Digital Commons Network^™

Adopting Your Local Public Elementary School, Kevin Becker

180 Symposium Publications

God promised to give Joshua every place he set his foot. It is my belief that most Seventh-day Adventist churches have little or no impact on the community in which they are located. Depending on which statistic you look at, the median age for an Adventist is between 51 and 62. I believe one of our biggest hurdles, “the graying of Adventism,” could become our greatest strength. I believe that if churches would adopt their local public elementary school they would not only increase their impact, but would establish a positive presence in the community that would transform their image …

A Living Example Of Christ, Erica Slikkers

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Ministerial Training For Seminarians At Northeast Brazil College, Emílio Abdala

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Church Planting In Unentered Areas In The South American Division, Cristhian Alvarez Zaldúa

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

God Speaks In The Heart Language, Gideon Petersen

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Planting Diverse Ethnic Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In Berlin, Germany, Berndt Dietrich Wolter

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Planting Diverse Ethnic Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In Berlin, Germany, Berndt Dietrich Wolter

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a contextualized model for an ethnic church planting process in large cities such as Berlin.

Statement of Problem

The unchurched population of foreigners in Germany stands at around seven million with 450,000 of them living in Berlin. A few existing ethnic Adventist churches in Germany have been established in the past but no strategy has been developed to reach new foreign groups. Although there are some Adventist ethnic churches in Berlin, they have not developed a coherent strategy to reach the rest of the foreigners. The German attitude toward integration of …

Developing, Planting, And Multiplying An Adventist House Church Using Principles Of Missiology In The Florida Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, W. Milton Adams

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem Church attendance is steadily declining throughout North America. Nevertheless, people are still seeking God, but it is occurring outside the church walls. The same trend is occurring in Florida where church attendance is below the national average. In response to this trend this project was to establish an Adventists house church within the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists to assess a house church model’s front-line missionary viability. Method Following pre-launch work, one house church was launched in the North West Orlando area with two families (four adults and five small children). The project was evaluated for health, using Natural …

Developing A New Model For Church Planting In The Wisconsin Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Donald W. Corkum

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem. Both the Bible and the writings of Ellen White emphasize church planting as an important outreach strategy. During the twentieth century the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America has emphasized growing existing churches and institutions instead of developing new work. A new culture needs to be developed where church planting is a priority.

The Purpose. The Wisconsin Conference desires to develop a model that makes church planting a priority within its territory. This model would provide a structure of support enabling church planting to thrive even when resources are challenged.

The Method. The process followed was first to …

An Evaluation Of The Implementation Of Natural Church Development Within Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The United States And The Resulting Church Growth, Rodney Jon Mills

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

Natural Church Development (NCD) is a church health paradigm that is being used in Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States as a tool for increasing both church health and growth. One question that needs to be addressed is whether the implementation of NCD within Seventh-day Adventist churches results in church growth.

The Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish a validation of the NCD process by evaluating the church growth experienced at the Milwaukee Central Seventh-day Adventist Church and compare that growth with Seventh-day Adventist churches across the United States which have participated in taking …

Church Planting To Reach Postmodern Generations: Launching A New Church In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jeffrey T. Potts

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Henderson Highway Seventh-day Adventist Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was failing to attract unchurched young adults (ages 18-35). Many of the young adults who had grown up in the church were lapsing into irregular worship attendance. Attempts were made to help the congregation become more relevant to postmodern generations. However, these attempts failed to create a church environment that truly engaged young adults.

Method

Under the direction of its senior pastor, the Henderson Highway Church decided to plant a new congregation to reach unchurched young adults. The church was designed to be relevant to the postmodern context. Launched at …

Ministering With Millennials: A Complete Report On The 180 Symposium, Roger Dudley, Allen Walshe

All Books

Millennials in your community range in age from 15 to 32. The youngest are in the early years of high school and the oldest may or may not be married with families. One important Millennial generation attribute is delayed commitment. Ministering with Millennials starts with a complete overview of this interesting and important generation.

Papers presented at the 180 Symposium covered five major ministry themes:

• The Search for Identity
• Relationships are the Key
• Spirituality is Essential
• There is a Call for Leadership
• A Theme of Service

Among the 25 papers included in Ministering with Millennials, you will find powerful …

The Challenge Of The Postmodern Condition To Adventist Mission In South America, Kleber O. Gonçalves

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

The Sda Mission To The Jewish Community In South America, Edson Nunes Jr.

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Training Oral Leaders: An Adventist Challenge, Gideon Petersen

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving The Economic Life Of Adventists And Motivating Them To Increase Their Financial Support Of The Church: A Case Study From The Mid-West Ghana Conference, James Kwaku Badu

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Suffer The Little Children (And The Young Adults), Ed Dickerson

180 Symposium Publications

In addressing the problem of young adults leaving the church, Adventists tend to concentrate on changing the youth, while the real solution calls for changing the church to adapt its methods and worship to make the congregation attractive. This involves making church a place friendly for children and creating intergenerational worship. Separate ministry to young adults fails to integrate them into the congregational life.

A Study Of Youth Retention And The Challenge Of Delayed Commitment In The Norwegian Union, Victor Marley

180 Symposium Publications

A contributory factor in the increasing rates of young people going through the “back door” and out of our church is the extension of adolescence and the corresponding postponement of commitment. This paper will look at pluralism, the extension of adolescence, and the erosion of adulthood as some reasons why commitment is being delayed. Some fundamental questions will be addressed: Is there a need to focus on the age of commitment? What about rites of passage? Do we need some in the Adventist culture? This paper will, in conclusion, look at the experience of the Norwegian Union and the Absolute …

Handing On Faith: Equipping The Next Generation To ”Leave Church”!, Peter Roennfeldt

180 Symposium Publications

In view of the continuing high attrition of next generations from the Adventist church, perhaps, like with effective parenting, the best the church can do is to equip the next generation to “leave church” — releasing them to give birth to the next generation of Adventism. This involves trust — trusting the next generations, and trusting God with the future of his church.

Intercultural Relationships In Organizational Transformation: A Single Case-Study Of Baptist University Of The Américas, Albert Leonard Reyes

Dissertations

Problem

This study seeks to discover intercultural relationships in organizational transformation during the transition of Hispanic Baptist Theological School, a non- degree-granting institution to Baptist University of the Americas, a degree-granting accredited theological university in light of its 62-year history. Furthermore, it asks whether or not the transformation has made BUA more effective in light of its mission.

Method

An exploratory, qualitative single-case study method with a contextual orientation was used to analyze how a complex and integrated system was transformed. I conducted seven group interviews with students, staff, faculty, alumni, trustees, donors, and denominational representatives and six individual interviews …

Planting Missional Mennonite Churches In Complex Social Contexts As The Denomination Undergoes A Paradigm Shift In Ecclesiology: A Multiple Case Study, David W. Boshart

Dissertations

Problem. The problem investigated in this study is the struggle of church planters and their key stakeholders to develop common understanding about the churches that are being planted in complex social contexts while relating to a denomination in the midst of an ecclesial paradigm shift in mission.

Method. This qualitative research used a multiple case design with an emphasis on narrative inquiry. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with denominational and conference leaders, church planters, and key stakeholders. The four cases chosen included Anglo, Hispanic, Hmong, and multi-ethnic church plants.

Findings. The study found that the attempt to establish a …

Teaching Effective Communication Principles: Characteristics Of Effective Preaching To Young Adult In A North American Context, Matthew William Gamble

Human Subject Research Archive

The purpose of this dissertation is to help preachers to be more effective in the pulpit. The characteristics for what make a preacher effective in the pulpit are explored and considered in this project. The seminar: Preaching to the iPod Mind was presented to four different groups of preachers in the North American Division. A survey was provided to each participant.

A Call To Walk A Different Path, V. S. C.

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Challenging Polygamy In A Muslim Community Of South East Asia: A Case Study, G. P. P.

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

A Non-Pastor Dependent Model For Churches In The Greater New York Conference, Richard A. Marker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastors tend to hover over the churches and many of the functions of ministry within the local church. Church members demonstrate little personal spiritual growth or activity in witnessing to their communities. A specific church in New York City will be selected as a laboratory for experimentation with the premise that a non-pastor dependent church can achieve better than average growth.

Method

A systematic study of the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, commentaries, books, and articles concerning the development of church leadership and growth was reviewed. Once theological and historical data on non-pastor dependent churches and church growth was identified, …

Development, Evaluation, And Implementation Of An Interfaith Pastors' Peer Coaching Group In The Gentry, Arkansas Area, Raymond C. House

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

During my first ten years of ministry I discovered that I was in a lonely work with little peer-interaction or stimulation. Sporadic attempts to find peer- support and friendship among other pastors left me feeling only slightly encouraged. I was concerned that I was not being challenged by another peer or group of peers or held accountable to any particular goals personally or professionally.

Method

This research presents a model where pastors came together from various churches and denominations in a small town setting, and developed peer-coaching relationships for the purpose of improving their personal and ministry goals. Peer …

Short-Term Missions: A Vital Ingredient Of The Divine Blueprint, Vernon B. Parmenter

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Mission As Service In The Czech Republic [Interview], Cristian Dumitrescu

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Equipping And Mobilizing The Laity In The New York Luso-Brazilian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gerson P. Santos

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The New York Luso-Brazilian congregation was organized on October 23, 1971, with approximately ten members. By December 2005, its membership was 329, including two new congregations formed recently. In spite of the growth during the first two or three decades, this church has not experienced much growth in the last ten years. Many members are not committed to the Great Commission. Only ten percent participate in some kind of outreach. Analyzing the profile of this church, it was verified that the growth came mainly through immigration. One of the main challenges, therefore, is to involve the laity in missionary …

A Curriculum To Prepare Pastors For Tribal Ministry In India, Calvin N. Joshua

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The dissertation project establishes the existence of nearly one hundred million tribal people who are forgotten but continue to live in human isolation from the main stream of Indian society. They have their own culture and history. How can the Adventist Church make a difference in reaching them? There is a need for trained pastors in tribal ministry who are culture sensitive and knowledgeable in missiological perspectives.

Method

Through historical, cultural, religious, and political analysis, tribal peoples and their challenges are identified. The contribution of Christianity to India, particularly, the impact of the Adventist Church among tribals is reviewed. …