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Christocentric Discipleship At Faith Baptist Church Of Tuscola, Allan Clyde Harris Ii
Christocentric Discipleship At Faith Baptist Church Of Tuscola, Allan Clyde Harris Ii
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Faith Baptist Church of Tuscola and many other churches worldwide do not currently conduct Christocentric discipleship. Discipleship, in general, is not being achieved as well. A significant disconnect between the gospel and discipleship exists today. There is ignorance regarding the gospel and its message and how believers are to fulfill the Great Commission. The disconnect is a result of the type of gospel preached and implemented. This study aims to discover a means and method to correct the ignorance of the gospel that results in improper or lack of discipleship, thus creating converts to Christianity and not disciples of Christ. …
Intergenerational Discipleship At St. Paul's Smoke Church, Elle Rulavage
Intergenerational Discipleship At St. Paul's Smoke Church, Elle Rulavage
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Intergenerational ministry through discipleship is found in the archetype of Christ and His disciples. St. Paul’s Smoke Church in Windsor Township, Pennsylvania, has impacted and influenced the area through many centuries in the generational call to follow Christ. The church has seen its ebbs and flows. In the past decade, membership has tremendously decreased, but the heart of love for God and its community is lasting. The pandemic of COVID-19 had limited ministry in the traditional sense. Still, the unorthodox ways of ministry were sought out and employed to continue St. Paul’s Smoke Church in its operation and functionality while …
One Church’S Apathy Toward Fulfilling The Great Commission, David Thomas Williamson
One Church’S Apathy Toward Fulfilling The Great Commission, David Thomas Williamson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Philippians 1:9-11 records Paul’s prayer containing four assessments believers can use to measure their progress toward spiritual maturity. These areas include a love that flows, a mind that knows, a character that shows, and a fruit that grows. The purpose of all these qualities is to demonstrate God’s glory. Where spiritual maturity is absent, apathy and complacency abound, and this dilemma must be overcome before a church can effectively pursue and sustain a viable focus on church revitalization. Because theological academia has not effectively focused on the partnership between spiritual maturity and church revitalization, this DMIN research project will address …
Theological Education And Spiritual Formation In The Lives Of Engaged, Emerging Adults, Markus David Colbert
Theological Education And Spiritual Formation In The Lives Of Engaged, Emerging Adults, Markus David Colbert
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis seeks to answer the following question: What is an effective discipleship method for emerging adults who are already engaged in IChurch? The method chosen was multi-layered and utilized corporate discipleship which involved a classroom setting geared toward theological and doctrinal education based on Bloom-Anderson’s taxonomy of educational objectives, communal discipleship which was concerned with small group activities and peer-to-peer accountability, and personal discipleship geared toward individual spiritual formation given an edited list of Whitney’s personal spiritual disciplines. Participants were asked to take an introductory Theological examination which plotted them from analyze level to the create level of Bloom’s …
A Training Manual For Small-Group Evangelization Of Youth Unbelievers, Stanley Vincent James
A Training Manual For Small-Group Evangelization Of Youth Unbelievers, Stanley Vincent James
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project is a study on the evangelism toward young adult unbelievers by church members of The Power of the Living God Church of Galveston. This DMin action research project aims to motivate church members to evangelize this critical group of unbelievers. The focus will concentrate on the reasons given by members for non-participation. The questions concerning the lack of participation would be analyzed to assess the behavior of the members and to ultimately determine a path forward for effective participation. The project will utilize interviews and focus groups to ascertain the reasons for the lack of motivation for …
A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Discipling Church Congregants Using Three Christ-Practiced Church Communities, Bryan Wade Ewing
A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of Discipling Church Congregants Using Three Christ-Practiced Church Communities, Bryan Wade Ewing
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the perceived impact of local church leadership’s implementation of three Christ-practiced discipling communities for the equipping of local-church congregants within six local bodies in the state of Indiana. Communities are generally defined as intentional groups of different purposes within the local church. The study sought to better understand the impact of congregants being involved in weekly, corporate worship, small groups, and mentorship groups in their discipleship journey. The rationale behind the study was to explore the phenomenon of the discipleship process as certain congregants were engaged in only a weekly worship …
Discipleship On The Role And Responsibility Of A Youth Minister, Warren Douglas Choice
Discipleship On The Role And Responsibility Of A Youth Minister, Warren Douglas Choice
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The thesis project is designed to equip the congregation at Cary’s Baptist Church to understand the role and responsibility of a youth minister. Cary’s Baptist Church is an older congregation located in Yorktown, Virginia. The congregation was established in the 1800’s and has served the community by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and serving individuals who live in the Yorktown community. Throughout the years of serving the community, the congregation has been effective in evangelism and open for youth to be a part of the congregation. However, there has been a decline in youth attendance and involvement in the …
Loneliness And The Church: Creating Effective Discipleship Systems For The Next Generation, Sarah Brits
Loneliness And The Church: Creating Effective Discipleship Systems For The Next Generation, Sarah Brits
Selected Honors Theses
Loneliness is the most common shared experience. With Generation Alpha already predicted to be the loneliest and most anxious generation of all time, it is more important than ever for next-generation ministry leaders to step ahead of the trend of loneliness and establish effective discipleship systems within their ministry. This study explores to what level people are experiencing loneliness on a daily basis and how their church involvement impacts said loneliness. The church is good at offering large group and small group connections for individuals, but most participants said their church does not offer mentorship opportunities, neglecting the vital intimate …
Discipleship Mentoring Program For Emerging Adults That Have Abandoned Church, Acquenetta Thompson
Discipleship Mentoring Program For Emerging Adults That Have Abandoned Church, Acquenetta Thompson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
There has been and continues to be a mass exodus of emerging adults that have stopped attending church services after they graduate high school. Many emerging adults have abandoned church and other religious institutions, abandoned their affiliation with the title of Christianity or religion, their religious beliefs that they once held, or have participated in other worldview religions or atheism. The purpose of this research study focuses on the similarities and differences between the current generation of emerging adults and earlier generation of young adults, other reasons why emerging adults have abandoned church, and how effective discipleship mentoring can be …
An Assessment Of The Millennial Body And Its Place In The Local Church, Jonette L. Camp
An Assessment Of The Millennial Body And Its Place In The Local Church, Jonette L. Camp
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Millennial members’ waning attendance and involvement at Simon Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a growing concern for the church universal. This project focuses on Simon Temple’s ability to attract and retain millennials and draw on their church programs and leadership gifts. This study’s purpose was to understand better why millennials do not become or remain active members at Simon Temple. If the church implemented a strategic evangelism and discipleship plan for millennials, could it help attract, retain, and involve millennials? This study evaluates the concerns of Simon Temple leadership and millennial members as they relate to millennial involvement …
Connecting Youth To The Gospel: The Role Of Theology And Apologetics, John Wesley Sales Iv
Connecting Youth To The Gospel: The Role Of Theology And Apologetics, John Wesley Sales Iv
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Connecting youth to the Gospel sounds like a basic undertaking. However, evidence shows students know very little about the Gospel. While they grow up in church and attend Sunday school, there is still a lack of desire from students to want to know who God is. There needs to be a path to teaching students the genuine and deep teachings of the Gospel. This topic is important because as students grow older, they may grow apart from what they learned in Sunday school. When they are challenged and distracted by the world, they need a strong anchor to keep them …
Developing An Intentional Disciple Making Strategy For Fathers To Lead Their Families In Spiritual Transformation, Michael Cauthorne
Developing An Intentional Disciple Making Strategy For Fathers To Lead Their Families In Spiritual Transformation, Michael Cauthorne
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Do current student ministries produce disciples that can stand the test of the current culture? Has creating a separate ministry worked against God’s plan for making disciples? Statistics from across the Church would suggest the American Church is in decline. Within the Southern Baptist Convention there has been a continual decline in baptisms over the past few years. This project will seek to determine if there is a correlation between how student ministries are led in the modern church to how effectively the church has been in making disciples. With research and data collected from current and former student ministries, …
Implementing A Discipleship Strategy At Open Door Evangelical Church, Samuel Odney
Implementing A Discipleship Strategy At Open Door Evangelical Church, Samuel Odney
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project aims to address the lack of involvement of church members in leadership at Open Door Evangelical Church. With the implementation of a discipleship strategy that will coach those not involved, they will become true disciples of Christ and serve in the church with any ability they have received from the Lord. The researcher will use three different methods for data gathering, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Every Member of the church will participate in the survey phase of the project. Still, the bulk of the study consisting of focus groups and interviews will focus on members …
Small Groups Evangelistic Growth At New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John Raymond Sconiers
Small Groups Evangelistic Growth At New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John Raymond Sconiers
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Christian denominations generally have low growth rates and stagnant evangelistic programs. While churches struggle to evangelize new believers, evangelistic models that utilize small group methodology have shown various degrees of success. The purpose of the author is to conduct a church growth study of the New Gainesville Seventh-Day Adventist Church by developing, implementing, and evaluating small groups over a thirteen-week period to analyze it’s effect on quarterly growth rate. The author will define and implement biblical principles of small groups and measure the outcome of numerical and personal growth among participants. As a result of implementing small group evangelism into …
Discipleship And Mentoring In Youth Retention At Crosspointe Church, Gregory Clement Bedner
Discipleship And Mentoring In Youth Retention At Crosspointe Church, Gregory Clement Bedner
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Leaders at Crosspointe Church in Monroe Michigan have identified a need to develop a more effective discipleship program to keep emerging adults involved in church after high school. Research shows that there is a growing trend of emerging adults leaving the church and the leaders of Crosspointe Church in Monroe Michigan have noticed this trend of emerging adults leaving the church after high school. It is hypothesized that a more effective discipleship program along with more parental involvement will positively correlate with Crosspointe Churches youths making the decision to stay in church after high school. This research utilized a discipleship …
A Plan To Unify Generational Worship Divisions Through The Development And Implementation Of A Biblical Philosophy Of Generational Worship, Leonard L. Tomlin
A Plan To Unify Generational Worship Divisions Through The Development And Implementation Of A Biblical Philosophy Of Generational Worship, Leonard L. Tomlin
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Westside Baptist Church is a multigenerational Southern Baptist Church with an established culture of dynamic musical worship. Throughout the last four decades, this congregation has flourished in its weekly engagement of musical worship. Westside's musical worship styles are generally comprised of traditional hymns, southern gospel, and praise and worship music. While the church has maintained a reputation of first-rate worship music, the last decade has revealed a growing division among the congregation's generational worship style preferences. One generation of the church longs to worship with the songs that they grew up with, while another generation prefers to grow up with …
The Necessity Of Small-Group Ministries, William Keith Dewease
The Necessity Of Small-Group Ministries, William Keith Dewease
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
There is a consistent debate regarding the best structure for ministry within the context of the church. Churches established with a traditional mentality utilize the lecture method in small groups, while contemporary-driven churches utilize an open-ended discussion method in small groups. The following research seeks to determine which small-group model most effectively grows the believer spiritually and relationally. The participants have lived in a traditional small-group model all their lives. The belief is that introducing a small-group model that goes beyond the traditional lecture approach will deepen relationships and lead to maturity. The research methods include open-ended discussion questions, an …
Understanding Discipleship And How To Effectively Spread The Gospel, Christopher Earl Kornegay
Understanding Discipleship And How To Effectively Spread The Gospel, Christopher Earl Kornegay
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This project will work to help Greater Purpose International formulate a plan that will better serve its congregants and aid them in gaining the confidence to share their faith with others. Although the overall health of the church may have been attributed to a lack of discipleship, it is evident that congregants can be comfortable sharing their faith even if expected results are not obtained. The fundamental purpose of this study is to focus specifically on the congregants of Greater Purpose International and their ability to share their faith with others. Using qualitative research, a collection of interviews, and group …
Proven Biblical Discipleship: Make It According To The Pattern, Anthony Ray Mckee
Proven Biblical Discipleship: Make It According To The Pattern, Anthony Ray Mckee
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The first-century church’s spiritual growth methodology functioned to achieve the goal of Christlikeness through discipleship. God crafted a design for his church to advance followers of Jesus toward Christian maturity. God’s instruction for Israel to “see that you make it according to the pattern” came from God’s perfect mind and is practical guidance for today’s spiritual growth practices. According to the countless number of discipleship methods available, some churches communicate that Christian maturation can be achieved through any discipleship perspective. This project aims to study local churches that offer a discipleship program, process, or pedagogy and compare them with twelve …
Military Discipleship: A Strategy For Discipleship In The U.S. Military Community In The Republic Of Korea, Theodore Danecki
Military Discipleship: A Strategy For Discipleship In The U.S. Military Community In The Republic Of Korea, Theodore Danecki
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Military members, their civilian counterparts, and their family members serving in the Republic of Korea face unique challenges that stress their spiritual walk. These challenges include gambling addiction, alcohol abuse, and sexual temptations exacerbated by the stressful work environment, and some married members being unable to bring their family. These factors combine to create an environment where biblical discipleship and accountability, leading to spiritual growth is difficult. The purpose of this study is to develop and implement relational small groups that address the challenges facing military members and their families in the Republic of Korea while focusing on biblical discipleship …
The Role Of Ministry Structure And Student Ministry Leadership In Retaining Students In Church Following High School Graduation, Brandon Scott Carter
The Role Of Ministry Structure And Student Ministry Leadership In Retaining Students In Church Following High School Graduation, Brandon Scott Carter
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The thesis of this project is to validate the correlations between the staff's role, leadership development, ministry structure, staff tenure and student development as they relate to retention of students in the local church after high school. Aspects considered include staff role, leadership development, and student development. Staff role covers the tenure of the pastoral staff, unified vision, resources, and congregational support. Leadership development includes enlisting, equipping, encouraging, and evaluating workers. Student development includes evangelism, education, encouragement, and evaluation. Many churches lack a clear plan for students. Untrained volunteers often lead students, or an untrained and inexperienced person is hired …
Intentional Discipleship: Effective Disciple-Making For Church Growth In Liberia, George L. Suah
Intentional Discipleship: Effective Disciple-Making For Church Growth In Liberia, George L. Suah
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Pastors of extremely effective disciple-making churches are conscious of the degree of church efficiency, and they recognize the significance of intentional discipleship for church growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate intentional discipleship for church growth in Liberia. An anonymous research study of 12 pastors and church leaders (evangelists) from Unity Light Ministry Network (UCC) in Kakata, Liberia, West Africa, was conducted to explore why Unity Light Ministry Network (UCC) in Liberia is struggling to grow their church numerically and spiritually. The study found that the Ministry does not have adequate and systematic training on intentional discipleship for …
African American Pastoral Counseling: The Dynamics On Self-Worth, Personal Efficacy, Motivation, And Responsible Discipleship, Charles T. Walker
African American Pastoral Counseling: The Dynamics On Self-Worth, Personal Efficacy, Motivation, And Responsible Discipleship, Charles T. Walker
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This qualitative study evaluated the counseling practices of African American pastors in the Southeastern region of the United States. The study examined their perceptions and relevant themes when counseling their parishioners on self-worth, personal efficacy, and motivation. Relevant themes were: Cultural Context counseling; impaired self-worth and self-love in rural young females; and whether the rural male is dominated by loss of hope. The exploratory study collected data from 19 digital surveys, 10 selected pastoral counselors’ semi-structured interviews, and 10 collected member focus interview questionnaires. The findings from the data collected show that members felt comfortable receiving counseling from their pastor …
Catechesis: Returning To A Deeper Teaching That Produces Transformed Disciples For Christ, Jeremy T. Conn
Catechesis: Returning To A Deeper Teaching That Produces Transformed Disciples For Christ, Jeremy T. Conn
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This Thesis Project addresses the lack of commitment found in many new and young believers today by providing a catechesis that engages individuals emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and experientially. After a thorough review of many biblical, historical and contemporary approaches to religious teaching, this study developed an intervention plan that merged five essential elements: (1) A culture that emphasizes the importance of baptism; (2) Adequate time to instill spiritual habits; (3) The utilization of multiple volunteers; (4) The incorporation of experiential learning; and (5) Content that encompasses both theology and discipleship. Qualitative research was conducted through the interviews of fourteen participants …
The Practice Of Children’S Ministry: Developing A Cohesive Vision Of Practice With Church Leaders, Shannon Clarkson Rains
The Practice Of Children’S Ministry: Developing A Cohesive Vision Of Practice With Church Leaders, Shannon Clarkson Rains
Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this project was to create a congregational workshop for church leaders that leads to the development of a cohesive vision for the practice of children’s ministry. In order to do this, I began by presenting the evolution of children’s ministry in the Churches of Christ along with the current tensions that exist between ministers and church leadership created by a lack of cohesive vision for the practice of children’s ministry. This foundational understanding of the origins of this tension supports my discussion of a vision for children’s ministry that includes attention to the spiritual formation of children—an …
Discipling Children And Youth: Helping The Church Enable Parents To Lead, Angela Hazel
Discipling Children And Youth: Helping The Church Enable Parents To Lead, Angela Hazel
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Parental apathy in the discipleship of children has become a worrisome issue in the Protestant churches of the United States. Where once the home was the foundation of Bible learning and character building, now parents have placed the responsibility of spiritual formation of children squarely on the shoulders of the church. The church, however, is ill-equipped to fully disciple a child or youth during this transformational time in their lives. This study sought to examine the issues that lead to parental withdrawal from discipleship training of their offspring and develop a method for the church to equip and enable parents …
Practicing The Way Of Jesus In The College Ministry At The University Church Of Christ, Jonathan Andrew Gann
Practicing The Way Of Jesus In The College Ministry At The University Church Of Christ, Jonathan Andrew Gann
Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of the project was to give opportunities for a community group in the college ministry at University Church of Christ to experiment practicing the ways of Jesus. This purpose was accomplished by forming a Jesus dojo based on Mark Scandrette’s model as outlined in his book Practicing the Way of Jesus. The Jesus dojo met for eight sessions. During sessions we reflected upon different teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. Students then were given the opportunity of experimenting with the ways of Jesus together based on the theme of the teaching that week from …
Saving The Sheep, Preserving The Fruit: A Plan Of Christian Education For The Millennials And Beyond In The Midwest Wesleyan Church, Keith Studebaker
Saving The Sheep, Preserving The Fruit: A Plan Of Christian Education For The Millennials And Beyond In The Midwest Wesleyan Church, Keith Studebaker
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis involved a ministry plan for adequately preparing preteen youth in the Midwestern Wesleyan Church denomination. The goal was to ground those youth in their relationship with God until their relationship with Him and His Church will persist through their teenage years and beyond. The topic is crucial in view of the marked exodus of youth from the evangelical church by their late teenage years, often never to return. Data were collected to show what is actually being provided currently to preteen youth in Midwestern Wesleyan local churches through a mixed-methods survey of pastors or Christian education leaders in …
Developing A Discipleship-Training Model For Equipping The Laity With Both Emotional And Spiritual Maturity In Korean Churches, Jongsik Hwang
Developing A Discipleship-Training Model For Equipping The Laity With Both Emotional And Spiritual Maturity In Korean Churches, Jongsik Hwang
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
There are a lot of discipleship training programs in South Korea, but there is no discipleship-training program that focuses on both emotional maturity and spiritual maturity at the same time for mature believers. By focusing so much on spiritual maturity, churches have neglected the parts of emotional maturity since the churches were planted in South Korea. Emotionally unhealthy believers cause conflicts in church and struggle with serious individual troubles. Therefore, Korean churches should have a discipleship program which focuses on the emotional aspects as Jesus came to the earth as a perfect human and an incontestable God. The purpose of …
The Efficacy Of Late Antique Spiritual Practices For Family-Based Adolescent Faith Formation, Kevin M. Young
The Efficacy Of Late Antique Spiritual Practices For Family-Based Adolescent Faith Formation, Kevin M. Young
Doctor of Ministry
Approximately 70 percent of evangelical teenagers drop out of church and stop practicing their faith during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Research indicates that cultural trends are less to blame for these negative trends than the utilization of ineffective methodologies for faith formation. This dissertation argues that the utilization of modern learning techniques in conjunction with adapted spiritual formation practices from Late Antiquity, within the context of family, and coordinated by a church community best ensures a stable and enduring faith for the next generation. Section 1 addresses the problems inherent to adolescent faith formation within the context of …