Digital Commons Network^™

Direct And Mediating Relationships Between Divine Grace, Legalism, And Mental Health, Branwyn H. Mccormick

Senior Honors Theses

Positive psychology has popularized the integration of religious ideas into psychological treatment. According to the literature, the experience of divine grace is correlated with favorable mental health outcomes, whereas legalistic attitudes are correlated with adverse mental health outcomes. It has also been found that the experience of divine grace is a mediator between legalism and mental health. However, the constructs of divine grace and legalism have both been relatively unexplored aside from a few studies using Latter-day Saints (LDS) populations. The current study seeks to analyze relationships between divine grace, legalism, and mental health using a conservative evangelical Christian population. …

Book Review: De-Sizing The Church: How Church Growth Became A Science, Then An Obsession, And What’S Next By Karl Vaters, H. L. Scooter Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Building Unity Between Coeur D’Alene Bible Church And Summit Christian Academy Communities Through Leadership Engagement Groups, Nathan T. Duncan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Western church must model unity to its congregation and the local community as part of the battle against the growing cultural focus on individualism. The purpose of this action research project was to develop and build unity between Coeur d'Alene Bible Church (CBC) and Summit Christian Academy (SCA) by utilizing Leadership Engagement Groups (LEGs). LEGs consisted of individuals from the leadership team of each ministry, five from CBC and four from SCA. They met for five weeks to pray, examine biblical unity, and discuss how they can practically assist the other ministry in their ministry goals. Questionnaires, which measured …

A Comparison Of Two Worship Education Programs And The Relative Effectiveness Of Preparing Worship Leaders For The 21st Century Evangelical Church, John Dawson Kinchen Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines and compares the worship leadership programs at Liberty University and Union University, focusing on their curriculum design, development, and effectiveness in preparing worship leaders for the 21st-century modern evangelical church. Utilizing a multiple-case study methodology, the research traces the historical development of these programs, evaluates their curricular frameworks, and analyzes their alignment with the standards set by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The study identifies shared core learning competencies, including music theory, conducting, ensemble participation, and theological understanding, while highlighting unique strengths in each program's approach.

Liberty University’s curriculum emphasizes contemporary worship practices, integrating …

Poured Out On Your Sons And Daughters: Pneumatologically Shaped Pedagogical Practices For Engaging Children In Congregational Worship, Angela Perigo, Jeremy Perigo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

From young children to elders in the community, the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence is indiscriminate of age, ability, gender, culture, or status. Many communities continue to wrestle with the pastoral and practical implications of welcoming children into worship as full, distinct participants, yet within the biblical narrative, children are included as full participants in experiencing the Spirit’s gifts and empowerment and encountering God’s dynamic presence. Emerging from the discipline of practical theology and a review of New Testament pneumatology from Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12, this paper argues for the full inclusion of children within the church’s worship life …

Theological Themes And Musical Influences Of Worship In Indonesian Immigrant Churches In The United States, Agnes Keren Bale

Masters Theses

Beyond evoking emotional experience, theologically sound songs are crucial for evangelizing, edifying the church, and congregational spiritual growth. This study examines worship in Indonesian immigrant churches in the United States, analyzing recurring theological themes in the most regularly featured songs in the worship repertoire. Additionally, it explores the influence of Western worship music which shapes the blended identity of these churches. Via the data gathered through worship service observations from a few churches and a survey for platform ministers, twenty-two congregational songs were coded and analyzed for their theological themes. Findings included the omnipotence and sovereignty of God, victory/battle, faith, …

Harmonizing Faith Across Generations: The Spiritual Resonance Of Modernizing Traditional Worship Lyrics, Hyoeun Eunice Jeon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The quest to create an inclusive worship environment that honors diversity without sacrificing the sacred essence of traditional hymns is challenging. This study is anchored in the understanding that music, as a profound expression of faith, has the power to transform individuals and communities, and therefore modernizing traditional hymn lyrics could be vital in bridging the generational divide. This would then enhance the sense of togetherness in communal worship. By employing a qualitative research approach, this study analyzes the impact of lyrical modernization on intergenerational engagement within worship settings. Data was collected through interviews and participatory observation, tapping into the …

Edification, Exhortation, And Consolation In A Prophetic Context, Drorester Ornas Alexander Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4, edifying one another is necessary for building Christ’s body in love. Wayne Grudem, a notable theologian, stated that the gift of prophecy in the New Testament is “a human being reporting in merely human words something that God has brought to mind.” The researcher explored how and in what way people are affected by the words of prophecy in a New Testament context. Does the gift of prophecy in Christian music recordings from 2014 to 2024 provide consolation, edification, and exhortation to individuals identifying with Continuationists?

In examining songs containing prophetic contours, …

Biblically-Based Songs: Agents Of Healing For Women Overcoming Rejection, Michal Rivera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine how biblically-based songs can serve as aids to women who have overcome or are overcoming rejection. The research employs a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in which interviews, in vivo coding, reflection, interpretation, and biblical analysis explore how biblically-based songs provide or have provided aid to Christian Hispanic Women. Interviews question women about their experiences and how they cope with rejection, the importance of the Word of God, and biblically-based songs, capturing the history and healing process and transformation of the participants. Worship leaders and worship ministries will be educated, exhorted, and challenged in …

Friendship Rock Hill Charge Conference Reports 2016-23, Friendship United Methodist Church, Rock Hill

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Mission In The Way Of Daniel: Empowering Believers To Live Into God’S Plan By Edward Smither, H. L. "Scooter" Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Cultural Expression And Liturgical Theology In The Worship Songs Sung By British-Born Chinese, James Yat-Man Tang, Jeremy Perigo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Multilingual and multicultural worship can take on many models and expressions. Initially, Chinese immigration to the UK in the 1950s and 1960s led to an increased population of churches. Many Chinese church services were conducted in Cantonese, catering to the needs of first-generation immigrants, mainly from Hong Kong. Yet, the children of these older generations grew up with a bicultural hybridized identity expressed first in small English-speaking youth groups that led to English-speaking worship services within Chinese churches. Contributing to the field of worship studies through music repertoire studies over four weeks in June and July 2017 at Birmingham Chinese …

Authenticity And Worship Technology: An Evaluation Of The Use Of Prerecorded Vocal And Instrumental Tracks In Worship In Augusta, Georgia, Susan R. Burgess

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every week, congregations in Augusta, Georgia, gather for corporate worship. A common practice among these congregations is incorporating pre-recorded music technology in their services. Technological advancements have significantly transformed the worship landscape. In this performance-oriented culture, the focus at times shifts from congregationally focused praise to a worship stage production, overshadowing the importance of biblical and authentic worship. This phenomenological case study investigates the lived experiences of worshipers in Augusta, Georgia, focusing on the perceptions of authenticity of worship when pre-recorded music is used. The study involved 15 participants from the Central Savannah River Area, examining their perspectives on authentic …

Edification And Evangelism Through Worship Leadership, Donald G. Wolf

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To gain Christ worshipers, evangelism is the church’s most significant commission. Disciples of Christ are commanded to preach the gospel: Mark 16:15. However, the church's edification through worship leadership produces the heart for evangelism in God’s people to be evangelists. This multiplies the ministry of the congregation to their world. This paper addresses the components of successful leadership that help people to be edified and evangelized in through the integrity of the gospel presentation through worship, specifically American evangelical worship leadership. Adaptive approaches must be considered as cultures evolve while retaining the accurate theological gospel message. Recorded historical commentary and …

The Importance Of Bridging The Generation Gap Within Grace City Church: A Plan For An Intergenerational Discipleship Program, Keila A. Boychak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The generation gap exists within the local church. The purpose of this praxis problem was to address the lack of intergenerational ministry in the church and create an intergenerational discipleship program to start the process of bridging the generation gap. The researcher intended to study the generations that are involved within Grace City Church and better understand how to reach them. In following Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (1969), the researcher planned to create a practical program that assisted in gaining participants, who are among various generations and are currently members of the congregation. Through the implementation …

Millennials In The Marketplace: Transitioning From Marketplace Discipleship To Relational Discipleship At New Life Community, Marcus D. Steele

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project seeks to resolve the problem of marketplace discipleship superseding relational discipleship among the millennials connected to New Life Community, a house church ministry in Hilliard, Ohio. For ministry gatherings at New Life Community, such as worship services, there was a noticeable decline in overall participation from the largest demographic of the ministry, the millennial generation. However, when there were ministry gatherings specific to marketplace initiatives that focused on career and entrepreneurship, most, if not all, of the millennials participated. This selective participation by millennials resulted from ministry gatherings that were too infrequent and needed more opportunities …

Christ’S Hallel And The Christian’S Hallelujah: A Comparative Analysis Of Jesus’ Last Supper Hymn With Contemporary Worship Songs, Maria Rica Silbol

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples is one of the most iconic events in Christendom. One of the fewer talked-about scenarios in this historical event is Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26, when Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn before his crucifixion. This study examines the Hallel or Psalms 113–118, which Bible scholars believe was the hymn that Jesus sang with his disciples. The primary themes and emphases of these psalms are identified and coded. The goal of this research is to provide a metric for how the teachings from the Hallel may serve as a reference …

The Impact Of Psalm Singing In Corporate Worship In The Canadian Reformed Churches: Perspectives Of The Congregants, Jan Frederik Ezinga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Canadian Reformed Churches1 have a rich history of Psalm Singing, which originated in the 16th-century Reformation, continuing the early church and biblical tradition. Their first Synod in 1954 prioritized singing psalms, initiating the development of an English Psalter containing all 150 Psalms.2 After almost seventy-five years, Psalm Singing characterizes worship in over seventy congregations and church plants in Canada and the USA. Despite this tradition and culture of singing psalms in multigenerational worship, General Synods of the Canadian Reformed Churches have received continuous requests to add more hymns or other songs in the past twenty-five years. The arguments tend …

The Technical Code For Worship: Inquiry Of Technological Use In Corporate Musical Worship, Rayah Smith

Senior Honors Theses

There are many people who have researched and written on the topic of technology in corporate musical worship. The research reveals eight biblical principles for the use of technology in those contexts as follows: technology in corporate musical worship is meant to be practical; is meant to help the Church communicate; is meant to be driven by the Holy Spirit; is meant to be intentionally efficient; is meant to encourage a unified heart of worship to God; is meant to communicate the gospel; is meant to reflect and amplify God; and is meant to be done with hearts pleasing to …

Ministry After A Leadership Failure: Principles For Transitional Worship Leader, Eric R. Medford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite much information and attention given to senior leadership transitions after a moral failure in leadership, there is little information regarding supporting pastoral staff moral failures and how to lead a ministry department to a place of healing and restoration. This thesis examined the distinct challenges of transitional leaders assuming the role of guiding a worship ministry department through a previous leader's moral failure. This study analyzes commonalities and themes to demonstrate the unique challenges the worship ministry faces apart from the church. Literature and research on leadership transitions due to moral failures tend to focus on senior pastoral leadership. …

Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the need to develop committed Christian servants within a church ministry context by utilizing a spiritual formation initiative focused on service as a means towards and evidence of spiritual formation and development. Fairhaven Church of Rootstown had not been instructed on the fundamental need for members to serve together. Consequently, service within the church was not a necessary part of discipleship or its spiritual growth plan. The purpose of this intervention was to create and implement a three-fold spiritual development initiative focused on Christian service that includes a sermon series, a midweek study, and a …

History Of Mauldin Methodist Church, Mauldin United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Corporate worship singing long aided congregants in growing their communal identity and theological understanding of biblical principles. While modern singing trends help congregants grow their theological understanding, modern church singing trends suggest songs are not encouraging growth in communal identity mimicking cultural values of individualism in corporate worship song lyrics. Historically, individual first-person pronouns represented the individuals alongside the rest of the church; but with a rise in cultural individualism, first-person pronouns now represent individuals independent of one another. This individualistic focus can lead congregants to conclude they do not need the church and to remove themselves from the body …

Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every generation has a different way of engaging in congregational worship, sometimes at odds with another generation. The current challenge for pastors and worship leaders of churches with multiple generations is planning worship services that consider the congregation's complex make-up and remain faithful to the principles of biblical worship. The purpose of this qualitative research project is to provide a worship model that facilitates the worship styles and preferences of multiple generations within a church congregation. An atmosphere of worship is desired for all persons attending weekly worship services whose hearts and minds are receptive to the move of God …

“Do It Again”: Chart-Topping Worship Songs And The Churches Behind Them, Adam Perez, Shannan Baker, Elias Dummer, Marc Jolicoeurd, Mike Tapper

Funded Scholarship

Since the introduction and expansion of the internet, the number of songs available to worship leaders has grown exponentially. Though the “industry” as such was nascent in the 1970s, there existed already a few popular performing groups and non-church entities that functioned as primary sources and conduits for new songs such as the Scripture in Song series (by Dave and Dale Garrett), the Maranatha! Praise albums, and by the mid-1980s, Integrity’s Hosanna! Music tape series. In fact, several regional and para-church-type organizations were founded in the 1970s and 1980s to help collect and codify a core repertory of new songs …

The Online Member’S Experience Of Pastoral Care Through Worship, Ryan Michael Loche

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online church services are normative for many churches. Given the relentless nature of creating a service every Sunday, church and worship leaders often do not consider how the online participant experiences the service they are viewing. Virtual reality church services are not yet as ubiquitous as online services but also warrant study. Careful attention must be given to how and why a church provides online and virtual services for its members. To not do so is a disservice to congregants and potentially a waste of time and resources for a church. This phenomenological qualitative study through the lens of a …

Multicultural Worship Studies Of Military Chapels In South Korea, Abbey Nicole Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite a large body of literature on Korean/American worship, there is little to no research that addresses multicultural worship of the United States Army Garrison (USAG) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the Protestant military chapels. In addition, there is also a lack of research regarding worship ministry at USAG installations in general, aside from general multicultural worship models. Developing a biblical and multicultural worship model for the Protestant USAG chapels in the Republic of Korea is essential because of the diverse ethnicities in the U.S. military and the diverse backgrounds, denominations, and cultures within the military chapel communities. …

Indigenous Genres On Digital Keyboards: Vitalizing Choral Worship In The Methodist Church Ghana, George Mensah Essilfie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examines digital keyboard workstations for choral accompaniment in the Methodist Church Ghana from an Ethnodoxological perspective. The Methodist Church Ghana has a strong choral tradition and is known for using indigenous African musical genres to inspire congregational singing and liturgical music. Digital keyboards are adaptable and versatile, making them ideal for Christian worship and inspiring the Methodist Church Ghana composers to write and arrange music rooted in traditional African genres. Choral keyboardists often accompany choral ministrations using rhythmic patterns programmed and played on digital keyboard workstations. However, little academic research has been conducted on the spiritual implications of …

The “New Normal” Of Post-Covid Worship In A Renewed Atmosphere Of Spiritual Cooperation, Donna Marie Cain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 was a clarion call to the church in America. The crisis illuminated existing challenges and introduced new ones while offering unprecedented opportunities. Almost overnight, church doors were closed, and services had to be either canceled or creatively reinvented to be shared across digital platforms. In a Christ-like display of unity, a wide array of church leaders who were more adept at technology offered their wisdom to help others struggling to keep their worshiping communities connected online. Information on the widespread effects of this Pandemic on the church and its worship is still unfolding. To this …

In Defense Of Moving From A Music Production Curriculum To A Commercial Music Curriculum, Jeff Mccoy, Christopher Andrew Brown

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

The music industry has significantly evolved in recent years, largely due to the growth of newer forms of technology, such as distribution platforms and music production tools. With technological changes, academic institutions must understand the need to alter their curricula to better prepare students for the growing field of commercial music. Traditional music education programs emphasized classical music, music theory, and instrumental and vocal skills; however, students wanting to enter the world of commercial music need a broader range of knowledge, including business, marketing, copyright law, self-publishing, and music licensing as well as skills in operating various kinds of hardware …