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Institute For Pastoral Initiatives 2025 Strategic Plan, University Of Dayton. Institute For Pastoral Initiatives

Documents and Publications of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives

This document reflects IPI’s Team discussions with Dave Ramey and the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office for Phase I of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives Strategic Planning Process. Phase II begins September 2022 through January 2023 developing specific action steps for each Strategic Goal (A-G) for 2023-2025 in consultation with various groups associated with the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives' future.

Leading Our Children To Christ: Christian Education And Discipleship, Scott R. Ward

Faculty Publications

Some pastors are already involved in supporting the schools run by their church, but my prayer is that every pastor will feel energized and equipped to get on campus, partner with our educators and parents, participate in leading outreach with our children, and help make our schools centers of influence in their communities, places where people can come together to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe that when our children become involved in such vibrant, gospel-oriented schools, they will be inspired to become and remain active followers of Jesus.

The Relational Church: Being For And With Youth, Joseph Brett Wiederhold

Seattle Pacific Seminary Projects

The mainline church, present with youth, could begin to recognize the presence of youth in our worship services, prayer teams and leadership teams as adding value and depth to the community of believers. Youth outside of the church are hurting and desperate for belonging. Youth need relationships; youth need Jesus! Despite the church’s history of marginalizing youth, declining numbers and seeming irrelevance amongst the current Generation Z youth, the church can fulfill a vital role in seeing youth as people created in the image of God, allowing God’s church to reach our hurting world by way of the young people …

The Impact Of Sexual Abuse On Children, Alina M. Baltazar

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Three-Story Approach To Teaching Scripture, Scott R. Ward

Faculty Publications

As we interact with youmg people, we must remember that as Christian educators, our primary goal is to help them find their place in the story of God. We must show them where they appear and how choosing Jesus can change their lives. Then we must show them where they fit into the community of believers and provide opportunities for them to “live” their stories in mission and outreach opportunities in the world around them. We must play our part by being ready daily to share how our devotional times with Jesus each day are impacting our lives and decisions …

Strength For The Journey With Youth: High School Theology Programs And The Universal Apostolic Preferences, Darby Ratliff, Stephen Chanderbhan

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

In 1993, the Lilly Endowment launched an initiative for seminaries and divinity schools to host high school theology programs (HSTPs) with two goals: to engage youth in theological learning and to foster a generation of youth interested in vocations in Christian ministry. This initiative was then extended in 2015 to include colleges and universities. This paper examines one such program, the Be the Light Youth Theology Institute (BTLI) at Canisius College, as a case study to illustrate the synergy between these programs and the Society of Jesus’ four Universal Apostolic Preferences. By considering well-established research about high school theology programs …

A Mentoring Ministry For The Spiritual Development Of Youth In Rural Congregations Of North Central And Northeast Arkansas, Glen Knabe

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

A Reader's Guide To Youth Ministry, Jeremy D. Smith, Steve Bonner, Walter Surdacki

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Youth ministry scholarship over the past 20 years has offered an array of works impactful to scholars, parents, church leaders, and youth workers. Because of the growing number of robust writings, we have compiled an annotated bibliography intended to guide this wide range of readers in overview of the most impactful works for youth ministry scholarship and practice.

Vocation's Unbroken Chain: Biblical Call Stories And The Experience Of Vocation, Chris Keeton

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This essay reflects on the Biblical passages used to create a vocational curriculum produced by the author's doctoral project. The call stories of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Ruth are examined to illustrate the experience of vocation. The essay is divided into three strands of thought: vocation as a journey, vocation as it is related to personal ability, and vocation as it is related to certainty.

Creating Vocational Curriculums For Youth Ministries: Challenges And Opportunities, Chris Keeton

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This essay reflects on the creation of a vocational curriculum produced by the author's doctoral project. The goal is to explore the value in vocational reflection among teenagers in youth groups, and to offer an example of how youth ministries may implement extended and holistic teaching programs regarding the theology of vocation.

This essay begins with an assessment of the ministry context. Second, It reviews templates for vocational curricula used on some college campuses and how the author implemented those strategies into the project. Two key strategies were a common curriculum and a mentoring environment. Such templates were found in …

Following The Guide: A Wilderness Theology Of Youth Ministry, Rachel M. Weisz

Honors Projects

Scripture offers readers a unique characterization of wilderness spaces and provides us with a great deal of information about what to expect. This discussion traces various scriptural narratives of encounter with God in the wilderness, offering the reader a model for what a wilderness experience of God may entail, and then turns to more current conversation about wilderness youth ministry. The project traces current research of fields that are tangentially related to wilderness youth ministry including wilderness therapy, outdoor adventure education, and camp ministry, and seeks to highlight the ways that they can enhance, alter, and confirm various practices within …

Book Review: Sustainable Children's Ministry: From Last-Minute Scrambling To Long-Term Solutions, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Sustainable Children’s Ministry: From Last‐Minute Scrambling to Long‐Term Solutions, by Mark DeVries and Annette Safstrom. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2018. 234 pages, $16.99.

A Theology Of Compassion: Encouraging Local Church Ministry To Children In Foster Care, Allen Griffin

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Compassionate care within the local community of a church is of vital essence to a thriving church ministry. For centuries church leaders have endeavored to make an impact in the lives of the people living in their vicinity through outreach efforts. The compassion of the local church is needed in the area of children in foster care. Through the analysis of two church programs focused on serving the spiritual, educational, and social needs of teens in the foster care system, this dissertation will examine how to assist local churches in establishing a program to serve the children in their local …

Seeking A New Paradigm For Youth Ministry Of Waegwan Abbey, South Korea, Cyprian Ji-Eung Ryu

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

No abstract provided.

A Reader's Guide To Children's Ministry, Shannon Rains, Jennifer Schroeder, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Although the church has long practiced ministry with children, this field of ministerial practice is taking new and exciting shapes in the 21st century. Because of the expanding and substantial body of literature produced in this discipline over the last several decades, we have assembled an annotated bibliography intended to give scholars, practitioners, and church members an overview of the more significant printed work that addresses Christian perspectives on ministry with children.

Reaching The Next Generation Of Leaders, Ron Whitehead, Petr Cincala

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Ron Whitehead has served in four North American Division unions as a local pastor, conference youth, and church ministries director. He has also served the NAD as associate youth director and directed five International Pathfinder Camporees. At Andrews University, Ron has served as assistant to the president for Spiritual Life and currently serves the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary as assistant professor for Youth Ministry and executive director for the Center for Youth Evangelism. Since 1996, Ron has been honored to serve the Lake Union Conference as youth director. Some of Ron’s most recent ministry projects include an International Camporee for …

Leadership And Faith Formation In Youth Ministry: Explaining The Relationship Between Leadership Experiences And Faith Formation In Middle School Students, Neil A. Christians

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This research project explained how leadership experiences of middle school age students during their time in a youth ministry Confirmation program affected their faith formation. The lenses of Believing, Behaving, and Belonging were helpful in framing a missional view of faith formation. Results revealed these four aspects of leadership experiences to be important to the youth: leadership and helping others are connected, relationships are integral and vital within these experiences, there needs to be an element of fun by making the experience enjoyable and/or meaningful, and leadership experiences bring relevance to a student’s faith both inside and outside of church.

Minister As Mentor: A Biblical Model For The Preparation Of A Mentoring Ministry At First Baptist Church In Reidsville, North Carolina, Thomas Leroy Barksdale Ii

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A preparation model was developed to equip mentors to effectively engage, encourage, and guide community youth. Members of the Christian faith have a responsibility to reach out and impact positively the next generations of leaders. Potential mentors were led through developmental sessions to prepare for the mentor relationships. Surveys, journal entries, pre-posttests, and questionnaires measured the effectiveness of the developmental weekly sessions and engagement.

Preaching With Cultural Intelligence: Understanding The People Who Hear Our Sermons, Rodney A. Palmer

Faculty Publications

"Kim does a masterful job at demonstrating how, through a careful exegesis of Scripture, culture, and one’s self, the preacher will deliver more effective sermons that will reach the hearts of both the giraffes (the insiders) and the elephants (the others) within the congregation. Preaching with cultural intelligence is worth it!"

Multisensory Sabbath School: A Possible Solution To Fragmented And Low-Brain Stimulus Learning, Cory Wetterlin

180 Symposium Publications

No abstract provided.

Hope For The Orphan: Re-Imagining The Youth Sabbath School, S. Joseph Kidder, Gerardo Oudri

All Books

Hope for the Orphan is a compilation of reports given at the 180 Symposium themed "Sabbath School Matters!" At this event a group of administrators, scholars, practitioners, youth, and resource producers met for an honest dialogue with the purpose of identifying some of the main challenges affecting youth and young adult Sabbath School ministry, as well as potential solutions.

The presentations are divided into four sections:

• Defining the Challenges
• Exploring the Solutions
• Improving Learning Styles and Models
• Recommendations for a Brighter Future

Of particular interest to readers will be recommendations included in the final chapter of this book, "Report from …

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 …

Digital Storytelling: Empowering Feminist And Womanist Faith Formation With Young Women, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Not Religious: What The Catholic Church In America Must Do To Become Relevant Again In A New Generation, John P. Campbell

Master of Arts in Religious Studies (M.A.R.S. Theses)

As we approach the close of the first decade of this new millennium, some two-thousand plus years after the birth of Christ, we find the religious tendencies of our world changing once again. Many studies have been undertaken to assess the religious mindset of the American population, breaking it down into a variety of demographics and nuances. What has become apparent is that the institutional religions, and in this case, the Catholic Church, is losing their hold on their constituents. The result is not that people are flocking to alternative institutional religions, but to a more nebulous brand of faith …

A Chosen Generation, Ron Whitehead

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

The Developmental Process Of Reflection In Youth Ministry, Laura Bowers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The research of applied developmental practice of reflection is inconsistent and its theoretical framework changes depending on the disciplinary perspective. The variability is illustrative of reflection's complexity and its inconsistency as an ideal. This research attempts not only to define reflection within the context of the Prairie Lakes youth ministry program but also to highlight specific programmatic elements that are involved in the process. Through text analysis by the Minnesota Contextual and Content Analysis program and the theoretical guidance of Kohlberg, Mayer and Dewey insight into an applied reflective practice is formed.

Center For Youth Evangelism Turns 25, Katie Shaw

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Andrews Launches New Academic Program In Campus Ministry, Andrews Theological Seminary

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Young Heber J. Grant's Years Of Passage, Ronald W. Walker

BYU Studies

As Heber J. Grant came of age, Mormonism was as much a part of the Utah landscape as the territory's dusty valleys and vaulting mountain walls. Young Heber met religion everywhere—in his Salt Lake City home and neighborhood, at the Tabernacle on Temple Square, in the offices of Church and civic leaders where he sometimes ventured, and certainly in his native Thirteenth Ward, one of the most innovative and organizationally developed Latter-day Saint congregations of the time. Slowly young Heber internalized his religious culture, but not before encountering the usual perils of adolescence and coming of age. The process tells …

Youth Ministry Doctoral Program Announced, Skip Bell

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.