Digital Commons Network^™

Strengths-Based African Leadership Training: A Comprehensive Guide For Empowering Grassroots Communities, Henry Gwani

Doctor of Leadership

This project portfolio addresses the following need, problem or opportunity (NPO): Hopelessness within African low-income communities highlights the need for equipping local agents with a Christian gospel that integrates discipleship with leadership development, vocational training, mental health and asset-based community development if we wish to see Shalom. Several insights emerged from this research. First, to foster holistic transformation within low-income communities, it is imperative for discipleship to include basic mental health and practical interventions such as vocational training. Second, each community, regardless of how impoverished, is blessed with assets (skills, experiences and relationships), that need to be leveraged for the …

Ideas Explosion! How Church Can Create More Ideas, Scott M. Shelton

Doctor of Ministry

In this project, I am addressing my NPO: A healthy church nurtures a culture of humble exploration and responsive innovation. One of the key findings is that there is not enough material focused on how a healthy church can process and explore ideas. In addition, church leaders often feel ill-equipped for a process that requires creativity. Believing that God made everyone creative, especially the church, this project is a book that details a system to explore ideas, properly discern strengths and weaknesses, and prepare leaders to make informed decisions. I created the Gather-Discern-Decide (GDD) Process from research findings, personal experiences, …

Infobesity: How Does Information Overload From Digital Technologies Affect Our Relationship With Jesus, Andy Gabruch

Doctor of Ministry

My research project is based on the NPO of how information overload from digital technologies affects our relationship with Jesus, according to Mark 12:30-31, and how followers of Jesus can redeem digital spaces. My key insights of the research led me to the conclusion digital information overload is based on the lack of moderation and regulation of digital technologies as followers of Jesus. Furthermore, my research led me to the effects of information overload to five categories Jesus speaks of in Mark 12:30-31 of our hearts (emotions), soul (identity), mind (cognitive reasoning), strength (physical), and relationships (social skills) according to …

The Wise Professor: The Skillful Art Of Living In God's Mission, Aaron Badenhop

Doctor of Ministry

Today’s Christian professor in the secular university setting is likely an expert in their academic field. Likewise, many Christian faculty are sincere in their faith and devout in their practice. The Christian professor’s expert knowledge is impressive and their heart for God is admirable. Yet, today’s Christian professor is simultaneously likely to be ill-equipped and disconnected from having a missional impact in their secular university context. In my work with Cru at The Ohio State University, this challenge is complex; there are no easy answers. Christian faculty are typically educated and trained in environments that assume the irrelevance of God …

Renewing A Nation: The Impact Of The African Diaspora On The African American Family, Culture And The Black Church, Lolita R. Gilmore-Randall

Doctor of Ministry

Despite the notion the past can never be removed, disassembled or altered, variant versions of African American history continue to serve as a fluid document in time without accountability, acknowledgement, or consciousness of the liabilities associated with the African diaspora. Studies show an estimated 12.5 million African men, women, and children were forcibly transported as part of the transatlantic slave trade, an egregious act that remains impactful to this day. African Americans represent 12% of the American population, but constitute 2.3 million, or 34%, of the total 6.8 million in correctional facilities. Though African American children make up 14% of …

John Woolman's Aesthetics Of The Stranger, Jay David Miller

Faculty Publications - Department of English

Language about strangers, including ‘the heart of a stranger’ specifically, appears with frequency throughout the writings of John Woolman. This article argues that the stranger, inspired to a great extent by passages from the Bible, was a central philosophical and theological concept around which Woolman’s thought was gathered. For Woolman the stranger also functioned as a literary figure that united various parts of his work in what I refer to comprehensively as an aesthetics of the stranger. Ultimately, Woolman writing about strangers reflected his understanding of Jesus Christ as a stranger, which was the ground from which all his thinking …

Transgenerational Wellness: Trauma Informed Christian Spiritual Formation, Winford Amos

Doctor of Ministry

Certain mindsets, processes, and practices produce health inequities and disparities including poor spiritual health. Young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five years old are experiencing challenges with mental health and substance use resulting in a high rate of suicides and overdose related deaths. Many are experiencing co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges and have a history of trauma. There are limited options available for integrated treatment. Accessibility to services is very difficult due to limited providers and limited resources at this age. Church attendance has decreased significantly for young adults which limits the capacity of the church …

Thwarted Belongingness And Burdensomeness As Moderators Between Entrapment And Suicide Ideation In College Students, Tupelo Witte

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

College students are amid their search for identity development, desire to meet social expectations, and are juggling stressors that often lead to mental health concerns including suicidality. The integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior has established a three-phase framework to describe the process of suicidality. Life factors and feelings of defeat lead to entrapment and suicidal ideation followed by suicidal ideation and behaviors, as influenced or intervened by moderating factors. This study used data from the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment III to further investigate the integrated motivational-volitional model and specifically the motivational phase and relationship between …

"Distributed Collection Development: How To Grow Your Library Without Knowing Everything!", Grace Andrews, Renee Carey, Jon Jones, Deborah H. Mcconkey, Jim Mancuso

The Christian Librarian

But I was an English major as an undergrad. What do I know about biblical theology resources? If this type of thought has crossed your mind, you are not alone! No one can know everything about every academic discipline.There are people who know, however, who can help us develop a more complete library collection. But guess what? They do not know everything either! It takes the collective effort of many to truly provide a well-rounded collection that supports your degree programs. Collaboration is key, especially for solo librarians with limited time and resources, but this applies to all librarians. The …

Single And Christian Masterclass And Community, Ryan Lui

Doctor of Ministry

As the number of people marrying later in life or not at all in the church and world continue to rise, singleness as a significant stage of life and ministry area must also rise. However, with the Western church’s traditional focus on evangelism, family, and church growth, among other things, singleness is not given the attention it needs and results in single Christians languishing.

As a pastor at an urban church who has worked primarily with single people in their 20s and 30s, the issues related to a person’s singleness have been a reoccurring source of challenge regarding pastoral care, …

Counteracting Systemic Racism The Role Of The Multiethnic Church, Janice Wilson

Doctor of Ministry

The study explores how the multiethnic church can be a healing agent to counteract systemic racism in a multiethnic church in Richardson, Texas. Systemic racism is a critical issue confronting human society today. In recent years, the global community has united in condemning any form of racial discrimination, particularly against persons of African heritage.

The multiethnic church encourages ecumenism that transcends the racial barriers that have been inherent in Christian worship in the United States. For one, the study suggests that church officials could ease the advancement of the multiethnic church by increasing awareness of systemic racism to members of …

Disrupting The Shard Perspective: Leading A Culture Of Justice For The Reimagined Church, Shermika Harvey

Doctor of Leadership

Justice issues undulate amid society. They are entrenched into society's substructures, philosophy, traditions, and behaviors, and often stand uncontested over centuries. Biblically and historically, the Church's counteractions toward society's ills bestowed a sense of peace and community amid justice issues. However, as the justice crisis has increased steadily in the United States since the 1950s, the Church's presence submerged instead of being the forerunner. Therefore, many evangelical churches in the United States are viewed through their silence regarding injustice.

The Church, designed as a foundational agent for social and cultural change, stands at the cusp of a revolutionary historic moment, …

"Crossing Borders" The Life And Work Of Peder Borgen In Context, Torrey Seland, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Crossing Borders: The Life and Work of Peder Borgen in Context documents his personal sojourn and contributions to church and society, in addition to covering the scholarly contribution of a world-class biblical scholar and theologian. Too rarely is a scholar’s personal story considered as the back-drop, or even the foreground, of one’s academic work. In that sense, Torrey Seland’s detailed biography is inextricably linked to Borgen’s bibliography: a multitude of connections that contextualize the intrigue and significance of an exemplary scholar’s work.

The Discursive Construction Of The Past: The 1686 Resubordination Of The Kyiv Metropolitanate, Ukrainian Autocephaly And The Conflict Of Moscow And Constantinople, Denys Shestopalets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article focuses on the key historical aspect of the clash between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Constantinople Patriarchate in autumn 2018. It analyzes the conflicting representations of the re-subordination of the Kyiv Metropolitanate from the jurisdiction of Constantinople to the purview of Moscow in the second half of the 17th century. The study explores pivotal historical narratives and argumentative strategies employed by the two patriarchates (and, additionally, by the main ideologues of the Ukrainian autocephalist movement) for framing the events of 1686 and for shoring up their contemporary agendas with regards to the autocephalous status of the Orthodox Church …

The Household Of God: Building Communities Of Shalom, Jodi Gatlin

Doctor of Ministry

This paper explores the problem of anxiety, loneliness, and division within the United States. Research shows that while anxiety, loneliness, and division are on the rise, church participation is on the decline. In light of this reality, this paper asks the question, “How can the church be a community so that lonely and anxious people can be seen, known, and belong?”

From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture witnesses to God’s presence in creation, uniting with humanity to expand God’s heaven and earth temple into the rest of creation. Within God’s temple, God’s people are called to love God first, then self …

Ukrainian Protestants And Digital Culture, Maksym Balaklytskyi, Аndrii Shevchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Ukrainian Protestantism in recent decades has found fertile ground on the Internet. Activities through the Internet environment proved to be more successful than actual activities, as it was possible to cover larger areas and scales. Although the Internet is an additional option to the offline reality, it is also perceived by Ukrainian Protestants more as a marketing tool. This study examines two aspects of Protestant dialogue with digital culture: educational and applied. The educational direction is represented by the ecumenical curriculum in digital theology, initiated by Protestants. This educational center seeks to overcome confessional differences by establishing a common Christian …

The Green Lectionary: Creation Care And The Revised Common Lectionary, George Jacob Bolton V

Doctor of Ministry

As Christian communities become increasingly interested in engaging with humanity’s biblical connection to the earth, and the spiritual response to this relationship, there is uncertainty regarding the most contextually appropriate methods to pursue. Impressive projects that conserve and honor elements of creation, activities such as community gardens or solar panel installation projects, are often disconnected from the liturgical life of the congregation. Conversely, honoring creation and the biblical connection people of faith have with nature is a widely under practiced liturgical activity. This paper argues that the most direct and practical method to enhance a congregation’s awareness of their spiritual …

A Taste Of The Kingdom: Re-Imaging And Re-Articulating Kingdom Community, Jay J. Anderson

Doctor of Ministry

Modern churches find themselves in liminal cultures, requiring new understandings of ecclesia (re-imaging) and new approaches to communication (resigning). They also find themselves in the midst of a collapse of traditional community realities, including neighborhoods. The express intention of this researcher of lifetime PNW zip-codes is to encourage and inspire Pacific Northwest Jesus gatherings to reimage kingdom community. Each zip code contains unique cultural components, all of which need the life-giving inbreaking of the Kingdom of God. My contention is that when Jesus gatherings re-image kingdom community, freshly articulate ecclesiology, and appropriately flavor their communities with local terroir, each zip …

Mcnall's "The Mosaic Of Atonement: An Integrated Approach To Christ’S Work" (Book Review), Steve Emerson

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Discipleship In A Digital Age: Leveraging Multimodality And Digital Networks, Jennifer Miles

Doctor of Ministry

Advancements in communication technology, particularly since the Internet Age, have impacted culture in several fundamental ways. Cognitive and psychological changes have changed how people seek and understand knowledge. The development of horizontal networks made of both space of places, physical locations, and space of flows, Internet locations,1 has reshaped academic, social, and political spheres. The rise in entertainment to transfer information has shifted society’s focus to one of experience and service in everyday life. These changes have impacted the institutional church through a reduction of individuals self-identifying as Christian and in behaviors traditionally considered Christian.

In response, the church has …

An Examination Of The Global Refugee Crisis - How Have We Hurt? How Can We Help? - With Special Emphasis On Enhancing Resilience In The Somali Population Resettled In Columbus, Ohio, Jean Ollis

Doctor of Ministry

More than 45,000 Somali refugees have been resettled in Columbus, Ohio— second in density only to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. There is limited research on factors influencing resiliency among this population. This study utilized qualitative research methodology, including stakeholder interviews, stakeholder focus group, and literature review to understand the global, national, and local policies, resources, and cultural attitudes and biases that contribute to Somalian refugees’ struggle with resettlement in Columbus, Ohio.

The Declaration of Human Rights as the foundation of The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is explored as well as a timeline of how immigration and refugee policies have …

Acedia In The Local Church: Cultivating The Virtue Of Charity As A Remedy For The Vice Of Acedia, Jason Sedore

Doctor of Ministry

The vice of acedia is one of the greatest challenges the church is currently facing. Acedia lies at the root of indifference, apathy, idleness, and a lack of engagement in the life of a community of faith. Paradoxically, acedia also manifests as dutiful, distracted service that seeks to maintain status quo or personal preferences. Adding to the complexity further, acedia will also produce an overwhelming desire to leave one’s faith community for any other place that promises to meet one’s needs or provide a more hospitable environment for one’s growth.

The first step that must be undertaken against this forgotten …

Embodying God's Full Welcome: A Theology And Praxis Of Hospitality Toward Families Affected By Autism, Manuel Magana-Garcia

Doctor of Ministry

Autism is the fastest growing cognitive disorder in the world, yet many of the families affected do not feel supported or welcomed by their faith communities. A congregation that cultivates a robust theology and praxis of hospitality—one that invites people to consider God’s full welcome, and their place as guests in his kingdom—will provide a path of formation that results in a supportive, safe, and collaborative space that includes families affected by autism.

This dissertation will address the ministry opportunity by first articulating a clear understanding of the existing need. A biblical background of God’s hospitable nature will provide a …

Scriptural Contextualization: Understanding Chinese Philosophical Narratives, Gregory Appleby

Doctor of Ministry

Whether one is overseas or within their own home culture, when working cross-culturally scriptural contextualization is necessary to reduce confusion. When developing Chinese leaders, differing world views have caused conflict and confusion especially concerning an understanding of Scripture and the person of Christ. Westerners teaching, working, and living in a Chinese context participate in either widening or narrowing the philosophical gap between the East and the West concerning their understanding of Scripture. My hope is that Western leaders will see the value in alternative interpretations and understanding of the Scripture based on Chinese foundational narratives. Misunderstandings of cultural differences have …

Thriving Holistically As A Woman Married To A Minister: A Spiritual Formation Model To Support Women In The United States In The Role Of Pastor's Wife, Elisa Renae Ashley

Doctor of Ministry

While women married to ministers are blessed by God in many ways through their role as pastor’s wife, the role also presents many particular stressors. These stressors impact the systems of self, family, and church. A majority of clergy wives struggle to some degree with interpersonal loneliness, with finding confidants, and creating spiritual community wherein they can be authentically vulnerable. These struggles negatively impact the spiritual, physical, and psycho-emotional health of the women in this role. In order for them to deepen their spirituality and thrive holistically as they navigate the challenges of this role, a tailored spiritual formation model …

Demographic Changes And Faithful Response: Helping Presbyterian Churches Flourish Into The Future, David G. Watermulder

Doctor of Ministry

The problem that this dissertation seeks to address is that in an increasingly diverse society, Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA) churches do not reflect the true racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the changing context in which they are located. This paper explores how PCUSA churches in American suburban areas can better understand themselves in order to be equipped to engage with an increasingly multicultural and globalized environment. The future health and witness of PCUSA churches will be enhanced and deepened through actively learning about cultural differences and preparing members and leaders to do ministry faithfully into the years ahead.

Section …

Perrin's "The Kingdom Of God: A Biblical Theology For Life" (Book Review), Craig Rosenbeck

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

"The Crescent" Student Newspaper, November 6, 2019, George Fox University Archives

"The Crescent" Student Newspaper

The Student Newspaper of George Fox University.

Leadership And Commitment In Pentecostal Churches, Jason T. Whitehead

Doctor of Ministry

A goal of pastors is to grow their ministries with individuals who are committed to God. Church growth is a phenomenon by itself but central to the study of church growth and retention is church leadership. The pastor seeks to shepherd individuals and develop them into faithful Christians in the service of God. Church growth speaks to transforming an audience into a body of believers. A metric of church growth is the number of faithful congregants that attend service regularly. In order to understand the local church an understanding of leadership styles is important due to the multiplicity of leadership …

Bible Theory Or Biblical Living: What Are Christian Schools Providing For Families With Children With Special Needs?, A.Y. "Fred" Ramirez, Melissa Stymeist

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Private Christian elementary and secondary schools, along with Bible training and Bible exercises, have been a part of the United States and international community since the 1800s. This article examines these questions: (1) What Biblically-based principles are in evidence in Christian schools’ treatment of children with special needs; and (2) how do Christian schools work with the parents of these children. Results from the Christian schools that participated in this study indicate although that they were attending to their children with special needs, these schools may actually be missing many more students who are in need of services.

This is …