Digital Commons Network^™

Developing A Strategic Model For Deacons As Servant Leaders Within New Church Plants, Christopher Webb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The office of deacon is vital within the local church and often varies from one congregation to another. There are many misconceptions concerning the role and responsibilities of deacons. The Bible clearly defines deacons as those who function as servant leaders. The purpose of this project is to address the biblical, theoretical, practical and personal observations that will assist new church plants in equipping potential candidates for the office of deacon, as servant leaders. The project will address vital areas of deacon ministry that will include; discovering the history of deacon ministry, the biblical qualifications for a deacon, the relationship …

Chimes: April 27, 2018, Calvin College

Chimes

Calvin profs plan seminar to look 'Beyond Stewardship' by David Fitch

Survey tracks recent changes in sexual assault rates at Calvin by Yolanda Chow

Faculty senate approves altered professor pay scale by Yolanda Chow

Application-based process introduced for senate VPs by Morgan Anderson

'Sense and Sensibility': A story of love and forgiveness by Janelle Conti

SAO's year-end Phoebe Bridgers concert intimate, moving by Joshua Polanski

CRC population decline correlates with Calvin'0s shrinking enrollment by Nathan Stripp

Retiring English prof pairs statistical analysis and language by Hannah Butler

Campus Chronicle, Victoria Story, Taylor Burns, Bailey Perkins, Anthony Arroyo, Sarah Bogaards, Ben Newell, Drew Powers, Josh Sevde, Allie Brackett, Andy Langager

Campus Chronicle

No abstract provided.

From Orphan To Child Of God: Pentecostal Theologizing As A Channel Of Social Transformation In Mozambique, Jeremy Bone, Samuel Lee

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Heidi and Rolland Baker, founders of Mozambican-based Iris Global, have been influential in developing a distinctively pentecostal framework for holistic mission. While evangelism and social work are now widely seen as integrated processes, pentecostalism demands attention also to the supernatural. This paper posits that the theological convictions of the Bakers have served as a launching pad for their holistic care of orphans in Mozambique. Because pentecostal movements are rooted in experience, pneumatic theologizing presupposes praxis. This paper will initially examine three theological impulses at the core of Iris Global: pentecostalism, revivalism, and incarnational love. These theological impulses are then weaved …

God’S Beautiful Mission: Missional Church And Leadership In The Light Of Theological Aesthetics, M. Scott Boren

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project seeks to ascertain how pastoral leaders who have been trained in missional theology have led in a way that has been influenced by theological aesthetics. The view of missional leadership here is built upon a re-imagination of missio Dei and missional church that is informed by theological aesthetics. This theology of beauty is based upon the work of Gregory A. Boyd, Jonathan Edwards, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This proposal seeks to advance the views of the missional church rooted in the work of Lesslie Newbigin and advanced by Craig Van Gelder, Alan Roxburgh, and Pat …

The Banner - V. 153, No. 4 - (April 2018), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

A Message From Antioch And Moravia To The West, Barry Hudspeth

Masters Theses

This qualitative thesis study, “A Message From Antioch and Moravia to the West,” explores the North American Church’s role in the global missions arena and seeks to develop a streamlined strategy for engaging in cross-cultural evangelism in the twenty-first century. A qualitative case study of the first-century Christian church and Moravian church of the eighteenth century provides data on actions conducted to spread Christianity from a central geographical location outward to the known world in their respective eras of Christian history. These two case study analyses looked at how the Gospel was spread during each point in history followed by …

House Church: Planting Seventh-Day Adventist House Churches Among Rwandese Refugees In Columbus Ohio, Kwesi Gyimah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traditional Church attendance is declining among the Rwandese Seventh-day Adventists refugees living in Columbus Ohio. Many of the Rwandese families reside in the same apartment complex carpooling with the few that drive to work and church services where possible. This project is in response to the unique opportunity of the proximity of these families to each other. The goal is to train leaders and plant Seventh-day Adventist house churches in the homes of some of these families so that they may walk to a neighbor's house for worship and fellowship. This project surveyed twenty-five Rwandese refugee adults living on the …

An Examination Of Children’S Ministry Volunteer Development From Pastors And Laity In The Local Church, Kenneth Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Developing children’s ministry volunteers in the local church is crucial to the sustenance of the body of Christ. Children’s ministry volunteers should be viewed as capable partners with both parents and church leaders in fulfilling the Great Commission. All volunteer ministries of the church matter, but those serving in children’s ministry have the unique opportunity to shape the lives of individuals who could serve the kingdom for a lifetime. Children’s ministry volunteer development is valuable because kingdom advancement hinges on lay ministry development as described in Ephesians 4:11–16. For this project, the researcher surveyed children’s ministry volunteers and pastors in …

Mobilizing Habesha Immigrant Churches In Greater Boston : Training Servant Leaders For Transformation And Growth, Mulualem Kaba

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Deacons, The Biblical System Of Church Leadership?, Michael Harbuck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project will examine the deacon-led model of church leadership that is employed in many churches today, in order to ascertain whether this model of leadership is consistent with both the New Testament and the witness of the early church. With more than 3,700 churches failing yearly, it is imperative that churches be organized and led in a biblical manner so that they might be positioned for ministry successes in their local contexts. Without a biblical framework and reference for polity, it is highly unlikely that the church will yield results of any lasting nature. This analysis will be done …

The Bison, March 23, 2018

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Chimes: March 9, 2018, Calvin College

Chimes

New honors program approved by Alejandra Crevier

Calvin notified of CMU shooting by campus safety by Michelle Hofman

Residence life introduces additional open house hours by Samantha Ballast

Dining halls reduce hours, offer new to-go boxes by Yolanda Chow

High schoolers hold walkout in honor of Parkland shooting victims by Peter Ford

Greta Gerwig's 'Lady Bird' takes flight in the CFAC by Brandon Schreur

Geology student shoots for the moon and lands NASA internship by Dana Drosdick

Iguana finds home on campus by Melissa Sorrentino

Calvin tests Google-powered remote learning by Joshua Polanski

Church Planting In The Anglican Tradition : Developing A Church Planting Strategy For The Anglican Diocese Of The South, Dan Alger

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Seven Key Steps In Planning And Implementing A Successful Church Merger, Andrew Pietrylo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The hypothesis of this project is that merging of two churches is a viable option for some congregations who are seeking to advance the kingdom of Christ. However, an analysis of obtainable literature reveals that there is little material available to assist churches that are interested in such a pursuit. This project will provide churches with an effective process of determining, implementing and maintaining a successful church merger. Utilizing information from Scripture, current trends, advice from church growth experts, observations of actual church mergers, and a post-merger survey, this project will develop practical steps to navigate churches through a successful …

Nurturing Church As A Biblical Strategy To Recover A Healthy Church Within South Korean Churches, Jinwook Kang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are many churches in South Korea, but not too many healthy churches. A healthy church should have a proof of early church from the Acts. It is impossible to be a healthy church only with a number of people, buildings, programs, and new church planting. The goal of this thesis is to suggest healthy biblical church using early church as a model and propose strategy. This study will first take a look at what is a healthy biblical church. A healthy biblical church is a nurturing church. Conventional church has a lot of nurturing programs, but this thesis compares …

The Banner - V. 153, No. 2 - (February 2018), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Hyveth Williams, Hyveth Williams

Spring 2018

Hyveth Williams is a trailblazer and trendsetter in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She also has the distinction of being the first to accomplish many things within the church. For example, she is the first black female pastor, and the first female pastor period, to be officially hired by the Adventist Church. Hyveth also went on to become the first female senior pastor in the denomination. God was always preparing her for a life of public ministry. Her earliest childhood memories, on the island of Jamaica, are of reading and reciting poetry on public stages for officials and dignitaries, such as …

At The Intersection Of Acts And Galatians : New Strategies For Women Church Planters, Carolyn Moore

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Strategies Of Salvation: Evangelical Christian Praxis And Sites Of Degradation In Sri Lanka, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper demonstrates how disasters create sites of degradation – potent spaces of upheaval and engagement – that are readily filled and exploited by evangelical Christian groups. In doing so, it explores how disasters provide opportunities for evangelical groups to gain a foothold in localities where Christian presence, and evangelical praxis, may otherwise be restricted. Drawing on qualitative data collected in Sri Lanka throughout 2010–2011, two comparative case studies are presented that reveal the strategies of evangelical Christian praxis in and through sites of environmental and political degradation. Specifically, the case studies reveal how evangelical groups pursue ‘outside‐in’ and ‘inside‐out’ …

Program Book 2018

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

The Sunday After The Tuesday: The 2016 Presidential Election In The Pulpit, Matthew Boedy

Sermon Studies

The 2016 presidential election divided Christians along racial, economic, and theological lines. The central question of my study was how did ministers frame the election, if at all? Through analysis of transcripts of 47 sermons from across the country (14 states plus Washington D.C.), from multiple denominations and various sized congregations given on November 13 or thereabouts, I claim that the paradox of the dual citizenship of Christians was the predominant theme in these sermons. Second, only one minister directly endorsed a candidate and only a handful indirectly endorsed. Many preached a form of unity.

Missiological Research In The Fuller Seminary School Of Missions, C. Peter Wagner

Papers

No abstract provided.

Overcoming Barriers To Effective Missions, Kelvin Okey Onongha

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"Much today is known regarding the Great Commission of Christ to the church before his ascension for which every member is called to actively engage in missions until Christ’s Second Coming. The Greek word ethne, translated in English as “nation” is better understood as people groups (Matt 28:19). The challenge and responsibility of the Adventist Church, therefore, is to reach the diverse and numerous people groups proximal and distant, by employing all possible means and methods that God has provided for this task. The assignment undoubtedly may appear daunting, however, it still is “mission possible.” For this goal to be …

Who Gave You Authority To Baptize?, Milton Adams

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"This paper will explore the age-old, yet still relevant question, “And who gave you authority to baptize?”(Mark 11:27-33; John 1:25). First, biblical authority will be examined regarding who is allowed to baptize. Second, the writings of Ellen G. White, as they relate to biblical authority for baptizing, will be considered. Third, a counter-argument will be discussed. And finally, two baptismal tracks within the current conventional Adventist church system will be compared. This paper will conclude with a missional way forward that is faithful to Scripture, sustainable, scalable, and missionally effective in light of current cultural trends."

Work Of A Nation: Christian Funerary Ecumenism And Institutional Disruption In Swaziland, Casey Golomski

Anthropology

This article traces how contemporary funerary practices—foodways, prayer and burial cooperative participation—configure a Christian public culture in Swaziland that draws from ordinary citizens’ religious, ritual and political work and membership in diverse Christian churches. This kind of grassroots ecumenism importantly challenges the potency of orthodox institutional ecumenical projects of religious elites in the Kingdom. These projects include attempts to legislate Christianity as an official religion and the building of a national interdenominational church, both of which have failed to materialize. Exploring this emergent tension between religious institutions’ ideological goals versus communities’ practical engagement on pressing social problems invites a rethinking …

Barriers And Solutions For Indigenous Leadership Development: An Outline For Equipping A New Generation For Dynamic Mission Among The Poor, Don Davis

White Papers

No abstract provided.

75th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectureship -- Harbor: The Spirit Filled People Of God (2018), Mike Cope

Pepperdine Bible Lectures: Programs

Program booklet for the 75th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures, held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, May 1-4, 2018. The Pepperdine Bible Lectures is an annual event hosted by Pepperdine University featuring a wide variety of lectures and classes on topics and themes in the Bible and Christianity.

Mike Cope, Lectureship Director

Rick Gibson, Tami Williamson, and Joella Michael, Lectures Team

Assessing The Christian Epistemic Obligation To Big Bang Cosmology, Sven Östring

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

For centuries, in the midst of historical waves of conflicting explanations of how our cosmos began, the Bible has resolutely proclaimed that God originally created the universe out of nothing. Thus, biblical cosmology holds that the universe is not past eternal and had a beginning. This cosmology was at odds with both the polytheistic Babylonian Enuma Elish creation myth 1 and Aristotle’s assertion that the universe has existed, unchanging, from eternity past. 2

A Multiple Motives Theory Of Church And Missionary Relationships, Kenneth Nehrbass, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

This grounded theory study examines the motives for relationships between local churches and missionaries: What motivates churches to enter into a relationship with a missionary, to continue this relationship, and to end it? Similarly, what motivates missionaries to begin, continue, or end relationships with a local church? We used purposive stratified sampling to select 17 missionaries and church mission leaders to interview for this study. We performed semi-structured interviews with both groups to discover their understanding of why they form, maintain, and dissolve relationships with each other. Multiple motives influenced all participants. These motives can be broadly categorized as either …