Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Church

Discipline
Institution
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 315

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Outside The Church Walls: An Empirical Exploration Of Organizational Culture And Pastoral Leadership In Two Urban Churches, Althea P. Gordon-Scott, Joshua D. Henson, Bethany D. Peters, Katrina Hutchins Oct 2026

Outside The Church Walls: An Empirical Exploration Of Organizational Culture And Pastoral Leadership In Two Urban Churches, Althea P. Gordon-Scott, Joshua D. Henson, Bethany D. Peters, Katrina Hutchins

Great Commission Research Journal

A mini-ethnographic case study explored the interconnections of organizational culture and pastoral leadership with sustainable outreach in two very different churches that focus on ministry to people with life-controlling issues and economic need: a small, primarily Black church in the Great Lakes region and a large, primarily White and Hispanic church in the western United States. Despite their differences, the churches shared similar espoused values and leadership characteristics that facilitated their outreach initiatives. Themes derived from the data include altruistic foundations, the value of relationships, exemplary pastoral leadership, organizational challenges, agile organizational systems, and the centrality of God.


Missional Hospitality: A Contextualization Of God’S Hospitable Mission For New Lisbon Christian Church, Jonathan Willmore May 2026

Missional Hospitality: A Contextualization Of God’S Hospitable Mission For New Lisbon Christian Church, Jonathan Willmore

DMin Project Theses

The town of New Lisbon, originally called Jamestown, has been home to Restoration Movement churches. The first congregation began in 1839, not long after the town’s official incorporation and renaming as New Lisbon. It unfortunately died out in the decades that followed, and not much is known about its history. The second is called New Lisbon Christian Church (NLCC) and was planted in 1893.1 The records indicate that NLCC changed Senior Ministers approximately every three years, until the 1970s, when a pastor stayed at New Lisbon for nine years. That minister was the longest tenured until the most recent one …


The Neo-Monastic Invitation : A Rule For Church Multiplication In South Georgia, Andrew Robert Anderson May 2026

The Neo-Monastic Invitation : A Rule For Church Multiplication In South Georgia, Andrew Robert Anderson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Service As Spiritual Formation : A Foundational Discipleship Framework For Service, Mak Zhe Hao May 2026

Service As Spiritual Formation : A Foundational Discipleship Framework For Service, Mak Zhe Hao

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Patterns, Pressures, And Pathways : An Ethnographic Study Of Discipleship In Nepali-Speaking Immigrant Churches In The United States, Ram Kumar Budhathoki Jan 2026

Patterns, Pressures, And Pathways : An Ethnographic Study Of Discipleship In Nepali-Speaking Immigrant Churches In The United States, Ram Kumar Budhathoki

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


A Strategic Study Seeking To Increase Tithe And Offering At The Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Harlem, New York, Silburn I. Reid Aug 2025

A Strategic Study Seeking To Increase Tithe And Offering At The Ephesus Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Harlem, New York, Silburn I. Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This doctoral thesis explores the complex relationship between church members and financial giving at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church. The study aims to understand why members refrain from contributing to tithes and offerings by examining their trust in local church leadership and the denomination at large. The study identifies several underlying reasons for the reluctance to give by using qualitative and quantitative research methods, including surveys, teaching seminars, and participant group observations. These are grouped into three primary themes: transparency, education, and dissatisfaction with church governance. One of the key findings was that the lack of trust in church leadership …


Dry Bones Can Live Again : Best Practices For Replanting Independent Christian Churches, R. Steve Bolin Jul 2025

Dry Bones Can Live Again : Best Practices For Replanting Independent Christian Churches, R. Steve Bolin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


A Case Study For Faithful Biblical Expository Preaching And Teaching: The Transformation Of Members In The Anointed Church Of Jesus Christ, Elijah Narplah Wreh Jun 2025

A Case Study For Faithful Biblical Expository Preaching And Teaching: The Transformation Of Members In The Anointed Church Of Jesus Christ, Elijah Narplah Wreh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN action research evaluates the effectiveness of biblical expository preaching in demonstrating the inerrancy of Scripture and determining the impact of the twelve-week sermon series with the congregation at the Anointed Church of Jesus Christ in Elyria, Ohio. The process is designed to benefit the church’s congregation, help them faithfully obey God’s Word, and be drawn to God’s reality and the answers it provides through biblical preaching. The research methodology covers the application of biblical expository preaching. The congregation was instructed on various phraseological expressions, including expositional preaching, bibliocentric, Christocentric, inspired Scripture, applications, and illustrations, which helped enhance and …


Developing Spiritually Healthy Churches : Advancing Biblical Ecclesiology And Ministry Practices Among Pastoral Leaders, Julian Panga May 2025

Developing Spiritually Healthy Churches : Advancing Biblical Ecclesiology And Ministry Practices Among Pastoral Leaders, Julian Panga

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Multiplying Disciples Through The Family : Relationship Between Family Discipleship And Disciples Who Make Disciples, Julius D. Coomson May 2025

Multiplying Disciples Through The Family : Relationship Between Family Discipleship And Disciples Who Make Disciples, Julius D. Coomson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Rethinking Discipleship : Understanding Conflict As A Means Of Spiritual Growth, Donald S. Caulley May 2025

Rethinking Discipleship : Understanding Conflict As A Means Of Spiritual Growth, Donald S. Caulley

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Center And Edge A Flourishing Relationship : Encouraging Best Practices In A Mixed Ecology, John Marsh May 2025

Center And Edge A Flourishing Relationship : Encouraging Best Practices In A Mixed Ecology, John Marsh

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Church Planting In Rural Ghana : Administrative Structures To Plant & Maintain New Churches, Isaac Oteng Donkor May 2025

Church Planting In Rural Ghana : Administrative Structures To Plant & Maintain New Churches, Isaac Oteng Donkor

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Effective And Sustainable Church Planting Strategies For Persians From A Muslim Background In Britain, Jonathan Aptin Samadi May 2025

Effective And Sustainable Church Planting Strategies For Persians From A Muslim Background In Britain, Jonathan Aptin Samadi

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Six-Week Missional Discipleship Training Program For Youth At Ipc Prayer Centre Thiruvalla, Jibbin Raju Poovakala May 2025

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Six-Week Missional Discipleship Training Program For Youth At Ipc Prayer Centre Thiruvalla, Jibbin Raju Poovakala

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Planting With A Limp : Recovering Lament In Growing New Churches, Robin P. Ham May 2025

Planting With A Limp : Recovering Lament In Growing New Churches, Robin P. Ham

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


One More Neighbor: Utilizing Legal Services For Holistic Immigrant Care, Mitch Mcgeath Apr 2025

One More Neighbor: Utilizing Legal Services For Holistic Immigrant Care, Mitch Mcgeath

Christian Ministries Senior Capstone

This paper rests upon the assumption that local churches in the United States have a critical role to play in obeying the command of Jesus to care for immigrants. I argue for a ministry that combines the mission of Jesus with the compassion of Jesus by bringing together immigration legal services with opportunities to disciple our “neighbors,” immigrants who live in close proximity to our church site. One More Neighbor is a ministry within One More, the missions non-profit of Church at the Crossing on the northwest side of Indianapolis, Indiana. The ministry of One More Neighbor is explored systematically …


The Prophetic Role Of The Church In The Associations Of Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (Nbcc) To Address The State Of Morality And Spiritual Transformation In The Land, Imti Lithrongla Jan 2025

The Prophetic Role Of The Church In The Associations Of Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (Nbcc) To Address The State Of Morality And Spiritual Transformation In The Land, Imti Lithrongla

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


A Training Model For Strategic Planning In Large Evangelical Churches, Ginger Ann Beady Oct 2024

A Training Model For Strategic Planning In Large Evangelical Churches, Ginger Ann Beady

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation explores strategic planning for churches in the post-Christendom era, where the cultural influence of Christianity has significantly diminished. The study aims to create a resource to help church leaders develop and implement strategic plans focused on long-term church health and sustainability. The first objective is to define what strategic planning entails and emphasize its necessity for fulfilling God's mission. Drawing on the Old Testament case study of Nehemiah and a New Testament survey, the research emphasizes the importance of effective planning within a biblical context. The second focus of this research question is to identify what to plan …


Church Adoption: Three-Pronged Elements That Support The Revitalization Of Coastal Church Battery Park Location In Virginia, Michael Christopher Bard Aug 2024

Church Adoption: Three-Pronged Elements That Support The Revitalization Of Coastal Church Battery Park Location In Virginia, Michael Christopher Bard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church is God’s plan for delivering the good news of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the Cross. This finished work is evidenced through the bodily resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15). In the US a steady decline in church attendance has been prevalent over the past three decades and church buildings are either near empty or closing. This research explores the concept of church adoption merger in hopes of one avenue that would promote revitalization of local fellowships. Though multiple elements are supportive in revitalization this research explore three elements that should lead towards centralizing the church on Christ. …


An Examination Of How Training Impacts The Leadership And Management Competency Of Pastors Of The New Beginning Family Of Churches, Christine R. Rudolph Aug 2024

An Examination Of How Training Impacts The Leadership And Management Competency Of Pastors Of The New Beginning Family Of Churches, Christine R. Rudolph

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has concluded that clergy need management and leadership skills to effectively lead the 21st-century church and meet its diverse challenges (Porter, 2014). These leadership skills can be taught and developed through training, mentoring, and modeling. New Beginning Worship Center Family of Churches comprised eight non-denominational churches that experienced various challenges, including membership decline and economic problems. The strategic problem was that these clergy members lacked the skills to address the challenges faced by their churches effectively. There was a need to improve the leadership and management skills of the New Beginning Worship Center pastors to allow them to address …


Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen May 2024

Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project introduces Proactive Pastoral Counseling (PPC) as a Christian Integrative Therapeutic (CIT). PPC, combined with its counterpart, Christian Intrapersonal Formation (CIF), offers a proactive pastoral counseling approach to assist others in coping with intrapersonal conflict while guiding them toward Christian intrapersonal formation. The impetus behind the study addresses the need for pastoral counseling with members of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Harmony, ME. Chapter One lays out the history, background, and beliefs of FBC and the Maine culture dating back to the late 1700s. Chapter Two addresses the nature of pastoral counseling, its tenets, and applications described …


Missional Movement Through The Local Church : Applying Movemental Principles In A British Context, Nicholas Ralph Allan May 2024

Missional Movement Through The Local Church : Applying Movemental Principles In A British Context, Nicholas Ralph Allan

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Trans-Denominational Unity : A Theological And Pragmatic Necessity For The Post-Christendom Church In England, Fraser J. Oates May 2024

Trans-Denominational Unity : A Theological And Pragmatic Necessity For The Post-Christendom Church In England, Fraser J. Oates

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


A Seat At The Table : How Faith Is Formed By Simple Acts, Darren A. Narber May 2024

A Seat At The Table : How Faith Is Formed By Simple Acts, Darren A. Narber

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Leadership Development : Transforming And Equiping Pastors With Renewed Knowledge, Skills, And Tools To Enhance Biblical Leadership, Probhudan Hira May 2024

Leadership Development : Transforming And Equiping Pastors With Renewed Knowledge, Skills, And Tools To Enhance Biblical Leadership, Probhudan Hira

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Preaching A Biblical Theology Of Singleness, Sarah Taylor May 2024

Preaching A Biblical Theology Of Singleness, Sarah Taylor

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Cultivating A Vibrant Mixed Ecology Of The Church : A Theology Of Difference For The Many And Various Forms Of Church, Tim Lomax May 2024

Cultivating A Vibrant Mixed Ecology Of The Church : A Theology Of Difference For The Many And Various Forms Of Church, Tim Lomax

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Ephesians 2:11-22, Unity In Christ: A Biblical Theological Analysis, Kaeley Sells Apr 2024

Ephesians 2:11-22, Unity In Christ: A Biblical Theological Analysis, Kaeley Sells

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Often, in large group settings there can be a tendency to stick to one’s own in-group. This tendency then leads to the diminishing and exclusion of those outside of that particular group. In the early church, this was the story of the Gentile believers who, despite receiving the same life through the sacrifice of Christ were subject to discrimination, cultivating an inferiority complex in many of the early believers. Paul attempts to critique this trend by highlighting not only the grace extended to all but the intentional life, death, and resurrection of Christ that enables all believers to be citizens …


Multiply Alabama: Moving From Church Planting To Church Multiplication By Multiplying Leaders And Churches In The Alabama Ministry Network, David P. Strahan Apr 2024

Multiply Alabama: Moving From Church Planting To Church Multiplication By Multiplying Leaders And Churches In The Alabama Ministry Network, David P. Strahan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The Alabama Ministry Network has had anemic success in planting over 150 churches since 1980. However, there has still been a ten percent decline in the total number of churches due to churches closing, churches withdrawing, or churches merging. This project studies how AMN can move from addition (church planting) to multiplication (church multiplication) to avoid further regression. The Biblical literature review examines the scriptural premise to multiply. It also discovers the church planting models of Jesus, the early church, and Paul The project used mixed research methods to develop a pathway towards church multiplication within AMN in four phases. …