Digital Commons Network^™

Hispanic United Methodist Church Growth : The Factors That Impact Growth In Hispanic United Methodist Churches Within The Kentucky Annual Conference, Iosmar Alvarez Alfonso

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Church Planting Church In South Korea: A Case Study On Missional Outreach, Deokjong Bang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gallup Korea, in 2015, reported that 30% of people under 30 years old had stopped attending churches in South Korea during last ten years. The primary reasons that young people leave a church is secularization of growth-oriented churches represented by huge buildings, power-oriented pastors and lack of morality of Christians. Therefore, a new church model that will engage young people is required for Korean Christianity. The missional church movement can be an alternative model for churches in South Korea. That is because the movement pursues a small church, a non-power-oriented pastor, and real life as a disciple of Jesus. Based …

A Study On A Missional Church In A Business Corporation: The Case Of The E-Land Group In Korea, Kyo Kum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study considers a new form of the church that can influence the society with the gospel in a more proactive way; it is a church in a corporation. As evangelism is becoming more difficult in Korea, Korean churches need to discover the contact point for the gospel. Existing churches attempted to make nonbelievers come to them, but the church in a corporation reaches out to nonbelievers in the workplace. Existing churches are established around people’s dwelling environment, but the church in the workplace provides a nexus for social life. There surfaces a need for a new form of the …

Romans 12 Living : Older Adults And The Call To Serve, Jeffrey Arthur Hosmer

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Christward Movement Among Urban Dwellers In North India : A Study On Delhi, Jaison George P. V.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Entrepreneurial Church Planting (Ecp) As A Model Of Fresh Expressions In The South Korean Context : Case Studies Exploring Relationships Between Church Planting And Social Capital, Sang Rak Joo

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Church Health On Mergers : A Study Of Two Merging United Methodist Congregations, Andrew Stephen Adams

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Towards A Theology Of The Single Mother, Stephanie Townes

Seminary Masters Theses

Families are changing. The white picket fence nuclear family with a mother, father, 2.2 kids and a dog is no longer the norm for American society. Families look less and less like “traditional families.” Blended families, children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, step-families, multigenerational families, adopted children, single parent families, foster parents, and homosexual partners raising children are all part of the fabric of society. Society has changed so much that, as feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether points out, “it is no longer possible to speak of one predominant “normative” model of family.”

Kerux - Vol. 51, No. 3, Calvin Theological Seminary

Kerux

Inside This Issue

• Learning How to Grow from Little Children Page 4
• Storm Chasers Page 7
• Discipleship for Developing Servant Leadership Page 8
• What Leslie Newbigin Has to Say about Christian Leadership Page 10
• Muslims and Christian Leadership in Times of Crisis Page 12
• God's Chinese Kingdom Page 16

The Banner - V. 152, No. 4 - (April 2017), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Iat Book Club: The Benedict Option, Donald Roth, Scott Culpepper, Erin Olson, Robert Lancaster, Gustavo Maya

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

This submission marks iAt's first book club series featuring the book, "The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation," by Rod Dreher. Various voices have contributed to the series as they interacted with one another and responded to the book. Series contributors are Donald Roth, Scott Culpepper, Gustavo Maya, Erin Olson, and Robert Lancaster.

Access publisher's site and additional readers' comments: http://inallthings.org/tag/book-club/

Dead Bones Rising: A Strategic Plan For Revitalizing Declining Churches By Creating Small Groups, Jeffrey Chappell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Approximately, 1000 churches disappear from the Southern Baptist Convention database annually because of their dissolution. Scholars state that churches will continue to close at the progressive rate of 25% by the year 2030. The unacceptable denominational response is to plant a church, whether on a local, state, or national level, offering little support for declining or dead churches toward a renewal and revitalization effort. Research was acquired by surveying pastors whose churches belong to the Sandy Creek Baptist Association of the North Carolina State Baptist Convention. The thesis project employs quantitative and qualitative data available along with variety of published …

Wilson's "More: Find Your Personal Calling And Live Life To The Fullest Measure" (Book Review), Amy C. Rice

The Christian Librarian

A review of Wilson, T. (2016). More: Find your personal calling and live life to the fullest measure. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 223 pp. $15.99. ISBN 9780310524250

Fox's "A Message From The Great King: Reading Malachi In Light Of Ancient Persian Royal Messenger Texts From The Time Of Xerxes" (Book Review), Gary R. Averill

The Christian Librarian

A review of Fox, M. (2015). A message from the great king: Reading Malachi in light of ancient Persian Royal Messenger texts from the time of Xerxes. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. 170 pp. $42.50. ISBN 9781575063948

Nettle And Mellado's "Small Matters: How Churches And Parents Can Raise Up World-Changing Children" (Book Review), Paul Drake

The Christian Librarian

A review of Nettle, G., & Mellado, S. (2016). Small matters: How churches and parents can raise up world-changing children. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 185 pp. $21.00. ISBN 9780310521037

Flores And Wells' "Slavery In The Land Of The Free: A Student’S Guide To Modern Day Slavery" (Book Review), Sherill Harriger

The Christian Librarian

A review of Flores, T., & Wells, P. (2016). Slavery in the land of the free: A student’s guide to modern day slavery. Boise, ID: Ampelon Publishing. 175 pp. ISBN 9780989341981

The Grace Place: Prayer, Kindness, And Care Can Grow A Church And Transform A Community, Hyveth Williams

Faculty Publications

“Our strategy,” says Hyveth, “doesn’t focus on having a high worship service with the best singers, the best pianists, the best organists, and long offering appeals. We have a simple service with three parts—prayer, praise, and preaching. We don’t pass around a basket. We have a box in front where worshippers, moved by the Spirit, bring their tithes/ offerings and deposit them in the box. Generosity has characterized these gifts. Community residents see what the church is doing in the community, and they want to show their support by giving.”

A Study On The Effect Of Church Revival And Growth Throught A Bible Academy: The Case Of Jeju Together Church In Korea, Soo Yoo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to emphasize the need for and importance of an intensive Bible study ministry in church and to suggest specific alternatives by studying the effect of church planting and revival through a Bible Academy in a Korean church. Church growth in South Korea has long since accompanied Bible study ministry. Sadly, Korean churches in the 21st century have been experiencing a slowdown and downturn in growth. Though there may be a variety of causes, the absence of a systematic and ongoing Bible study is one of them. This study is focused on providing a Bible …

The Dying Of The American Church: Five Biblical Principles For Revival, Stan Mars

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The majority of churches in America continue to suffer a numerical plateau or a decline in church growth. As a result of disobedience to God to follow His commandments in the making of disciples, the church also suffers from a flat lined, virtually non-existent, adult conversion rate. People of the world who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are not being evangelized by the church using the first century process of discipleship and therefore, the numbers of conversions to Christ are dismal. The modern day American Church needs to return to the first century process of …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 123 - Ascension / Pentecost (March 2017), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Everyday Church-Iglesia Cotidiana by Rachel Bouwkamp and Kent Rottman....3

The Heart of Worship by Cory B. Willson....12

Q&A: Sunday's Prayer and Monday's Work by John D. Witvliet....16

Beauty Behind Bars by Phil Schaafsma....18

Articles

Editorial: Expansive by Joyce Borger....2

Pentecost and Missional Worship by Nick Monsma....25

For Pastors: Holy Wings by Scott Hoezee....28

Reflection: Chasing the Ghosts of Worship Past by Chris Marchand....46

Resources

A Service for Pentecost and the Persecuted Church by Pieter and Nelda Looyenga....22

Sing 10: The Spirit is Present by Joyce Borger....30

Visual …

The Banner - V. 152, No. 3 - (March 2017), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

The Leadership Development Experiences Of Church Denomination Executives, Torrence E. Sparkman

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Leadership development through experiences is thought to be one of the most effective approaches in the development of leaders. Exploring the types of experiences of executive church leaders adds to the body of leadership development research focused on leadership lessons, and reveals the contexts through which these experiences were formed. this study applies a phenomenological approach to capture the essence of the leadership development experiences of several bishops within a single African American denomination. Six major themes emerged as important elements of their collective experience. these findings suggest that leadership development experiences for executive church leaders should include ministry venture …

The Critical Role Of Mentoring For Pastoral Formation, Kenley Hall

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Denominational leaders view the M.Div. as the gold standard in preparing young men and women for ministry. however, academic training alone does not prepare someone for ministry. It must be paired with mentoring, defined as the intentional relationship between an experienced pastoral mentor and a young pastoral mentee for the purpose of pastoral formation. this paper explores the mentoring relationships between Barnabas and Paul, and Paul and timothy as instructive examples of the importance, process and impact of mentoring for pastoral formation. It concludes that Barnabas and Paul played a crucial role in the pastoral formation of their mentees.

The Weekly Challenger, February 16, 2017, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The February 16, 2017, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

The Echo: February 3, 2017, Taylor University

2016-2017 (Volume 104)

Echoes from across the sea – Bricks without steel – Challenging the lies – Grateful, not hateful – Walking through the wardrobe – Junior varsity team added to men’s soccer program – Weekly Preview – Trojans travel to Costa Rica – Athlete of the Week

Centers And Edges: Toward A Dialogic Remedy For The Eroding Missional Footprint Of Ecclesial Organizations In America, Jonathan Allen Spellman

Doctor of Ministry

There is a self-inflicted erosion to the missional footprint of ecclesial organizations occurring when leaders at organizational edges are disconnected. When disconnection occurs, the potential for creativity and innovation resident with that leader is lost to the organization. Disconnection is not only manifest in administrative departure from the organization.

Dialogue is a unique kind of speech/listening event, necessarily differentiated from other types of speech/listening events, which may offer a remedy to the erosion.

Chapter one is introductory. It provides the reader with an understanding of the author’s interest in this subject and presents a clear statement of the ministry problem …

Infusing A Paradigm Of Mission And Multiplication Into The Greater Ohio District Of The Wesleyan Church, Christopher Dyer

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation will explore appropriate methodology for reinvigorating the Greater Ohio District of The Wesleyan Church by creating a new paradigm of mission and multiplication. Statistics show there is a declining number of congregations in The Wesleyan Church of North America, and specifically, within the Greater Ohio District. Local churches are being closed at a rapid rate and multi-faceted congregational multiplication is needed to replace these lost congregations and restore missional presence. The narrative of the District is one of fear, fatigue, and closed-mindedness; discriminatory against church multiplication due to nearly two decades of perceived failed attempts which resulted in …

Making The World A Better Place: The Praxis Of Christian Community Development As A Church Planting And Multiplication Strategy In Urban Poor Communities In The United States, Phillip W. Struckmeyer

Doctor of Ministry

The topic of this dissertation centers on church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities in the United States. The ministry problem being addressed is the fact that The Wesleyan Church denomination does not have a strategy for church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities. In Section One, the complexity of this problem will be explored by: first, considering The Wesleyan Church’s predominantly rural-based, white-evangelical past; second, considering the effects of urbanization and globalization, which have created an increasingly urban, multiethnic, and socioeconomically divided mission field in the United States; and last, gaining a deeper understanding of systemic racism …

Instilling Health And Vitality Into The Third Wave Oraon Churches In Jharkhand, Samuel Stephens

Doctor of Ministry

This study is based on the observation that large numbers of Oraon tribals in the state of Jharkhand, India are embracing Christianity, and an increasing number of small churches in the region is evidenced. The Oraon new believers, however, lack adequate spiritual nurture, resulting in spiritual stagnancy, a leaning to syncretism, and practice of unhealthy traditions. These traits leave the Oraon churches spiritually impoverished and unsustainable. The study seeks to ascertain appropriate measures to infuse and instill such health and vitality.

Chapter one describes the nature of the Oraon people movement first and then places it within its national context. …

Missional Communities: Why They Are Failing And How To Help Them Thrive, Matthew L. Murphy

Doctor of Ministry

Missional communities are failing. Missional communities are failing because they do not contextualize the nature, function, and historical forms of the church. Specifically, missional communities fail due to lack of leadership, gospel proclamation, incarnational living to a particular people, and mission dependence on the Holy Spirit. All of these things stem from not putting the nature, function, and historical forms of the church before modern forms.

Missional communities will begin to thrive if communities will not just copy forms of other missional churches, but if they will contextualize the nature, functions, and historical forms of the church in their own …