Digital Commons Network^™

A Culture Of Scarcity And A God Of Abundance: Leading A Church Into A Bigger, Better, More Beautiful Story, Jamie Mccallum

Doctor of Ministry

Christians live in the ever-present tension of two competing stories. The first is the story our culture promotes. It is one of scarcity. In this story, there is never enough money, resources, time, or love to go around. The other story is the one God tells in Scripture. It is a story of an abundant Creator who gives more than enough for life, love, purpose, and enjoyment in this world. This paper explores my journey in leading Belfair Community Church away from a mindset of scarcity and into a living theology of abundance. When we truly trust that God is …

The Development Of A Robust, Self-Sustaining Internal Coaching Network, Harry Fritzenschaft

Doctor of Ministry

The problem this dissertation addresses is, like most problems, complex, multilayered, and contextual. In essence, I inherited the Multiply Vineyard (MV) internal coaching network, which was in decline, demotivated, not performing well, and in drastic need of refurbishing. The contextual realities of MV’s drastically reduced budgets and pandemic virtual training imperatives compelled me to be more innovative and adaptive. This paper's thesis is the entire MV coaching network infrastructure needs to be renovated and restructured to support MV’s church planting mission.

Section 2 describes MV's alternatives, including continuing our current communications and operations approach and framework. Another proposed solution option …

Cultivating A Disciple-Centric Growth Culture In The International Church Of The Foursquare Gospel, Tammy Dunahoo

Doctor of Ministry

Jesus said to his followers, “Go, make disciples of all nations,” and, “I will build my Church.”1 Through fifty years of emphasis on church growth, it would seem these roles have been reversed with pastors more focused on building big churches than equipping “the saints for the work of the ministry.”2 It begs the question, “Do we use people to grow the church instead of the church to grow the people?”

This dissertation focuses on the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG) which has been affected by this mindset and now faces an aging ministerium and fewer potential young …

A Taste Of The Kingdom: Re-Imaging And Re-Articulating Kingdom Community, Jay J. Anderson

Doctor of Ministry

Modern churches find themselves in liminal cultures, requiring new understandings of ecclesia (re-imaging) and new approaches to communication (resigning). They also find themselves in the midst of a collapse of traditional community realities, including neighborhoods. The express intention of this researcher of lifetime PNW zip-codes is to encourage and inspire Pacific Northwest Jesus gatherings to reimage kingdom community. Each zip code contains unique cultural components, all of which need the life-giving inbreaking of the Kingdom of God. My contention is that when Jesus gatherings re-image kingdom community, freshly articulate ecclesiology, and appropriately flavor their communities with local terroir, each zip …

Invitational Vulnerability: Practices That Increase Communal Resiliency By Nurturing Belonging Across Difference, Jenn Rombeek Burnett

Doctor of Ministry

The mental health crisis, rising individualism, polarization and conflict aversion are key factors preventing Canadians from building the bonds necessary for individual and communal flourishing. Communal Christian resilience will be characterized by love across differences. Drawing on psychology and neuro-theology, this paper suggests communal practices of eating, play, service and prayer will contribute to reducing anxiety, moving responses from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic region of the brain. By activating neurogenesis and utilizing storytelling to encourage neuro-coupling, collaborative meaning-making can effectively build resilient communities.

The table facilitates exchange that encourages personal histories and cultural expressions to be shared. It provides …

Combating Ministry Burnout By Honoring Human Limitations, Dominic Abaria

Doctor of Ministry

The risk of burnout threatens anyone working in human-service vocations but presents an especially volatile risk for those in ministry. This threat is compounded by the confluence of technological advances, performance-based identities, and a frugality mentality prevalent within nonprofit organizations, including churches and parachurch organizations. Since the early 1980s, the three common elements of burnout have been observed and analyzed in the field of psychology: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. However, most approaches to treating burnout only seek to mitigate symptomology without treating the underlying cause.

This dissertation explores the development of a burnout culture in the United …

Íconos E Imágenes Sagrados, Gerardo Cruces Pérez

Artículos educación teológica

Íconos e imágenes sagrados

Re-Enchanting Adolescence: Using Story To Give A New Generation Fresh Hope, Susan Stratton

Doctor of Ministry

The repercussions of four distinct world shifts—the Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution—has produced a narcissistic culture that impedes Gen Z’s ability to cultivate a transcendent personal narrative that is open to authentic spiritual formation. This “immanent buffered self,” so prominent in western culture, is taking a toll on the spiritual lives of 21st-century individuals of every age. The devastation in Gen Z, the newest generation, has severe consequences for the health of Gen Z and also for the church. One in three young adults do not believe in a Divine Being, and those young adults who are in …

Changing The Story Of White Supremacy In The Church: Towards A Trauma-Informed Model Of Racial Reconciliation, Andrea Saccoccio

Doctor of Ministry

The lack of identifiable progress regarding racial reconciliation since the 1960s has become increasingly evident in the growing mainstream appeal of extremist views on race in the wake of the Obama administration and intense rise in racial tensions across the country. The seeming impotence of the church to effectively speak into this climate has sparked renewed conversation in how the church engages racial reconciliation, particularly in an approach that considers how white evangelicals can recognize themselves as key factors in both the problem and the solution. Additionally, there is a growing interest in the role that trauma plays in these …

From Spectator To Servant: Addressing The Heart Of The Christian For Service Within The Church Based Upon Ephesians 5:18-21 And Biblical Principles Of Servanthood, David Warren Di Raddo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the ninth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, verses thirty-six through thirty-eight, Jesus said to His disciples that the fields were ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. This dissertation project will address the question of why today, as in the days of Jesus, workers in the church continue to be few in number. Specifically, what factors have contributed to the majority of those who attend church becoming spectators rather than servants, and what will change the heart of the individual? This study will include three primary data collection methods comprised of a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire, a ten-question survey …

Pastoral Liturgy 51 (2) Complete Journal

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Religious "Covid Fundamentalism" In Eastern And Central Europe: Challenges And Lessons, Vita Tytarenko, Iryna Bogachevska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines specific religious and social challenges in the context of mass diseases that arose in the past and are present today during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explain the concepts that characterize the “new” reality of state-church interactions in the time of COVID-19. The authors consider the arguments of the followers of “Covid Fundamentalism.” An analysis of the reactions of different Christian confessions to the COVID-19 pandemic in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the Ukrainian segment and multiple religious trends, showed that the phenomenon of “COVID fundamentalism” did not become widespread. However, in every religious community some believers …

Bringing Millennials Back To Church, Katherine Noell Parrish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is focused on the millennial age group at Mechanicsville Baptist Church in Gordonsville, Virginia. The overall purpose of this study is to increase the attendance of the millennial age group at MBC. If the church gains a better understanding of the dropout problem, increases communication, and improves discipleship, then it should increase millennials at MBC by 20% over four weeks. There were several events planned, along with increased communication, in the hope of meeting this goal. Some of these events had to be modified or cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic limits for any gatherings in Virginia. The unforeseen …

From Recreational To Sacramental: Observing Past Entheogenic Practices And Considering Their Potential Application In The Future Of Christianity, Heath Hollensbe

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation aims to consider whether Jesus followers in North America could begin to adopt entheogens as items of sacramental worship.

Section One will describe the opportunity on the horizon for the institutional church in North America.

Section Two will focus on alternative readings of biblical texts and look at the basis of convictions about entheogenic use. By looking at the history of entheogens around the world, I attempt to show that entheogenic use is not a new trend to adopt, but part of religious history.

Additionally, I will present a proposed path forward on culture-wide adoption of entheogens.

Section …

Contextualizing And Defending The Gospel For Gen Z: A Chastened Rationalistic Approach To Christian Apologetics, Harry Edwards

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation seeks to provide a solution to the declining Evangelical influence in the United States, particularly among Generation Z. The rise in number of those who do not subscribe to a particular religion (“nones”) has doubled in the last five years even amidst a steady church attendance and participation in religious activities. The popular Evangelical evaluation of this problem includes the idea that the cause is a lack or an insufficient amount of theology taught and learned. The popular response has been to increase theological knowledge churches and other places of learning. I am proposing, however, given the post-modern …

A View Of The Future From The Broad Top: Reaching, Connecting, And Engaging With Zillennials In Rural Pennsylvania, Jared Fields

Doctor of Ministry

The church in the twenty-first century is not effectively reaching, connecting, or engaging with Zillennials. While Robertsdale Church of God’s1 lack of reaching, connecting, and engaging with the younger adults that comprise the Zillennials is not isolated, it in no way makes the problem less concerning. Many Zillennials live in the rural Broad Top area of Pennsylvania that have not been reached, connected, or engaged with any church. This paper will argue that the key to reaching, connecting, and engaging with these adults is a discipleship process using an EPIC framework focused on growing disciples of Jesus Christ.

The challenges …

Christian Leadership In An Age Of Identity Politics, Lloyd Wilkinson

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation is an attempt to understand New Zealand Christian leadership in a time of divisive identity politics. Using epistemological mapping, the first part of the research begins by considering the effect postmodernism had on the self-understanding of both western society and the wider church. It then considers the impact of neo-economics on traditional political divisions and the shift towards empowering minority social groups. As these changes unfolded, the New Zealand church experienced a dramatic decline, creating significant challenges for its leadership. Through interviews and reflection on leadership writing over the last fifty years, the research maps the change in …

A Consideration Of A High View Of God And Our Relationship With Work In A Charismatic Context, Andrea Lathrop

Doctor of Ministry

This research explores the connection between the theological truth that God is not a user and how charismatic Christian ministerial staff change the world without exhausting themselves. Burnout and experiences of being "used" in fast-paced charismatic ministry is a reality that needs addressing with theologically sound ways of working and resting. It is not suggested that God does not use us to change the world, but that God is not an exploiter. There is great work to do and, concurrently, God is interested in us for far more than what we can produce.

The first section describes the problem, suggests …

Conflict Resolution To Preserve Church Unity, Christina Mccully

Doctor of Ministry

God has called the church into unity that reflects the unity of the Triune God in the midst of a culture that is polarized and entertained by drama caused by conflict. Local churches are comprised of relationships, and conflict is a byproduct of relationship. Conflict can lead to divisiveness that causes disunity in the congregation, or it can be a spark that leads to relational growth that encourages unity. Pastors and ministry leaders can learn skills and conflict management strategies from businesses, marriage experts, and the life and ministry of Jesus and Paul. Workplace conflict teaches church leaders how crucial …

Domestic Broils: Shakers, Antebellum Marriage, And The Narratives Of Mary And Joseph Dyer, Elizabeth A. Dewolfe

History Faculty Books

In 1813, Joseph Dyer, his wife Mary, and their five children joined the Shaker community in Enfield, New Hampshire. Joseph quickly adapted to the Shaker way of life, but Mary chafed under its strictures and eventually left the community two years later. When the local elders and her husband refused to release the couple's children to Mary, she embarked on what would become a fifty-year campaign against the Shakers, beginning with the publication in 1818 of A Brief Statement of the Sufferings of Mary Dyer. The following year the Shakers countered by publishing Joseph's A Compendious Narrative, a …

The Integration Of Roman Catholic Traditions And Evidence-Based Psychological Services, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest, and most enduring continuous organization, secular or religious, of any kind in the world with a 2,000-plus-year history. It currently includes well over a billion people. Regardless of its size, scope, history, and impact, the Roman Catholic Church is often greatly misunderstood and people frequently maintain stereotypic and even discriminatory views about Catholics and their clerical leaders. The purpose of this article is to present the integration of the Roman Catholic tradition into psychological assessment and therapy and to provide several examples of this integration. The article highlights how this integration can be …

Sons Of Nehemiah: Raising The Level Of Leadership In Ten Pastor Revitalizers Of The Montgomery Baptist Association, Donald Neal Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are churches in America seeking vitality through the restorative and refreshing power of the Holy Spirit. The present term of renewal is called “church revitalization.” Each struggling congregation has or is securing a pastor revitalizer. The question many will ask is, “Are these holy shepherds high capacity leaders? Will they lead the church with a compelling vision, a devoted work ethic, a contagious passion, and a kingdom focus based on a community context?” The thesis project researches ten pastor revitalizers from Montgomery, Alabama. The researcher gives them the name Sons of Nehemiah to build rapport and accentuate Nehemiah’s biblical …

The Power Of A Personal Testimony Booklet: Increasing Gospel Witness In Everyday Life, Patrick Bram Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Evangelism is a key component of the Great Commission and a major responsibility for every Christ-Follower. The practice of personal evangelism, however, is frequently neglected by a majority of Christians. This project will initially examine the current state of personal evangelism in America and the scriptural expectation for all Christians to be frequent communicators of the gospel message. The ultimate purpose of this project is to demonstrate that a member of LivingStone Community Church can increase their Gospel witness in everyday life through the use of a written Personal Testimony Booklet. This pocket-sized booklet consists of two components. The first …

Eudaimonic Happiness As A Convergence Point For Religion And Medicine: The Ukrainian Context, Uliana Lushch-Purii

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper is aimed to present arguments for consideration of eudaimonic happiness as a convergence point between religion (Christian denominations) and medicine in the contemporary world in general and Ukraine in particular. Similarities between eudaimonic definition of happiness and traditional interpretation of happiness as a virtuous good life in historic Christianity are shown. The present tendency of modernized Christian denominations in Ukraine to elaborate a secular context of happiness concept is traced. Based on analysis of contemporary religious information resources and documents, it is shown that nowadays the majority of Christian denominations in Ukraine concur in considering happiness with others, …

Interrelation Of Religiousity And Physical Health Condition: Ukranian Case, Maksym Parashchevin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The role of religion for supporting of physical health is a popular and debatable topic. This topic can be considered from two sides – the impact of health condition on the acceptance of religious faith and the strength of its manifestation, and the possible impact of religious affiliation on the health. The analyses of the interrelation between religion and physical and mental health was made in many publications, but there was no such a publication as for Ukraine. We used here the data from the longitudal sociological survey, which shows that some indicators of health are worse among religious Ukrainians …

The Religious Aspect Of The Macedonian Society In The Condition Of The Crisis Caused By Covid 19, Gjoko Gjorgjevski, Ivan Blazhevski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has influenced all spheres of social life of the Republic of North Macedonia. Introduction of precautionary and restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus impacted on the religious life of citizens-believers. The attitudes of the religious communities towards these measures impacted the behavior of the believers, but also on the opinion and attitudes of the general public. In order to give a clear picture of the religious aspect of the Macedonian society, this paper is divided into two parts. The first part presents the action of the larger religious communities during conditions of the …

Pray And Vaccinate: Worship And Pastoral Care In Times Of Pandemic In Hungary, András Máté-Tóth

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The major churches in Hungary—Catholic, Calvinist and Lutheran—felt concerned about the Corona pandemic, especially about Sunday services. As in the spring wave, so in the autumn wave, the question of offline/online services was in the center of public communication. It has kerygmatic reasons—especially among Catholics—since, according to Vatican II, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the relationship with God. (Lumen Gentium 11.) Without Eucharistic celebration, congregations are "grace-poor" and priests, too, can feel deprived of their first-order mission and "service-poor." Similarly, Protestant pastors experience and exercise their priestly ministry primarily through Sunday worship, preaching, and the Lord's Prayer. …

Reflections On “To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self’: Zen Lessons On Ego And Leadership In Higher Education”, Jody Condit Fagan

Libraries

Stuart Lachs kindly wrote a response to my conference paper, “To study the self is to forget the self’: Zen lessons on ego and leadership in higher education” (Fagan, 2020), which led to a highly fruitful correspondence and an expansion on my thinking related to Zen, ego, and Zen practice in America today. Conversations with fellow practitioners and follow-up readings have also continued to shape my thinking. This response paper summarizes my reflections.

Doing Philosophy Comparatively In The Balkans, Nevad Kahteran

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.

Archaeology Of The International Space Station, Justin Walsh, Alice Gorman, Wendy Salmond

Art Faculty Data Sets

The explicit goal of the International Space Station Archaeological Project (ISSAP) is to provide an understanding of material culture as a key component of life in space, on par with the research by biomedical and psychological scholars that has been ongoing since the 1960s. We take as our inspiration a phrase first used in the National Academy of Sciences report Human Factors in Long-Duration Spaceflight, which described a crewed spacecraft as “a microsociety in a miniworld” (Lindsley 1972, 23). One of our primary methods is the cataloguing of people and elements of material culture (objects and built spaces) from photographs …