Digital Commons Network^™

Ecclesial Identity And Mission : Perspectives From Three North Indian Churches And 1 Peter, Matthias Phurba Sonam Gergan

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Problem Of Deification Within The Church Context In India: An Implausible Deification, Sadananda Rao Matangi

Masters Theses

The self-deification has been the main point on which several related issues have been discussed. No humans are equal with God but are only the servants of God. Even Jesus Christ agreed that the Father is greater than He. The concept of self-deification cannot be used overtly or covertly for self-elevation, Sacro-egoism, Sacro-egotism, self-advantage, or self-probability. On accepting Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior, a person may get the blessing of forgiveness of sins, sanctification, salvation, filling of the Holy Spirit, assurance of resurrection, and being with the Lord (on the Second Coming). That does not mean they are …

Intergenerational Factors That Contribute To Millennial Church Engagement, Parker Sanderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Millennial church attendance has declined since the beginning of the new millennium. Intergenerational ambivalence has been known to contribute to this phenomenon. Through this action research, the researcher sought to determine what intergenerational factors have led to millennials’ continued or discontinued attendance within churches. A phenomenological qualitative approach centered around interviews for this study was used to determine these intergenerational factors. The sample was taken from a 1,100-member church in a major Texas metropolitan area. The goal was to help church leaders decrease relational distancing and reduce ambivalent factors to increase millennial engagement in this local congregation.

Worship In Modern-Day Society: Evaluating Music Of Corporate Worship, Lindley Christine Cameron

Masters Theses

Background Church services today incorporate a wide variety of worship music, stylistically and lyrically, depending on the congregation. Some churches place great importance on the gospel being included in the songs, while others focus more on the emotions felt during the songs. While there are churches that maintain an eclectic mix of the two, other churches have a significant imbalance in the worship songs they choose to sing each week. Matt Boswell says, “Every worship experience, in its order and content, is an expression of the congregation’s liturgy. It communicates something about your church, your doctrine, and the order of …

The Decalogue Of Justice: A Covenantal Application Of Biblical Justice, Andrew Mark Adil

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation aims to establish a biblical theology of justice (מִשְׁפָּט), ascertaining the commands and references to justice in Scripture are comprehensively and exclusively rooted in the Moral Law of the Torah, summarized in the Ten Commandments, and embedded in the Covenant of Grace (Old and New), making it binding on New Covenant believers and inextricably attached to the church’s Great Commission mandate. To this end, the study examines the concept of justice in the OT and the Moral Law, contrasting Reformed evangelical hermeneutics with the modern iteration of Liberation Theology in connection with the application of biblical justice. Additionally, …

Exploring Best Practices Of Charitable Organizations : A Case Study Of Social Ministry For Widows And Orphans Of Some Selected Non-Profit Organizations In Kaduna, Nigeria, Mary Dizerkiya Bakut

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Music Educators As Worship Leaders: The Impact In Music Ministries Led By Music Educators, Patrick Robert Eckelkamp

Masters Theses

Some of the most competent musicians in local communities are the music educators in local school districts. Since the Bible commands us to play skillfully to God, local music teachers may be an excellent resource for churches. Some churches cannot hire a full-time worship pastor from a seminary or Bible college. In these scenarios, a skilled music teacher looking for additional income and sharing convictions with their church may be a great candidate to fill a vacant worship leader role. Since music teachers primarily study classical and orchestral music, there may be challenges for classically trained music educators leading a …

Equipping Covenant Baptist Church To Defend The Bible In A Skeptical World, Harlan Grant Mclain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis of this research project is “If Covenant Baptist Church members are taught the reliability of the Bible, they will be equipped to defend their faith to a skeptical world.” The goals of this doctoral thesis are two-fold: to train adequate believers regarding the Bible’s reliability in a skeptical world, and honor God in the process through the equipping ministry of the church in accordance with Ephesians 4:11-16. Seven lessons were researched, formulated, and presented to a small group of believers in Covenant Baptist Church who desired to become more confident in defending the Bible to a skeptic. Entrance …

The Future Of People Becoming The Church: Multiplying Disciples, Leaders, And Campuses In A Post-Christian, De-Churched, And Unchurched Region Of The United States, Wesley D. Davis

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The church is losing influence in America. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the decline in the American church. Polarized on issues of race, politics, masks, and vaccines, church leaders struggled to unite the people of God. Post-pandemic, how do churches and church leaders make more disciples, develop more leaders, and plant more churches in a post-Christian, de-churched, and unchurched culture? The focus of this doctoral dissertation is to present the philosophy of people becoming the church as a solution to the decline of the American church. I discovered the philosophy of people becoming the church over twenty years ago when …

Worshipers At War: The Church’S Call To Praise On The Frontlines, Keely Cox

Senior Honors Theses

As spiritual warfare wages on and battles are constantly fought, the worship leader must understand the power of worship the Church wields in the love and strength of the Lord. In order for the role of the worship leader to be fully recognized and understood as a significant part of the body of Christ, its unique history must also be examined. It can be seen in the appointment of the Levites to the ministry of the Israelite tabernacle and their leadership on the battlefield. It can be found in first-century Christian leaders who persisted to praise the one true God …

The Liminal Church: Why Navigating Thresholds Between Us Leads To Thriving, Andrew Hale

Doctor of Leadership

Through the discovery, design, and delivery stages of the doctoral project, I centered my work on the following NPO: Churches can thrive when they understand, navigate, and leverage the liminality existing between people, the community, and where God is leading. Despite the myriad of different contexts among local churches, whether polity, worship style, belief statements, and geographical locality, congregations are still composed of people living in relationship to one another and the community around them. Relationships, no matter their nature, are complicated. For the relationships within a local church to thrive, they require intentionality, coaching, effort, openness, and vulnerability. My …

Bilingual Preaching : A Proposed Methodology For Multicultural Churches, Fikri Youssef

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Abundance And Flourishing In Rural Appalachia : Theological Thinking And The Local Church, Julie D. Keel

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Mentoring Spiritual Leaders : Discerning Effective Practices, Michael B. Miller

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Adapting The Digital Pulpit : A Study Of The Transition To Online Preaching, Robert Mike Bankston

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Contrasting Beliefs With Reality : The Epistemology Of Branding And Brand Image In The Small Church, James Pernell Sr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Study On Church Leaders' Perspective Of Internet Church As A Biblical Community, Jason Lavon Rankin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current events and relatively recent technological developments have caused and significantly increased the use of digital technology in most aspects of life. The digital revolution, as some have termed it, has permeated all organizations, from businesses to institutions of higher learning, including religious institutions. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine Christian church leaders’ perspectives on whether the internet church fulfills the biblical and theological definitions of the church or biblical community. At this stage in the research internet church, also known as online church, e-church, virtual church, etc., is defined as a group of people with shared …

Understanding The 21st Century Practical Implication Of Chaplaincy Ministry In The City Of Milwaukee, Wi, Jeffrey D. Hayman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project acknowledges that God’s command for Christian hospital chaplains is to serve humanity. Jesus calls a chaplain. He then forms, transforms, and conforms them to His image of oneness. Hospital chaplains like pastors are part of care ministries that extend to various work settings, Christian and secular. The hospital-certified chaplain, by definition, can support the whole workforce in the hospital, including their patients and the patient’s families. The hospital-certified chaplain is the main focus of this research. These hospital chaplains must be qualified, endorsed, licensed, certified, or ordained to be on the frontline in the community. A hospital-certified …

A Study On Why People Lack Dedication And Focus During Church Worship And Service Time, Maxine Head White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher chose the topic of this thesis because members of Last Days Ministries (LDM) lacked dedication and focus during church worship and service. The project aimed to discover what caused LDM members to lack commitment and focus during worship and service time and to find a way to alleviate the problem among LDM members. This thesis project includes four themes from doing this project, of which three concern distractions. Those distractions came from cell phones, spontaneous distractions, and satanic distractions. Cell phone distraction was at the top of the list of distractions that disrupted the church and kept LDM …

Shepherding Church Staff: Stakeholders' Perceptions Of A Useful Leadership Development Plan, Bobby Allen Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As leadership demands grow, churches need a way to develop more effective leaders. Many pastors have received limited training in how to develop leaders and may not be aware of stakeholders’ expectations for leadership development. This thesis project reveals the importance of intentional leadership development of those who have answered the calling to work in the local church. The researcher believes the current shortage of lay leaders as well as consistent burnout rates among staff and volunteers can be altered with the correct plan and people in place. The researcher conducted open ended semi-structured interviews for those currently working in …

Growing A Megachurch Staff's Discipleship Understanding, Michael A. Wooton

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Five-Fold Paradigm : Effects Of The Five-Fold Experimential Course Equip, Nathaniel Dean Mcwherter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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 …

Prayer, Leadership, And Church Planting Movements : Learning From The Prayer-Lives Of Western Renewal Movements And Their Leaders, Matthew Porter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Revival Today: America’S History Of Biblical Revival And Its Modern Application, Matthew Musser

Senior Honors Theses

There is a need for revival within the church today. Christian revivals are becoming less and less popular in the current times. Is this due to a subtle shift in America’s culture? Or is this decline of religious revival the result of something deeper? This thesis will seek to discover the biblical foundations of revival in American history. First, it will analyze some of the biblical revivals that took place in the Old Testament, Gospels, and Book of Acts. Then it will transition into how these biblical principles have been the cornerstone for many of the great revivals in American …

Review Of Advancing Nonviolence And Just Peace In The Church And The World, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

And The Lord Added To Their Number Daily: A Historical Overview Of The Growth Of The American Evangelical Church, Erica Morgan Wrench

Masters Theses

Maintaining A Biblical Worldview: Mitigating Emerging Syncretism With Worldly Philosophies Through Focused Instruction In Christian Theology, Scott Kendal Leafe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are granted a “new nature” that enables them to develop thinking, a worldview, based on the mind of Christ. Unfortunately, since every person’s worldview is continually being modified, it becomes ever more challenging for believers to keep their thinking consistent with Scripture. Therefore, this action research thesis assumes consistent participation in focused teaching on fundamental doctrines and theologies of the Christian faith is necessary to develop and maintain a cohesive biblical worldview. This research project comprised the teaching of a five-part Bible study course at a local church in eleven consecutive forty-five-minute classes on …

Fidelity In Institutional Structure: Divine Family Formation And The Variance Of Church Amid Dysfunctional Behavior, Terrence Lyne Toliver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been a rift in the providential establishment of our Lord. Humanity is indulgent unto sin and the family is suffering. Disobedience and selfishness have blinded humankind into a false sense of reality. The fallacy has taken the place of divine order in the chosen avenues into humanism depicted as science, technology, philosophy, cultism, and any other route devoid of Christ. Therefore, this in-depth study seeks to dispel or to bring to light a revelation of where humanity rests in the grand scheme of contemporary life. Two notions of preponderance present themselves, to forgo selfishness and to embrace righteousness. …

A Study On The Practice Of Rural Mission Through Agricultural Activities: The Case Of Geumam Church, Jin Woo Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study has its purpose on presenting a model of rural missions by examining the case of Geumam Church which grew via agricultural activities. In the midst of crisis of Korean churches due to decline or stagnation in growth, situations for rural churches are far more disastrous. Yet, this does not mean that they should be disregarded. In this context, the researcher will examine biblical and theological grounds and related literatures to search for alternatives that would bring vitality to rural missions which, at the moment, have lost their vividness. There will be studies of rural culture characteristics through understanding …