Digital Commons Network^™

Towards A Theology Of The Single Mother, Stephanie Townes

Seminary Masters Theses

Families are changing. The white picket fence nuclear family with a mother, father, 2.2 kids and a dog is no longer the norm for American society. Families look less and less like “traditional families.” Blended families, children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, step-families, multigenerational families, adopted children, single parent families, foster parents, and homosexual partners raising children are all part of the fabric of society. Society has changed so much that, as feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether points out, “it is no longer possible to speak of one predominant “normative” model of family.”

The Story Pastor: A Faithful And Fruitful Identity For Pastors, Jordan Rimmer

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors are experiencing an identity crisis. Many are not sure how to process who they are and what they do. While old metaphors for ministry—like shepherd or prophet— do not connect as well with today’s culture, new metaphors—like leader or counselor— are not biblically complete. This identity crisis negatively affecting clergy health and ministry. How can pastors pursue sustainable ministries, based on an identity, that is faithful to the tradition and fruitful in the world today?

Story is a paradigm for ministry that shapes pastoral identity. Pastors benefit from thinking of their ministry in terms of story because it is …

Overcoming The Unique Spiritual Formation Challenges Experienced By Large-Church Staff, Scott Whaley

Doctor of Ministry

Church staff encounter unique spiritual formation challenges that are not experienced in other vocations. In addition to managing stressors that are typical in every workplace setting, the church staff must also address the implications that arise because their pastor is also their employer, and their place of worship is also their workplace. These challenges are magnified in the large-church environment due an increased focus on employee performance and an emphasis on a corporate organizational structure. Over the last few decades, large churches have adopted best-practices from the corporate world, practices which focus scrutiny on increasing staff performance, further adding to …

The Study Of Brokenness As A Critical Success Factor In The Effective Leadership Of The Pastor, Robert Thompson

Doctor of Ministry

In our western culture, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders have adopted secular leadership that emphasizes performance and results rather than emphasizing spiritual leadership based in our identity in Christ as a servant leader and the process of brokenness that God uses to develop His servants. Recent literature has suggested that pastors and Christian leaders need to revisit the need for brokenness in their Christian formation as a critical success factor in their leadership. The Church should consider brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the pastor.

This dissertation will concentrate on the importance of brokenness …

The Ecological Gift Of Spiritual Formation: A Renewal For Healthy Clergy, Jody Becker

Doctor of Ministry

Every year Lutheran clergy resign pastoral calls citing one, primary reason: burnout. Certainly, the demands of pastoral call within a congregation are easy to observe: long on-call periods of time, intense levels of pastoral care needs, and navigating multifaceted, interpersonal relationships, to name a few. While these demands become symptomatic to the problem of burnout, the determining cause is still unknown, especially given the various contextual factors for these pastors. Yet, the number of pastors leaving ministry or experiencing shortened tenures is alarming. In the Lutheran church, spiritual formation language is often associated with determined deficiencies. Other times, spiritual formation …

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2017, George Fox University Archives

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2017

Inner Healing And Deliverance As An Essential Component Of The Discipleship Structure Of The Local Church, Jonathan Lee Shoo Chiang

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation posits that Inner Healing and Deliverance (IHD) is an integral, essential component of the discipleship structure of a local church, contributing much to the spiritual growth and maturity of believers. By “integral” and “essential”, I make the point that IHD is not merely a supplementary ministry, like a “hospital unit” for emotionally wounded or spiritually oppressed believers. Rather, it exists as a ministry that is much more inclusive, for everyone who wishes to receive biblical teaching on life issues, and receive prayer counseling.

IHD brings a believer into an experiential encounter with God. This results in an effective …

In The Way They Should Go: Nurturing The Relational And Spiritual Nature Of Children, Jamee Free

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the innate relational and spiritual nature of children. This dissertation assumes that children are deeply relational and spiritual as part of the image of God within them. Chapter one takes a comprehensive look at how children are struggling within this country on every measure of health, as well as how relational nurture and soul care are significantly lacking. Chapter two explores Biblical materials, especially the incarnation, Jesus’ interactions with children, passages from Deuteronomy, verses from Proverbs, and examples of children in Biblical narratives. The third chapter focuses on historical and theological materials, as well as theories from …

How To Handle Face-Saving In The Chinese Church Through Servant-Leadership, Jiying Song

Faculty Publications - George Fox Digital

Excerpt: "Leaders unknowingly functioning out of face-saving, the tendency to try to protect ones standing or reputation or to avoid losing some aspect of these, have a negative impact on organizational leadership. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how leaders can mitigate the negative influence of face-saving through servant-leadership in the Chinese church setting."

"Get On The Cart!" Wesleyan Discipleship In An Age Of Endemic (Chapter 15 Of Thinking Theologically About Mass Incarceration), Benjamin Hartley, Glen Alton Messer Ii, Kirsten Sonkyo Oh

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Excerpt: "Fyodor Dostoyevsky once said that the so,ul of society "can be measured by its prisons."1 If that is true, then the soul of society in the United States is sick. The statistics on mass incarceration provided elsewhere in this volume illustrate the endemic nature of the problem much like epidemiological data shows the occurrence of a disease, but the stories from prisoners and their families-which the three of us have heard and told-show even more poignantly the depth of the wounds caused by the tragedy of incarceration that defies Christian virtues in this country. We pray this chapter will …

Giving Permission For Creative Preaching In The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod: Returning To Our Creative Roots, Glen Schlecht

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores preaching, particularly within the context of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The use of multi-media and interactive preaching, among other creative approaches, can effectively communicate the Gospel to all ages, engage the congregation, and relate Christ and His Word to daily life. Such creativity is found throughout God’s Word, is seen significantly at the time of the Reformation, and has historically been part of the rich evangelical nature of the LCMS. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, there was significant upheaval within the LCMS, and part of the outcome following that time was an unstated curtailing of …

Exploring Vocation: Early Career Perspectives On Vocation In Action, Alisha Pomazon, Sarah Knudson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

As tenure-track professors at a Catholic liberal arts college, we began our academic careers four years ago with a strong desire to excel in our research and teaching. Most importantly, however, we hoped to come to a deeper understanding of how we might imbue our work in a Christian higher education context with a strong sense of purpose and connection to our beliefs. This reflection details our experience of co-developing a sense of vocation and sacramentality in ourselves and our students during the busy pre-tenure years. We discuss how religious and scholarly texts, workshop and retreat experiences, and course design …

Religious Freedom And The Making Of A World Safe Diversity: A Pastoral Perspective, Aco Girevski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Greek Rite Catholicism In Lithuania: The Mission Of Bishop Petras Būčys, 1930–1940, Regina Laukaitytė

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Dance Of Formation: Engaging Faith Practices As A Way To Shape Clergy Spouse Life In The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, Erin M. Swenson-Reinhold

Doctor of Ministry

Christian spiritual formation is a lifelong process of being transformed into the image of Christ. The current model of theological education in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) often fails to prepare seminarians and their spouses for the challenges of long-term ministry by neglecting the spiritual formation process in favor of skill-based training. When this occurs, problems may arise in the marriage or ministry. This dissertation proposes there is a definite need for spiritual nourishment and spiritual formation for clergy and their families, and faith practices are important predictors of individual and relational health.

The first five years of …

Down To Earth Leadership: Influencing Communities Through The Virtues Of Jesus Christ, Deve Persad

Doctor of Ministry

While Canadian culture has changed significantly over the last 40 years, Christian leadership development has failed to keep pace. Today’s leaders must learn to apply the Gospel through their lives and ministries into communities that are undergoing constant change as a result of increasing multiculturalism, religious pluralism, and mounting pressures of social diversity. There is a long line of short-tenured Christian leaders that have previously made attempts at leadership without taking time to understand the benefits of focusing on the key virtues from the life of Christ in order to navigate the complexity of the various systems, structures, and competing …

Richard Baxter's Paradigm For Pastoral Spiritual Formation, Robert W. Hyatt Jr

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation outlines the thoughts of Puritan pastor Richard Baxter regarding the spiritual lives of clergy and applies his thoughts to those in ministry today. Though Baxter lived some 400 years ago, his passion for the spiritual formation of pastors and concern that their lives preach the same message they delivered from the pulpit is relevant to pastors in any age, not least in our own. Section 1 describes broadly the state of those in ministry today. Section 2 describes the often “business-like” approach many take to ministry and its shortcomings. Section 3 traces some of the themes of Baxter’s …

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2016, George Fox University Archives

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2016

'The Classroom Is A Place Where I'M Alive:' One Teacher's Reflection On Learning And Life In The Classroom, Susanna M. Steeg

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This qualitative case study of one teacher’s learning life describes how affective considerations influenced her learning and teaching. Classroom observations, interviews, and inquiry conversations informed the learning considerations that infused her first-grade classroom. The resulting descriptive vignettes showcase the various ways this experienced teacher trusted the significance of affect for her teaching and learning life together with children. This allowed her to co-construct a ‘life curriculum’ alongside students, demonstrating sensitivity to her students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.

The Stuttgart Declaration Of 1945: A Casy Study Of Guilt, Forgiveness And Foreign Policy - Chapter 15 From "Trinity And Transformation: J. B. Torrance's Vision Of Worship, Mission, And Society", Roger Newell

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

J. B. Torrance was one of the few theologians of our era whose exposition of fundamental Christian theology spoke prophetically to the church’s social and political witness to the Gospel. This essay examines how Torrance’s analysis of forgiveness casts fresh light on the process whereby relations between the Protestant churches of Europe and America were restored in the chaotic aftermath of postwar Germany. The essay argues that the result of their meeting for reconciliation, the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt, prepared the way for the Allies to set aside policies of collective punishment in favor of policies which supported reconciliation and …

Young Adults Leaving The Church: The Tie To Intentional Spiritual Mentoring Among Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Teens Through Youth And Confirmation Ministry, Serena Alexandria Pace

Doctor of Ministry

Previously churched Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)1 young adults are leaving the worship community post confirmation and post high school. Is this truly what is taking place? If so, what structures within churches and youth ministries might contribute to this problem? In order to address this problem, it is proposed that the lack of youth mentorship ministry, especially of teen-agers in the church, contributes to the problem. Worship communities can help ensure that young adults stay connected by establishing mentor relationships during the confirmation and teen years.

Effects Of An Electronically Guided Prayer Intervention, Brian Lee Goetsch

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract Hope has been identified as an important factor in a variety of positive outcomes in psychotherapy, medicine, academic success, and for general levels of functioning. However, until now most studies on hope have been correlational in nature, and researchers have rarely sought to understand how hope can be facilitated. The present study considered the effect of prayer on experiences of hope in a national sample of Christian college students. An intervention group completed a guided prayer exercise once a day for 2 weeks. Pre and post-test levels of hope were assessed and compared to a control group, and a …

Narrative Identity Development For Novice Psychotherapists In Clinical Training, Dana Michelle Satterlee

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract Narrative identity is “the internalized, evolving story of the self that each person crafts to provide his or her life with a sense of purpose and unity” (Adler, 2012, p. 367). This identity is distinct from the broad dispositional traits and the characteristic adaptations for contextualized behaviors. It provides the self with a sense of purpose, meaning, and unity across time and situations (McAdams & Olson, 2010). Researchers have developed ways of measuring innovative moments (IMs), or shifts in narrative identity that occur in psychotherapy. Researchers have also explored narrative identity processing as it seems to occur across the …

Intimate Partner Violence In The Black Church: Bridging The Gap Between Awareness And Policy Development, Carlos Jermaine Richard

Doctor of Ministry

The perennial problem of intimate partner violence (IPV) has gained national attention due to the increased awareness efforts of advocates, law enforcement, government, education, and social service agencies. This awareness serves as the catalyst for the upsurge in legislation, law enforcement involvement, and incarceration of abusers. Although the secular community has strategically implemented tactics and policies to combat abuse, the Black church continues to experience challenges with awareness and effective stratagems to address the issue. Further, the issue of domestic violence in the Black church has significant impact on women who suffer intolerable mistreatment at the hands of their abusers. …

Yealand Manor School, Susan Vipont Hartshorne

Quaker Studies

In 1939 a small group of Manchester Friends set up a school for Quaker children evacuated from the northern cities for the duration of the war. It was open from September 1939 to July 1944 and during this time 183 children, aged between three and twelve years, passed through the school. In addition a number of refugees, mainly Jewish children, came to the school. The maximum number at the school at any one time was 76. It was staffed almost entirely by volunteers. In this article I focus on several of the more unusual aspects of this school. These include …

Mary Birkett Card (1774-1817): Struggling To Become The Ideal Quaker Woman, Josephine Teakle

Quaker Studies

This paper is based on The Works of Mary Birkett Card 1774 -1817, an edition of the manuscript collection made by her son Nathaniel Card in 1834. The collection contains different genres and spans Card's life from childhood to near her death, forming a unique record of one woman's experience at the tum of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Themes of self and identity, women's participation in public and private spheres, and ideological differences are apparent in Mary Birkett Card's struggle, in life and text, to become 'the ideal Quaker woman'. One particular focus is on her negotiation of …

'Chipping At The Landmarks Of Our Fathers': The Decline Of The Testimony Against Hireling Ministry In The Nineteenth Century, Thomas D. Hamm

Quaker Studies

One of the distinctive features of Quakerism from the 1650s until the 1870s was its stance against any kind of pay for ministers, what Friends referred to as 'hireling ministry'. Friends viewed a paid, authoritative pastoral ministry as contrary to Scripture, as tending toward preaching that pleased humans rather than God, as limiting the leadings of the Holy Spirit, and as generally corrupting. One of the criticisms of Orthodox by Hicksite Friends in the 1 820s was that the Orthodox were compromising this testimony by associating with clergy of other denominations in reform and humanitarian causes, and both Orthodox and …

God's Focus On The Fatherless: A Lens To Inform Spiritual Impact In The Local Church, Dwight David Croy

Doctor of Ministry

This study concentrates on God’s focus on and vision for the fatherless as an informal lens from which local churches may measure and implement ministry impact and outreach principles. As a pastor and a military chaplain, I see many young people who are fatherless to the third and fourth generation. The ministry of the present day Church is limiting its impact because it does not see the fatherless as God sees them. Here the question is asked, “What in God’s exhortation of supporting the fatherless are churches to incarnationally infuse into their local outreach to the community?” The claim is …

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2015, George Fox University Archives

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes

Northwest Yearly Meeting Minutes 2015

Preliminary Analyses Of Three Measures Of Grace: Can They Be Unified?, Rodger K. Bufford, Amanda M. Blackburn, Timothy A. Sisemore, Rodney L. Bassett

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Grace is an interesting and potentially significant domain within positive psychology, but remains largely neglected. The present study examined the relationships among three known grace scales to evaluate the potential for creating a stronger single measure. It also explored their relationships to several other religious/spiritual measures to examine whether the three scales are measuring the same construct, to explore the implications for our understanding of grace, and to provide insights for further study. The three measures had moderately strong correlations with each other (r= .55 to .66), had similar relationships to other measures of religion/spirituality, and had distinct relationships to …