Digital Commons Network^™

Developing, Implementing And Evaluating A Leader Development Process For Stone Mountain Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Joel L. Honore

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Stone Mountain Seventh-day Adventist Church’s vision calls for a reiterative process of growing the worship attendance to 2,000 worshipers, then initiating a new church plant every four years. At the initiation of this project, Stone Mountain Church did not have the capacity to achieve its vision. Its facility could not accommodate 2,000 worshipers. There were insufficient leaders to minister to 2,000 people, neither was there adequate leadership to take the congregation through a facilities expansion process. The shortage of leaders precluded the vision of Stone Mountain Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

Bolman and Deal (2008) provide four approaches for engaging …

A Strategy To Increase Devotional Reading Of Ellen G. White's Books On The Bible Story At The Augusta First Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Bobby J. Boles

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Some members of the Augusta First Seventh-day Adventist Church felt the writings of Ellen G. White were irrelevant and thus had no influence in their spiritual life. The church members had dismissed her writings in their spiritual journeys and instead read the works of more contemporary authors. This group seemed to be apathetic to the matter of Ellen White as a prophet, and some avoided her written work all together. A contributing factor to this indifference might have been a lack of devotional reading of her books on the Bible story. By addressing this lack of devotional reading, I …

A Strategy For Planting Missional Churches To Include And Disciple The Postmodern People In The South Of Brazil, Natal Gardino

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In spite of the fact that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is growing in Brazil, the traditional evangelistic methods have not significantly reached people with a postmodern worldview, who (in this country) are generally younger, wealthier, and more educated. This present study was to mobilize the churches in the South of Brazil with information and strategies to include postmodern people in their evangelistic efforts both in the local church and in new planted churches as well.

Method

Curitiba Central Church was informed about the reality of the contemporaneous worldview, and leaders of the church and volunteers were trained, making the …

Making And Training Disciples Of Christ Using The Pursuit Of "Life... To The Full" As The Catalyst For Mission In High Springs Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mark Swaisgood

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

In the Spring of 2012, the High Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church had about 29% of its membership "active in ministry," meaning these members were involved in "ministry activities outside of Sabbath morning" or they served in "leadership responsibilities during Sabbath school and worship time" (i.e. I did not consider mere attendance as "active in ministry"). Approximately 9% of the membership was "missionally engaged," meaning they were participating in activities through "service to others outside of our denominational affiliation" (I considered serving people within our church membership as "active in ministry" not "missionally engaged"). The goal of this project was …

A Cross-Centered Evangelistic Preaching Strategy For The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Canelas, Portugal, Daniel F. M. Gouveia

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Bible reveals that evangelistic preaching must be Christ-centered and cross-centered (1 Cor 2:2). However, in recent years the evangelistic series in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Canelas have been mainly of a doctrinal nature. As a consequence, my pastoral observation indicates that attendance, baptisms, and decisions for future baptisms at the end of the meetings are few. One of the factors that contributes to this condition is the lack of evangelistic preaching that focuses on the love of God revealed in the cross of Christ.

Method

A cross-centered evangelistic preaching strategy was developed in order to present the …

Creating A Leader Development Strategy For Lay Church Plant Leaders In The Texas Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Elton Demoraes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Texas Conference has a strong emphasis on church planting. Since 2001 more than 115 churches have been planted throughout the conference. This rapid growth was possible because 107 of those churches were started by lay planters supported by an assigned coach. However, after studying the Texas Conference Church Plant database, we discovered that only 45% have experienced growth and 55% have plateaued or are declining. It appears that the reasons for this difference may be the lack of adequate coaching and training for the lay leader to enable effective leadership in the church plant.

Methodology

A leadership development …

Transitioning The Waldorf Seventh-Day Adventist Church To An Integrated Multiethnic/Multicultural Ministry, Kleyton Feitosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Charles County, Maryland, is an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The only two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the county are mono-ethnic – one White and one African-American – and do not reflect the multiethnic composition of the community. In the beginning of this study the Waldorf Church had the following ethnic composition: 81% White and 19% of all other major ethnic groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), Waldorf city was made up of 40.6% White and 59.4% of all other groups combined. In light of this reality, being a monoethnic White church presented significant church growth challenges …

Development Of Lay Leadership Through Teleconferencing In The Early Bird Bible School, Choong Hwan Lee

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

As a pastor in local South Korean Adventist churches in the United States, I tried several times to train and nurture members, but there was not much fruit. I discovered that the activities of lay leaders in these churches were steadily declining. Although there are many causes, the most serious challenge is a lack of leadership development training for lay leaders. And then, when leadership training is provided, the program fails to promote an evangelistic passion and ultimately causes a deficit of training for future church leaders. Even when churches do provide the program, many Korean Adventists cannot attend …

The Development And Implementation Of A Community-Based Evangelism Model In The Word Of Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Memphis, Tn, Fred Batten Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Studies (Arn, 1988) reported that over 80% of churches in America are in a period of stagnation or decline relative to growth. Despite the mega-church trend in America, most churches will not add one person to the membership rolls in a given year (Sylvia, 2004). A safe conclusion is that attendance is also on a downward trend. Research (Burrill, 2007) suggests that from historical bases the Seventh-day Adventist church does a good job in the area of evangelism. In 2006 the statistical report of the world Adventist church highlighted that over 3,000 people joined the church through baptism on …

A Worship Model To Blend Cultural Differences At The Los Angeles Spanish-American Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Rogelio Paquini-Ledesma

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The membership of the Spanish-American Seventh-day Adventist Church (SASDAC), in Los Angeles is culturally diverse; it includes immigrants from several Latin American countries, as well as Hispanics born in the U.S. Currently, the mixture of cultures, worship traditions, and language brought to the church setting by immigrants do not blend well with the worship style and language of church members raised in this country. Hispanics born in this country do not feel confortable in a worship service led in Spanish and tend to leave the Hispanic church. As a result, the church has lost many members and tithes and …

Bridging The Latino--Anglo Gap: A Transition Towards A Cross-Cultural Church At First Baptist Church, Robbins, North Carolina, Ernesto Robledo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In its 2,000 years of existence, the church has remained mostly segregated in regards to the inclusion of other cultures within one setting. Christians from various traditions have spent centuries trying to be more like Jesus as they worshiped in many different settings. Even though the church has been active for so long, the reality is that she has been predominantly white. Through an intentional pastoral project, twenty-four individuals participated in a four-week bilingual Bible study and a community-wide missionary event. These purposeful interactions proved that the church can change her traditional ministry pattern by engaging members of the Latino …

Discovery And Integration: A Framework Of Spiritual Formation For The Leadership Team Of Via Faith Community, Winston-Salem, Nc, Linda Marie Jones

Doctor of Ministry Projects

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinth, 3:17-18, NLT )

The process of spiritual formation can be seen throughout all of scripture; men and women, growing in faith, learning to truly love God, themselves and God's people. There is something so special to be on this journey of faith …

A Discipleship Program For Developing Community In The Amazing Grace Seventh-Day Adventist Church Plant In Johannesburg, Samuel O. Misiani

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many believers hunger for a deeper experience with Christ in their spiritual life, but do not know how to go about it. This discipleship and spirituality project was an attempt to discover a model that one could use to develop an authentic community in the ministry context of the researcher. Discipleship is a loving relationship with Christ in which the one whom He calls submits to His Lordship, and makes God’s purpose and glory the sole reason for being. In essence it is about total commitment to the Lordship of Christ, and cooperation with the Holy Spirit in His …

A Lay Member Church Planting Strategy For Unreached Areas In The West Tanzania Field, Jacob Ngussa Bohole

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. There seems to be a persistent tendency among church members to perceive ministry as the sole responsibility of the paid professional pastor: This is in contradiction with the New Testament concept of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9-10), which emphasizes that ministry is the function of the total church membership. The purpose of this research is to develop and implement a strategy to empower and involve lay people in ministry and mission in the West Tanzania Field.

Method. The methodology employed in the process of this research is threefold: (a) to examine Old and New Testaments …

A Strategy To Share The Gospel With The Hindu Community In The South Kenya Conference, Willys M. Oruta

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Adventist Church in the South Kenya Conference has not developed a strategy to share the Gospel with the Hindu community. The Hindu community is generally looked at as an idol worshipping group. However, this community conducts most of the business in many towns in Kenya. For this reason, they should not be neglected because God wants them to be part of His kingdom. Jesus died for the salvation of the whole world; therefore, a strategy to share the Gospel with the Hindu community is a divine command. In the South Kenya Conference, particularly in Kisii, the Hindu community …

Training Church Members In The Theory And Practice Of Preaching In The Spanish District Of Tri-City In The Upper Columbia Conference, Jaime Flores

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

One of the challenges of a multi-church district is that the pastor cannot preach at each church, each Sabbath. The Spanish district of Tri-City is comprised of three churches (Pasco/Kennewick/Richland). Some elders are reluctant to speak when the pastor is absent at one of these three churches. In addition, my preliminary research shows that attendance is lower at these churches when the pastor is absent. The reason for this absenteeism, according to some members, is poor preaching. Accordingly, the challenge is to develop qualified preachers who can preach at those churches within the district when the pastor is absent. …

Equipping Church Members For Contextualized Discipleship In Osaka-Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, West Conference, Japan, Jong Hyun Ryu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Seventh-day Adventist church in Japan has been on a steady decline in recent decades, at best maintaining the status quo. Although several factors may be responsible for this condition, a major factor for this is the failure of the church and its message in connecting with the Japanese culture and people in a relevant, meaningful way. The church seems not to be listening and observing the trends as she continues to apply evangelistic models designed by and for the Western nations to the Japanese. Consequently, despite the enormous funds and good programs, the church in Japan is not …

Applying The Biblical Practice Of Meditation Among Adventist Frontier Mission Employees, Conrad Vine

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Personal feedback from AFM personnel indicated deep uncertainty as to the legitimate basis for, and practice of, meditation within the Bible in general and the counsels of White in particular. The ongoing debates within the SDA Church concerning meditation and the lack of formal denominational guidance on how to meditate exacerbated the uncertainty. As a consequence, primary devotional habits for many employees primarily revolved around to prayer, Bible study and corporate worship. Yet there remained a reported hunger on the part of many employees for a more meaningful sense of God’s presence in their lives. The problem therefore was …

Desenvolvimento E Implementacao De Um Programa Estrategico De Plantio De Igrejas Na Associacao Paulista Leste-Sao Paulo, Erlo Braun

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Biblical and contemporary authors point to church planting as one of the best strategies for the dissemination of the gospel. Despite that fact - on account of other critical issues concerning church growth in Sao Paulo, Brazil -, the administrators of the East Sao Paulo (ESP) Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church could not afford to implement this practice until 2009. The lack, therefore, of an intentionally organized effort to plant churches in the ESP Conference is a challenge that must be faced by the SDA church in that region. In Latin America, evangelicals such as the …

Implementation Of A Conference-Wide Church Planting Strategy Within The Texas Conference, Tom L. Evans

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Recent statistics reveal that Texas has eight of the 15 most rapidly growing large cities in the United States. Annual growth rates for Texas are double the average for the rest of the United States. Due to a strong economy and a reasonable cost of living, both documented and undocumented immigration is on the rise. People in transition are more open to the gospel, but there needs to be a plan to reach them. Between 1995 and 2001, Texas added 18 churches (an average of only 2.6 churches per year). Based on 200 churches and companies, the average increase …

Trinitarian Leadership As A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective On Empowering Leadership In Local Churches In Western Ontario, Alex Golovenko

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Most Seventh-day Adventist churches in Western Ontario are not growing. Elders are present in every Seventh-day Adventist church. However, practices and responsibilities of elders differ from church to church. There is no network among elders for support and leadership development. The expectation is that the vocational pastor will solve problems and produce church growth, yet, contradictory, indecision exists among elders about whose responsibility it is to grow a church. Elders do not have certainty about biblical expectations laid upon them. They do not entirely function according to the job description outlined in the denominational handbook. Ideas about what the …

Developing And Implementing A Framework To Address Theological Fragmentation At Bethel Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Toronto, Vincent Lue

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Some members of the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church have demonstrated tendencies towards extremes in their belief system accompanied by conflicts, attraction to fringe groups, and a lack of progress in evangelism and mission. There is a tendency to place strong emphasis on fragments of the Adventist message rather than the whole. Anecdotal evidence and biblical principles suggest that this fragmented theology leads to an imbalance in understanding of gospel principles, and the noted problems are a corollary of this (Knight, 2008). Thinking affects being (Prov 23:7).

Methodology. A holistic framework for ministry was developed based on the template of …

A Pilot Project To Increase Member Participation And Revitalization Of The Coffeyville And Independence, Kansas, Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The Central States Conference, Andre M. Trofort Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Mt. Moriah and South 18th Street Seventh-day Adventist Churches, located in Coffeyville and Independence, Kansas, had not experienced membership growth in the ten years of 1987-1997. These two churches were part of a three-church district, which also included a church 145 miles away in Springfield, MO. That church was active in developing outreach and evangelistic strategies whereas the Kansas churches were not. The two Kansas churches were headed toward closing due to stagnation. Unless revitalization and consistent leadership training took place, a turnaround would never happen for these two small churches.

Method

This project explored the Coffeyville and …

A Mentoring Model For Pastors Entering The Ministry In The Indiana Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Steven Nowald Poenitz

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. As Seventh-day Adventist conferences receive beginning pastors into the field from colleges and seminaries or those who have made a change in career, the ministerial secretary is charged with overseeing their paths toward ordination. But the conference ministerial secretary faces several challenges that must be addressed such as visiting all the pastors in the field, driving long distances to personally meet pastors, and arranging time with the pastors. If deliberate and intensive mentoring is not fostered, no support will be felt by beginning pastors. Furthermore, the pastors are accountable to several entities, including the conference administration, the local church, …

Optimizing A Full-Time Music Ministry Team For A Church Planting Project In The Northern Asia-Pacific Division, Dong Hee Shin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Despite the support of the music ministry of the Golden Angels (GA), a full-time music ministry team of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) for the Pioneer Mission Movement (PMM), a church planting project of the NSD, PMM missionaries request changes be made to the ministry of the Golden Angels be optimized to meet the needs.

Task. The task of this project is to develop and implement strategies for optimizing the music ministry of the GA to better ensure the success of the PMM evangelistic meetings.

Results. Currently, eight young people from four different countries are members of the ninth …

Developing A Discipleship Strategy For The Dunamis Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Brooklyn, New York, Donnieval Walker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Dunamis Seventh-day Adventist Church has evolved from a church that, historically, was passionately spiritual and nurturing to one that seems to have lost its sense of identity and mission. The result is an inertia that manifests itself in a breakdown in communication, the inability to translate the gospel into the “language” of the community, and a general decline in spiritual commitment. Although some progress has been made in the recent past, there is still a gap between missional demands and practice. This appears to be symptomatic of the deeper issue of failing to experience the meaning of discipleship …

A Collaborative Sermon Preparation Team At The Seventh-Day Adventist Community Church Of Vancouver, Wa, Roger Walter

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Research (Rainer, 2001) indicates that people come back to church because of the sermon. Additionally, it is argued (Anderson, 2006) that the church and culture have changed. People today have higher expectations of the quality of what happens. Therefore, the expectation is much higher for the quality of a sermon. Yet, the sermon development process is still traditionally a private and closed system involving the pastor alone. This underutilizes a resource of creative people who could assist the pastor with research, writing, creativity, reflection and evaluation of the manuscript and graphics.

Method. In this study I sought to lay …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Outreach And Retention Methods Of Six Congregations Of The Brunswick Baptist Association, Jeffrey Gibby

Doctor of Ministry Projects

I chose two hypotheses to form a survey. The first hypothesis is that persons are reached by the style of building, existing relationships, or advertising. The second hypothesis is that persons maintain their membership based on the content of preaching, the quality of teaching programs, or fellowship.

I employed the Mann-Whitney Statistical Test to analyze the data.

The data revealed that good preaching, good worship, and good fellowship make a growing church. The data results also show the significance of the Pastor and revealed that age-graded Bible study groups are still valid in reaching and retaining members.

Reigniting The Lifecycle Of Plateauing Churches In Brazil Through A Prayer-Based Intensive Growth Approach, Otoniel De Lima Ferreira

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Purpose of the Project. This project seeks to create and develop a comprehensive prayer-based evangelism strategy to reignite the lifecycle in plateauing churches in Brazil. Through this project, pastors, church leaders, members and new members will be motivated and equipped to experience a better prayer life.

Method. The method used for this study was based on qualitative research: a review of prayer as it is presented in the Bible, theoretical texts on prayer, and practical books written by prominent Christian authors, and a comprehensive study of the lifecycle of some Seventh-day Adventist churches in Brazil. These profiles were studied and …

Spiritual Formation Within The Faith Community: The Beginning Of A Life Journey, Esteban Ricardo Palacios

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. Providing effective opportunities for church members to learn how to grow spiritually is becoming increasingly important, especially since the benefits of many programs do not seem to last over the long term. This project was designed to test whether a multi-dimensional program shows promise of being more effective than a more traditional program.

Method. A multidimensional pilot program was designed, implemented, and evaluated. It included the social dimension by creating a community emphasis, the emotional health and maturity dimension that culminated in discovering a God-ordained life calling, and an integration of the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, worship, and …