Digital Commons Network^™

Christian Music Experiences In The Faith Development Of Adolescents: A Phenomenological Study, Winnie White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenology study was to discover how Christian music experiences affect the faith development of adolescents. The lived experiences are the on-going process in which adolescents develop through the stages of faith and how Christian music fits into that process. The participants were adolescents who participated in a youth group with an active music experience on a weekly basis. I used the transcendental phenomenology model which included the epoche, phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis of texture and structure to collect, gather, and analyze the data. Data were collected from 11 adolescents utilizing observations, Fowler's Life …

Best Practices For Retaining Youth Group Students In The Local Church Post-High School, Christopher Dortch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has indicated that students who were once active in a local church are leaving the church and possibly leaving the faith after they graduate high school. The purpose of this project is to present best practices for youth pastors in retaining students' involvement in a local church post-high school. The project will consist of surveying fifty student pastors and will examine the impact of the student pastor's tenure, student ministry philosophy and structure, curriculum plans, and the role of the student pastor in assisting students through this transition. Through a review and examination of these elements, the project will …

The Psychological Relationship Between Spirituality And Emotional Responses To Music, Anais D. Norman

Senior Honors Theses

A study was conducted with 251 undergraduate psychology students at a Christian university to determine the nature of the relationship between spirituality and music-based emotions. Two hypotheses were proposed: First, students with higher levels of spirituality would experience higher emotional intensity while listening to music. Second, students will experience equal emotional intensity when listening to the “sacred” or “secular” selections. In answer to the first hypothesis, results indicated that overall intensity in emotional response to musical selections did significantly and positively correlate with higher spirituality scores. In answer to the second hypothesis, the strength of emotional intensity did differ, and …

Creating And Sustaining A Health And Wellness Ministry, Gary Moritz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will focus on creating and sustaining a health and wellness ministry within the local church. The local church should be not only a place that promotes spiritual health, but one that promotes and advocates for physical health and wellness. The thesis will outline how Capital Baptist Church (CBC) is making a growing and sustaining impact within the local church, community, and throughout the United States, while meeting a vital need in today's culture through a holistic Christian approach to life. This document will be a tool for other local churches to use in starting and sustaining a health …

Rethinking Discipleship In The Area Of High School Ministry: Key Strategies For Transforming Urban Youth, Michael Rackley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to a Barna Research Group study titled "Third Millennium Teens" 60% of young people will leave the church permanently or for an extended period. Decreasing the number of urban youth ages 14-18 from defecting from the church and to increase retention of church dropouts using Twenty-First Century transformational strategies is the goal of this project. Having served as a youth pastor the writer will analyze key strategies that will benefit high school ministry by raising the bar on expectations and by building future leaders in the church.

This project will include an anonymous survey of 125 participants aged 18-24 …

A Survey Of Christian Cross-Over Songwriting: Core Principles And Potential For Impact, Paul Malhotra

Senior Honors Theses

A cross-over song has been defined as a song written by a Christian artist aimed at a mainstream audience. An understanding of the core principles of cross-over songs and their relevance in contemporary culture is essential for Christian songwriters. Six albums marked by spiritual overtones or undertones, representing a broad spectrum of contemporary cross-over music, were examined. Selected songs were critiqued by analyzing the album of origin, lyrical content, author’s expressed worldview, and level of commercial success. Renaissance art also provided a historical parallel to modern day songwriting. Recommendations were developed for Christian songwriters to craft songs with greater effectiveness …

08-28-12 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 30 Issue 1), Champion

2012 – 2013

No abstract provided.

Creating A Millennial Generation Contextualized Church Culture, Christopher Deitsch

Masters Theses

The Millennial generation, or Generation Y as some people know them, is the biggest generation in the United States of America history. As they flood schools, universities, and the job market it is easy to see that there are major differences between them and previous generations. Simultaneously, the church in America has hundreds of individual churches each year closing and tens of thousands each year declining; most churches are ceasing to grow. The inability to reach Millennials is one of the reasons for this decline. This thesis purposes to give a snapshot of the Millennial generation, overview a few of …

The Application For Church Planting Through The Intercessory Prayer Ministry Of Young Adult Ministry In Choong Hyun Presbyterian Church, Kwang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is about researching church planting through the intercessory prayer ministry. This project describes several spiritual awakenings through this ministry. The most important result of spiritual awakenings is that skeptical believers in spiritual life have been changed into positive ones and passive believers have been transformed into active ones. Actually the author as an assistant pastor ministered in Choong hyun Presbyterian Church for almost five years. His wife and he led this ministry for one and half years. The author tried to find out the biblical background related to intercessory prayer through the New Testament, write …

Insights From Charles Spurgeon's Preaching For A Changing Culture, John Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project has been done in order to increase the amount of literature available that demonstrates how to preach to a 21st century culture and to enlighten preachers to the timeless truths that transcend from the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon. A close evaluation of Charles Spurgeon's biblical preaching reveals a model for pastors to emulate in a post-modern context in the local church. Spurgeon was a master communicator and a survey of his mid to late 1800's preaching reveals those areas of his ministry that are still useful in the New Millennium. By reviewing Spurgeon's sermons and writings, …

The Four Spiritual Laws: An Analysis Of Campus Crusade's Method Of Evangelism, Joshua John Kellogg

Senior Honors Theses

The Four Spiritual Laws is a method of evangelism that has sold over one hundred million copies and has been translated into many different languages. This shows that the Four Spiritual Laws has been effective in its presentation of the Gospel. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the Four Spiritual Laws. This thesis will identify whether the message of the Four Spiritual Laws is biblically accurate. This will be done through an exegetical analysis of the Bible verses that the Four Spiritual Laws cite. Suggestions will be given to improve any weaknesses of the Four Spiritual Laws that …

A Values Comparison Of Liberty University Freshmen, Steve R. Vandegriff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been debate over generally accepted values, not only in the context of education, but also within the context of those who are considered people of faith. This study is an investigation to determine if there are any differences between the two contexts, with responses being drawn from students enrolled in a required introductory university course on the campus of a Christian university. The variables of this study will be gender and ethnicity, giving a picture of student values, prior to being influenced by university pedagogy. A survey was made available by Hogan Assessments, self-titled as Motives, Values Preferences …

The Postmodern Church, Timothy C. Lawless

Senior Honors Theses

Within the past twenty years, the Church (especially in America) has experienced dwindling membership and attendance, along with a host of other problems. Many of these problems are symptomatic of a massive cultural shift toward postmodernism, leading to discontentment with the Church. In attempting to respond to these challenges, the emergent Church has arisen as a major element of American religious culture. Their methodology and doctrine is heavily influenced by postmodernism, which presents a further challenge for Christian leaders and ministers. This paper will survey the challenges facing the Church, will describe the emergent Church’s origin and response to these …

Jesus Music: The Story Of The Jesus Movement And Evaluation Of Its Musical Impact, Shimon K. Galiley

Senior Honors Theses

Few recent historical developments have had as much impact on American Evangelical Christianity as the Jesus Movement. Dating back only a few decades, this movement resulted in the conversion of many countercultural youth and the consequent revitalization of many American churches. One of the greatest impacts of the Jesus Movement was its new music which came to be known as “Jesus Music.”

This thesis describes the history of the Jesus Movement and the musical impact it had on American Evangelical Christianity.

Review: The Facilitator Era: Beyond Pioneer Church Multiplication, Edward L. Smither

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

The Identification And Construction Of A Comprehensive Strategy To Increase Sensitivity To Children's Evangelism And Spiritual Development In The South Korean Church, Ho Jin Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to identify and construct a comprehensive strategy for children's evangelism and spiritual development in the South Korean church. This project results from the author's anxiety and vision regarding children's spiritual matters while serving as a children's minister for approximately 10 years. Based on diagnosis through a survey, case studies regarding five successful churches through interview questionnaires, and literature research, this project suggest an effective and practical strategy for children's evangelism and spiritual development in the Korean church. This will be helpful for Korean churches that want to focus on children's spiritual matters.

An Effective Internet Ministry Strategy For Church Evangelism Through A Case Study Of The Sarang Community Church, Dae Suk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purposes of this dissertation are to shed light on the essence of the church internet ministry from the biblical and ministerial angles and to suggest effective strategies for churches launching an internet ministry. In the thesis, I conducted a literary review of online ministry and a case study of the Sarang community church. Basic Web analysis, an interview, and a survey were performed to analyze Sarang's case and to draw lessons from it. I sincerely hope my suggestions on internet strategies can become a compass that points churches to the right direction as they navigate through the wave of …

The Effect Of A Manualized Group Treatment Protocol On God Image And Attachment To God, Jacqueline Diane Rasar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study tested the effect of a manualized group treatment protocol on God image and attachment to God in a sample of college students attending a Christian college. Thirty undergraduate students from a homogenous population were tested with one measure of God attachment, two measures of God image, one measure of religious coping, and one measure of spiritual outcomes. It was hypothesized that significant God image and attachment to God change would occur among the treatment group participants. In addition, it was hypothesized that significant religious coping and spiritual outcome change would occur among the treatment group and comparable group …

Online Church: A Biblical Community, Jefferson Todd Mullins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Faith and spirituality widely exist in the virtual world of the Internet, spanning the continuum of expression from the traditional to the abstract. This religious presence online includes every religion, and included Christianity. Whether one believes the Christian church is capable of existing online has much to do with one's perspective of the Internet and one's definition of church. The author will address the use of the Internet to build Christian community and establish the church in a virtual environment. Arguments for and against the church online will answer the question, "Is church online truly the church?"

A Strategy For A Successful Christian Sexual Education Ministry In The African American Church, Darryl Lee Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist churches on how to effectively communicate on the subject of sexuality in the African American church context. The purpose of this project is to illuminate the African American Church regarding the nature of this project on sexuality in the African American Church, its common elements, and an effective strategy for preparing a project. By applying a strong understanding of current and past literature reviews, surveys and questionnaires sent to homes and churches, in addition to interviews and workshops, the project reviews historical African American Church perspectives …

Discipleship Within The Home, Mark Edwin Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God considers parents the primary disciplers of their children. He created the family to be the incubator of a teenager's spiritual growth. God has given parents the responsibility of creating an environment suitable for their teen to become a follower of Christ. He also expects parents to maintain the maturation process while their children still live at home. More specifically, the father has been given the privilege of being the catalyst of each family member's unique journey in becoming like Christ. This thesis will help parents understand why God has given them the enormous task of discipling their teenagers, what …

Elijah Baker And The Churches He Planted On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia: 1776-1798, Laverne Young Smith

Articles

Elijah Baker was a church planter who spent twenty years planting churches on the Delmarva Pennisula that is shared by Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia between 1776 (when he arrived) and 1798 (when he died). He left quite a legacy on the Eastern Shore. This project highlights his ministry in the Virginia section of the Eastern Shore, and profiles the history and current ministry of the churches that he was directly responsible for planting.

The Changing Role Of The Pastor's Wife In Today's Evangelical Church, Debra D. Benoit

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the changes that have occurred in the lives of pastors' wives over the years in regards to her position in the church, her role within the family and her life outside of the church. Research will be conducted through interviews of pastors' wives in various stages of ministry and church experience, as well as a research/literature review of materials showing the historical role of the pastor's wife and how her role has continually developed and changed over the years. The underlying goal of this thesis is to provide a framework for teaching …

A Descriptive Study Of The Additional Factors Needed To Transition A Troubled Church To Health, George Ray Cannon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a level of frustration among pastors as they try to apply philosophical models of health to troubled churches. These churches have been labeled "troubled" because of the traumatic events they have experienced in the past. These experiences have resulted in barriers to any effort by pastor to transition the church to health. The purpose of this study is to identify the common factors/issues that a troubled church must address in order to progress in the revitalization process. This study seeks to provide a description of the factors/issues that ten troubled churches addressed as they moved toward health.

Discipleship Within The Secondary School, Jason Hilgeman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Understanding living for God's glory results in specific ways of thinking which inform the role of the teacher as disciple-maker in the secondary Christian school. If Christian school educators are to impact the next generation, their thinking and living should change to reflect man's ultimate purpose. This integration must occur at a fundamental level within the lives of educators in order for students to be equipped to engage culture according to their design. The writer will help to make the connection from doxological living to the practical outworking of mentoring for a Christian school educator.

Biblical Strategy And Shift To Spiritual Driven Church Growth, Chang Kyu Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to present the biblical standards, principles, components, and methods of spiritual discipline for 21st century churches' conversion from human efforts and programs oriented church growth to spiritual driven church growth like an early church. The early church is a best model as a spiritual driven church. Modern churches are trying to build like the early church. The biblical study of the early churches in Bible and the results of survey of growing churches in Washington area will give biblical concepts and methods to make the spiritual driven church.

The Influence Of Pastor Dongwon Daniel Lee’S Preaching On The Growth Of Global Mission Church, Eun Bok Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There were many studies on the preachers and preaching styles, but only a few were done by analyzing one preacher. In his analysis method for the preaching style, Sung Young Chung presented three critical measuring parts: Interest, Clarity, and Dynamic Influence. The researcher selected a pastor, Daniel Dongwon Lee, as a sample of the current study because he is one of the leading preachers in Korea. The researcher analyzed 26 of his sermons with the measuring parts listed above. As a result, Pastor Daniel Lee had good results for each element. For the Interest part, his using illustrations with humor …

Cognitive Dissonance And Its Effects On Religious Beliefs, Justin Richard Melvin

Senior Honors Theses

How does an individual change his or her own religious beliefs when contrary evidence is presented? Cognitive dissonance affects Christian college students’ beliefs about a specific religious practice—speaking in tongues. A four-group between-subjects experimental design was utilized. A news story that objectively examined brain activity of those who speak in tongues was presented to a sample of Christian undergraduate students ranging in their beliefs about the issue of speaking in tongues. Cognitive dissonance was induced in two of the four conditions and its effects were measured by calculating participants’ changes in beliefs. It was hypothesized that dissonant cognitions (contradictory belief-disconfirming …

An Examination Of The Significant Factors Motivating Early Liberty University Ministerial Graduates To Envision And Pursue Ambitious Ministry Opportunities, David Wesley Hirschman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

From its inception, Liberty University has produced ministerial graduates that have envisioned and pursued ambitious ministry opportunities. Whether planting new churches, establishing new mission agencies in foreign nations, or launching a worldwide network of Christian schools, the manner in which early Liberty University ministerial graduates envisioned and pursued ministry opportunities is the direct result of the influences present during the early years of the school. This process of influence included factors that combined to create a climate of confidence and expectation among ministerial graduates, prompting many to envision and pursue ambitious ministry opportunities that endured to become thriving and lasting …

Burning Bright: Lu Youth-Ministry ‘Pioneers’ Return For Special Reunion, Liberty University

December 2009

No abstract provided.