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Local Baptist Leader, Jason Ballard, Featured Speaker For Gardner-Webb Greene Lectureship, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Jason Ballard, associational mission strategist for the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association (GCCBA) in Shelby, N.C., is the speaker for the C.O. and Eliza Greene Endowed Lectureship on Tuesday, March 4, at Gardner-Webb University. His topic is “Leading Change in the Local Church.”

Weeping In The Household: Equipping Pastoral Caregivers Among Grieving Families At Grace Presbyterian Church In Baltimore, Maryland, Charles Brandon Brewer

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project sought to equip pastoral care ministry members of Grace Presbyterian Church to explore communal grief and deepen their own understanding of family systems in intergenerational grief. Participants engaged in a four-week training series aimed at reducing fear surrounding discussions of death, dying, and grief, empowering pastoral caregivers in the church to offer compassionate care to grieving individuals and families. Participants were trained to facilitate Bible studies, group discussions and were equipped with the skills necessary to guide and expand the church’s existing bereavement ministry beyond crisis intervention, strengthening pastoral care efforts, and the pastoral care ministry of the …

The Power Of Church Leadership Training And Development: Equipping, Empowering, And Encouraging Church Leaders To Lead Effectively, Monique Kirk

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study explored perceptions of a church’s ministry leadership team to determine their preparation in the tools, skillsets, and strategies needed to lead themselves and others well. The study sought to understand the needs of these church ministries to meet the spiritual and daily needs of the members they serve. The study used a mixed methods design, employing a survey and focus group that examined perceptions of ministry experiences, training, development, and other support. Results were examined through the lens of Lewin’s (1947) force field analysis to determine both driving and restraining forces on effective ministry leadership (Hussain et al., …

Solutions To Building Consistent And Sustainable Youth Ministry Programming, William C. Kincy

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This mixed methods convergent study explored strategies for building consistency and sustainability in Baptist youth ministry programming, with a particular focus on the AFC Youth Ministry. Guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Hitt et al., 2018) and Senge’s (2006) Systems Thinking approach, the study addressed three key research questions: What needs are youth seeking to meet that lead them to join a Baptist church youth ministry? What programming can AFC Baptist Church’s youth ministry provide to youth that would promote retention of the youth in the youth ministry? What are the best practices in delivering programming to youth in a …

Ashley Kernicky Named Director Of Gardner-Webb’S Department Of Physician Assistant Studies, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Interim Director Ashley Kernicky, a 2009 alumna of Gardner-Webb University, has been named the director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies (DPAS). While making the announcement, Dean of the College of Health Sciences (COHS), Dr. Nicole Waters noted that the hiring process included a national search to fill this vital position within the COHS.

Young Adults And The Black Church: Exploring The Relationship Between Young Adults And Their Desire To Engage In Church, Jovita Lee

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This dissertation study takes a deep dive into the key motivators and desires of young adults deciding to engage, or not, in church, particularly the Black church. This study is seeking to understand the particular factors that play an important role in the decision making process of young adults participating in church and the significance that participation may or may not hold in their lives. Through both qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as mixed methods surveys and focus groups, this study thoroughly examines the experiences, perceptions, and beliefs of young adults directly related to the Black church. Through this …

Meet Rachel Gaura: Gardner-Webb’S Newest Tucker Scholar, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University’s 2022 Tucker Scholar, Rachel Gaura of Chapin, S.C., is known for her willingness to serve her church, school and community with a caring spirit and humble nature. The teacher who nominated her for the Tucker Heart, Soul Mind and Strength Scholarship described how Gaura was the perfect representative of GWU’s most prestigious award.

Learning To Cope With Grief Through The Use Of Biblical Creativity With The Community Of First Saints Community Church, Patricia Watson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Supporting those who are grieving has long been a complicated process for church communities and pastors. This project investigated whether introducing a creative activity to a grief support group could help participants view their loss through a lens of faith and clinical aspects of grief. Although further studies will strengthen this hypothesis, a four-week curriculum was conducted with five participants at First Saints Community Church in Leonardtown, MD. Results from quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that there was a benefit to those participants.

Implementing Obesity And Comorbidity Education In A Faith-Based Setting, Tammy Lynn

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The aim of the study was to increase knowledge of the damaging consequences of obesity and related comorbidities. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions on a global scale and increases the potential health risk of many associated diseases. Faith-Based organizations have been found to be optimal resources for public health education. The shared beliefs and comradery are a source of support and encouragement for those who face many of life’s challenges, as well as life’s joys. The purpose of the project was to investigate the effectiveness of education delivered in a Baptist church on the topics of obesity and related comorbidities. …

Accelerated Pastoral Ministry Program Will Allow Gwu Student To Begin Ministry Sooner, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Annie Deaton realized her call to youth ministry as a senior in high school. After choosing to attend Gardner-Webb University, she learned that the Accelerated Pastoral Ministries Program (APMP) would allow her to answer her calling in less time than traditional programs, which generally take seven years to complete. Launched in 2016 at Gardner-Webb, the APMP provides students who are called to serve as pastors with both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in five years of study.

Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds Through The Practice Of Learning And Mission At First Baptist Church Valdese, Nc, Joshua Lail

Doctor of Ministry Projects

An education program was designed to encourage intergenerational unity among a mixed group of youth and adults at First Baptist Church in Valdese, NC. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the program on the intergenerational experimental group. There was movement toward intergenerational unity from the pre-test to post-test in the experimental group. Insights were learned from the data, particularly that there were different rates of growth between the youth and adults, and the observation that participants may have liked the idea of working together more than actually working together. The younger participants …

Alumnus Uses Artistic Talents To Share The Good News In Germany, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

On a highly traveled street in Cologne, Germany, one storefront draws attention. Through the window, people watch as Gardner-Webb University alumnus Dave Byers (’99) works at his potter’s wheel. Byers creates pottery and recycles it when necessary.

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.

Gwu Alumna Becomes First Woman To Serve Mississippi Congregation As Senior Pastor, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

A Mississippi church is celebrating a milestone in 48 years of history by calling a woman to serve as senior pastor. Courtney Finocchiaro Stamey, a 2012 alumna of Gardner-Webb University, will be the eighth pastor to lead Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Miss. She joins the church’s associate pastor of 23 years, the Rev. Susan Meadors, to become the church’s first all-female pastoral staff.

Gardner-Webb Divinity Student Preparing To Serve In Youth Ministry, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Will Raybon, a student in the School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University, serves with the Baptist Student Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA). As he connects with and ministers to students on the campus, he appreciates the relevance of his GWU studies. “I am responsible for the students’ exploration of the Bible every time we meet,” Raybon ’19 affirmed. “When one of them is facing a hardship or experiencing overwhelming anxiety, I provide pastoral care. Every spring break and throughout the semester, I help plan mission trips. Above all, I feel that I am able to …

Improving Ministerial Effectiveness In A Multi-Site Church, Randa M. Ross

Education Dissertations and Projects

In the modern church, it is not uncommon for churches to be comprised of congregations that worship at multiple locations offering several worship times and some even offering a virtual worship experience. In order to effectively manage Sunday worship along with other church activities, churches rely heavily on their congregants to volunteer in the various church ministries. The need for actively engaged volunteers is only amplified when the resources are spread across multiple campuses. The Park Church is one of those churches presented with the challenge of Improving Ministerial Effectiveness at a Multi-Site Church.

The Park Church desired to improve …

Cooperation, Not Competition: Utilizing A Shared Small-Group Discipleship Experience To Create Interchurch Partnerships Between First Baptist Church And First United Methodist Church In Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Thomas Paul Batson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The future of ministry will involve many churches forming interchurch partnerships to share resources to maximize ministry effectiveness and stewardship of assets. A small group between members of First Baptist Church and First United Methodist Church in Elizabeth City, NC, was formed to explore biblical themes of partnership and discuss logistical issues and how they might be obstacles to partnerships. Surveys measured participants’ perceptions of their doctrinal knowledge, attitude toward partnership, and perceived difficulty in dealing with the logistics of partnership. Discussion, reflection, and interviews contributed to the interpretation of survey data. Results indicated that a shared small group experience …

Gwu Alumna Adjusts Education And Career Goals To Follow God’S Calling, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Called into ministry at 16, Megan G. Brown of Fridley, Minn., came to Gardner-Webb University with clear goals in mind. She would be the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree and then serve in youth ministry. Her plans started to unravel as she approached graduation in 2005.

Grief In Community: The Establishment Of Bereavement Ministry Teams From The Congregation At Sandy Run Baptist Church In Mooresboro, North Carolina, Andrew S. Rawls

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Church is to be the expression of hope through the various contours of the human story. Too often congregations have difficulty expressing this hope during the time of death and extending that hope to ministry with the bereaved. In this project I studied the increase in self-efficacy in bereavement ministry with the congregation of Sandy Run Baptist Church in Mooresboro, North Carolina. The research focuses on the teaching of a curriculum that explores the biblical, theological, and clinical aspects of grief. The results of my research show this was an effective means of increasing self-efficacy.

Gardner-Webb Offered Music Graduate Full Scale Of Opportunities, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

A band of musicians and instruments filled Bonnie Scruggs’ childhood home near Gardner-Webb University. Her father, Johnny, was a high school drum major, and her mother, Pam, played piano and wrote songs. Earl Scruggs, the late legendary banjo musician from Cleveland County, N.C., was her third cousin.

Youth Minister To Speak At Gardner-Webb’S Dimensions Programs, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

The Dimensions program at Gardner-Webb University announces its next guest speaker for the 2014-2015 academic year. Youth minister John Isley will share his experiences on Tuesday, Jan. 27 and also Thursday, Jan. 29 at 9:25 a.m. in the Paul Porter Arena, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). The event is free and open to the public.

Enriching Christian Hospitality At Malaby's Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church In Knightdale, North Carolina, Barbara Starr Barner

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Hospitality is the welcoming of strangers, family, and friends. In the early biblical and historical traditions, hospitality focused on welcoming the alien and extending resources to them. Hospitality, however, need not be limited to the basic physical needs of the stranger, but spiritual needs are to be addressed as well. In the reflection of Jesus’ work on the cross, Christian hospitality should be the intentional, responsible, and caring act of welcoming or visiting strangers, enemies, the distressed, downtrodden, without regard for reciprocation. The goal of this project was to enhance Malaby’s Christian hospitality culture and take our personal interactions to …

Gardner-Webb Undergraduate Aids Malnourished Families In Guatemala, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Ben Payne helps feed malnourished families several thousand miles from home. With the aid of his family and business principles he’s learned as a marketing major, the Gardner-Webb University senior has assisted in the development of a sustainable nutrition program in one of Guatemala’s many impoverished villages. It’s work that’s earned him recognition in the local community and a mission he hopes will be replicated in other countries around the world.

A Training Program For The Mentoring Ministry At Spencer Baptist Church In Spindale, North Carolina, Bruce Ray Caldwell

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A training program was developed to equip adult volunteers to be mentor/encouragers to adolescents. Believing Christian adults have a responsibility to nurture and encourage the church's children and youth, adult volunteers were led through training to enable them to give this support. Surveys and questionnaires measured the effectiveness of the weekly training sessions. Following the training, the mentor/encourager program was initiated.

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.

Gardner-Webb To Share Global Mission Trip Experiences, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

As a university with a large-scale commitment to service in the community, Gardner-Webb places particular emphasis on missions. During the 2012-2013 academic year, over 100 students, faculty, and staff members served both the local and global communities through mission trips. Participants went where there was a need, with eight different trips crossing the county and the globe.

Gardner-Webb Continues Tradition As Host Of Summer Camps, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University continues a commitment to summer camps that offers participants the chance to grow further in religion, athletics, and education. Numerous camps are being offered in June and July.

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 …

Gardner-Webb Prepares Students For Eight New Global Missions, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb is a world in its own. Nestled among the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it reflects the values of faith, service and leadership demonstrated within a close-knit community. These qualities remain apparent particularly when university representatives travel beyond the mountains and overseas.

Gardner-Webb Alumnus Nathaniel Hilliard On A Mission In Moldova, Office Of University Communications, Travis Sherrill

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

For anybody, the task of graduating college and transitioning into a new phase of life can be daunting. So imagine walking across the commencement stage and heading straight into a two-year mission across the world. There’s a new language, a new predominant religion, and—oh yeah—you’re alone.