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Making And Training Disciples Of Christ Using The Pursuit Of "Life... To The Full" As The Catalyst For Mission In High Springs Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mark Swaisgood

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

In the Spring of 2012, the High Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church had about 29% of its membership "active in ministry," meaning these members were involved in "ministry activities outside of Sabbath morning" or they served in "leadership responsibilities during Sabbath school and worship time" (i.e. I did not consider mere attendance as "active in ministry"). Approximately 9% of the membership was "missionally engaged," meaning they were participating in activities through "service to others outside of our denominational affiliation" (I considered serving people within our church membership as "active in ministry" not "missionally engaged"). The goal of this project was …

Joonhyun, Joonhyun Bae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

During the last decade, most new church plants in South Korea remained as small churches of less than one hundred members that are not self-sustaining or growing, because their leaders are heavily dependent upon limited discipleship models of few megachurches that rarely reflect the characteristics of small churches. Since newly planted churches rarely grow in the absence of effective discipleship models that suit their given cultures and geographical locations, their leaders need to be equipped with a biblical framework and applications for establishing discipleship models that aptly respond to the needs of their churches. The purpose of this thesis project …

Operative Metaphor And Antimony: A Framework For Understanding The Two-Kingdoms/Neo-Kuyperian Debate, Donald Roth

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Church Planting: A Missional Approach, Brandon Hempel

Doctor of Ministry

In my experience with church planting today, there is a concern for its sustainability due to financial constraints, leadership burnout, and results. The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss the problems therein with traditional church planting and to also lay the foundations for a more sustainable church planting option through the vehicle of missional community. My intentions are for my local Wesleyan conference to benefit from this work as it has been constructed through the culmination of my research and study as well as my own practical ministry experiences as a church planting pastor. While church planting is not …

Emerging Young Adult Spiritual Formation: A Developmental Approach For An Intergenerational Church, Frederick R. Fay

Doctor of Ministry

There is a growing disconnect between young adults and the church. Research into this specific and recent phase of life shows how cultural trends have shaped the spiritual lives of emerging adults. This dissertation claims that the loss of relevancy of the church for young adults is rooted in how the church has either capitulated or ignored these trends. Section 1 addresses the current immature faith that is endemic in many contemporary churches. The church’s history and the culture within which it is embedded are examined. Section 2 describes other approaches to spiritual formation of young adults. Section 3 asserts …

In His Disciple Making Ministry, How Did Jesus Christ Determine What To Say And/Or Do?, David A. Toth

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation answers the question, “How did Jesus Christ ascertain what to say and do in his disciple making process?” The thesis is that Jesus Christ used the immediate life circumstances of his disciples to determine what he would say and/or do in the process of his disciple making. Jesus was remarkably effective in terms of quality and quantity leaving behind disciples who reflected his lifestyle and commitment to the mission of God and who powerfully reproduced themselves. The research supports the thesis as a partial answer and reveals three additional dimensions that significantly informed Jesus Christ’s disciple making approach. …

An Investigation Of Adversity In Christian Living And Proposal For Discipleship Response, Christopher Payne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With numerous ministries teaching a cultural gospel comprised of prosperity and pleasure, people have the impression that a saving faith limits personal hardships. Jesus taught his disciples the truth about hardship and how to struggle well and the Church is called to do likewise. This thesis will present five key biblical truths to equip Christians for growing their faith through personal struggle. Moreover, the project will give leaders a guide for discipling hurting church members. The author will research current and historical discipleship materials and models, examine current teachings on faith and struggle, explore relevant biblical teachings, and survey fifty …

Millennials: The Unreached In Our Midst. A Practical Theology Of Reaching Millennials Through Organic Church Principles And Repurposing The Church, Janelle Anderson

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

There is an unreached people group in your community--you interact with them on a consistent basis, but they are beyond the reach of the Church right now. The Church has missed her opportunity to reach and disciple Millennials as children and is now struggling to connect with them at all. The first step to reaching this people group is understanding them. This thesis presents the three major longings of generalized Millennial culture, in hopes of highlighting ways to interlace individual lives with faith and Christian community. Each of the three cries of this generation has varied implications for the world, …

Making Disciples Of Jesus Christ: Investigating, Identifying And Implementing An Effective Discipleship System, Jeffrey Lynn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to George Barna's research, the current state of making disciples of Jesus Christ who are "observing all that I have commanded you" is dismal. His research reveals that "only three out of ten born-again adults admitted that they did not have any plan or process by which they intended to fulfill their spiritual goals." This author believes what we have in place for making disciples is inadequate, unimplemented, or both. The purpose of this thesis project is to explain the current state of spiritual formation in the American Church and the reasons why it falls short of God's desire …

Becoming A Disciple-Making Church: A Strategic Transition For Dongshin Apostle Community, Hyuk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dongshin Apostle Community (DAC) transitioned from being a traditional church of 210 members to a hybrid church of 700 members through an organic movement called Jesus Hope Movement (JHM). In recent years, however, DAC has also plateaued in its growth due to the limitations of its institutional structure. In order for DAC to become a healthy growing church once again, it must become a disciple-making church that implements strategic biblical steps of transition that will push the church to become more organic. This thesis project will examine diverse organic factors within DAC that enabled its growth and transition to a …

Missional Communities: Equipping Churches To Reach Their Local Context, Robert Glen Parker

Doctor of Ministry

In the Northeast region of the United States, surveys suggest church participation is steadily declining. We contend that a primary reason for this decline is that churches have become insular and exclusive, leading to a failure to meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of their communities. The problem raises the question, "How do churches move beyond exclusivity to engage in relevant ministry within their local communities?" Throughout the Bible, God is the initiator of a relationship with humanity. God created Adam and Eve, and set out a redemptive plan to restore them to right relationship when their connection to …

A Discipleship Program For Developing Community In The Amazing Grace Seventh-Day Adventist Church Plant In Johannesburg, Samuel O. Misiani

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many believers hunger for a deeper experience with Christ in their spiritual life, but do not know how to go about it. This discipleship and spirituality project was an attempt to discover a model that one could use to develop an authentic community in the ministry context of the researcher. Discipleship is a loving relationship with Christ in which the one whom He calls submits to His Lordship, and makes God’s purpose and glory the sole reason for being. In essence it is about total commitment to the Lordship of Christ, and cooperation with the Holy Spirit in His …

A Strategy To Plant A Missional, Multiplying Church In Pulaski County, Kentucky, Daniel Basile

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a desperate need for church planters to focus efforts on rural, established communities to reverse trends of declining church attendance and influence. Pulaski County, Kentucky is one such community that sees the unchurched population continue to climb despite hundreds of church buildings. The goal of this thesis project is to reach the numerous unchurched inhabitants of Pulaski County by creating a comprehensive, holistic strategy to design and launch a missional church near Somerset, Kentucky, that will intentionally reproduce itself. Through interviews and surveys of at least 100 local residents, a careful analysis of area demographics and psychographics will …

Educate To Equip: A Model For Educational Short-Term Missions As A Ministry Of The Local Church, Steven Curtis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent data show that most short-term mission trips are focused on economic and social development projects coupled with intentional and/or relational evangelism, while reproducible models for in-depth theological education during short-term missions are rare. As a missionary presently ministering in a number of underdeveloped nations, this writer has witnessed the need for, and potential benefit of, such models. To validate these conclusions, research was conducted among missions agencies and church-based missions departments to determine the efficacy of existing models to meet the educational needs in the field, as assessed through personal interviews with pastors from a representative sample of underdeveloped …

An Examination Of Reaching, Teaching, Feeding And Loving People For The Kingdom Of God, Gwendolyn Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the biblically prescribed methodologies and innovative tools for attaining the desirable results of more disciples instead of followers of Christ. It is incumbent on every believer to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission, to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every ethnos. There are several contributing factors that are conducive to people globally starving holistically mainly due to a deviancy of knowledge imparted and less implementation of discipleship. The inclusion of this thesis is a partial account of interviews with some Christian leaders and selected Disciples of …

An Oral Strategy For Training Leaders Among The Aztec Indians, Anthony Conner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today there are over 150 Unengaged Unreached People Groups and Unreached People Groups in Mexico. Current methods of outreach are missing the mark with the indigenous people groups. Leaders are poorly equipped to take the Gospel to these least reached areas. The purpose of this project is to research and implement a program to train leaders in an indigenous context in Southern Mexico. The development of this program is based on the biblical mandate to reach all people groups, communication among indigenous peoples as affected by culture and worldview, surveys and interviews with missionaries and national leaders, and special considerations …

A Model For Revitalizing And Restructuring Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Jerry Grimes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a model of ministry that will revitalize Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, which over the past 102 years, has been characterized by stagnate membership, diminishing evangelistic efforts and a declining spiritual impact. This project will detail a model that allows for a restructuring of Peter's Tabernacle that neither denigrates its traditional approach to congregational life nor disrupts its standard hierarchy. Presented will be an implementable approach to developing small groups of congregants trained to evangelize those communities surrounding Peter's Tabernacle while maintaining the administrative structure of its congregational leadership.

A Strategy To Transition A Traditional Church Educational System To A Small Group System: A Case Study Of Eternal Life Baptist Church, Kyoung Gil Cho

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to research the avenues in which to have Eternal Life Bible Baptist Church transition to a small group system. This thesis was done through field analysis and literature research, as well as the case study of Eternal Life Bible Baptist Church (ELBBC). The case study was totally focused on the process of changing to a small group system at Eternal Life. The author was a minister at Eternal Life for 8 years, and an associate pastor for a year. In a few years the author will become the next senior pastor of Eternal life …

Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current worship literature reveals very little guidance to assist Protestant church leaders in training, discipling or mentoring congregational worship leadership. Therefore, this thesis project researched and presents a basic rationale for developing worship leadership discipling curricula strategically targeting the needs related to discipling and training artistic Christians who are called to worship leadership in the local church.

Mentoring Men For The Master, International: The Unique Man, Ministry, And Model Of Discipleship, Mark Keith Huckaby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to research, illuminate, and communicate the model of discipleship developed by Dr. William L. Bennett of Mentoring Men for the Master, International (MMM). This project will examine the biblical nature of mentoring, and the history, philosophy, development, organization, functionality, and effectiveness of this unique model through the use of primary sources: interviews with Bennett, his writings, interviews with mentees, an online survey, and personal analysis. Supportive discipleship resources undergird the research. Special attention will be given to Bennett's call, influence, and involvement in the establishment and operation of MMM as its Founder and President.

A Global Approach For The Local Church As Mission Agent And Agency, Jonathan Edward Stairs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to reclaim the local church's mandate to mobilize disciples to complete the Great Commission. It appears that the evangelical church has abdicated its responsibility of reproducing disciples to other ministries and needs to re-establish disciple-making as its primary focus. Therefore, the project will outline how one church, Calvary Baptist Church in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, intends to realign itself with the New Testament paradigm of the church as both a mission agent and agency. The potential value will be the development of a clear and effective discipleship pathway leading churches toward a Biblically-balanced "commissional" movement.

Effective Discipleship In Central Virginia: Contextualizing The Great Commission In A Changing Southern Culture, Andrew Gregory Moroz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The overall mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations. Gospel Community Church is a church plant that is striving to make disciples in central VA and around the world. The purpose of this thesis is to develop an effective discipleship strategy for GCC. In order to develop this strategy, this thesis first considers the history and culture of central VA, the Biblical mandate and examples of discipleship in the Bible, snapshots of discipleship throughout church history, and current forms of discipleship in central VA churches.

A Strategy For Developing Kingdom Leaders Through Discipleship And Mentoring For New Hope Baptist Church, Stanley Arthur Gillcash

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a documentation of the methods followed in developing a mentoring and discipleship process for New Hope Baptist Church, Watertown, New York. New Hope is unique in that half of the members are military and will move to new assignments after three to four years. A repeatable, and adjustable process was needed to quickly mentor and disciple these and our local members so they may be effective for the Kingdom of God.

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.

A Discipleship Model For Evangelism In Northeast Brazil, Emilio Abdala Dutra

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Churches in Northeast Brazil (NB), including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, have been growing rapidly. Their numerical growth is phenomenal by any estimation. However, these churches are growing numerically and not in depth. We see a discipleship deficit among new believers in the form of a high rate of backdoor losses, unawareness of the meaning and duties of discipleship, spiritually undisciplined members, absence of intentional relationships to share faith, biblical illiteracy, and lack of church fellowship. How can churches in Northeast Brazil grow in quality, reproducing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ?

Method

Current literature related to the problem was reviewed, …

Fort Wayne Alumnus, Taylor University Fort Wayne

TUFW Alumni Publications (All)

The Fall 1995 edition of The Fort Wayne Alumnus, published by Taylor University Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana.