Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Spiritual Themes In Narratives Of Young Adults Who Have Aged Out Of Foster Care: A Qualitative Study, Kerri Jane Tokarski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year up to thirty thousand young adults age out of foster care in the United States. Historically research has focused on more tangible issues for this population (e.g., employment, education, etc.). Recent research addresses more intangible issues (e.g., quality of their relationships, resilience, etc.). This study reviews and then furthers such research by doing qualitative research to conduct nine loosely structured interviews with young adults who aged out of foster care to (1) discern if and how they made meaning of their experiences and (2) identify if there are spiritual themes within those narratives. This project used a qualitative …

A Wholistic Model Of Apologetics For Equipping The Youth, Selim Kesmez

Master's Theses

Problem

While available studies indicate that biblical world view among young adults decreases in years of secular education Adventist education system in Germany is struggling to address the needs of the young adults. The question arises what kind of needs can be identified why they leave faith and church behind and how the Church may counteract this process and provide valuable assistance. The urgency of this question emerges in considering the high rate of de-conversion among Adventist youth.

Method

This study analyzes various studies and statistical reports regarding the condition of the spiritual life of young adults in both the …

Family, Dirt-Bikes, And Education, Liz Moss

Staff Work

"Having the privilege of joining others in the work of bringing education and literacy to students and educators in Ethiopia is life-giving."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­what makes a person feel most alive from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/family-dirt-bikes-and-education/

The Unspoken Truth: A Practical Guide For Pastors, Helping Abusers Break The Cycle Of Sexual Abuse, Teresa Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For years, men, women and children have suffered silently as a result of sexual abuse. The abuser suffers and the cycle continues. Destroying the silence of sexual abuse is the beginning of breaking the cycle. Research has shown that the abuse goes far beyond the actual act and causes physical, emotional, and psychological damage. This project will investigate and encourage open discussion, address the abuse, and give valuable insight to the causes and consequences of sexual abuse. This project will offer prescriptive and preventative measures to all parties involved, in an effort to heal and stop sexual abuse. Through research …

Youth And The Posthuman: Personhood, Transcendence, And Siri, Erik Leafblad, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

When everything gets turned into a technology, and existence is about practical mastery, the mystery of being is buried and everything is made an object, blurring the lines between human personhood and other technological objects.

Putting The Puzzle Together Piece By Piece: How Genuine And Authentic Friendships Can Transform Faith, Kayla Ranae Billings

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

The Millenial Generation Crisis: Reimagining The Church’S Mission In A Secular3 World, Corey J. Lange

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Developing Men/Fathers As Spiritual Leaders In The Home In Kitsap County, Washington, Tobin K. R. Dodge

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Adventist church, along with most religious organizations today, struggles to develop a multigenerational faith vision and practice among its believers. Fewer Adventist youth and young adults appear to have an Adventist worldview or share the churches core values. They are often absent from general church life and worship. The research that has led to this project addresses men/fathers as being a primary solution in faith transmission and spiritual nurture of the next generation. Yet, the current vacancy of fathers in the homes and churches has created some of the greatest social needs in American society today. Literature is …

Making Disciples: Applying Steps To Christ In The Glenorchy Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mark Falconer

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The spirituality of a large percentage of church members at the Glenorchy church in Tasmania, is primarily based on knowledge about God with little concept of how biblical spirituality interacts with daily life. A recent Natural Church Development survey revealed passionate spirituality and loving relationships scored extremely low and revealed a profound need to engage spiritually with God on a daily basis. The members of Glenorchy Church have a high regard for Scripture and the writings of Ellen White, and therefore have read Steps to Christ, but few have experienced the transformational presence of God in their daily lives …

And I Heard 'Em Say: Listening To The Black Prophetic, Cameron J. Cook

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis aims to explore how conceptions of the black prophetic tradition, as discussed by thinkers Cornel West and George Shulman, might be expanded into the realm of African American musical traditions and genres. I argue that musical genres like the blues and hip-hop function as an affective discourse that aesthetically, politically and religiously function as sites of resistance to white supremacy and provide alternate pathways to liberation as compared to more canonical instantiations of the black prophetic. In particular I provide close readings of performances and art by Nina Simone and Kanye West.

Anthropological Aspects Of Marian Devotion For The Formation Of The 'Feminine Genius', Danielle Peters

Marian Studies

It is commonly accepted that devotio, as an act of virtue of religion and distinguished from devotional practices, implies a stable interior disposition and readiness to serve God joyfully and generously. Accordingly, authentic Marian devotion equips heart, mind and will to be receptive for a deeper understanding and fulfillment of God’s ways in imitation and through the intercession of Our Lady. Marialis Cultus, 34, denotes that “Devotion to the Blessed Virgin must also pay close attention to certain findings of the human sciences.”

Forty years after Marialis Cultus (MC) and twenty-five years after St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Mulieris …

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Nurturing Christian Identity In A Consumer Culture, Terri L. Elton

Faculty Publications

Consumerism has become society’s prevailing story, the story in which young people cultivate their identity. If ministry leaders are to help young people nurture their identity as children of God and help them discover a faith that speaks into the current culture, it will be important to help them shift from viewing themselves as objects within a consumer society to seeing themselves as subjects and agents of God’s love.

Reformed Worship (Rw) 111 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2014), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

After Easter by Erica Schemper....3

After Easter: Prayer Stations by Erica Schemper....9

Songs for Ascension and Pentecost by Joy Engelsman....16

Articles

Editorial: The Rest of the Story by Joyce Borger....2

Spirit at Work by Dale Cooper....13

With Joy Her Spirit Sings by David D. Music....25

Q&A: Confronting Constraints by John D. Witvliet....28

Confession, Assurance, and Incarceration by Jonathan Nicolai-deKoning....43

Resources

Writing You Own Psalm by Howard VanderWell....30

The Gift of True Strength by Leon H. Johnston....33

With Eyes Open by Curt Gesch....37

How to Pray for Your Pastor …

Corporate Worship’S Pedagogy, Cullyn Curtis

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

The Sanctified Life: Modesty Is Not The Best Policy, Ali C. Ferin

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Learning Together: Integrating Worship, Education, And Personal Devotion At Oakhurst Baptist Church Of Asheboro, North Carolina, Hunter Duncan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The hypothesis of this project is that an integrated worship experience that engages church members with one biblical concept each week through various interactions will strengthen the community of faith. The ministry experiment sought to accomplish this goal by integrating weekly worship, Sunday School, daily devotions, and an internet-based discussion forum. Data was collected from project participants before the project began, weekly to measure the ongoing impact, and again at the project's conclusion. The results of the project revealed that integrating worship elements does improve engagement with the community of faith and the overall satisfaction with the weekly worship experience.

Faith Commitments And Spiritual Influences As Correlates Of Adolescents' Involvement In Service In The Valuegenesis Study, Andrea Cristina Nagy

Dissertations

Purpose. The first goal of this research was to examine the changes that took place over the three administrations of the Valuegenesis survey, in terms of students’ involvement in service. Secondly this study sought to determine the relationship between adolescents’ commitment to religious values and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, and their involvement in service to others. The third goal of this research was to explore the relationship between home, church, and school variables, and the participation in acts of service of students attending Seventh-day Adventist schools.

Methodology. The present research study uses quantitative research methods and is a secondary analysis. …

The Trees, My Lungs: Self Psychology And The Natural World At An American Buddhist Center, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

This study employs ethnographic field data to trace a dialogue between the self psychological concept of the selfobject and experiences regarding the concept of “interbeing” at a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery in the United States. The dialogue develops an understanding of human experiences with the nonhuman natural world which are tensive, liminal, and nondual. From the dialogue I find that the selfobject concept, when applied to this form of Buddhism, must be inclusive enough to embrace relationships with animals, stones, and other natural forms. The dialogue further delineates a self psychological methodology for examining religions in their interactions with natural forms.

Making Room: A Place For Children’S Spirituality In The Christian Church, Heather Ingersoll

SPU Works

A relatively uncharted territory until recently, the concept of children as innate spiritual beings has garnered significant attention among scholars over the past two decades. Seminal studies by researchers provide practitioners with the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of the spirituality of children and their ability to seek and contemplate spiritual concepts (Ratcliff, 2007). The more that is learned about children’s spirituality, the more apparent it becomes that the Christian church in the United States generally fails to provide sufficient space for children to explore, develop, and share their spirituality. This potentially leads children to suppress or disconnect from …

Jesus' Prophetic Reach: Drawing Children To The Center Of Congregational Life, Tim Coltvet

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Loving The Questions: Finding Food For The Future Of Theological Education In The Lexington Seminar, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

Although it ran for more than ten years and involved more than 200 faculty from forty-four ATS member schools, the findings of the Lexington Seminar have not been engaged as robustly as they could be in facing current challenges. This essay collates the experiences of the Lexington Seminar with recent educational literature to suggest a range of options in faculty development for meeting the adaptive challenges facing schools, particularly in terms of shifting dynamics of authority, authenticity, and agency.

Bridging The Disconnect: Reframing Vocation For The Sake Of Young Adults, The Church, & Its Leaders, Aaron David Fuller

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Connecting The Dots: A Case Study Examining The Impact Of Service Learning On A Youth And Young Adult Student Ministry, Thomas Spencer Legrand Jr.

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to provide a case study on the application of service-learning curriculum in a youth ministry at a traditional mid-size church. The intent of the curriculum was to provide a new and creative way for the church to impact youth by getting them involved in actions that correspond with Biblical principles. Church leaders hope that this curriculum change will not only impact youth in their teens but also influence them to remain involved in a traditional church as they reach college and become young adults.

The researcher used the process model of curriculum study from …

The Pastoral Practice Of Christian Hospitality As Presence In Muslim-Christian Engagement: Contextualizing The Classroom, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

This project involved inviting graduate-level classes to contextualize their study in relationship with a specific Lutheran congregation in an urban and multifaith neighborhood. In doing so, the Christian practice of hospitality—especially understood in terms of presence—was particularly pertinent. Learning took place in context, far more efficiently and effectively, through engagement with rather than teaching about each other. Ultimately the project members experienced learning in the presence of other faiths as deepening one's own faith, while inviting genuine respect for other faiths.

The Faithful Flyer, 11-11-2012, University Of Dayton. Campus Ministry

Chapel Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Fading From The Family Portrait, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Screen-Based World: Finding The Real In The Hyper-Real, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

What is real? In our media-filled world, have we mistaken the image for the real thing? The church is called to proclaim the real, not by rejecting the use of sign and image, but by affirming those that speak the truth of our existence.

Scapegoats And Redemption On Shutter Island, Cari Myers

Journal of Religion & Film

The themes of redemptive violence, scapegoating, and ritual in the films of Martin Scorsese have provided much grist for critical scholarship. While it is going too far to claim that Scorsese is intentionally interpreting Girardian themes (which are themselves borrowed from a rich mythological tradition), the comparisons between the theorist and the director are compelling. My goal here is to establish the primary themes of scapegoating, mimesis, the cycle of violence, and feuding identities that occur in both Girard’s works and Scorsese’s films and pull them forward into a more recent work of Scorsese, Shutter Island.

The Schott Family, Jodi Schott

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"We had the joy of welcoming a miracle into our family recently. Christopher Jonathan was born on October 2, 2011. Since his birth, we have truly come to know God’s love through the blessing of Christopher. He is a beautiful baby with a charming personality. It’s a delight to come home to his “full face smile” every day! Here is a little info about each of the Schott’s:"

Remembering The Family In Youth Ministry, Walter Surdacki

Leaven

No abstract provided.