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Rejuvenating Ministry Engagement: Developing Small Spiritual Formation Groups For Young People At Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Speker Antoine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This doctoral research project addresses the need for enhanced youth engagement within the Salem Seventh-day Adventist Church. The study aims to identify and implement strategies to foster participation and commitment among youth members. Key goals include assessing current engagement levels, identifying barriers to participation, exploring preferred formats for involvement, and evaluating church leadership's role in youth engagement.

A multi-method approach was used, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data collection involved a Likert Questionnaire to gauge youth engagement levels, pilot testing to refine the questionnaire, and focus group discussions for in-depth insights. Quantitative data identified trends and patterns, while thematic …

Expository Based Discipleship Plan For Freed Youth Ministry Of Riverdale Baptist Church, Kshitiz Sharma Ghimire

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this DMIN action research project was to develop an expository-based discipleship plan that implements expository preaching and uses it to empower the discipleship of youths through small groups and parental involvement. The objective was to see spiritual maturity in the teenager through expository preaching and discipleship as proposed by the expository-based discipleship plan. The expository preaching plan sought cooperation from the youth, leaders, and parents to see how expository preaching and effective discipleship can help students grow spiritually so that they stay at church after they graduate from youth group. All the middle schoolers and high schoolers …

An Organizational Approach For Teaching, Coaching And Empowering Displaced People, Tiffani J. Holloway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This document will describe the issue of homelessness, the needs of the homeless/ displaced people, and how those needs can be addressed by creating a program. The purpose of the Transformational Home Empowerment Services for Everyone (THESE) program is to provide valuable resources to displaced individuals living within a shelter or transitional housing. The leader of this program used transformational and servant leadership skills, which will be described in the text. This program's vision, objectives, outputs, and outcomes will be listed. Details about the collaborating organization, Alice’s Home of Hope shelter, and information about the organization’s leadership and program participants …

Children Evangelism In The Kingdom Cathedral Reaching Children Ages Five To Ten Years Of Age, Gayle Vernice Sampson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Former President George W Bush initiated the “No Child Left Behind Act” in 2001 aimed at improving schools and the child’s ability to learn. The phrase coined by the former president is still relevant today. The writer believes this phrase can be initiated in this research because no child or children should be left behind in any instance, especially in the Kingdom of God. According to Mark 10:13–14, King James Version: “And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, …

Developing An Evangelistic Training Class For Revitalization Of Outward Evangelism At Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church In Ringgold, Virginia, Anthony R. Pass

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis research project asserts that evangelizing the unchurched is essential to being an effective disciple of the Lord’s kingdom. Mt. Zion’s participants must have a heart for sharing the gospel with people outside of their church environment, and evangelizing those in their local community is a great start. Mt. Zion’s evangelism focus has slipped into the background of everything else, and the researcher created an evangelistic training class (ETC) to teach willing participants at Mt. Zion electric shock evangelism to shock their hearts into the rhythm of sharing the gospel. This spiritually healthy regiment will benefit those who witness …

A Proposal For A Biblical School Of Thought On The Value Of Aggressive Disordered Behavior And Why It Exists, James Samuel Doyle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Disordered behavior, within this research, is defined as rigid or inflexible behavior deemed destructive toward self and/or others. Examined further, predatorial disordered behavior describes and is defined as behavior benefiting the actor at the expense of others, even when the benefit is small and may only serve to enhance the ego of the predator. Nonetheless, the cost to the recipient of this behavior is generally severe manifesting itself in many maladaptive ways including without limitation a lack of self-worth, a need to control, and the presence of chronic anger or strong emotional reaction to perceived injustices. Due to a mask …

Finding The Sacred In The Profane: The Mardi Gras In Basile, Louisiana, Luc Guglielmi

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

In Basile, a small community in Southwest Louisiana, there would not be any Mardi Gras without Ash Wednesday and vice-versa. Most of the people in Basile speak of Ash Wednesday when defining the Mardi Gras as there is a reciprocal spiritual relationship between Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. The people from Basile, therefore, in giving equal spiritual value to these two feasts, assign a liturgical value to Mardi Gras because they need, and will admit this freely, to have a good Mardi Gras in order to enter into the sacred season of Lent.

Mardi Gras performs a function that is …

The Role Of Islam In The Prevention Of Suicide: An Analytical Study Of The Reasons Behind Suicide Prevention In Islam, Hamza Hammad

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objectives: The purpose of this research is to extrapolate and analyze the causes leading to suicide prevention in the Islamic religion, by deducing the relationship between the level of Islamic religiosity and mental health, specifically suicide, then extrapolating the factors or components that lead to suicide prevention in the Islamic religion, as well as analyzing the Islamic faith’s position on Suicide, then inferring the effect of belief in fate and destiny on psychological security and in reducing suicide. Methods: This study follows the inductive and analytical approach, based on extrapolating studies and statistics about suicide rates in the world as …

Gathered Fragments Vol. Xxxiv

Gathered Fragments

Full Winter 2024 issue of Gathered Fragments (Vol. XXXIV).

Mount Holly Administrative Council Minutes 2020-24, Mount Holly United Methodist Church, Rock Hill

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Brief Of Amici Curiae Manhattan Institute And Notre Dame Education Law Project In Support Of Plaintiffs-Appellants And Reversal, Nicole Stelle Garnett, Ilya Shapiro, Tim Rosenberger

Court Briefs

CASE NO. 24-4291
John Woolard v. John Thurmond

On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Case No. 2:23-CV-02305-JAM-JDP

From the Summary of Argument

As part of California’s diverse array of education options, homeschooling parents may choose to enroll their children in independent-study charter schools, which work with parents to develop custom curriculum for their children’s unique educational needs. The plaintiffs did just that here and enrolled their children in Blue Ridge Academy and Visions in Education, both independent-study charter schools. Unfortunately, not all parents are able to avail themselves of this opportunity because …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Spiritual Practices Of Simplicity Among Emerging Adults, Falon Opsahl Barton

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This article explores how emerging adults (18 to 29‐year‐olds) integrate pro‐environmental behaviors and spiritual practices of simplicity. First, this article synthesizes the research on emerging adulthood, including what it is, how they experience and express their spirituality, and their emotional and practical behaviors in response to the climate crisis. Then, this article explores how a small sample of Western Protestant emerging adults practice pro‐environmental simplicity in their daily lives. As a result of integrating spiritual practices that focus on simplicity and pro‐environmental behaviors into their spiritual expressions, emerging adults experience profound spiritual formation and a meaningful way of participating in …

Spirituality Of Emerging Adulthood, Falon Opsahl Barton

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This article synthesizes the research on emerging adulthood. After defining the term, this work explores the causes of this phenomenon, the demographic that constitutes it, and how those in this phase of life experience and express their spirituality. Among the significant issues for this demographic are their emotional and practical behaviors in response to the climate crisis.

History Of Latta United Methodist Church, Latta United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Indian Field Church Council Minutes 2022-24, Indian Field United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Jerusalem Santee Church Council Minutes 2016-24, Jerusalem United Methodist Church, Santee

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

A History Of Kings Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church, 1864-1999, Kings Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Latta Church Council Minutes 2005-2010, Latta United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Leesville Administrative Board Minutes 1987-1999, Leesville United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Latta Church Council Minutes 2011-2024, Latta United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Leesville Church Council Minutes 2013-2024, Leesville United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Coaching America's Youngest College Football Team: My Plan, Trent Figg

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

“From the start, I’ve made it clear that being a champion isn’t just about football. The time a young man spends playing college football is some of the most formative in a young man’s life, and I refuse to let that time be wasted focusing solely on the game. I’m committed to shaping their character and preparing them to win on the field and in their future roles as husbands, fathers, leaders, and men of faith.”
~ Trent Figg in an op-ed for The Christian Post

Moral Injury In Military Corrections, Jeremy Ryder Meyers

Masters Theses

Over the past thirty years moral injury has been a topic of concern regarding the behavioral and spiritual health of military members. Part of that work has given a voice to Vietnam veterans and the events they faced while in combat. Some of these events were acts of betrayal at the hands of another military member or their own. This act led to an injury to their moral code. Military chaplains may have morally injured soldiers in need of pastoral care as they serve. This includes soldiers working the military prisons like the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth. …

The Shared Experiences Of The Effectiveness Of Christian Mindfulness Meditation For Adult Evangelical Christians In Florida Experiencing Ptsd Symptomatology, Loraine Yvonne Pennant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mindfulness meditation, though secular in origin, is a distinct Christian principle found in the Bible and are practices that Christians in general subconsciously subscribe to especially in times of traumatic stress. When adapted to reflect Christian principles, this practice should retain the basic concepts of mindfulness meditation while safeguarding the integrity of the biblical tenet. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the shared experiences of the effectiveness of Christian mindfulness meditation of adult evangelical Christians in Florida suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder symptomology. A gap in literature exploring the topics of Christian rumination (meditation) and …

When Obedience Becomes A Sacrifice: Creating And Sustaining Resilient Leaders, Janet G. Wooten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis, “When Obedience Becomes a Sacrifice,” discusses the role of sacrifice in obeying God's call to lead. The lay leaders of Call to Conquer Ministries do not seem to understand this role, leading to ministry challenges. This research aims to provide a deeper understanding of the role of sacrifice in leadership and how to maintain resiliency during difficult times. Potential leaders answer God’s call to lead, believing that “obedience is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22a). However, there is a lack of full clarity concerning the sacrifices made because of their obedience. The question to be addressed is “What …

Developing A Biblical Worldview: Equipping African American Leaders With The Tools Needed To Combat The Reemergence Of Syncretism Within The African American Church, William Taft Wallace Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historically, African Americans have grappled with questions of identity, a struggle initially precipitated by the diaspora. Over time, this ongoing struggle has led many to seek answers from various sources, each of which has influenced and shaped their worldview. In response to this ongoing identity crisis, the African American church has traditionally served as a stabilizing force, emphasizing that identity is rooted in the image of God, as affirmed by the Bible. However, today’s African American church faces significant insider threats from other African American-based groups that promote counter-biblical and anti-Christian narratives regarding identity. These threats have infiltrated the church, …

Providing A Paradigm Of Pastoral Care For The Marginalized Through Jesus Centered Eyes At Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church, Dawn E. Pratt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project outlines a paradigm of pastoral care for the marginalized through Jesus-centered eyes. Enhancing resources and implementing pastoral care within Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church (CCF) will establish a Jesus-centered pastoral care center while developing a more profound theological paradigm to identify and implement strategies to enhance pastoral care in marginalized communities. CCF's pastoral theological approach to empathy requires that many layers of different circumstances be inquired about while keeping close to the subject or individual in need. CCF is the vehicle that has established a transformational view through the eyes of Jesus at the center. A solid literature review …

A Biblically Faithful Participation In The Lord’S Supper Following The Model Of Justin Martyr, Joshua Michael Wallnofer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research thesis project examines a historical, biblical approach to the Lord’s Supper, focusing on chapters 65-67 of the First Apology of the second-century church father, Justin Martyr. The research investigated five themes emphasized by Justin. These crucial subjects include defining those who are the rightful participants in the Lord’s Supper, what spiritual nourishment is found at the communion table, the importance of the regular receiving of the Lord’s Table, the communal nature of the communion meal, and how the church can provide ministry to those absent from worship with the ordinance. The project implemented a six-week small group …

Worship In Life, Worship In Death: Elements Of Worship In A Believer’S Final Days, James William Lawrence

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In Isaiah 43:21 (English Standard Version), God declares through his prophet that he created humankind for himself, for them to declare his praises. God created humanity to worship. In the last phase of a believer's life, there is a possibility of not being able to join the rest of the church in corporate worship. This text addresses the question: How does assisting shut-in Protestant Christians with end-of-life worship impact the patient, family, and the concept of dying well? Pastors, chaplains, and ministers from many walks of life have recorded and underlined the importance of worshipful pastoral care in the latter …

Good Samaritans: Applications Of Social Christianity By Southern Baptists During The Early Twentieth Century, Alyson Marie Fagan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the early twentieth century, the Social Gospel movement sought to spur Christians to serve their neighbors through social and political reform, often through ecumenical groups. However, Southern Baptists remained distant from this movement because they were weary of the liberal Christianity expressed by Social Gospel leaders that appeared to replace the power of the Gospel with acts of service. Instead, the Southern Baptist Convention formally addressed social reforms and civic engagement by creating the Social Service Commission and Committee on Civic Righteousness. These groups expressed the need to reform the home and advocated civic engagement while remaining true to …