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Small Groups That Fuel Active Service In The Local Church, Stephen Jerel Love
Small Groups That Fuel Active Service In The Local Church, Stephen Jerel Love
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Manna Church prioritizes empowering and developing leaders as an imperative objective of the local church. Such development is fueled through various avenues, including small groups. This thesis project will survey the purpose of small groups within Manna Church and how newly designed groups can address the problem of low voluntary participation in weekly services. The need for more active serve team members problematically exists among six site locations in the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg region. Furthermore, each ministry leader seeks innovative strategies to initiate and maintain involvement during weekly services. However, numbers are at an unprecedented low point. The effects of these …
Christian Volunteer Leadership In The Megachurch: A Quantitative Study Of Transformational Leadership And Training, Matthew Alexander Freyre
Christian Volunteer Leadership In The Megachurch: A Quantitative Study Of Transformational Leadership And Training, Matthew Alexander Freyre
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between training volunteer leaders undergo to take on a leadership role in the Megachurch and the number of hours volunteers invest in the church, controlling for the quality of leadership for volunteers in the Megachurch who take on a leadership role. Further, this study sought to determine what, if any, relationship exists between volunteer leadership behavior and volunteer leadership quality in the select megachurches. Megachurches have developed stigmas pertaining to leadership involving its quality and the lack of quantity of leadership for attendees. This study examines if …
The Christian Entrepreneur: A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Christian Entrepreneurs As Disciple-Makers, Charis Meegan Rooks
The Christian Entrepreneur: A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Christian Entrepreneurs As Disciple-Makers, Charis Meegan Rooks
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
While Christian entrepreneurs have a diverse range of life experiences and perspectives, there is often an unawareness of the vital role they play in supporting the church, workplace, and community in discipleship. This phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to explore the formative life experiences (positive and negative) that shape Christian entrepreneurs’ ability to promote discipleship in the church, workplace, and community. The grounding theory underlying this study was servant leadership, which was used to understand if the church’s growth, necessary to fulfill God’s Great Commission, can be aided by Christian entrepreneurs willing to serve. Through in-depth interviews with Christian entrepreneurs …
Effective Decision-Making And Conflict Resolution For Church Leadership Teams And Governing Boards, Frederick Chambers
Effective Decision-Making And Conflict Resolution For Church Leadership Teams And Governing Boards, Frederick Chambers
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Conflict is one of the primary reasons church leaders leave churches, quit vocational ministry, are terminated or are ineffective in their leadership and Christian service. Church leaders become discouraged, less effective, quit their leadership positions, or even leave congregations because of conflict or disagreements over decisions. Ineffective decision-making and conflict within the leadership team harm the ministry organization and the leaders. The problem this action research project addresses is the need for a clearly defined process of group decision-making and conflict resolution among church and ministry leadership boards. The purpose of this project was to evaluate and improve the tools …
Relational Evangelism: Family-To-Family Through Recreational Activities, Kimberly R. Williams
Relational Evangelism: Family-To-Family Through Recreational Activities, Kimberly R. Williams
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The goals of this Doctor of Ministry thesis project are to explore and implement an approach to evangelism that has the potential of family connection through relational evangelism. The approach delivers the gospel message through family to family encounters in recreational activities. The church, Idlewild Baptist Church (IBC) has a unique communal opportunity to enhance ministry efforts through relational evangelism. The church leaders at IBC realize that they can do more with their recreation center on their campus by using it as a resource for outreach connecting with unchurched families and families without a church affiliation. An identifiable dilemma in …
The Creation Of A Handbook For The Family Church Internship In South Florida, Garrett S. Haywood
The Creation Of A Handbook For The Family Church Internship In South Florida, Garrett S. Haywood
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this DMIN action research project was to create a handbook for the Family Church Internship in South Florida. The internship at Family Church is a thriving and growing program. However, it lacked a guiding handbook. This project created an internship handbook through a series of careful interviews. Eighteen individual interviews were conducted with project participants. Six interviewees were current interns, six were intern alumni, and six were intern supervisors. A first draft of the handbook was written and distributed to participants. Eighteen follow-up interviews were conducted with the same interviewees. A final draft of the handbook was …
Organic Leadership Training: A Training And Assessment Program For Potential House Church Leaders, David Glenn Bailey
Organic Leadership Training: A Training And Assessment Program For Potential House Church Leaders, David Glenn Bailey
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This action research thesis project engaged non-professionally trained Christians who worked through the early stages of Christian leadership development and house church planting. The project utilized a six-week training program in which participants hosted a prayer meeting, chose a confession, led a Bible study, designed an outreach ministry, hosted a worship meeting, and drafted future house church resolutions and a community rule. The participants engaged in a weekly targeted spiritual discipline to foster spiritual formation. Data were collected through journaling, entrance and exit questionnaires, activity guides, post-activity questionnaires, and participant-observations. The research indicates that organic leadership training inspires confidence in …
The Communication Culture Of Flourishing Churches, Ronald Drake Jenkins
The Communication Culture Of Flourishing Churches, Ronald Drake Jenkins
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study provides qualitative phenomenological observations that analyze and describe communication styles in ten flourishing churches. Practicing Christians contribute significantly to our society and culture. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the communication cultural themes within healthy and flourishing churches. The parameters of this study were limited to ten churches found on the Outreach Magazine Top-100 largest and fastest growing churches in America. Each of these churches was visited one time during a Sunday morning service. During this process, this researcher was a participant observer, examining and flourishing themes in real-time while observing the ten churches. People …
Understanding An Urban Black Worldview: A Phenomenological Examination Of 2020, Gershwin Francis Grant
Understanding An Urban Black Worldview: A Phenomenological Examination Of 2020, Gershwin Francis Grant
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This action research project was designed to surface and codify a worldview that emerged among black people as a result of the traumatic phenomena of 2020. The program sought to help white pastors in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley recognize this new worldview, understand its implications, and desire to intentionally develop their level of Cultural Competence to more effectively counsel and disciple black congregants holding this worldview. The detrimental effects of the phenomena of 2020 exacerbated existing trauma caused by social and institutional racism and resulted in an altered worldview among urban blacks affecting relationships in communities and within church …
The Digital Pulpit: Having Church When You Can't Have Church, Joshua W. Hall
The Digital Pulpit: Having Church When You Can't Have Church, Joshua W. Hall
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique difficulties and challenges across the globe. Churches responded to these challenges in different ways. At Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, where the researcher serves, the physical church buildings were closed and physical worship services suspended in favor of online services. This arrangement persisted for ten weeks. After reopening the physical church building for in-person services, average church attendance had decreased, church giving had increased, and spiritual formation had taken place. This research aimed to address the reason as to why these challenging conditions produced such unexpected results. To achieve this, the researcher utilized a series of …
A Model Of Evangelism For A Bilingual Worship Community, Dorkham Donovan See
A Model Of Evangelism For A Bilingual Worship Community, Dorkham Donovan See
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to develop a model of evangelism for the Lahu-English bilingual worship community at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, Minnesota. This study claims that the Lahu-English bilingual worship community has not emphasized evangelism—to share the gospel beyond this group—due to the decline of Christian influence in general and the cultural and language barriers that first and second- generation Lahu Christians encounter. Most ethnic worship communities tend to congregate and remain in their sphere of social and worship gatherings as a haven and belonging. While this is not intrinsically wrong, it ignores …
The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood
The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Like a myriad of other churches across the country, WayPointe Christian Fellowship (WCF) experienced a long decline leading to a critical question: Should the church permanently close? In the case of WCF, the answer was yes, which led to other questions about how to accomplish the task while maximizing God's glory, minimizing the pain felt by those involved, and preparing the congregation to migrate to another body of believers. This thesis project was designed to enable the leaders of WCF and other church leaders to answer these questions. In this pursuit, a comprehensive closure plan was created and implemented at …
The Worship Leadership Model At Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lead Pastor And Worship Leader Relationship, 1961–2013, David L. Ream
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
By 2050, it has been estimated that 1 billion people will be Pentecostals in the broadest sense of the term. Today, one person in twelve globally is a part of this fastest-growing segment of Christianity. The ministry model of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa as served by Pastor Chuck Smith is a paradigmatic model that houses and stabilizes the ministry of the Holy Spirit as it reproduces. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the experiences of Worship Leaders who led worship during Sunday Morning services from 1985–2013 and sought to discover the essential characteristics of the Lead Pastor and Worship Leader interactions …
Through The Looking Glass: Worship Music With Indigenous Sounds In Los Angeles And Manila, Maria Rica Bartolome Silbol
Through The Looking Glass: Worship Music With Indigenous Sounds In Los Angeles And Manila, Maria Rica Bartolome Silbol
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Despite the Philippines’ wonderful indigenous music and talents, Manila Baptist and Los Angeles Baptist churches do not utilize indigenous sounds in typical worship practices. This paper contends that the untapped resources of cultural sounds may contribute to a dynamic worship experience that resonates more effectively as Filipino. This study investigates the absence of indigenous sound in two Filipino Baptist churches from Los Angeles and Manila (QC). It analyzes relevant ethnic music components and each church’s response to the fusion of indigenous and traditional music in the worship experience. The explanatory sequential mixed method will focus on an artistic-creative study to …
Fasting And Prayer As A Mean Of Strengthening The Spiritual Bases Of An Interdenominational Ministry For Great Commission Effectiveness, Jerome Anicet Onguene
Fasting And Prayer As A Mean Of Strengthening The Spiritual Bases Of An Interdenominational Ministry For Great Commission Effectiveness, Jerome Anicet Onguene
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The problem identified by the researcher and addressed in this study is associated with the nature and the structure of the ministry for which the work is done. The ministry has two branches, a religious community and a philanthropic organization. This latter is actually the original one. It is composed by believers from different congregations who are united to make disciples for Christ. The problem is that communication and fellowship among ministry leaders is very slow and that negatively affects the implementation of the Great Commission. Otherwise, the purpose of this DMin Thesis Project is the improvement of the quality …
Implementing And Equipping A Fivefold Ministry With Theological Education To Defend And Uphold Biblical Doctrines In The Church, Kara Yvette Harris
Implementing And Equipping A Fivefold Ministry With Theological Education To Defend And Uphold Biblical Doctrines In The Church, Kara Yvette Harris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
God instructed believers to put forth their best work to rightly handle His Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Unfortunately, God’s truth is under attack and has been polluted with false teaching and incorrect understanding of Scripture. It is incumbent on the local church to combat this problem of incorrect biblical teaching head-on. Therefore, this action research project aims to demonstrate that through proper theological training in the church, this problem will be remedied. This action research assumes that arming the local church with theological training will strengthen its core. To this aim, this research project included teaching five theological …
Leadership Culture: An Effective Leadership Strategy For Church Growth And Spiritual Maturity, Sikiru A. Asifatu
Leadership Culture: An Effective Leadership Strategy For Church Growth And Spiritual Maturity, Sikiru A. Asifatu
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In every organization, leadership culture patterns require a constant assessment to ensure members adhere to corporate practices. In church settings, leadership culture not only creates change but also transforms ministry strategy. Often, church leaders do not perceive culture as the driving force behind effective ministry operations. At Gateway Church, the researcher encountered church growth issues that other ministries struggle with as well, from organizational structure to leadership style. These problems will continue to be a challenge unless the church reinvents an effective leadership strategy focusing on ministry development. This research aims to address the leadership development issue at Gateway Church …
The Decline And Absence Of Young Adults At Grace Place Christian Church, Michael Carnell Mcgill
The Decline And Absence Of Young Adults At Grace Place Christian Church, Michael Carnell Mcgill
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of the study was to address the problem of low attendance and engagement among young adults at Grace Place Christian Church. This topic is given consideration based on the researcher’s observation of the absence of this demographic within the local ministry context. The literature review revealed this is a common problem throughout the Body of Christ. Grace Place Christian Church is a predominately African American within a military community. The unique characteristics of this ministry context warranted research specific to it. The researcher interviewed twenty unchurched young adults and ten pastors and collected over one hundred nine questionnaires …
Addressing The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Of Adults Through The Pastoral Counseling Ministry Of Victory Church, Joseph Randall Tapp
Addressing The Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Of Adults Through The Pastoral Counseling Ministry Of Victory Church, Joseph Randall Tapp
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Dr. Vincent Filetti's landmark 1998 study exposed the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on children and adults. His analysis determined that childhood traumatic experiences could strongly correlate to serious health issues in adults. Exposure to childhood adversity has been shown to correlate not only with mental health issues such as depression, suicide, and substance abuse but also with chronic, life-threatening health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and immune system issues. This DMin study aims to address the impact of ACEs on adult clients of the pastoral counseling ministry of Victory Church, a large non-denominational Christian church located …
The Method Is The Message: Communicating For Individual Behavior Change Toward Disciple Multiplication, Jeffrey Keith Mcdaniel
The Method Is The Message: Communicating For Individual Behavior Change Toward Disciple Multiplication, Jeffrey Keith Mcdaniel
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this ethnographically informed, comparative embedded case study was to understand the lack of disciple-making movements for congregations at three evangelical churches representing the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States. The theories guiding this study were Latour’s actor–network theory and Bandura’s social cognitive theory as they provide a theoretical framework to understand the influence of culture on the creation of meaning followed by the influence of meaning on individual behavior. The primary research question that guided this study asked, How can a church organization communicate to increase disciple multiplication? To answer this question, a …
A Process For Training In Godliness: A Team Approach To Personal And Spiritual Growth, Kraig Alan Smith
A Process For Training In Godliness: A Team Approach To Personal And Spiritual Growth, Kraig Alan Smith
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this thesis is to address a problem relating to spiritual discipleship within a group of local church men. The men of Heritage Baptist Church may not have a process for training in godliness. The thesis will supply a process for training in godliness, developed by the author and based on numerous streams of thought from the literature with regard to spiritual growth. The thesis will also illustrate hindrances to training in godliness, looking at past and current trends which have stymied spiritual growth, particularly in men. This study will suggest that current methods for training in godliness …
Equipping Members Of Watchmen Supernatural International Ministries To Share The Gospel Effectively In The Local Community, Claudette Elaine Mckenzie Nicholson
Equipping Members Of Watchmen Supernatural International Ministries To Share The Gospel Effectively In The Local Community, Claudette Elaine Mckenzie Nicholson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The problem is that members of Watchmen on the Walls Supernatural International Ministries are not having successful results when they share the gospel message locally. The purpose of this DMIN Project is to equip unisex adults and adolescent members of Watchmen on the Walls Supernatural International Ministries to conduct evangelism. The thesis project seeks to design a plan to enhance the knowledge and abilities of WWSIM members to share the gospel effectively. The design is a theoretical and practical training plan that will impact twelve participants in the classroom, on the streets, and in a coordinated outreach in one of …
Engaging Millennials In Missions, Annell Adams James
Engaging Millennials In Missions, Annell Adams James
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The millennial members of the Power of God Church have shown a lack of interest in participating in the local church's mission ministry. This lack of interest has caused the Missions Department and the church concern because fulfilling the mission of God is the mission of the church. The mission statement of the church is the focus of the ministry programs. Suppose the mission department creates a missions training program designed to focus on a technological learning style in which millennials thrive. Could it attract, involve, and engage millennials in future mission trips while educating them? It is this question …
Implementing And Sustaining A Lean Management System, Derek Albert Vandersteur
Implementing And Sustaining A Lean Management System, Derek Albert Vandersteur
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Lean healthcare is a field of research that studies the use of effective goal setting and scientific thinking to drive improvements in the healthcare industry. Lean has been effectively applied in healthcare settings to improve efficiency, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and safety. There have been, however, varying degrees of success achieved in healthcare organizations effectively implementing a lean management system. The problem addressed in this research is that many healthcare organizations in the United States that seek to improve quality and reduce costs by implementing a lean management system are unable to sustain the lean management system thereby missing out …
An Examination Of Leadership Development To Ascertain The Effectiveness Of The Discipleship Ministry At Crosslife Church And Improve Multiplication Strategies, Timothy M. Dix
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
For over 150 years, CrossLife Church has been proclaiming the gospel and serving the community in Oviedo, FL. Within the last 27 years, the church has seen over five thousand people baptized and 150 people commissioned and sent out for ministry and missions. However, the last 15 years has seen a plateau within the fabric of the church in terms of regular attenders. Many churches talk about discipleship and development, but the methods and processes to reach effectiveness in those areas varies. CrossLife Church has certainly seen an ebb and flow to its own methods that leads one to seek …
A Strategic Plan To Grow A Healthy New Church Start, Andrea Bernadette Anderson
A Strategic Plan To Grow A Healthy New Church Start, Andrea Bernadette Anderson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the health and spiritual maturity of a new startup church, namely People of Destiny Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PODHDM) and identify ways in which PODHDM can grow spiritually and numerically, in the 21st century. The thesis will supply characteristics of a healthy church from the writer’s viewpoint, and from suggestions by notable scholars. The thesis will also explore hindrances to church growth, looking through the lenses of the church, as well as scholars, and provide insights and strategies to foster healthy church growth. This study will suggest that Sunday sermons are not …
Shallow Well Church: A Biblical Direction, Eric Paul Burmahl
Shallow Well Church: A Biblical Direction, Eric Paul Burmahl
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The author of this thesis project aims to address the need for the deacons of Shallow Well Church to be trained in first-order doctrines of the Christian faith and the biblical church leadership model prescribed in Acts 6. With the development and implementation of the Deacon Training Manual, the deacons of Shallow Well Church will increase in the knowledge of God and rightly understand the roles of elders and deacons in the local church. Ultimately, through the training and help from God, the church will move from its current denomination which differs in doctrinal beliefs from Shallow Well Church. In …
Creating Harmony Through A Unified Definition Of Discipleship, Dereck S. Jackson
Creating Harmony Through A Unified Definition Of Discipleship, Dereck S. Jackson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
It is difficult to function as one unified group in an association of churches where autonomy is central. The ninety-one churches that call Converge Northeast their association desire to start churches, strengthen them, and send people into the harvest field. However, this group of capable churches and leaders has been unable to sustain church health, lacking church growth. After bringing in new leadership, there has been a resurgence of relationship building and vision casting. What might this group of churches need to become vibrant disciple-making churches? Unity among autonomous churches will require that leaders are on the same page and …
Applying Biblical Teaching To Resolve Power Struggles Between The Pastor And Deacons In A Southern Baptist Church, Jason Oneal Sweeton
Applying Biblical Teaching To Resolve Power Struggles Between The Pastor And Deacons In A Southern Baptist Church, Jason Oneal Sweeton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
As the Body of Christ, each person within the church must know their role and responsibility, especially the leadership. The Bible teaches that there are pastors, elders, and bishops referring to one office who have been given the authority to shepherd, or lead as it were, the church. The Bible teaches that deacons are an integral part of the church. They are to be servants in the church and minister to the needs of the congregation. The purpose of this project lies in the misconceptions surrounding the roles and biblical responsibilities of both deacons and pastors. Many churches simply follow …
Understanding The Perceived Effect Of Chapel And Discipleship-Group Models In Christian Education, Bailey Humphrey
Understanding The Perceived Effect Of Chapel And Discipleship-Group Models In Christian Education, Bailey Humphrey
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Jesus’ final command before ascending to Heaven, otherwise known as The Great Commission, is detailed in Matthew 28:19-20. While the overall aim of Christian education is to provide students with an education from a biblical worldview, this education must expand beyond the academics taught in classrooms. Christian education should be equally concerned with making disciples of students who will then go forward to be disciple-makers themselves. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the students’ perceived spiritual effect of chapel and discipleship-group models in Christian education. The data collected analyzed the positive and negative elements of the …