Digital Commons Network^™

Select Independent Baptist Church Family Worship And The Impact Of The Church Family Ministry, Joshua Wayne Yancy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A growing number of young adults leave the church once they reach the age of majority, leading many congregations to reevaluate the interplay between family worship, parent-equipping, and intergenerational ministry. Adopting a convergent parallel mixed methods approach, this study combined a nationwide quantitative survey of 125 parents with qualitative interviews of senior, youth, and children’s ministry leaders from four Independent Baptist churches. The survey explored how frequently parents engage in worship and discipleship practices within the home. At the same time, the interviews shed light on how church-led intergenerational worship and parent-equipping efforts influence families’ home practices. Findings reveal that …

The Importance Of Bridging The Generation Gap Within Grace City Church: A Plan For An Intergenerational Discipleship Program, Keila A. Boychak

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The generation gap exists within the local church. The purpose of this praxis problem was to address the lack of intergenerational ministry in the church and create an intergenerational discipleship program to start the process of bridging the generation gap. The researcher intended to study the generations that are involved within Grace City Church and better understand how to reach them. In following Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (1969), the researcher planned to create a practical program that assisted in gaining participants, who are among various generations and are currently members of the congregation. Through the implementation …

Millennials In The Marketplace: Transitioning From Marketplace Discipleship To Relational Discipleship At New Life Community, Marcus D. Steele

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project seeks to resolve the problem of marketplace discipleship superseding relational discipleship among the millennials connected to New Life Community, a house church ministry in Hilliard, Ohio. For ministry gatherings at New Life Community, such as worship services, there was a noticeable decline in overall participation from the largest demographic of the ministry, the millennial generation. However, when there were ministry gatherings specific to marketplace initiatives that focused on career and entrepreneurship, most, if not all, of the millennials participated. This selective participation by millennials resulted from ministry gatherings that were too infrequent and needed more opportunities …

Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the need to develop committed Christian servants within a church ministry context by utilizing a spiritual formation initiative focused on service as a means towards and evidence of spiritual formation and development. Fairhaven Church of Rootstown had not been instructed on the fundamental need for members to serve together. Consequently, service within the church was not a necessary part of discipleship or its spiritual growth plan. The purpose of this intervention was to create and implement a three-fold spiritual development initiative focused on Christian service that includes a sermon series, a midweek study, and a …

The Intergenerational Church's Role In Family Worship, Jeremy Robert Jordan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout the Scriptures, God calls parents to teach their children to glorify God through worship. The Bible also commands all generations to encourage one another through worship and service. Throughout history, there are many examples of God’s people spending time in family worship, but over the past couple of decades, there has been a decline in parents discipling their children. A great number of parents are now expecting the church to provide the biblical training their children need. The lack of parents taking the time to teach their children and lead them in worship daily has led to high school …

Worship, Culture, And Mission: Ethnomusicology As A Tool For Evangelism In America, Semaj H. Pennix

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite many efforts of using evangelism as a tool in the United States, a deficit within the mission field of the unchurched is still very present. Within the scope of the ethnomusicologist, there are both secular and sacred musical fronts and participants that must be presented with the gospel in a form that ministers to them and connects with their own cultural or traditional music. Infiltrating these atmospheres as an ethnomusicologist may be the way to meet these needs. Because music has such a strong potential for changing the hearts of others and fostering acceptance, it is important for the …

Biblical Concepts In Action: A Case For Discipleship In The Worship Ministry, Wendall D. Reed

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative historical study is to examine the discipleship of the worship ministry in the local church according to biblical principles of discipleship. Despite the biblical examples of discipleship benefits, worship ministry personnel are often not included in discipleship efforts from church leadership. The leadership and the congregation alike may assume their spiritual maturity. The preaching ministry and the worship ministry are the most public act of worship viewable by congregants. Some worship ministry volunteers and staff may feel they are expected to have already been discipled and may be reluctant to pursue discipleship engagement. This study …

Discipleship As Understood And Practiced By Worship Leaders, Pastors, And Congregations Of Selected Southern Baptist Churches, Bridgette Lashawn Yancy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the growing interest in Christian faith development through Bible study, prayer groups, literature, and other media, there has been little to no research completed in the area of discipleship of worship leaders. This study will be an examination of discipleship activities that are offered within the Southern Baptist churches and the average duration of engagement of these activities by worship leaders. How the discipleship of the worship leader affects the ministry of the worship leader, participation in leadership-focused activities, and the personal and professional growth of the worship leader will be examined through questionnaires for both pastors and worship …

Mentoring Worship Leaders To Become Mentoring Worship Leaders, Robert Todd Craig

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although Jesus provides the biblical example for the process and significance of mentoring others, today’s ministry leaders often fail to take up this mantle. Much research exists on the value of mentoring, especially in the corporate world where those at the highest levels intentionally mentor those who display significant potential. Recent literature addresses the importance of ministry leaders mentoring others, such as veteran pastors showing those expressing a call to ministry how to be a minster. However, a gap exists in the body of literature regarding the importance of the mentoring relationship between veteran and novice worship leaders. Due to …

The Qualities Of The Worship Leader Perceived To Engage Others To Serve In Worship Ministry, Dawn H. Cochran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The person serving in the role of the worship leader represents one of the primary positions of leadership within the Church. In the corporate worship setting, the worship leader is entrusted with the responsibility of fostering an atmosphere that is conducive to active participation, but may lack the proper skills needed to accomplish this task. This thesis project proposes that the worship leader must demonstrate the essential qualities necessary to engage others to serve in the worship ministry. This project will focus on four specific qualities that are crucial in this process: character, capability, commitment and chemistry. Through the examination …

Incorporating A Pedagogy Of Worship In The Community Group Ministry Of Grace Bible Church, Jeremy G. Sauskojus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many local church fellowships have embraced small groups (life groups, community groups) as a means of connecting people with one another from within the larger church body. These small groups are a means of building community. Furthermore, many churches testify to the importance of pursuing worship as much more than music in the corporate worship gathering that takes place once a week. However, very little has been done to connect these two components together in the small group ministry environment. As will be presented, people have written concerning each one of these important elements of church body life. Yet, connecting …

Moving From Performance To Missional Worship: Five Biblical Principles And Practices To Infuse Discipleship Into Worship, Ossie Xzabia Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In striving for authentic worship, many worship leaders focus on the sound of the choir and the individual’s relationship with God without considering discipleship. God’s first directive to humanity in Gen. 1:28 supplied God’s instruction for authentic worship, which emphasized discipleship and not music. Training choir members to worship without including discipleship results in the shaping of performers rather than worshipers. Worship must reflect the Trinity and not the skills and ability of the worshiper. When worshipers show God's love through discipleship, they reveal the Godhead. To shape singers holistically, worship leaders must teach their choir members to disciple. This …

Doxology And Discipleship: Principles For How The Worship Leader Functions Pastorally, Robert Balentine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Christian worshipers and clergy misunderstand or undervalue the role that the worship leader has as a pastor and one that helps shepherd and shape the doctrinal beliefs of the church. Likewise, this could lead the worship leader to fail to take an intentional approach to worship planning. This lack of understanding and intentionality helps to contribute to the shallow or flawed theology and biblical illiteracy that plagues the church in America. This topic was chosen to demonstrate how music and song are highly effective tools for pastoring and teaching. This project will highlight three principles for how the worship …

Means Of Grace As Formative Holiness: The Role And Significance Of John Wesley's Spiritual Formation Practices In The Pursuit Of Christian Holiness For The Church Of The Nazarene, Aimee Stone Cooper

Doctor of Ministry

Within the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition broadly, and the Church of the Nazarene specifically, occasional confusion, distrust and skepticism has arisen concerning “spiritual formation.” Some of the underlying issues may reflect a lack of understanding regarding what Christian spiritual formation is and is not, where the language comes from, what is meant by traditional Christian disciplines of formation, and how those practices relate to holiness theology and sanctification.

The purpose of this dissertation is to thoughtfully and practically engage this subject through the lens of John Wesley, for whom the means of grace are a practical marriage of God’s work and our …

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 …

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.