. Richard Niebuhr’s “Christ the Transformer of Culture” type has supplied evangelicals with the most influential rhetoric on the proper relationship of Christians and the church to the culture at large. However, this consensus is collapsing in the wake of new ways of speaking of cultural engagement that largely downplay or altogether avoid the language of transformation. The emergence of these new ways …

A New Church Model : Inviting And Including People With Or Affected By Mental Health Conditions, Robyn Kay Bradley Bishop

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Alive Inside Out : Challenges And Patterns Of Spiritual Formation Of Christian Professionals In A Creative Access Context, Matthew Gh Koh

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Anglican Church Planting Essentials For The 21st Century : A Study In Acts 2, Anglicanism, And British Missionary History, Kris Mcdaniel

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Rebooting Your Walk With Jesus : The Rediscovery Of A Young Indian International Migrant As A Christ-Follower, Jacob Mathew

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Practice Of A Spiritual Formation Program To Strengthen Christian Maturity In Sri Lankan House Church Leaders, Lohan C.A. Bibile

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Transitioning To Multi-Site : A Model For Transitioning Wesley United Methodist Church To A Multi-Site Church, Adam Seth Hilderbrandt

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Best Practices Of Church Planting : A Case Study Of Ecwa And Other Churches In The West Coast Region Of The Gambia, Lawrence Borbor Jah

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developing A Strategic Model For Deacons As Servant Leaders Within New Church Plants, Christopher Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The office of deacon is vital within the local church and often varies from one congregation to another. There are many misconceptions concerning the role and responsibilities of deacons. The Bible clearly defines deacons as those who function as servant leaders. The purpose of this project is to address the biblical, theoretical, practical and personal observations that will assist new church plants in equipping potential candidates for the office of deacon, as servant leaders. The project will address vital areas of deacon ministry that will include; discovering the history of deacon ministry, the biblical qualifications for a deacon, the relationship …

From Orphan To Child Of God: Pentecostal Theologizing As A Channel Of Social Transformation In Mozambique, Jeremy Bone, Samuel Lee

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Heidi and Rolland Baker, founders of Mozambican-based Iris Global, have been influential in developing a distinctively pentecostal framework for holistic mission. While evangelism and social work are now widely seen as integrated processes, pentecostalism demands attention also to the supernatural. This paper posits that the theological convictions of the Bakers have served as a launching pad for their holistic care of orphans in Mozambique. Because pentecostal movements are rooted in experience, pneumatic theologizing presupposes praxis. This paper will initially examine three theological impulses at the core of Iris Global: pentecostalism, revivalism, and incarnational love. These theological impulses are then weaved …

God’S Beautiful Mission: Missional Church And Leadership In The Light Of Theological Aesthetics, M. Scott Boren

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project seeks to ascertain how pastoral leaders who have been trained in missional theology have led in a way that has been influenced by theological aesthetics. The view of missional leadership here is built upon a re-imagination of missio Dei and missional church that is informed by theological aesthetics. This theology of beauty is based upon the work of Gregory A. Boyd, Jonathan Edwards, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This proposal seeks to advance the views of the missional church rooted in the work of Lesslie Newbigin and advanced by Craig Van Gelder, Alan Roxburgh, and Pat …

A Message From Antioch And Moravia To The West, Barry Hudspeth

Masters Theses

This qualitative thesis study, “A Message From Antioch and Moravia to the West,” explores the North American Church’s role in the global missions arena and seeks to develop a streamlined strategy for engaging in cross-cultural evangelism in the twenty-first century. A qualitative case study of the first-century Christian church and Moravian church of the eighteenth century provides data on actions conducted to spread Christianity from a central geographical location outward to the known world in their respective eras of Christian history. These two case study analyses looked at how the Gospel was spread during each point in history followed by …

House Church: Planting Seventh-Day Adventist House Churches Among Rwandese Refugees In Columbus Ohio, Kwesi Gyimah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traditional Church attendance is declining among the Rwandese Seventh-day Adventists refugees living in Columbus Ohio. Many of the Rwandese families reside in the same apartment complex carpooling with the few that drive to work and church services where possible. This project is in response to the unique opportunity of the proximity of these families to each other. The goal is to train leaders and plant Seventh-day Adventist house churches in the homes of some of these families so that they may walk to a neighbor's house for worship and fellowship. This project surveyed twenty-five Rwandese refugee adults living on the …

An Examination Of Children’S Ministry Volunteer Development From Pastors And Laity In The Local Church, Kenneth Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Developing children’s ministry volunteers in the local church is crucial to the sustenance of the body of Christ. Children’s ministry volunteers should be viewed as capable partners with both parents and church leaders in fulfilling the Great Commission. All volunteer ministries of the church matter, but those serving in children’s ministry have the unique opportunity to shape the lives of individuals who could serve the kingdom for a lifetime. Children’s ministry volunteer development is valuable because kingdom advancement hinges on lay ministry development as described in Ephesians 4:11–16. For this project, the researcher surveyed children’s ministry volunteers and pastors in …

Mobilizing Habesha Immigrant Churches In Greater Boston : Training Servant Leaders For Transformation And Growth, Mulualem Kaba

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Deacons, The Biblical System Of Church Leadership?, Michael Harbuck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will examine the deacon-led model of church leadership that is employed in many churches today, in order to ascertain whether this model of leadership is consistent with both the New Testament and the witness of the early church. With more than 3,700 churches failing yearly, it is imperative that churches be organized and led in a biblical manner so that they might be positioned for ministry successes in their local contexts. Without a biblical framework and reference for polity, it is highly unlikely that the church will yield results of any lasting nature. This analysis will be done …

Church Planting In The Anglican Tradition : Developing A Church Planting Strategy For The Anglican Diocese Of The South, Dan Alger

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Seven Key Steps In Planning And Implementing A Successful Church Merger, Andrew Pietrylo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The hypothesis of this project is that merging of two churches is a viable option for some congregations who are seeking to advance the kingdom of Christ. However, an analysis of obtainable literature reveals that there is little material available to assist churches that are interested in such a pursuit. This project will provide churches with an effective process of determining, implementing and maintaining a successful church merger. Utilizing information from Scripture, current trends, advice from church growth experts, observations of actual church mergers, and a post-merger survey, this project will develop practical steps to navigate churches through a successful …