Digital Commons Network^™

A Spiritual Disciplines-Based Discipleship Curriculum For The Local Church, Steven Hugh Mathews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The practice of the spiritual disciplines in local Baptist churches is in decline, and there does not exist a curriculum designed to implement the disciplines into the public teaching ministry of the local church. The purpose of this project is to design, implement, and evaluate such a curriculum, with respect to participants' understanding of, motivation to practice, and perceived effectiveness in, ten key spiritual disciplines. The curriculum is evaluated by a diagnostic tool based on Bloom's Taxonomy, and is intended to measure increases in knowledge, motivation, and effectiveness.

Designing A Program For The Assimilation Of New Members Into The Life And Ministry Of The Local Church, Douglas K. Tanner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The assimilation of new members into the mission of the local church is often unintentional and ineffective. Many churches do not recognize the great need to train new members to become ministers and missionaries, which carry on the work of the church. The purpose of this project is to briefly expose the need for an intentional assimilation program in a local church and provide a systematic methodology for developing an assimilation program along with a usable outline that can be modified for use by any church. The project will provide information necessary for any church to create its own new …

Gender Equity Of Traditional And Non-Traditional Career Roles In Newbery Award-Winning And Honor Books, Mark Boster

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Newbery Award-Winning and Honor books from 1995-2004 present careers in a traditional or non-traditional manner. Two of the most recognizable titles, due to recent Hollywood productions, are Because of Winn-Dixie and Holes. Though there has been much research in the area of gender roles, which indicates males and females in children’s literature are depicted stereotypically, no research was found concerning the area of literary gender stereotypes in careers. After reviewing the use of bibliotherapy and theories of career and gender development, this quantitative descriptive study found careers in Newbery Award and …

Family And Consumer Sciences In Higher Education: Common Elements In Undergraduate Curriculum, Susan Lovett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study of undergraduate programs was undertaken to create a current portrait of Family and Consumer Sciences programs and to determine whether common ground exists among the various academic units particularly in the area of curriculum content. The thirty four schools having accreditation with SACS and AAFCS were chosen as the population to be studied. Two lists of curricular element categories were created to evaluate the programs: a 28 item list derived from historical categorizations used in professional journals and educational reporting and a 16 item list taken from the national standards for FCS in secondary programs. The subject matter …

Lay Shepherding: Developing A Pastoral Care Ministry For The Small To Mid-Sized Church, Barry G. Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A survey of Wesleyan churches and a review of current literature reveals that most pastors are bearing the burden of pastoral care alone. Only a few churches are effectively equipping and empowering lay persons to help provide this needed and meaningful ministry within the body of Christ. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate biblically and historically that the laity are gifted for ministry and that they are called to the task of shepherding God's flock. Further, this project seeks to present a model for implementing a lay shepherding ministry in the small to mid-sized church.

Understanding The Glory Of God Through The Expository Preaching By Young Sun Park, Young Han Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to understand the glory of God through the expository preaching by Young Sun Park. The reason I write this thesis is that I was called and challenged to be a preacher and pastor by God, after listening to the sermon by my pastor, Young Sun Park.

What does it mean to bring Glory to God?

How can it be realized? God the Father took glory through the ministry and personality of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. God receives glory by saving sinners and by our obedient living which can be demonstrated through worship …

A Multidimensional Assessment Of The Impact Of A Spiritual Growth Campaign (40 Days Of Purpose) On Individual Spiritual Development, Debra K. Burton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study evaluated the impact that the 40 Days of Purpose had on personal spiritual development of the participants. The experimental group was comprised of 163 volunteers recruited from three different churches participating in the 40 Days of Purpose. Two of the churches, a Baptist and an Assembly of God are located in a small town in East Texas, while the remaining Baptist church is located in a metropolitan city in North Carolina. The control group consisted of 46 recruited volunteers from a Baptist church that was not participating in the 40 Days of Purpose. Spiritual growth was measured using …

Teacher Certification, Teaching Style, And Student Achievement In Arizona Charter Schools, Jill Lambert Andrews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002 mandated teacher certification criteria and accountability for student academic growth for all public schools, including charter schools. At the time of this study, Arizona had 464 charter schools and was one of three states and the District of Columbia that did not require charter schools to employ certified teachers. This quantitative study examined the effect of teacher certification status on student reading achievement and the relationship between teaching style and student reading achievement in Arizona charter schools. Thirty-nine subjects, selected from a convenience sampling, were third through sixth grade Arizona charter …

Practical Strategies For Campus Evangelization Through Creation Science Class At Myongji University, Woong Sang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

No abstract provided.

Developing A Measuring Instrument To Determine The Level Of Discipleship Commitment Attained By Individual Christians, Henry D. Styron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The writer’s personal experience, consultations with clergy and laity, and a review of current literature reveal a lack of genuine discipleship in the modern church. The purpose of the project is to develop a usable Biblical model of a disciple, and to develop a measuring instrument by which conformity to this model may be determined in the lives of individual Christians. The project details the creation of the model and the instrument, and then documents the field testing of the instrument in various churches and other venues, with resulting evaluation and improvement to the instrument.

A Study Of Pastoral Leadership That Has Had Great Influence On Korean Church Growth Focusing On Jae Gun Revival Denomination In Korea, Jin Soo Shin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to understand what the biblical principles for Pastoral Leadership are and, to evaluate the Korean Pastoral Leadership within the Jae Gun Revival Denomination(JRD) in Korea. Based on surveys sent to the JRD pastors in Korea, the project analyzes and evaluates the actual figures of church ministry, History, church growth, and common viewpoint of pastoral leadership. This project shows that what the reason about the Korean church growth so rapidly and find out that main reason is pastoral leadership. This project wants to reveal the new future for the JRD with pastoral leadership growth.

Leadership Characteristics Of The Apostle Paul That Can Provide Model To Today’S Bbfk Pastors, Jae Kee Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to understand Paul's leadership characteristics and to apply those characteristics to today's Korean Baptist Bible Fellowship pastors. The project carefully examines Paul's twelve characteristics pertaining to self, interpersonal aspect, spiritual aspect, and functional competency from his writings and his acts reported by Luke. It also analyzes and evaluates current situation of the BBFK pastors' leadership based on surveys and interviews. Five practical strategies for the development of the leadership quality of the BBFK pastors are offered. Those strategies will help the pastors demonstrate such leadership characteristics more fully which were found in the apostle …

Gilbert Tennent: An Analysis Of His Evangelistic Ministry, Methods And Message During The Great Awakening, Cheryl Ann Rickards

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Tennent was a revivalist in the Middle Atlantic and New England colonies. This project examines the ministry methods that Tennent is most known for, that of "preaching the terrors" and "searching preaching", both used to provoke examination of one's spiritual state. Tennent's morphology of conversion is examined. "The Tennent-Rickards Scale of Conversion" is proposed and compared to "The Engel Scale" of the spiritual decision making process. The spiritual problems in the churches of Tennent's day are examined. Several of Tennent's key evangelistic messages are also analyzed.

A Comparison Of The Resident Assistant Selection And Training Process At Liberty University With Biblical And Practical Principles Of Leadership Selection And Training, L. Mark Hine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Resident assistants play an important role in assisting Christian universities and colleges to accomplish their mission. The purpose of this project is to compare leadership selection and training of resident assistants at Liberty University to biblical and practical principles of leadership selection and training. This work includes a brief history of Residence Life at Liberty University. The method of selection and education of resident assistants is provided. The process that Residence Life uses is compared to a biblical and practical model. Suggestions for improvement of Residence Life’s model are offered in the concluding chapter.

Enabling Leaders - Empowering Church Transformation, Jack L. Eades

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Director of Enabling Leaders - Empowering Church Transformation was given the responsibility for developing a transformational process which would be used in the West Virginia Baptist Convention churches and shared with other regions in American Baptist Churches, USA. The challenge was to develop an effective process that would enable selective congregational leaders transform a plateaued or declining church to a vibrant healthy congregation. The transformation process happened in six stages: (1) the Developmental Stage, (2) the Invitational Stage, (3) the Leadership Training Stage, (4) the Congregational Cycle Stage, (5) the Coaching Clinic Cycle Stage and (6) the Evaluation Stage.

Linking Assessment, Strategic Planning, And Budget Planning, Barbara Boothe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract Accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency are three major concerns of the University’s stakeholders, accrediting agencies, and governmental agencies. These concerns have broadened the scope of the assessment process since the 1990’s. To adequately respond to these concerns, it is important for institutions of higher learning to link assessment processes with strategic planning and budget planning. A study was made to determine if it is a common practice in public or private institutions of higher learning to link a comprehensive ongoing assessment process with the development of on-going strategic and budget planning processes. A questionnaire distributed to 178 institutions determined that …

Paul’S Pastoral Prayer In Philippians 1:9-11: An Application To Today’S Ministry, Hyun David Chung

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Using Spiritual Gifts In Korean Church Growth, Nam Ju Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This writer believes that one of the key ingredients to building an effective growing Korean church is spiritual gifts. If every Korean Christian were involved according to his spiritual gifts, he would be used in ministering where he is most usable. This writer finds that growing churches cannot be dissociated from growing Christians, when spiritual gifts are well used. Therefore, when Christians have found their gifts, knows the significance of their gifts and properly exercise them, the Korean church will grow. The purpose of this dissertation is to introduce readers to the best use of spiritual gifts in the contemporary …

Turning Plateaued And Declining Churches Around, David M. Odom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to reveal that there is a danger of churches being lulled to sleep and becoming plateaued or in a declining state. The project also offers several reasons why churches stop growing and possible solutions to turn a non-growing church into a growing church.

The Development Of Family Ministry For The Local Church, Daryl W. Pitts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

All social and cultural indications demonstrate that the American society is in desperate need. Divorce rates and addictions have multiplied both within and without the church. The local church is uniquely positioned to offer hope and healing, from a biblical perspective to those who have been beaten, bruised, and left beside the freeway of the New World Order. The local church also has the ability to provide preventative services so its members can avoid these life hazards. Based on surveys and research, this project presents a strategy to implement a comprehensive professional pastoral Christian counseling service for the local church.

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Age On The Academic Performance Of Students In The Liberty University External Degree Program, Frank Lyle King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore whether the age of a Liberty University External Degree Program (EDP) student impacts the degree of student success, as measured by the earned grade point average (GPA). EDP student GPAs were compared with Liberty University resident students GPAs. The EDP students consistently performed better than the resident students in all age groups examined. Demographic variables such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, military status, and amount of credits transferred to Liberty University were found not to be statistically significant factors in the performance of EDP students compared to resident students.

Deagil Presbyterian Church Renovation: Another Opportunity At A Crisis, As A Traditional Church In Korea, Hyun Sik Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that very little material exists concerning the renovation of traditional churches. The purpose of this project is to illuminate leaders of traditional churches in Korea regarding renovation. Based on the surveys and questionnaires sent to Daegil Presbyterian Church members, to the neighbors in the community, and to other church leaders in the synod, the project reviews the historical perspectives, the present conditions, and the future vision. There are two kinds of crises in Korea: one is the stagnation of church growth; and the other is an IMF economic crisis. This project was developed using …

The Influence Of Shamanism On Korean Churches And How To Overcome It, Jin Woo Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

What problem do Korean churches have now? Korean churches have had serious growth problems since the 1990s'. Although Korean churches have grown rapidly with the economic growth of Korea, there have been many contributions and evil influences of shamanism, which lies deep in the minds of Korean people. Obviously, shamanism has made a contribution to growth of the Korean church since Christianity was introduced. Many churches and pastors have consented to or utilized such a tendency. However, this created serious problems. Shamanism is anti-Biblical. Shamanism brought about a theoretical combination, transmutation of religion and many mistakes in church life. A …

A Strategy For The Use Of Ministry Action Teams In The Relocation Of A Church Of The Nazarene, Truman Daniel Casey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When Atlanta First Church of the Nazarene faced the task of relocating their current facilities to a location several miles away, the pastor and the leaders of the church searched for a strategy that would allow the church to relocate without greatly reducing the amount of time the pastor had available for pastoral care. The church also wanted to avoid an excessive increase in the level of stress for other participants in the project. Based upon (1) research of church management literature, (2) research of the Bible, (3) a survey of the people involved in the church relocation project, and …

Single Parent Ministry In The Local Church, William A. Connors

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project in ministry titled, "Single Parent Ministry in the Local Church," is the result of the author's concern for the unique issues faced by today's ever increasing single parent households. This relatively new phenomenon is discussed in light of the historical roots of singleness in general. It is then shown that this "new phenomenon" is really not new at all. Single Parenting is virtually as old as creation itself, going back to the first single parent described in the Bible, Hagar. Much instruction regarding the circumstances of the single parent is discussed. The paper then examines the various, specific …

A Practical Strategy For The 21st Century Church Growth Of Baptist Bible Fellowship Korea, Taek Soo Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to understand what the biblical principles for Church Growth are and, to evaluate the problems hindering Church Growth within the Baptist Bible Fellowship Korea. Based on surveys sent to the BBF pastors in Korea, the project analyzes and evaluates the actual figures of church ministry, strategy, pastoral leadership, and common hindrances of Church Growth. Ten practical strategies for 21st Century Church Growth of BBF in Korea are proposed. These ten strategies are effective because they draw from the biblical principles, the growing churches, the studies of Church Growth, and church growth experts.

A Strategy For Ministry To Widows In The Local Church, Richard Watson Sadler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In examining current literature, very little research has been done in the area of caring for widows in the local church. The biblical mandate, present social conditions, and the results from questionnaires sent to pastors and widows of Southern Baptist Churches of West Virginia validate the need to assist the church in developing and implementing a strategy in ministering to widows. Deacons, the servant-leaders, are the responsible agents for ministry to widows and the catalyst in getting others involved. This project is an instrument to awaken and equip God's people for the tremendous ministry privilege in serving widows.

An Analysis And Prospect Of Korean Church Growth Based On Functions Of The Church, Timothy Hyun Seo Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of the functions of the church and growth of Korean churches illustrates that God has blessed Korean churches. The purpose of this thesis is to understand the biblical functions of the church and the relationship between these functions and church growth. This project explains the historical background of the Korean church for church growth and makes suggestions to prepare the Korean church for the 21st century. This thesis is based on conclusions drawn from an extensive published research on church growth and is illustrated by a scientific survey given to thirty-five Korean pastors.

Ministry To Families Of Handicapped Children, John Nickerson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public attention has been drawn to the presence and needs of handicapped members of society. Little attention, however, has been given by the institutions of society, beginning with organized religion, to the families of the handicapped, the caregivers, and their special needs. This project is directed to the clergy and consists of two parts. The first is a seminar for clergy, to inform and sensitize them to said families. The second is a model forum with which the clergy will be equipped, in turn, to inform, sensitize, and prompt congregational members toward appropriate outreach in this specialized ministry.

The Foundational Principles And Policies Of A Local Church Operations Manual, Daniel John Grabill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The administration of a local church often so occupies a minister's time that less than appropriate time remains for study of the Word. An administration manual that would objectify and standardize procedures would help alleviate this problem. The purpose of this project was to design a manual that would answer the need for what to do but would go beyond that to provide a theological base for the procedures. A comprehensive survey of Grace Brethren Churches was conducted to ascertain what has been done and what needs remain. This project has incorporated the best insights and hopefully met the remaining …