Digital Commons Network^™

Towards A Theology Of The Single Mother, Stephanie Townes

Seminary Masters Theses

Families are changing. The white picket fence nuclear family with a mother, father, 2.2 kids and a dog is no longer the norm for American society. Families look less and less like “traditional families.” Blended families, children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, step-families, multigenerational families, adopted children, single parent families, foster parents, and homosexual partners raising children are all part of the fabric of society. Society has changed so much that, as feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether points out, “it is no longer possible to speak of one predominant “normative” model of family.”

Faith Formation In A Secular Age, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

Many theologians have focused on faith formation as a means of countering the trend toward disengagement from Christian belief among people today, especially among young adults. Using the insights of Charles Taylor, Andrew Root argues that many such programs are inadequate to the task, because they do not go to the heart of the matter.

Southeastern Alumni Magazine- Spring 2017, Southeastern University - Lakeland

Southeastern Alumni Magazine

Servant Leadership in Corporate America with Michelle Trindade. Michelle "discovered that God is not expecting you to be a phenomenal leader when you start a new role. God does expect you to grow into a phenomenal leader through him." Read this wonderful article about Michelle, Manny and Kaitlyn. This issue also includes a message from President Ingle who released his third book, enactus, Dr. Ed Plastow, information about The Forum and much more.

An Analysis Of The Challenges And Strategies For Christian Leadership Training In The State Of ChhattīSgarh, North India, Shibu Joseph

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Meaning-Making As A Formational Pathway For Christian Adolescents, Timothy C. Prewette

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation claims that Christian adolescents will flourish when using a narrative approach to both scripture and life as part of an intentional meaning-making process. Narrative theology offers the controlling story (worldview) needed by adolescents and aids in meaningfully framing life experiences. Chapter 1 identifies the problem of Christian adolescents abandoning the church and/or their faith as they move into young adulthood. Nuances of this exodus are explored, and a particular brand of adolescent faith is articulated, one which is lacking in both substance and relevance. Meaning-making is then characterized as an intentional, guided process in which Christians construct meaning …

Toward A New Church In A New Africa : A Biographical Study Of Bishop Ralph Edward Dodge 1907-2008, Samuel Dzobo

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

New Heights Christian Community Center: An Effective Strategy Of Outreach For The Local Church, Marc Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

New Heights Christian Community Services offers an outreach ministry that creates a viable bridge between two local churches and their neighboring communities. Many churches are declining in their influence and are no longer recognized as a valuable part of their community. Small churches often struggle to find ways to serve their neighbors. The author of this project has dedicated over twenty-five years ministering to disadvantaged youth and families and desires to help churches to effectively connect to the families in their community. This project will investigate the effectiveness of the New Heights program by surveying fifty sets of parents of …

A Study On The Principles And Methods Of A Retreat Program For The Spiritual Growth Of Youth With A Focus On The United Retreat Ministry In South Korea, Eunho Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to help Korean churches create more effective retreats for the spiritual growth of their youth. Most of the youth in Korean churches participate in spiritual retreats during their summer and winter vacations. In the past, many of the youth converted or recovered their faith through retreats. Nowadays, the Korean youth are exposed to all sorts of secularized culture and media, which result in the deterioration of their spirituality. Therefore, it is a major challenge for youth ministry in Korean churches to have their youth experience personal spiritual growth at retreats. The writer has organized …

The Implementation Of An Internship Manual To Improve The Quality Of The Mentoring Relationships Of The Pastoral Internships At The Moody Bible Institute, William J. Torgesen Iii

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"the researcher concluded that the Internship Manual was effective in improving the relationships, organization is critical to foster mentoring, and mentors need to invest time to lead the process. the internship manual should be modified for clarity, and an orientation class should be developed. finally, intentional efforts must be made to incorporate strategies for soul care, spiritual formation, and theological integration."

Reformed Worship (Rw) 123 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2017), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Everyday Church-Iglesia Cotidiana by Rachel Bouwkamp and Kent Rottman....3

The Heart of Worship by Cory B. Willson....12

Q&A: Sunday's Prayer and Monday's Work by John D. Witvliet....16

Beauty Behind Bars by Phil Schaafsma....18

Articles

Editorial: Expansive by Joyce Borger....2

Pentecost and Missional Worship by Nick Monsma....25

For Pastors: Holy Wings by Scott Hoezee....28

Reflection: Chasing the Ghosts of Worship Past by Chris Marchand....46

Resources

A Service for Pentecost and the Persecuted Church by Pieter and Nelda Looyenga....22

Sing 10: The Spirit is Present by Joyce Borger....30

Visual …

Exploring The Transition Experience For First Times Local Conference Presidents In The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists ..., David E. Weigley

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"this qualitative study probed the transition of 12 first-time local conference presidents. the information was gathered by recording in-depth interviews. Eight themes surfaced from the exploration. Leaders experienced the transition as overwhelming, challenging their spirituality, involving new constellations of relationships, and a shifting of identity. they also noted its impact on their families. Other themes dealt with the leaders’ prior job experience, intentional leadership preparation, and mentors. the findings suggest the need for more intentional leadership and managerial training, including knowledge of basic business principles and financial management."

The Efficacy Of Late Antique Spiritual Practices For Family-Based Adolescent Faith Formation, Kevin M. Young

Doctor of Ministry

Approximately 70 percent of evangelical teenagers drop out of church and stop practicing their faith during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Research indicates that cultural trends are less to blame for these negative trends than the utilization of ineffective methodologies for faith formation. This dissertation argues that the utilization of modern learning techniques in conjunction with adapted spiritual formation practices from Late Antiquity, within the context of family, and coordinated by a church community best ensures a stable and enduring faith for the next generation. Section 1 addresses the problems inherent to adolescent faith formation within the context of …

Missional Communities: Why They Are Failing And How To Help Them Thrive, Matthew L. Murphy

Doctor of Ministry

Missional communities are failing. Missional communities are failing because they do not contextualize the nature, function, and historical forms of the church. Specifically, missional communities fail due to lack of leadership, gospel proclamation, incarnational living to a particular people, and mission dependence on the Holy Spirit. All of these things stem from not putting the nature, function, and historical forms of the church before modern forms.

Missional communities will begin to thrive if communities will not just copy forms of other missional churches, but if they will contextualize the nature, functions, and historical forms of the church in their own …

Faith Formation From Birth To Age 20: A Psychology Professor's Insights For Strengthening Congregational Ministry, Marjorie L. Gunnoe

Symposium on Worship Archive

What are the most important things to know when working with kids ages 0–2, 3–6, 7–11, early adolescents, and late adolescents? This fast-paced session is a (really, really) condensed version of a course required for Calvin students minoring in Youth Ministry—without the homework. Helpful for parents, pastors, teachers, mentors and anyone who cares about the faith formation of the next generation.

Program - 2017 Worship Symposium, 2017 Worship Symposium

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

Looking Back To Move Forward: Youth Ministry And Its Effect On The Faith And Christian Practices Of Today's Adults, Andrew A. Taylor

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This mixed methods explanatory research project investigated the effectiveness of youth ministry practices in shaping, or failing to shape, adult Christian faith. Fifty-nine former youth group members from three congregations were surveyed, and six were interviewed: two active Christians, two inactive Christians, and two non-Christians. Results revealed the active Christians had experienced a personal sense of God’s presence and witnessed God’s activity in the public sphere. This suggests that youth ministry would do well to utilize practices that encourage adolescents to experience and articulate a sense of God’s presence in both their personal lives and in the world around them.

The Impact Of Social Media On Adolescent Grief, Kathryn Knutson

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Silliness And Stillness: A History Of Covenant Point Bible Camp In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Mark Safstrom

Scandinavian Studies: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

"Silliness and Stillness" tells the history of Covenant Point Bible Camp, located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Founded in 1926, it has primarily served the congregations of the Swedish Mission Covenant (now Evangelical Covenant Church), and represents the broader revival movements that produced that denomination in the nineteenth century. The story of this camp is also part of the history of the Christian camping movement that developed throughout the twentieth century in the United States and Canada. In addition to being an anniversary book for the particular community that calls the camp "home," it also presents the theological background …

74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectureship -- Spiritual Rhythms, Scrolls For Robust Salvation (2017), Mike Cope

Pepperdine Bible Lectures: Programs

Program booklet for the 74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures, held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, May 2-5, 2017. The Pepperdine Bible Lectures is an annual event hosted by Pepperdine University featuring a wide variety of lectures and classes on topics and themes in the Bible and Christianity.

Mike Cope, Lectureship Director

Rick Gibson, Tami Williamson, and Joella Michael, Lectures Team

Shared Leadership: Bringing The Local Church Back To Its Biblical Roots Of Leadership, John A. Harrison

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The North American culture is experiencing seismic shifts in its leadership structures. One of these shifts is the growing momentum from traditional, hierarchical leadership models to flatter, team-driven, shared leadership structures. The first section of this project aims to understand the biblical and theological reasons for shared leadership. The relationship within the Triune God and other examples of shared leadership from Scripture are used to build the foundation and rationale for this type of structure in the local church. This section also identifies factors that caused the drift from shared leadership through a plurality of elders in the New Testament …

Formation Of Leadership Among Evangelical Youth In Eurasia: Principles And Recommendations. Vol. 4 // Формирование Лидерства В Среде Евангельской Молодежи Евразии: Принципы И Рекомендации. Вып. 4, Alexander Negrov, Alexey Belov, Александр Негров, Алексей Белов

Russian Resources/Ресурсы на Русском

This book presents basic principles and recommendations for leadership formation among Evangelical youth based upon research project materials. Materials and recommendations are based upon the findings emerging from our study, as well as the recommendations provided by Evangelical Christians with significant experience in youth ministry. The material is presented in the sequence in which leadership formation should be conducted – from general conceptual matters to principles and practical recommendations. The book is designed for Evangelical youth ministers of Eurasia, as well as leaders of churches and Christian organizations, professors of Christian educational institutions, and ministers who are in contact with …

Teaching Christian Mission In An Age Of World Christianity:, Philip Wingeier-Rayo

Papers

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Seminary Academic Catalog 2017-2018, Calvin Theological Seminary

Seminary Academic Catalogs

No abstract provided.

'Dare To Be Different': How Religious Groups Frame And Enact Appropriate Sexuality And Gender Norms Among Young Adults, Rhys Williams, Courtney Ann Irby, R. Stephen Warner

Sociology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Purpose

The sexual lives of religious youth and young adults have been an increasing topic of interest since the rise of abstinence-only education and attendant programs in many religious institutions. But while we know a lot about individual-level rates of sexual behavior, far less is known about how religious organizations shape and mediate sexuality. We draw on data from observations with youth and young adult ministries and interviews with religious young adults and adult leaders from Muslim, Hindu, and Protestant Christian groups in order to examine how religious adults in positions of organizational authority work to manage the gender and …

The Church Is Familial And Is Built On Spiritually Strong Families, Yat Lau

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christ’s headship of the church has strong parallels to the husband’s headship of the family unit. As postmodernism, socio-economic factors, egalitarianism, globalization and shifts in the communicational processes drive inter-generational issues to greater heights, insidiously tear families apart—relationally, intellectually and spiritually. On the other hand, the church models the world through its discipleship programs, organization structures and has asserted itself as the spiritual head of the home. This paper will survey Christian young adults to identify key influences on their spiritual formation and family ministries the church provide to support families. The paper will provide a critique on family-equipping ministries …

A Discipleship Model For Youth At The Paradise Adventist Church, Milton Daniel Marquez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

For more than a decade the Paradise Adventist Church had been experiencing a common problem facing most churches in North America: approximately 60% of the youth were leaving the church. Rainer and Rainer (2008) argue that one of the factors in two-thirds of young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 leaving our churches after high school is the lack of a simple and effective discipleship process. Pastoral observation concurs that a primary contributing factor to the loss of Adventist youth is that the youth are not being discipled effectively and thus not rooted in Scripture, connected to …

An Action Plan For Youth Involvement Leadership At Francois In Martinique, Louise R. Nocandy

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Youth involvement leadership in Seventh-day Adventist local churches remains an issue of concern. Part of the vision of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church and the local church is to encourage the youth to be faithful disciples of Christ and to teach, train, equip, and involve them in the Seventh-day Adventist local churches. However, the Annual Local Churches Strategic Plan is not intentionally oriented towards youth involvement leadership and the Annual Youth Strategic Plans are generally not based on the vision for the entire church. This gap reveals a lack of partnership between the youth department and most other departments …

Developing A Structure To Strengthen Youth Ministry In Florida Conference, Pedro E. Perez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

Florida Conference did not have a way to connect the Youth Ministries Department to local churches to support the churches’ teen ministry. There was a need for a structure to create a connection between the conference and local churches to strengthen youth ministry in the local church. With over 300 churches in the conference, the youth director could not achieve this alone. Furthermore, there was not even a contact list to know which churches had a youth leader or young people. Developing a structure would be a means of gaining access to local church youth leaders so that the …

Journal Of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), Vol 1, 2017, Lbc Centre For Graduate Studies Dehiwala, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Holy Spirit Research Center, Oral Roberts University

Journal of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka)

Journal of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), Vol 1 (2017)

A publication for LBC Centre for Graduate Studies Dhiwala, Colombo, Sri Lanka

http://www.lbcs.edu.lk/

Articles Include:

• “Breaking The ‘Donor-Recipient’ Godlessness In International Relationships” - Rev Dr Stuart Brooking
• “Christ and the Spirit in the Light of Paul’s use of the Old Testament in Romans 15.7-13” - Dr Danny Moses
• “Driving Jesus out of Gerasenes” - M Alroy Mascrenghe
• “Youth Ministry as Missiology ‘Cross-Cultural’ Outreach: A Missiological Perspective on Youth Ministry” - Dr Paul Borthwick
• “The Foundations of Theological Thought” - Dr Peter Mead
• “Some ways Christians and Muslims can work together …

Innovation And The Local Congregation: Unleashing The Creative Power Of Communities Of Faith, Dan S. Poffenberger

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors search for ways to help their communities of faith live into their ministry with more impact, creativity and joy. Many are frustrated by the root bound nature of most congregations tightly organized in a hierarchy that limits the ability to be nimble and contextual. At the same time, culture is becoming more participatory, collaborative and creative. Thriving organizations have tapped into this culture by designing their structure to foster innovation. This work offers an examination of such organizations, their leaders and the tools they use.

Chapter One discusses the cultural shifts of connectedness and participation. These shifts have happened …