Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Preaching In Church Growth, In Hwan Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to illuminate the role of biblical preaching in church growth and change, and to understand how to better facilitate growth and change in Korean Protestant Churches. The association between preaching and church growth was investigated and delineated based on literature reviews, on the studies and sermon collections of Dong-won Lee, senior pastor of Global Mission Church, and on the questionnaire survey from members of GMC. I would like this study to contribute to the restoration of biblical preaching, church growth, and church transition in cell church ministry within Korean Protestant Churches.

The Enemy In The Screen: A Collective Case Study On Perpetrators Of Internet Crimes Against Children, Janet M. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This collective case study explored the phenomenon of Internet crimes against children from the perspectives of select Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators. The research focused on three questions: (1) How do select investigators describe perpetrators of Internet crimes against children? (2) What, if any, common characteristics do participants identify among the perpetrators and (3) How do participants' descriptions compare and/or contrast? Data was obtained utilizing semistructured, conversational interviews with eight ICAC investigators. Three main themes emerged from these interviews: general demographic descriptions, motivations and behaviors. Perpetrators of Internet crimes against children were found to be predominantly non-Hispanic males. Other …

A Critical Examination Of The Biblical Teaching On The Image Of God, And Its Implications For Christian Living, Timothy T. Faber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to provide a biblical understanding of what it means to be human. The purpose and intent of God in creating man in His own image is explored. How being made in the image of God impacts one’s life and purpose is also considered. In this process, the effects of sin on the image of God, how man attempts to compensate for sin’s damage, and how man expresses the image of God as a result of sin are discussed. Finally, the ways Christ demonstrates that He is the exact representation of the divine nature, the …

Principal Leadership Practices: A Correlation Study Of Specific Instructional Leadership Practices And Student Achievement In The Tennessee Gateway Tests, John C. Bartlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of instructional leadership practices performed by the principal and the academic achievement on the Tennessee Gateway Tests by his/her students. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship between specific leadership practices performed by the principal and overall student achievement on the three gateway tests, English, Math, and Biology, exists. High school principals whose school fell within one standard deviation of the mean school size and one standard deviation of the mean in socio-economic status were surveyed. Data for this quantitative study were collected using the Instructional Leadership Practices Survey, …

Using Formative Assessment Results To Predict Student Achievement On High Stakes Tests, Lisa W. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine whether comprehensive post formative assessments can accurately predict student academic achievement on AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) indicators as measured by standardized criterion-referenced tests.

The primary participant populations for this study were sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students enrolled in a middle school in north Georgia from 2004-2007. Over 2,900 student assessments were used to conduct the statistical research and variables such as gender, race, and socio-economic levels were not disaggregated in the data collection compilation. The data sources included the first quarter, second quarter, and third quarter post formative assessments which are …

Job Satisfaction Of Adjunct Faculty Serving In The Online Environment At A Private Evangelical University, Anita Satterlee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to describe levels of satisfaction of the adjunct faculty who teach in online modalities of instruction at a private evangelical university located in the southern United States. The three faculty groups included in the study were (a) online adjunct faculty (independent contractors), (b) adjunct faculty (university full time staff and administrators teaching part-time in the online program) and (c) full-time residential faculty who teach online courses in the distance format. The abridged Job Descriptive Index and the abridged Job in General index were chosen to survey respondents regarding satisfaction levels. The results of the …

A Theatrical Take On Educational Self-Esteem, David Seagraves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the constructs of self-esteem and theatre arts. The experimental research utilized a Solomon four-group design, which included four groups of public high school freshmen. The study investigated whether or not self-esteem would increase after studying theatre arts, and if a cause and effect relationship existed between theatre arts and self-esteem. The study’s independent variable was a theatre arts treatment of ten lessons centered around a novel. The dependent variables were the scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965), a self-reporting and numerically measurable self-esteem survey. The scale was administered in a pretest and posttest format. The self-esteem …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of After-School Programs Via Participants’ Pre And Posttest Performance Levels On The Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test, Cheri Lynn Ogden

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schools failing to demonstrate Adequate Yearly Progress on annual state assessments are given federal and state funds to support supplemental educational services. This study was designed to measure the effectiveness of two after-school programs in one middle school in a medium-sized county in Georgia. The school has failed to demonstrate Adequate Yearly Progress for eight years and has been offering supplemental services for six years. The after-school programs are funded and students are offered opportunities to participate based on low performance on the annual assessment, the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test. The effectiveness of the after-school programs was assessed based …

The Relationships Between Cognitive Deficits And Spiritual Development, Charles Nolan Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An individual’s spirituality is shaped and supported by his or her cognitive capacities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various cognitive deficits and the spiritual development in individuals who qualified for special education under the category of Specific Learning Disability. Participants were randomly selected through systematic sampling of students and former students of Kellyville Public School who met the criteria. The cognitive deficits were measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (2001) or the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery- R (1989), and spiritual development was measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (2002). The results of …

The Cell Keys Are Turning: Spiritual Integration In The Treatment Of Christian Women With Anorexia Nervosa, Lisa Sosin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explored Christian spirituality, counseling practice, and recovery from anorexia nervosa. A spiritual integration model based on a comprehensive review of the literature was proposed. This model reflects a step care treatment approach, including the current standard of practice, spiritual integration, and Christian spiritual integration.

Next, a phenomenological analysis of document, interview, and observation data revealed several themes pertinent to counseling practice with Christian women suffering with anoexia nervosa. These themes were classified as (a) prior to treatment: spiritual disconnection, including suffering and brokenness, taking control of brokenness through anorexia nervosa, and her broken faith; (b) during treatment: …

The Relationship Of Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale, Keith A. Rowland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Study examined the relationship of the leadership practices of middle school principals and the morale of the teachers in these schools. Seven middle schools in a Metropolitan Atlanta school system participated in the study. The Leadership Practices Inventory was used to collect information on the principal practices and the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was used to collect information on teacher morale. Results indicated that principal leadership and teacher morale were significantly correlated and that the leadership practice of Enable Others to Act had the strongest positive correlation to teacher morale. These results imply that a principal’s daily behavior plays a …

The Relationship Between Selected Predictor Variables And Successful Completion Of Online Courses, Murray Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected variables (age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, financial assistance, student status, number of previous online courses, current online course load) and grade achievement of nontraditional, online students at a selected theological institution. Students who received a grade of A, B, or C were categorized as passing or successfully completing the online courses. Students who received a grade of D, F, W, WD, WP, or WF were categorized as failing or not completing the on line courses. Data for the study was collected from the institution’s enrollment/student database. The participants …

Comparing Leadership Scores Of Collegiate Level Basketball Players And Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rotc) Students, Lawrence A. Braue

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the differences in the transformational leadership practices of collegiate level basketball teams and students from an Army Reserve Officers Training Program as measured by Kouzes and Posner’s Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI) (2006). The purpose was to determine if ROTC students with formal leadership training obtained higher leadership scores on the SLPI than the basketball players who had not received formal leadership training. The study compared the overall mean scores of ROTC students who had participated in at least one year of formal leadership training and the players from a university men’s and women’s basketball team who …

How To Successfully Mature A Small Church, Richard Patrick Mcgee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a tremendous amount of Christian writings that defines a successful pastor as one who has increased numerical growth each year. The purpose of this paper is to encourage the small church pastor that obedience to the Great Commission, which includes reaching, baptizing, and teaching, is God’s measuring standard for success. The evidence of success will be discipleship-making according to the opportunities that God has given each pastor. It emphasizes that God equally provides all pastors the spiritual tools necessary to mature His church. A case study of Grace Church illustrates how it matured over the last forty-five years.

Impact Of Racial, Ethnic, And Socioeconomic Diversity: Student Perceptions Of Educational Outcomes In A Northern Virginia Public School System, Joseph F. Fontanella

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship between diverse learning environments and students’ perceptions of their educational experiences within a large Northern Virginia public school system via quantitative, nonexperimental, survey methods. Five areas reflecting frequently established goals of education were explored: student diversity; curricular diversity; student learning and peer interaction, to include development of critical thinking skills; future educational aspirations; and goals and perceptions of support by the school. Subjects were 11th-grade high school students from across a selection of the 10 high schools in the subject school division. Data was derived from the Diversity Assessment Questionnaire (DAQ), an instrument that asked …

National Board Certified Johnston County Teachers’ Perceptions Of National Board Certification In Contrast To Their Non-National Board Certified Counterparts, Laurene Patricia Lawless Madern

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the relationship of perceptions of national board-certified teachers and eligible but non-certified national board teachers in the process of national board certification. The primary participant population for this study consisted of 47 national board-certified teachers and 282 eligible but non-certified national board teachers from Johnston County, North Carolina. Data was collected in a study which was electronically conducted in June 2005. The data sources included the application of this research and research from a previously administered study conducted on eligible but non-certified national board teachers in Tennessee. Factors that were analyzed included gender, years of experience and …

Developing A Lay Ministry Team Led Student Ministry, Stuart W. Cox

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the process of how one church developed a lay ministry team in both principle and practice which now provides effective leadership for its student ministry. The church is Nall Memorial Baptist Church of Graham, North Carolina. The author of this project serves as the church’s senior pastor. The ministry team as developed in this project is designed to not only provide quality ministry, but also to build effective ministers through the wedding of the task-oriented characteristics of traditional church committees to the relational and transformational qualities of contemporary cell groups.

The Sunday School As A Viable Tool For Church Growth In The 21st Century, Billy Nale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to disprove the allegations by many pastors and denominational leaders that Sunday School is no longer a viable tool for church growth. This project will show that pastors who work the Sunday School will find that Sunday School will work for them. The author of this project is pastor of one of the four churches studied. Based on the history and growth of Sunday School in these churches, interviews, and personal perspectives, this paper will describe lessons that were learned and the principles that are effective for Sunday School growth.

The Continuing Personal Spiritual Development Of Pastors, George Wayne Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Personal Continual Spiritual Development of Pastors is intended to be solution based project. The proposed solutions are intended to empower pastors to minister for a life time. The issues and the proposed solutions are not declared to be comprehensive. The solutions are intended to be a spring board for continual spiritual development of pastors.

Connecting With One Another: A Step By Step Approach To Guest And New Member Assimilation, Kevin Ray Milburn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project was born out of frustrating experiences at assimilating new members into church life, and disheartening statistics proving this is a common problem in Kentucky Southern Baptist churches. After reviewing literature pertaining to the topic, it became apparent there was a need for a simple, workable program for churches to use in assimilation. This project highlights the CONNECT strategy, a small group Sunday School program, which this author created to put into place at a model church. After gathering statistics from this model church since the program’s inception, it is evident that this CONNECT strategy does work for assimilation.

The Relationship Between University Nursing Student Classroom Engagement Activities And Academic Performance, Helen Reyes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academia is struggling to meet an increasing nursing shortage with limited resources; therefore, student success is paramount in any university nursing program. Research data suggests one major reason for increased attrition rates is course failure. Research also reveals that college students often feel disengaged in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between classroom engagement activities and the academic performance of professional nursing students. Is there a relationship between nursing student classroom engagement activities and academic performance? The Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) was administered to 317 university nursing students enrolled in seven different …

The Role Of Preaching In Revitalizing Declining Churches, Jammie D. Vance

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available to assist Pastors in declining churches, develop a preaching plan to effect turn around in their church. The purpose of this project is to explore various styles of preaching and decide what style is biblical and most effective in reviving a declining church. This project also explores the causes and needs of the declining church so as to determine what subjects need to be addressed by the pastor of the declining church.

An Analysis Of Rx For Discovery Reading For Elementary Students Below Average In Reading, Susan Kay Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Rx for Discovery Reading® is an intervention developed by the National Institute for Learning Development to impact the reading abilities of students below grade level in reading. The program was designed to address every area of reading acquisition, but, for this study, the areas of phonological processing, decoding, and fluency were investigated using pre- and post-test scores from the KTEA-II, GORT, and DIBELS. The problem studied was whether Rx for Discovery Reading® would raise the mean standard scores in the three areas at the conclusion of the field test. Using a small-group format, twenty-nine students who were not on grade …

Christian School Administration: Exercising Biblical Competence: A Consecrated Heart And An Educated Mind, Julia Curruth Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is minimal research conducted to assist Professional Educators with effective ministering and administration in Christian Schools. While secular academic training and experience provide the Administrator with great preparation, there are specific dynamics unique to the Christian school environment that warrant deliberate attention if the Administrator is to be effective. Observed from the perspective of a parent, having served faithfully as both teacher and the current Principal of the Bible-Based Fellowship Christian Academy; in its young life, this nine-year old school had experienced eight different administrators, most recently in January 2005. Inconsistency in leadership had stunted the growth of the …

The Twenty-First Century Pastor: His Calling, Character And Competencies, Seth Nathan Polk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper defines modern ministry utilizing timeless and unchanging biblical principles, thereby providing a guide that pastors can utilize in fulfilling their God given responsibilities. It discusses, outlines, and synthesizes the calling, character, and competencies of the twenty-first century pastor. Directives related to calling and character come primarily from biblical and historical research. Based on surveys sent to pastors of middle sized churches, the project researches how modern ministry is being practiced related to the competencies of preaching, pastoral care, and church administration. Directives are then given concerning how modern ministry should be practiced based on the Word of God.

An Introduction To A Model For Teaching Spiritual Formation To Student - Athletes In A Christian Educational Setting, Edmund Jude Gomes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project is an attempt to provide a biblical foundation for teaching spiritual formation to student-athletes. A brief history of Liberty University and its athletic achievements are presented in this paper; also included are some of the people and circumstances God is using to teach athletes about spiritual formation, character development and whole-person development. The process God uses for teaching those things is interwoven throughout the paper. Practical problems that are associated with spiritual formation are addressed, and the final chapter of the paper places special emphasis on some of the outcomes of the thesis.

The Great Invitation: A Call To Discipleship, Richard N. Foster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian and secular sources alike site a recent decline in baptisms in the evangelical church. By receiving one hundred and fifty surveys from pastors, this dissertation project examines the cause for this alarming trend and recommends a solution which entails discipling the pastor within a Christian community. This project proposes a model for Bible colleges and seminaries to train the pastor by facilitating five key relationships that will enhance his fellowship with Christ and encourage his desire to carry out the Great Commission. The objective of this project is to reverse the current decline in baptisms.

Increasing Financial Stewardship In The Church Of Christ, Ben A. Bruce

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

INCREASING FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST Ben A. Bruce Liberty Theological Seminary, 2007 Mentor: Dr. Frank Schmitt God desires for man to make wise stewardship choices that will glorify Him. The purpose of this research paper is to increase financial stewardship in the Church of Christ. The author discusses the Biblical principles pertaining to financial stewardship, the qualifications of financial stewardship, and the dangers of poor stewardship. This dissertation also includes an analysis of a stewardship survey sent to members of the Church of Christ. Over 3,000 members of the Church of Christ completed the survey. The last …

Effective Strategies For Healthy Church Growth In The Hap Dong Jung Tong Presbyterian Denomination In Korea, Manoh Han

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to understand the biblical principles of healthy and highly effective strategies of church growth and to apply them to today’s Hap Dong Jung Tong (Hap-Jung) Presbyterian Denomination (HJPD) in Korea. Based on surveys and interviews, this project also analyzes and evaluates current conditions within 328 HJPD churches, exploring growth factors such as: pastors’ leadership, preaching, professional development, prayer, evangelism, making-disciples, ministry focus, the reasons for HJPD growth, and strategic approaches for future ministry. Finally, this project suggests twelve healthy and effective principles to develop HJPD churches for the next ten years.

Pastoral Leadership Problems In Small, Established Churches Of Under 100 People, Brian Keith Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

ABSTRACT PASTORAL LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS IN SMALL, ESTABLISHED CHURCHES OF UNDER 100 PEOPLE Rev. Brian K. Miller Liberty Theological Seminary, 2007 Mentor: Dr. Homer Massey A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material is available regarding small churches and the leadership problems that the pastor will face. The purpose of this project is to shed light on some of these problems, and provide insight and helpful advice to those pastors serving in small churches. Based on the literature available, this project reviews the most common leadership problems faced by small church pastors, and gives advice and suggestions for dealing …