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Evangelism Strategies, Conversion Patterns, And Membership Retention Strategies In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Sub-Saharan Africa: Report Of Findings For East-Central Africa Division Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sampson M. Nwaomah, Williams Kwasi Peprah, Rei Kesis, Warren S. Simatele, Angela E. Nwaomah, Daniel Dei, Davidson Razafiarivony

Human Subject Research Archive

A study conducted by the Africa Seventh-day Adventist Study Group (ASDASG)

Evangelism Strategies, Conversion Patterns, And Membership Retention Strategies In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Sub-Saharan Africa: Report Of Findings For West-Central Africa Division Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sampson M. Nwaomah, Williams Kwasi Peprah, Rei Kesis, Warren S. Simatele, Angela E. Nwaomah, Daniel Dei, Davidson Razafiarivony

Human Subject Research Archive

A study conducted by the Africa Seventh-day Adventist Study Group (ASDASG)

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 …

Intergenerational Christian Community: A Vision For Spiritual Formation For All Ages, Robin Pyles

Doctor of Ministry

For decades, American churches have been struggling with shrinking attendance, particularly among young people. An increasingly polarized society that elevates individualism and secularization, along with widespread escalating age segregation, has contributed to this trend. In response to these societal norms, many local churches have defaulted to a primarily age-segregated programming model. This model results in the absence of a sense of community and belonging, and a lack of Christian spiritual formation growth among both youth and adults within the church. This research revealed that creating regular opportunities for meaningful cross-generational interactions that combine shared experiences of play, creative expression, intentional …

Estrategia Para Fortalecer La Retencion De Jovenes En La Iglesia Adventista Central De Las Tunas, Cuba, Magdiel Larramendy Laurencio

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church in the city of Las Tunas, Cuba, from 2000 to 2015 has suffered for the loss of the youth ages 18 to 35 years old. A pastoral study of the congregation revealed that 70% of the youth that were born between the years 1990 and 2000 abandoned the church, indicating that it´s services were irrelevant and the absence of younger people and lacked youth in the leadership of the church. The congregation of Las Tunas has been a church centered in the accomplishment of the mission, and focused on the expansion of the gospel in …

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 …

The Lord Will Provide: What Will You Do?, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Youth ministry often rises or falls based on its leadership. However, recruiting, training, and retaining youth leaders remains problematic. Making youth leadership development the modus operandi of youth ministry turns it into an ongoing process rather than an annual tug-of-war. It includes the youth as leaders, as well as a variety of other ages. It goes beyond completing a task, although it includes many tasks. And the expectation is to engage and explore one’s own development as well as that of the group. Resources exist to foster this, but the buy-in has been limited. Following these recommendations could result in …

The Existential Turn: An Adventist Response, Stephen Yeagley

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Youth ministry has taken several “turns” in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, culminating in the current existential turn. This latest shift acknowledges a more diverse youth demographic (Gen Z) concerned with identity, significance, purpose, belonging, and survival. Numerous existential threats have contributed to this generation’s unprecedented mental health crisis. Nevertheless, members of Gen Z are determined to meet these threats and create the conditions for all to flourish. This paper seeks to articulate a supportive and uniquely Adventist response to the existential turn in the form of Sabbath rest.

Divine Attachment As A Context For Discipleship Transformation In Youth, Kristina Freed

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

O ne of the most profound human lifespan needs, especially among youth, is to have a worthy purpose for living. A growing body of research has identified a serious discrepancy between a Christian’s doctrinal and experiential knowledge of God, leading to disengagement from the practice of discipleship. This may be related, in part, to an unfortunate null curriculum rooted in the assumption that believers understand God in such a way that predisposes them to a discipleship lifestyle. This paper suggests that the missing relational context and the discrepancy between doctrinal and experiential knowledge of God may be remedied by an …

The 180° Symposium 2022 A New Opportunity: Summary, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

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.

Discipling Young People According To The Shema, Scott R. Ward

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

If pastors, teachers, and parents can learn to live and teach the gospel in front of and with our young people on a daily basis during their pre-teen and teenage years, our young people will be much more likely to find and embrace a meaningful personal relationship with Jesus before graduating high school (Barna Group 2023; Williams 2017, 22-24). It is imperative that we do all we can to help our young people develop their own personal relationship with Jesus before they enter the collegiate/young adult developmental stage where they frequently leave home—which often also means leaving their home church …

The Need For A Spiritual Reboot In The Youth Of Great Commission Church, Jean Max B St Louis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The decline of the youth attendance is evident in many Protestant churches. This research paper examined forty-three young believers from three Haitian Baptist churches, respectively, located in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. These data results help develop a suitable spiritual program that includes the six key influencing factors for spiritual growth: discipleship, mentoring, parental influence, church attendance, personal devotion, and ministerial involvement. This spiritual program was tested on a small group of young people from Great Commission Church in Queens. This research uses a mixed-method methodology, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the data. The …

Preserving Hope Through Youth Attendance At New Canaan Baptist Church, David C. Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The biblical perspective of training up a child in the way to go provides the foundation for mentoring to influence youth success. This thesis project applies a needs analysis to fulfill the effort to preserve hope through youth attendance at New Canaan Baptist Church. No secular or spiritual mentorship program exists for African American male youth in Chester, Georgia. This qualitative study used surveys to query the beliefs of African American youth, church leaders, and parents about the need for a mentorship program. Findings from analyses of survey data from almost thirty participants implied the need for a community-based mentorship …

Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this thesis, expository preaching is proposed as the mechanism to communicate a biblical worldview to Adventist young adults (people ages 18 to 40). This thesis project engaged the young adults of two Adventist church plants: Refuge Church and Triumph Church. The project consisted of preaching Adventist biblical theology through expository sermons, with the thesis that it would be interpreted as a worldview by young adults. The preaching series delivered salvation history, broken down into eight pericopes, and used the Great Controversy as its metanarrative. The goal of each sermon was to expound the assigned passage and its place on …

Coveting Relationships Over Association: The Church's Response To The Millennial's Exodus, Erik W. Switzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project identified the reasons church-affiliated millennials in Tyler, Texas, have exited the church after reaching adulthood and have failed to return in significant numbers. To capture the reasons for this generational church exodus, area millennials were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. To participate in the survey, millennials must have regularly attended an Evangelical or Catholic church during childhood and adolescence and stopped attending church after age eighteen. The survey invitation was distributed through emails and the social media platform Facebook. The invitation contained an embedded hyperlink that directed participants to Survey Monkey. All survey results reside …

A College Outreach Initiative To Connect Paine College Students With Thankful Baptist Church, Christopher J. Waters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

College students’ declining attendance and participation at Thankful Baptist Church is a growing concern for the congregation and its leadership. For over one hundred years the church has had a strong outreach to the students at Paine College, a local HBCU and private Christian institution. However, over the last five years Thankful Baptist Church’s outreach to Paine College students has declined significantly. This research project implemented training for ten outreach volunteers and six weeks of mentoring for ten Paine College students to revive the declined college ministry to Paine College into an active ministry which attracts and retains college students …

Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the inadequate understanding of the biblical concept of servanthood among high school students (grades 9-12) within the congregation of Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. As a result of this problem, students gradually distance themselves from their faith, discontinue church attendance, and cease participating in church service activities. The thesis of this paper is that exposing these high school students to various dimensions of biblical servanthood will significantly impact their understanding of this concept. The underlying assumption posits that a profound understanding of biblical servanthood, coupled with knowledge and service opportunities, will cultivate Christlike character in …

Grace Community Church Council Minutes 2015-2023, Grace Community United Methodist Church, Fort Mill

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Cypress Ridgeville Church Council Minutes 2016-2023, Cypress United Methodist Church, Ridgeville

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Impact Of Spiritual Disciplines Among Disciples Of Christ, Sharon Yvette Hardy Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Spiritual disciplines have long been recognized as a means to foster more significant spiritual growth and maturity in the life of disciples of Christ. However, in today’s culture, there is a perceived lack of commitment to spiritual growth with new and established disciples of Christ of the twenty-first century vs. those of the twentieth century at Perfecting Church in Detroit, Michigan. Therefore, this study will look at the impact of introducing spiritual disciplines to new disciples of Christ to foster more significant spiritual growth and a commitment to a life of faith in Christ. Although faith community members embrace a …

The Single Father In The Christian Church And Their Struggles, Kennedy Abbott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is about a severe but unseen problem in the church. The single fathers in the Christian church have been quietly struggling because many do not seek help. Caretakers of this single-father ministry identify and are aware of the struggle affiliated with single fathers, summarized from personal experience in Chapter One. In Chapter Two, this research elucidates the severity of the problem related to children separated from either parent, possibly leading to behavioral concerns in school, the community, and the home. The fundamental principles of this research derives from gathering data relevant to this research to support this …

Discipling Elementary Children As A Father, Jeremiah Jabez Canfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aimed to show the importance and the need for the father in the home to discipline his children. God did not give a father's children to provide for them financially, but God laid a clear plan in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 on how to point one's children to God. Even though this text is thousands of years old, it is still relevant to the culture today. It is easy to see that many fathers today are clueless about discipling their children and have left this job entirely up to the church. The busyness of life has also prevented fathers …

“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 …

Chapin Church Council Minutes 2014, Chapin United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Chapin Church Council Minutes 2015, Chapin United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Chapin Church Council Minutes 2021, Chapin United Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

The Transformative Preaching And Teaching Of The Old Testament Through Its Expositional Approach, Sony Olivier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The aura of the Old Testament preaching and teaching today has been absorbed by the enthusiasm of its fulfillment in the New. Thus, the interest in exploiting the Old Testament principles as fulfilled in Christ through its expositional preaching and teaching needs to be revised. As revealed in the book of Acts, the commitment to preach the complete Word of God, the Old Testament, is vividly clear as Christ being the center of their preaching and teaching. Therefore, in today’s context, proclaiming the whole counsel of God’s Word calls for every preacher to consider Scripture in its entirety duly, from …