Digital Commons Network^™

Encouraging Intergenerational Faith Transmission And Spiritual Growth In Home And Church: Reconnecting Youth And Older Generations Through Family Systems Concepts At The Adelaide Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Bahamas, Larry L. Green

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This Doctor of Ministry (DMin) project addresses a pressing issue within the church context of the Adelaide Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Bahamas. We first observed sporadic attendance of our youth (Gen Z and Millennials) and their lack of identity with the church. Wider observation revealed weak relationships among the various generations within our church as well as in our homes. This absence of relatedness across generations potentially hinders some from embracing the community’s faith and growing spiritually.

Method

This study aimed to understand and address the nuanced factors contributing to this generational disconnection through the intervention of an …

Intergenerational Mentorship Model For Membership Revitalization And Involvement At The Guelph Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Aundrea A. Thompson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Guelph Seventh-day Adventist Church faced challenges characterized by low spiritual vitality and a generational divide. These factors jeopardized the spiritual well-being of some members, leading to a decline in church engagement.

Method

Recognizing the urgency of revitalization, the study explored the impact of a seven-week intergenerational mentorship model on participants’ spiritual health and church involvement. Employing a Participatory Action Research approach led by the pastor-researcher in collaboration with the church board, the study utilized Lifeway’s Spiritual Growth Assessment and Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests by Melissa Kruger (2020) to guide the development and …

History, Theology, And Implementation Of A Volunteer Lay Pastor Ministry In The Territory Of The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists, José Cortés Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This study examines the strategic necessity and implementation of a Divisionwide Volunteer Lay Pastor Ministry (VLPM) within the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA Church). The NAD oversees the church’s work in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Guam, and Micronesia, serving over 1.2 million members across 6,300 congregations. Despite its strong presence, the NAD faces challenges reaching a diverse population of approximately 370 million. With 69 percent of its congregations either plateauing or declining, the church is at a critical point that requires proactive measures to maintain its mission.

Method

Our study begins with an …

Cross-Denominational Dialogue: Sola Scriptura In Setting The Table For Charitable And Faithful Christian Discourse, Ciprian Mihai Manea

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In this project, the problem centers around cross-denominational dialogue. The contemporary Christian theological landscape is highly complex and varied. Theologians engage with different theories of knowledge, authority sources, and theological methods, resulting in diverse perspectives that conflict with each other and with Adventist Christian convictions. The differing rational structures of these perspectives require committed effort to understand and communicate effectively. Best practice cross-denominational dialogue involving the theologically informed must account for these differences and provide a context that can facilitate faithful and charitable discourse. Such a context would not only ease the tensions among different Christian traditions but would …

A Strategy To Equip Selected Members Of The Gaeta Church To Build Bridges With Immigrants To Draw Them Toward The Fellowship Of The Congregation, Rebecca Kessewa Gaisie

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Due to the outbreak of a civil war in Libya in 2011, Italy has been experiencing a great influx of immigrants. Many are scattered throughout Italy, including Gaeta. A majority of the Italian members of Gaeta Church do not understand and engage in the call of God to bring all people into the fellowship of the church. This causes a lack of interest in building bridges to reach immigrants.

Method

The task of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a strategy to equip some members of Gaeta church to build bridges with immigrants to draw them toward …

Spiritual Care For Staff During Trauma And Acute Stress At Adventist Healthcare, Sydney: An Ethnographic Study, Stenoy Stephenson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Health Care is evolving from an exclusive concentration on the physical dimension of illness to a more holistic model which considers the psychosocial and the spiritual. There seems to be a growing need for the spiritual care of the staff who have experienced trauma and acute stress. Although the need for spiritual care in health care services has been largely advocated, there is arguably a lack of attention to the spiritual care needs of staff dealing with traumatic situations and acute stress. The task of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate spiritual care intervention with staff who …

Seminario Sobre Conceptos Básicos De Capellanía Policial Para Pastores Adventistas En Fresno, California, José Antonio Pagán

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There is a high demand for chaplains in the Fresno Police Department who can support police officers in addressing city crises. Most Adventist pastors in Fresno do not have the basic knowledge of police chaplaincy nor do they have the certification to practice in this specialized ministry. The latest study published by the California Department of Justice (2023) on the wave of violence in California shows that in 2022, 2,206 homicides were reported, of which 60 were reported by the Fresno Police Department (2023) which required the intervention of trained chaplains to care for the survivors of each victim. …

Self-Care Through Clinical Pastoral Education For Emotional Healing Of Pastoral Staff In The United States: A Case Study For Exploring Relationships, Roberto Vizcaino

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

I have observed that many pastors are suffering from problems experienced in the past and in the present. The problems are both personal (e.g., lack of self-care and depression) and national (e.g., lack of support for social recovery from hurricanes and other natural and socioeconomic catastrophes). Some of the problems experienced by these pastors are because they have not had the opportunity to identify the traumas they experienced in their lives and that still affect them now. In addition, many of them do not have a place where they can share their problems with their colleagues, be heard, supported, …

To Assimilate And Nurture Newly Baptized Members In The 9 Mile Seventh-Day Adventist Church Through An Intergenerational Approach, John Gunua Nebare

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The 9 Mile Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the biggest churches in the city Port Moresby. It has been discovered that many young people and some adults who were baptized into the 9 Mile SDA Church in the last ten years no longer attend church. According to overall General Conference statistics, 9 Mile SDA Church’s local conference has been losing members over the last ten years.

Method

The research was conducted using the established research protocols. Three types of research were conducted: focus groups involving both active and non-active members; a major research survey of one hundred people …

Developing And Implementing An Evangelistic Vision: A Study Of Four Different Cohorts In The Birmingham, Alabama Area, Albert Eugene Frazier

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist church is based on principles of Holy Spirit-inspired vision and execution, established on the example of Jesus who directly implemented spiritual graces in ministry. Within Birmingham First Seventh-day Adventist church, pastoral observation revealed a disconnect in developing and implementing vision and the spiritual graces to achieve evangelistic activity within church leadership and laity. This divide has resulted in a decrease in effective evangelism.

Method

A program focusing on vision development/implementation and teaching/implementation of the spiritual graces was developed utilizing a combination of presentations and practical applications. The project lasted from May 2022 through …

Strong Bonds : A Three-Day Retreat For Military Couples, Donald T. Bridges

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

New Church, New Leaders? : How Do We Select The People Who Plant New Churches In The Future?, David Richards

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Pauline Echoes In The Preaching And Activism Of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice Through An Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (Eeh), Eric J. Freeman

Dissertations

Pauline Echoes in the Preaching and Activism of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice through an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic examines how Grimké’s sermons and public discourse, rooted in the proclaimed and embodied gospel of Jesus Christ and resonant with the Apostle Paul’s hermeneutic and pastoral heart, addressed social injustices—particularly ethnic prejudice—through a distinct, socially conscious homiletic. This research defines Grimké’s unique homiletic as an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (EEH), a term coined here to convey the gospel-embodied, contextually aware nature of his ministry. Framed within the practical theology of homiletics, this study illustrates how Grimké’s EEH incorporated textual and thematic …

Exploring The Leadership Competence Strategies And Assessment Procedures In Southern Baptist Churches In A Small County In The Southeastern United States: A Qualitative Research Case Study, Coleman F. Smoak Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the strategies of Southern Baptist churches which contribute to the competence of their lay leadership. It examines the procedures for evaluating lay leaders’ knowledge of church doctrine and goals, as well as their motivation for pursuit of successful ministry. The research assessed Southern Baptist churches in a small county in the Southeastern United States through a qualitative case study with the primary research instrument being one-on-one, semi-structured interviews of church staff. The researcher sought an understanding of these churches’ practices to ensure that lay leaders are equipped for their ministry positions with regard to their leadership approaches, …

The Hispanics: The Legacy From The Past And The Claim On The Future, Roberto Escamilla

The Asbury Journal

This article is a transcript from a chapel given at Asbury Theological Seminary on April 28, 1981 in Estes Chapel as part of the Freitas lecture series on Ministry Among the Hispanic People. This was one of the earliest lecture series devoted to the potential future of Hispanic ministry in the United States, and Escamilla lays out in a brief and engaging way, both the history and the potential influence of the Hispanic community on the culture and faith of the United States. Such an insightful review of the situation of Hispanic ministry from over 40 years ago, allows for …

From The Archives: E. Stanley Jones- The Christ Of The Andean Road?, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Interview With Luis Castellví Laukamp, Jonathan O. Chua

Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia

No abstract provided.

The Power Of The Story, Rogelio Paquini

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

When most people ignore the story of Scripture, there needs to be a different approach to reach them for Jesus regarding knowledge of the biblical narrative. The evangelistic system to reach this generation needs to change. The Next BIG Thing in youth ministry is returning to the power of storytelling. To reach this generation it is imperative to practice storytelling, especially the story of the Bible. Our identity as Seventh-day Adventists depends on the strength of our story in connection with prophetic and historical narratives. We get to tell a story of hope, not of disappointment; a story of cooperation …

180° Symposium 2024 Focus Group—Academicians, Rogelio Paquini, Scott R. Ward, Kristina Freed

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

180° Symposium 2024 Focus Group—Administrators, Tracy Wood, Lyle Notice, Ron Whitehead, Stephen Yeagley

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Source Valuation In Graeco-Roman Historiography And Biography, Christopher R. Alfred

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Peace In Romans : Postcolonial Intertextuality And The Double-Voiced Discourse Of Scripture And Roman Imperialism, Dain Alexander Smith

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

We Preach : Preaching Beyond The Local Church, Scott Grigonis

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Are The Islamists Still Relevant? An In-Depth Study Of The Ideology And Methodology Of The Phenomenon, Soofya Wajih

SSLA Culminating Experience

Political Islam or Islamism was a rising ideology during the latter half of the 20^th century. 9/11 lent a fatal blow to Islamism and damaged the reputation of the Islamists, resulting in the global war on terror enacted by the US. US-funded military dictatorships repressed Islamists as an extension of the policy in most of the Arab world for most of the first decade of 2000. The Arab Uprisings of 2011 brought the dictators to their knees and Islamists rose with popular support again with Ennahda of Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt gaining electoral victories. The next …

Healing Prayer, L. Ann Hamel

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

A major theme of both the Old and New Testaments is that of healing and restoration. The Old Testament teaches that it is God who heals (Deut 32:39; Exod 15:26), while the New Testament presents Jesus’ ministry as one of healing and restoration (Luke 4:18-19). Healing was clearly a major theme in Christ’s earthly ministry with biblical scholars reporting that approximately one fifth of gospel texts relate stories of Christ’s healing miracles. The Bible teaches that not only did Jesus heal but he gave his disciples the power and authority to heal in his name, thus empowering the church to …

Ecclesiological Meaning In Jesus’ Sabbath Healings, Sven Östring

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ was the full incarnation of his divine identity and mission. However, certain events and situations became windows that allowed his relationship with his Father and his divine mission to be revealed with clarity to those around him. In particular, Jesus saw in the Sabbath a unique and regular opportunity to reveal both his identity and his mission. Likewise, his opponents understood, with almost surprising accuracy and clarity, what he was communicating about himself from his religiously non-conforming actions on Sabbath. However, this was not just a minor ethical scuffle between a well-studied …

Implementing Timothy Keller’S Center Church Principles: Transforming Your Church Into A Center Of Influence, Danie Potgieter

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

In contemporary religious discourse, the concept of a church transcending its traditional role as a mere congregation to become a dynamic center of influence within its community has gained significant traction. This paradigm shift, often fueled by a desire to engage with societal issues and impact lives beyond the church walls, finds resonance in Timothy Keller’s Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. Grounded in theological depth and practical wisdom, Keller presents a compelling framework for transforming churches into vibrant hubs of influence capable of effecting meaningful change in the world around them.

Biblical And Theological Principles For Ministry To The Deaf And Other Isolated Groups, Joseph Jacobson

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Deaf people are one of the largest unreached groups in the world (Lowenstein 2019, para. 2). To reach this group with the gospel, it is vital to build a solid biblical foundation for ministry to deaf individuals. The knowledge of God and the importance of faith, hope, and trust in God are often limited among deaf communities despite technological advancements (Broesterhuizen 2005:307). It is essential to show the different groups of deaf communities scattered around the world that Jesus loves them and that “the Bible is at heart a text that is positive for all marginalized people, whether poor, or …

Is There A Future For The Missiological Study Of Worldview? Part 2, Paulo C. Oliveira

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

In Part 1 of this article, I revisited the foundational intellectual roots of the missiological worldview construct, described the concept, and presented an argument advocating for additional critical engagement in mission circles. In Part 2, the focus will be on probing the anthropological shift moving away from worldview studies, exploring some implications of this shift for missiology, and, finally, addressing—more directly—the question of the future of missiological worldview studies.

Spiritual And Theological Foundations For Ministry Among Secret Followers Of Christ, Shari Colins

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article provides a spiritual and theological foundation for mentoring and discipling young women who are secret followers of Christ in a restricted access country. The objective of this article is to encourage effective mentoring and discipling that can contribute to shaping an individual’s spiritual growth in Christ. By nurturing these relationships, I seek to establish a supportive community that empowers young women in their spiritual journeys.