Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing The Difficulty Of Digital Transformation, Robert L. Mccaskill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the evolving landscape of modern religious engagement, digital platforms offer churches various opportunities to enhance their worship experiences. Still, many churches find it difficult to integrate digital tools into their ministry in the digital age. They are experiencing challenges incorporating online worship services and digital outreach activities while maintaining their core values. This dissertation-in-praxis examines the development of an online ministry at a local church struggling to adapt successfully to digital transformation. The ministry developed sought to supplement the physical gathering already occurring at the church. The online ministry aimed to ensure greater accessibility, spiritual nourishment, and community engagement. …

An Examination Of The Purity Culture Beliefs Scale And The Interaction Of Religiosity, Purity Culture Beliefs, And Pornography Use In A Census-Matched United States Sample, Kaelyn R. Griffin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The impacts of purity culture have been documented in the prevalence of abstinence-only sex education, perception of personal value tied to virginity, and shame and guilt related to sexual behavior. Similarly, models of moral incongruence often examine religiosity as a contributor of distress related to sexual behavior and pornography use, likely tapping into the influence of purity culture without directly naming its presence. This distinction is crucial due to the variety of religious beliefs and practices, some including purity culture and those without sexually restrictive beliefs and practices. Despite this, standardized measures for researching purity culture are limited. Ortiz (2018) …

Pneuma And Logos: Strengthening Sermon Preparation Through A Spirit-And-Word Approach To Biblical Exegesis, Natalie Barnoske

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Powerful preaching results from honoring the Word and Spirit as active participants in the sermon preparation process. However, the influence of postmodernism and the lack of resources clarifying this convergence point have led to a polarization of perspectives in biblical exegesis. Therefore, this DMIN action research project designed, implemented, and evaluated a Pneuma and Logos Approach to biblical exegesis based on five essential pillars of hermeneutics, derived from William Oliverio’s Pentecostal Hermeneutics in the Late Modern World. By integrating inductive skills of biblical exegesis with holistic habits of Lectio Divina, this project proposes that stronger sermon preparation skills can be …

Pass It On: Developing Children's Identity With Biblical Storytelling At First Baptist Church Of Sanford, Caleb Mccord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In a culture where many youths are not only leaving the church but also facing psychological issues like identity crises, it is important that children develop their identity as God’s Word prescribes rather than the preference-based identities pushed by secular parties. To best ensure this development, then it is essential that children receive biblical storytelling from both the church and also the parents at home, the latter of which is underutilized in many modern Christian homes. This thesis posits that if parents are made aware of the need for biblical identity development and trained to do so, then they will …

An Implementation Of Theological Concepts: Bridging The Gap From Childhood To Adult Christian Education, Lajune A. White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

New Jerusalem Church has the pleasure of teaching Bible stories in the children’s church and Sunday school. However, after the children age out of these spaces, they do not transition to the adult classes; they sit in the hallways. Suppose they continue this practice after aging out of the children’s classification and do not engage with fellow believers in the discipleship process. Will they remain connected to their faith-based community? The problem is whether their behavior is due to the absence of theological content in the Bible curriculum used to teach them in children’s church and Sunday school. The purpose …

Smokejumper Biographies For 1963 Rookie Class, National Smokejumper Association

Smokejumper Biographies by Rookie Year

This document contains short biographies of smokejumpers who rookied in 1963.

Unburden The Pastoral Chair To Create A More Effective Minister, William Travis Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores how to alleviate the burden on senior pastors to create more effective ministers. This research aims to explore the implications of the pastoral chair’s duties and responsibilities and focuses on how the church community can support the senior pastor through encouragement and awareness of the importance of maintaining the pastoral chair’s mental, emotional, and professional health. This research features a comprehensive literature review on the current state of senior pastors’ professional health and the impact that overwhelming duties and responsibilities impose on their professional confidence, ministry, and overall sense of productivity and accomplishment in providing pastoral services …

Apologetics Curriculum In A Chinese International School, William Kiel Nation

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian schools face the challenge of engaging students whose biblical views are being secularized by a culture that is individualistic and materialistic. At International Christian School Hong Kong, in response to such secular challenges, the overreliance on classical and evidential apologetics in the Bible curriculum has led to student disengagement, as these methods often fail to address the presuppositions of secular youth. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a presuppositional apologetics curriculum, grounded in Tim Keller’s Making Sense of God, compared to the traditional classical approach grounded in Keller’s The Reason for God, to determine which method better …

Youth Discipleship Reimagined Through Digital Media, Julian L.V. Joyner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the development and implementation of MeXHim.com, a youth discipleship website designed to address the pressing need for accessible, relatable, and culturally relevant tools to engage middle and high school students in their spiritual journeys in Christ. The platform focuses on three core areas: Salvation, Prayer, and Church connection opportunities, providing a digital space where youth can explore faith-based areas and take actionable steps in their relationship with Christ. The project emerges in response to the growing disconnect between traditional church outreach methods and the digital-first lifestyles of younger generations, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to discipleship …

2025 Denominational Survey Results, Calvin University

CRCNA Denominational Survey Results

As part of the denominational ministry plan, Our Journey , the CRCNA has contracted with DataWise Consulting to administer an annual denominational survey. The results from the 2025 survey have now been compiled.

All CRC-affiliated adults and older youth are welcome to respond to this survey as they are led. However, in order to ensure a healthy number of responses to the survey each year, CRC leaders have randomly assigned every CRC church to one of five “cohorts.” Each cohort includes about 20 percent of all active congregations, and each congregation will be asked to engage in active recruitment of …

Theology For Children And Youth, James Hampton

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Family, Sex, And Gender, Janet Dean

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Theology For Children And Youth, James Hampton

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chicago Detective Explorers: Examining The Effects Of Applied Social Emotional Learning Practices On Project-Based Forensic Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Education Within Out-Of-School Time Programs, Jesus Roberto Magallon

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This dissertation investigates the impact of a project-based forensic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) course that utilized social-emotional learning (SEL) as part of its curriculum design during an out-of-school time (OST) summer program designed for high school students on Chicago’s far Northwest side. Although Durlak et al. (2011) showed that SEL improves academic achievement and well-being, its intersection with STEM remains underexamined. The Chicago Detective Explorers (CDE) program—designed and taught by the researcher—included a project-based forensic STEM curriculum (broadly defined as practice and analysis of physical evidence found at crime scenes) woven with SEL activities in areas such as …

Apologetics And Storytelling In The Lord Of The Rings, Jeffrey R. Ober

Masters Theses

Storytelling has been used for Christian education since the Christian faith first began. The problem is that while storytelling is known as a strong message of communication that has been used throughout the ages; and while it is used by some apologists like C. S. Lewis; there are more opportunities for pastors and others to engage in apologetics and evangelism using storytelling. Christians can use stories to reach others for Christ, just as others throughout history have used stories and storytelling to communicate other traditions and ideas. While this is a good start, there are more opportunities for Christians to …

Sustaining The Future Of The Local Church By Equipping Ministry Leaders Through A Development Program, James Wesley Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation-in-praxis addressed the pressing need for intentional leadership development within local churches, focusing on preparing the head, heart, and hands of aspiring ministry leaders to fulfill the calling God has placed on them. The rationale for this praxis project stemmed from the observed shortage of trained ministry leaders in many local churches. The project emphasized that many churches fail to implement deliberate efforts to equip ministry leaders to fulfill the church's mission. The Legacy Leadership Ministry Training program served as a viable solution to this problem. The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a comprehensive training …

Walking In Promise, Living In Reality: Exploring The Mental Health Implications Of The Pentecostal Discourse Of Divine Calling, Robert D. Mcbain

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

Pentecostalism places a strong emphasis on the discourse of divine calling, where individuals believe they are purposefully created, guided, and empowered by God to fulfill a specific mission. This sense of calling profoundly shapes Pentecostals’ sense of identity and purpose. Using Grounded Theory, this study analyzes open, in-depth interviews with Pentecostals in the U.S. to explore the impact of the Pentecostal discourse of divine calling on their mental health. The metaphor of ‘walking in’ one’s calling emerges as the central theme used by participants to explain the interaction between their perception of divine calling, their lived realities, and their mental …

The Echo: May 12, 2025, Taylor University

2024-2025 (Volume 112)

No abstract provided.

A Bronx Tale Of Environmental Justice: The Intersection Between Urban Planning And Transportation, Elodie S. Weinman

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis explores the intersection of urban planning and transportation, focusing on creating sustainable, efficient, and livable cities without overburdening communities. The borough of Bronx, characterized by its diverse socio-economic landscape and intricate transportation network, offers a compelling case study for examining the impact of urban planning strategies on transportation infrastructure. Through a combination of expert interviews, my fellowship with Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) in 2024, and policy review, this research identifies key areas where transportation planning and urban development intersect and influence each other. The research evaluates current planning practices, assesses the effectiveness of recent transportation initiatives, and proposes …

Communicating A Helpful, Saving Relationship With Christ For Students Scarred By Harmful Religion, Rachel Williams-Smith Ph.D., Ed.D.

The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning

There are students in our midst who come from backgrounds and situations in which harmful religion was the norm and who are thereby wounded and scarred and struggle with religion as a whole and/or with attending a religious school. This paper discusses harmful religion and what is needed to heal from it, and it introduces upcoming research on communication tools that can aid an instructor who has students who have been scarred by legalism, spiritual abuse, or other forms of harmful religion. The goal is for those who have a saving relationship with Christ and have a heart of compassion …

Incarnational Mathematics_ Applying Relational Ministry To The Classroom, Thomas Shifley

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2024

No abstract provided.

Ministry In A Secular World, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

The Securing Of Divine Attachment: The Role Of Intergenerational Sharing In Attachment-Oriented Discipleship In Youth Ministry, Kristina Freed

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Divine attachment styles, whether secure or insecure, are strongly influenced by intergenerational interactions and attachments. This paper considers the role of multiple generations on faith transmission with a view toward fostering and securing divine attachment in a way that leads to increased participation in vertical and horizontal discipleship relationships and activities. Specifically addressed are the significance of certain applications of theology and psychology to attachment processes, and how attachment styles and relationships influence faith development. Suggestions for fostering intergenerational ministry within the context of divine attachment relationships are made

Creating A Trauma-Informed Youth Ministry, Rodney Palmer

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Trauma is an event or experience that surpasses an individual’s coping capacity, often manifesting in response to various situations such as abuse, neglect, violence, natural disasters, or loss. Trauma, especially during one’s formative years, can have long-lasting and far-reaching effects on an individual’s physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Consequently, it is vital to provide a safe and supportive environment for youth who have experienced such trauma. This article provides a guide on creating a safe space, emphasizing key elements such as being welcoming and non-judgmental, using positive language, setting clear boundaries, promoting autonomy, addressing triggers, and fostering healthy relationships. …

The 180° Symposium 2024: Who Cares? Ministering To (And With) Young People In A Secular World. Summary, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

Overview, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

The New Orphan? Ministry In K-12 Public Schools, Nelson Silva

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

As churches struggle with identity and declining members in an increasingly hyper-individualistic and pluralistic society, mission must be carefully reconsidered to bring about adaptive change. Public schools position themselves as a natural place to mingle with the people of the community. However, many churches’ missiological posture of attraction rather than immersion, in addition to the misinterpretation of how church and state should relate, keeps ministry away from the heart of the community. The 180° Symposium in 2017 identified “The New Orphan” as Youth Sabbath School. This metaphor now applies to elementary and secondary public schools. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has …

Focus Groups

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

Who Cares? Ministering To (And With) Young People In A Secular World

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

The Making Of Disciples : Developing An Effective Discipleship Process For Current And Emerging Lay Leaders At Crossroads Community Cathedral, Ermias Feleke

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.