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Healthy Churches Grow, Rodney Mills

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Change will not occur until there is a sense of urgency. Church leaders and their members have long tolerated the atmosphere of ill health. Their current state of dysfunction has been going on for so long that the members often believe it is normal and therefore to be expected. Excuses are made to maintain the status quo and as a result nothing improves in the life of the church. For lasting change to occur, church leaders and members must sense the urgency of the situation and determine that doing nothing is worse than the anticipated pain of changing long-standing practices …

More H.E.L.P., Becky St. Clair

Human Empowerment Life Project Stories

What began as a small group of MDiv students deciding they wanted to make a difference in the nearby community of Benton Harbor has grown into an initiative that hopes to reach all the Grades 1–3 children in the Benton Harbor School System this year. More than 110 students, faculty and staff have signed up to to be part of H.E.L.P. (Human Empowerment Life Project), which aims to improve literacy for an anticipated 624 students during the 2016–2017 school year.

More H.E.L.P, Becky St. Clair

World Changers Made Here

No abstract provided.

Au Literacy Program Impacts Benton Harbor Students, Becky St. Clair

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Dutch Research To Revitalize The Sda Church: Large Scale Research Among Members And Regular Visitors In The Netherlands Union Conference, Andre Staal

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

No abstract provided.

Apostolic Church Planting: Birthing New Churches From New Believers. By J. D. Payne, Anderline Brady

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

APOSTOLIC CHURCH PLANTING: BIRTHING NEW CHURCHES FROM NEW BELIEVERS. By J. D. Payne. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press (2015). Softcover, 126 pages.

The heart of Apostolic Church Planting is understanding and establishing how church planters define the local and universal church. In the words of the author, “ecclesiology is supremely important. It shapes everything” (p. 21). Over his years of training church planters, Dr. J. D. Payne encountered questions that were not addressed in his previous work Discovering Church Planting. Thus Apostolic Church Planting, in Payne’s words, “is my attempt to respond to some of those questions and …

Thriving In Leadership: Strategies For Making A Difference In Christian Higher Education. By Karen A. Longman, Denise Ross Haynes

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

THRIVING IN LEADERSHIP: STRATEGIES FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION. By Karen A. Longman (Ed.). Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press (2012). Paperback, 336 pages.

Editor Karen Longman, together with “seventeen seasoned senior-level college and university administrators,” offers “fresh perspectives on what is required to thrive in leadership and to shape institutions where both employees and students flourish” (p. 25). Besides being practical, resourceful, and relevant, this work has a nextlevel profundity in the way it invites the reader into a personal dialogue about her personal leadership calling. While most of the current literature discusses leadership primarily as …

Full Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

The Interplay Between Forms Of Revelation: Implications For Theological Methodology, Andrew Tompkins

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

The interplay between forms of revelation has been a matter of much discussion in theological discourse for many centuries. While this paper is not particularly concerned with the final say on the doctrine of revelation it is concerned with revelation and its relation to theological method. In other words, what is the significance of the various modes or forms that revelation takes in connection with the way theology is approached and done? The thesis of this paper is that God is not limited to one form of revelation, but rather that each revelatory form can and does inform the others …

Recognition Assembly, Jiri Moskala

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

Highlighted Projects:

Merlin Burt, editor, Understanding Ellen White.

John Reeve, editor, Women and Ordination: Biblical and Historical Studies.

Roy E. Gane, Current Issues in Priestly and Related Literature.

L. S. Baker, Jr. Land of Rameses.

Bruce Bauer and Wagner Kuhn, editors. Biblical Principles for Missiological Issues in Africa, Journal of Adventist Mission Studies.

Gerald Klingbeil, editor. Represented by Ronald Knott, Andrews University Press. The Genesis Creation Account and Its Reverberations in the Old Testament.

John Peckham, The Love of God: A Canonical Model.

S. Joseph Kidder, Moving Your Church: Become a Spirit-Led Community. …

The Interplay Between Forms Of Revelation: Implications For Theological Method, Andrew Tompkins

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Analysis Of Discipleship In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church: Responses To A Global And Regional Survey, Sherene Hattingh, Lindsay Morton, Rick Ferret, Kevin Petrie, Julie-Anne Heise, Kayle B. De Waal

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

A Strategy For Planting Missional Churches To Include And Disciple The Postmodern People In The South Of Brazil, Natal Gardino

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In spite of the fact that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is growing in Brazil, the traditional evangelistic methods have not significantly reached people with a postmodern worldview, who (in this country) are generally younger, wealthier, and more educated. This present study was to mobilize the churches in the South of Brazil with information and strategies to include postmodern people in their evangelistic efforts both in the local church and in new planted churches as well.

Method

Curitiba Central Church was informed about the reality of the contemporaneous worldview, and leaders of the church and volunteers were trained, making the …

Making And Training Disciples Of Christ Using The Pursuit Of "Life... To The Full" As The Catalyst For Mission In High Springs Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mark Swaisgood

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

In the Spring of 2012, the High Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church had about 29% of its membership "active in ministry," meaning these members were involved in "ministry activities outside of Sabbath morning" or they served in "leadership responsibilities during Sabbath school and worship time" (i.e. I did not consider mere attendance as "active in ministry"). Approximately 9% of the membership was "missionally engaged," meaning they were participating in activities through "service to others outside of our denominational affiliation" (I considered serving people within our church membership as "active in ministry" not "missionally engaged"). The goal of this project was …

A Cross-Centered Evangelistic Preaching Strategy For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Canelas, Portugal, Daniel F. M. Gouveia

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Bible reveals that evangelistic preaching must be Christ-centered and cross-centered (1 Cor 2:2). However, in recent years the evangelistic series in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Canelas have been mainly of a doctrinal nature. As a consequence, my pastoral observation indicates that attendance, baptisms, and decisions for future baptisms at the end of the meetings are few. One of the factors that contributes to this condition is the lack of evangelistic preaching that focuses on the love of God revealed in the cross of Christ.

Method

A cross-centered evangelistic preaching strategy was developed in order to present the …

Creating A Leader Development Strategy For Lay Church Plant Leaders In The Texas Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Elton Demoraes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Texas Conference has a strong emphasis on church planting. Since 2001 more than 115 churches have been planted throughout the conference. This rapid growth was possible because 107 of those churches were started by lay planters supported by an assigned coach. However, after studying the Texas Conference Church Plant database, we discovered that only 45% have experienced growth and 55% have plateaued or are declining. It appears that the reasons for this difference may be the lack of adequate coaching and training for the lay leader to enable effective leadership in the church plant.

Methodology

A leadership development …

Transitioning The Waldorf Seventh-Day Adventist Church To An Integrated Multiethnic/Multicultural Ministry, Kleyton Feitosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Charles County, Maryland, is an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The only two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the county are mono-ethnic – one White and one African-American – and do not reflect the multiethnic composition of the community. In the beginning of this study the Waldorf Church had the following ethnic composition: 81% White and 19% of all other major ethnic groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), Waldorf city was made up of 40.6% White and 59.4% of all other groups combined. In light of this reality, being a monoethnic White church presented significant church growth challenges …

A Record Year For Church Growth., David J. B. Trim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adventist Theological-Missiology: Contextualization In Mission And Ministry, Wagner Kuhn

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"...the purpose of theology and mission is to demonstrate in word and deed, in theory and in practice, the everlasting gospel (Rev. 14). It is to aim at the cross of Calvary, declaring and presenting with power and effectiveness the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn.1:29). Paul demonstrates this theology and this mission by getting as close as possible to people in order to save them for Christ. He says: “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). This is the …

The Impact Of Values Clarification And Expression Of Beliefs On Dysfunctional Leadership Among Church Lay Leaders, John F. Cosgrove

Dissertations

Problem

Leaders face challenges from within themselves and from others. Dysfunctions within the leader and with their group can lessen leadership effectiveness. It appears some leaders manage these dysfunctions better than others. More needs to be understood about how these dysfunctions are best mediated and some have suggested clarification of values and beliefs can do that.

Method

This study followed a quantitative correlational research design. Data were obtained using surveys that 84 participants completed on line. Participants were selected from current lay leaders and former lay leaders of not more than three years past from Christ United Methodist Church of …

The Meaning Of The City: An Urban Missional Approach To The Use Of City Imagery In Revelation, Kleber D. Gonçalves

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Fit For Purpose? The General Conference Secretariat And Seventh-Day Adventist Mission In Historical Perspective, David J. B. Trim

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Social Dynamics And Occultic Practices, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

What Is A "Community" Church Plant?, Hyveth Williams

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"A community plant is one that focuses on the health of the community. this means that you focus on the health of all of the churches in the community, regardless of the denomination, and the health of the people who live in the community, because a healthy community breeds healthy children. And what we are planting, what we want it to be is a healthy church."

The Grace Place Ministry Leads To Bible Studies And Baptisms, Betty Eaton

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Development Of Lay Leadership Through Teleconferencing In The Early Bird Bible School, Choong Hwan Lee

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

As a pastor in local South Korean Adventist churches in the United States, I tried several times to train and nurture members, but there was not much fruit. I discovered that the activities of lay leaders in these churches were steadily declining. Although there are many causes, the most serious challenge is a lack of leadership development training for lay leaders. And then, when leadership training is provided, the program fails to promote an evangelistic passion and ultimately causes a deficit of training for future church leaders. Even when churches do provide the program, many Korean Adventists cannot attend …

Prayer: Breaking Down Walls Of Hostility, John Holbrook

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

The Development And Implementation Of A Community-Based Evangelism Model In The Word Of Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Memphis, Tn, Fred Batten Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Studies (Arn, 1988) reported that over 80% of churches in America are in a period of stagnation or decline relative to growth. Despite the mega-church trend in America, most churches will not add one person to the membership rolls in a given year (Sylvia, 2004). A safe conclusion is that attendance is also on a downward trend. Research (Burrill, 2007) suggests that from historical bases the Seventh-day Adventist church does a good job in the area of evangelism. In 2006 the statistical report of the world Adventist church highlighted that over 3,000 people joined the church through baptism on …

A Worship Model To Blend Cultural Differences At The Los Angeles Spanish-American Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Rogelio Paquini-Ledesma

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The membership of the Spanish-American Seventh-day Adventist Church (SASDAC), in Los Angeles is culturally diverse; it includes immigrants from several Latin American countries, as well as Hispanics born in the U.S. Currently, the mixture of cultures, worship traditions, and language brought to the church setting by immigrants do not blend well with the worship style and language of church members raised in this country. Hispanics born in this country do not feel confortable in a worship service led in Spanish and tend to leave the Hispanic church. As a result, the church has lost many members and tithes and …

“Game Changers” In A Developing Global Culture—Part 2, Milton Adams

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.