The Classic, Winter 2023, Public Relations

The Classic, 2020-present

Zwemer View: Celebrating the Past and Planning for the Future; around the Green: A Listening Ear; Christy Suites; Perfect Pass Rate; Five-Star Enrollment; Major Changes; Campus Life: Bringing TED to NWC; Business Savvy; Graduate Education Leader; Northwestern Named Among Best Christian Workplaces; Business department meets international standards; Global Health Champion; Face Value: Julia Dragstra; Honored English Teacher; Social work program renews accreditation; New Vision for Youth Ministry; Giving to Northwestern College in 2022-23; In High Demand; Standout Scores; The Power of Forgiveness; Community Builder; Point of Reference; Top Teacher; Game On; Jobs Well Done: Developing Bonds, Beloved Professor, Wise Counsel; …

Learning To Cope With Grief Through The Use Of Biblical Creativity With The Community Of First Saints Community Church, Patricia Watson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Supporting those who are grieving has long been a complicated process for church communities and pastors. This project investigated whether introducing a creative activity to a grief support group could help participants view their loss through a lens of faith and clinical aspects of grief. Although further studies will strengthen this hypothesis, a four-week curriculum was conducted with five participants at First Saints Community Church in Leonardtown, MD. Results from quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that there was a benefit to those participants.

2023 Acts Of Synod, Crcna

Agendas and Acts of Synod

Grand Rapids, MI: Rev. Paul R. De Vries, president; Rev. Chad M. Steenwyk, vice president; Rev. Henry P. Kranenburg, first clerk; Rev. Richard A. Bodini, second clerk

The New Girl, Jane Satterfield

Nelle (literary magazine)

pp. 130-138

Summer 2023, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Office Of Institutional Advancement And Alumni

Echoes from the Hill

From the President

Dear Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) alumni, emeriti, & friends –

I hope that this issue of Echoes From The Hill finds you and yours well. Here on the SWOSU Hilltop our students and faculty are engaged in Summer Semester coursework and our dedicated staff are preparing for the Fall Semester which begins in August.

We are so proud of our Distinguished Alumnae, Dr. Henrietta Mann, who, among many other honors, recently received the National Humanities Medal in a special White House ceremony. You can learn about the ongoing work of this incredible academician and leader in …

Sacred Lives: A Study On The Spiritual Needs Of Lgbtq+ Students And Possible Responses By Catholic High Schools, Jennifer Marie Farrell

Doctor of Ministry Doctoral Projects

In this project, I examined the spiritual care offerings available to LGBTQ+ students in Catholic high schools in the state of Washington and potential best practices. Through a convergent mixed methods approach to gathering information on spiritual care, both public and clandestine, I sourced several methods of inquiry to analyze data and make recommendations. Using a survey of all fifteen Category I and Category II Catholic high schools in Washington, I collected data from administrators, counselors, campus ministers, and diversity equity inclusion (DEI) directors about spiritual care efforts in catholic high schools. Concurrently, two listening sessions were held with six …

Infusing Theology In Changemaking Curricula: Engaging Justice Natives With Christian Social Thought, Jonathan Bowman Phd

Communication: Faculty Scholarship

As “justice natives,” today's undergraduate students are motivated to engage directly with the world around them in ways unseen throughout most previous generations. Interestingly, secular humanistic perspectives on changemaking are in keeping with a wide variety of biblical teachings and principles of Christian social thought. At the same time, educators and practitioners can better engage these students to lessen a disconnect that often seems to emerge between social justice causes and the modern church. This paper applies a praxis-based approach, Kingian Theology, the Beatitudes from the gospels, elements of liberation theology, Wesley's thoughts about community engagement, and principles of both …

Religious Parents’ Awareness Of And Attitudes Toward Their Adolescent Children's Utilization Of Sexual Health Services, Ashley Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents are a key influence on their adolescent children's sexual health care decisions. Few researchers have considered the impact of religious environments and parental expectations on adolescents’ use of sexual health services, and research on religious parents’ awareness of adolescents’ use of sexual health services in Christian environments is scarce. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore religious parents' awareness of and attitudes toward their adolescents’ use of sexual health services. The social ecological theory provided the conceptual lens for this study. Eight Christian parents participated in in-depth virtual interviews to discuss their encouragement or discouragement of …

Negotiating Intersectional Identities In The Music Culture Of The Deeper Christian Life Ministries In Nigeria, If-Not-God Moses

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christianity is the largest religion in the world with a population of over two billion. More than ever before, the rapid growth of this religion is getting more diverse due to a great variety of doctrines and practices that it accommodates. From the inception of Christianity, music has been prominent and a powerful bedrock of its religious worship. This thesis, underpinned by the paradigm of sound as a social structure as espoused by Steven Feld, examines the intersectional identities in the music culture of the Deeper Christian Life Ministries (DCLM) in Nigeria. This research aims to fathom the musical functions …

Sickle Cell Disease And Adolescents’ Perspectives On Self-Care Management Resources, Dora L. Clayton-Jones, Jill B. Hamilton, Kristin Haglund, Lee Za Ong, Kalen C. Kennedy, Sylvia Peña, Coretta Jenerette

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) face unique challenges, especially during the critical health care transition from pediatric to adult care. The purpose of this study was to gather the perspectives of adolescents living with SCD and to describe their self-care management experiences prior to their move into the adult health care system.

Methods

Guided by the Theory of Self-Care Management for Sickle Cell Disease, this qualitative descriptive study used semi-structured interviews with 11 adolescents with SCD (M = 16.63 years, SD = 1.15). In addition to a demographic survey, adolescents answered interview questions about their perceptions of their …

Psycho-Spiritual Counselling To Enhance Resiliency As Transformative Education: An Auto/Ethnographic Inquiry Of The Interface Between Spirituality And Positive Psychology, Dominic Savio

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis attempts to capture my lived experiences of psychospiritual counselling and to describe how my research journey has shaped me personally and professionally. As a priest engaged in psychospiritual counselling internationally for nearly three decades in diverse settings, I attempt to seek further clarity and make sense of my rich experiences in this research. Therefore, I endeavoured to investigate if and how building resiliency through psychospiritual counselling can be comprehended as transformative education.

Experientially speaking, as a priest and psychospiritual counsellor, I recognised that people leaned on their moral vulnerabilities and were blinded to spirituality as a source of …

Ministry Strategy For Retaining Youth And Young Adults In The Australian Union Conference, Jeffrey N. Parker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Australia (known as the Australian Union Conference) there is a significant loss of membership continuance by youth and young adults that falls into the category of the so-called millennials. Church attendance and membership loss of millennials is a problem in the Australian Union Conference.

Method

After consulting Scripture and current literature on families and family values, this researcher developed a quantitative and qualitative survey for Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Australian Millennials. It used a professional survey program that guaranteed the anonymity of each person. Embedded within the 18-question survey was space for personal responses. …

Religious Parents’ Awareness Of And Attitudes Toward Their Adolescent Children's Utilization Of Sexual Health Services, Ashley Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents are a key influence on their adolescent children's sexual health care decisions. Few researchers have considered the impact of religious environments and parental expectations on adolescents’ use of sexual health services, and research on religious parents’ awareness of adolescents’ use of sexual health services in Christian environments is scarce. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore religious parents' awareness of and attitudes toward their adolescents’ use of sexual health services. The social ecological theory provided the conceptual lens for this study. Eight Christian parents participated in in-depth virtual interviews to discuss their encouragement or discouragement of …

Discipling The Whole Student, Scott R. Ward, David Sedlacek, Rogelio Paquini, Jasmine Fraser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Do Cultural Norms Shape Healthy Eating In African Americans? The Role Of Cultural Congruence And Mindsets Of Health In Healthy Eating Intentions Among African American College Students, Danyel Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Targeting dietary behaviors is a predominant strategy to reduce rates of obesity among African Americans, across the lifespan. Notably, dietary behaviors are shaped by social, cultural and environmental affordances. This study integrated Theory of planned behavior (TPB), identity-based motivation, and mindset theory to unearth cultural mechanisms that inform motivations to eat healthy among African American college students. This project employed a cross-sectional (Study 1) and experimental design (Study 2) to contextualize the antecedents of intentions to eat healthy among African American college students. Recruitment occurred via university-wide digital channels. Eligible participants: were 18+ years; Black/African American; were undergraduate students; and …

Problems Confronting Children's Ministry : The Diocese Of Lagos Anglican Communion, Church Of Nigeria, Akinwande Godwin Odubena

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Wrestling With Disturbing Bible Passages : A Trinitarian Approach For Adults At Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church That Engages Family Systems Theory And The Twelve Steps, Jason L. Baxter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Women And Their Roles In The Church, Matthew Niles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women and Their Roles in the Church, addresses the disagreement about the roles women are allowed to serve in at Faith Baptist Church. The problem is that congregants are disagreeing about what roles women are allowed to serve in at the church. This disagreement has led to people leaving the church and finding new churches. The purpose of this study is to develop a small group curriculum to teach leading examples of women from the Bible. The purpose of the study would help expand the participants' understanding of what roles women are allowed to serve in at their local church. …

The Final Amen: Designing And Implementing A Christlike System For The Closure Of Waypointe Christian Fellowship, Christopher E. Sherwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Like a myriad of other churches across the country, WayPointe Christian Fellowship (WCF) experienced a long decline leading to a critical question: Should the church permanently close? In the case of WCF, the answer was yes, which led to other questions about how to accomplish the task while maximizing God's glory, minimizing the pain felt by those involved, and preparing the congregation to migrate to another body of believers. This thesis project was designed to enable the leaders of WCF and other church leaders to answer these questions. In this pursuit, a comprehensive closure plan was created and implemented at …

A Training Program For Adult Mentors Working With Teenagers To Enhance Their Spiritual Health And Church Life, Mark Damon Albertino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A major problem facing the church is that a significant number of teenagers leave after high school. The researcher addressed the problem of teenagers leaving Taylorsville Church of God after high school by training adult members to mentor the church’s teenagers. In the program, seven adult mentors, which included six females and one male, and six teen mentees, which included four females and two males, participated. The training program included the following topics: mentor spiritual health, servanthood, church life, active listening, parents, empathy, compassion, spiritual health of teenagers, and current teen issues. Through a series of interviews with the adult …

Children Are A Heritage From The Lord: A Procreation-Centric Approach To Christian Marriage And Family Education, Nicholas Lee Hagerman

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Hagerman, Nicholas L. "Children Are a Heritage from the Lord: A Procreation-Centric Approach to Christian Marriage and Family Education." Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2022. 242 pp.

As youth and young adults are being raised in the church, they are often taught about issues related to sex and marriage. However, procreation and raising families are rarely mentioned in such teaching, which tends to focus instead on relational issues between spouses, the avoidance of sexual sins, and the marital institution's reflection of the relationship between Christ and His church. This project seeks to remedy this deficiency by taking …

University Awards Prestigious Mcintosh Scholarship To ‘Purpose-Driven Leader, University Of Dayton

News Releases

Centerville High School senior Gabby Davis, described as a purpose-driven leader who can quickly make people feel included in a community, has been awarded the prestigious W.S. McIntosh Memorial Leadership Award.

“This Ain’T Just A Rap Song”: 2pac, Sociopolitical Realities, And Hip Hop Nation Language, Leah Tonnette Gaines

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

2Pac’s music was not merely rap songs. His music was and continues to be a platform for communicating important messages and concerns with his audiences. To relay these messages, he often used Hip Hop Nation Language (HHNL). In this research, I will conduct a linguistic analysis to illustrate how 2Pac’s music communicated sociopolitical realities through his use of HHNL. To construct possible answers for the questions that guided this work, the researcher transcribed, coded, and analyzed a sample size of 2Pac’s music. From the sample of songs used, the researcher was able to detect three common themes throughout, namely relaying, …

Index Of Discernment Articles

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

These pages present an index of work published in Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry from Volume 1, Issue 1 until Volume 8, Issue 2. Lists by subjects and authors are presented.

Book Review: Worship With Teenagers: Adolescent Spirituality And Congregational Practice, Chelsea Flow Stirman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Worship with Teenagers: Adolescent Spirituality and Congregational Practice, by Eric Mathis. Baker Academic, 2022. 243 pages, $17.00.

The Decline And Absence Of Young Adults At Grace Place Christian Church, Michael Carnell Mcgill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study was to address the problem of low attendance and engagement among young adults at Grace Place Christian Church. This topic is given consideration based on the researcher’s observation of the absence of this demographic within the local ministry context. The literature review revealed this is a common problem throughout the Body of Christ. Grace Place Christian Church is a predominately African American within a military community. The unique characteristics of this ministry context warranted research specific to it. The researcher interviewed twenty unchurched young adults and ten pastors and collected over one hundred nine questionnaires …

A Survey Of Teaching Methods Used To Relate To Generation Alpha Congregants In Central Texas, Shawna Mischell Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The evolution of time and approaches to addressing the learning styles of students were influential in designing and redesigning educational programming to meet the needs of each generation. The theory that guided this study was the Strauss-Howe generational theory which proposes that each generation has a personality and characteristics that shape how they learn. However, literature described current-day youth congregants as being taught with the same or very similar teaching methods as those that were implemented to teach previous generations. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to discover the teaching methods being used by youth ministry leaders and …

Flying In Our Sleep, John Strauss

Graduate Thesis Collection

Flying In Our Sleep is a one-hour radio / podcast production of a story in which “Teens wake to discover they’re drafted into an army of killer robot drones and must outwit their deadly AI overlords in a desperate bid to escape.” This partly ironic summary sets the tone for an adventure story for Young Adult audiences with thoughtful elements around the meaning of consciousness, personality, and friendship. The project also includes a paper, “The Art of the Fiction Podcast,” that explains how the show was produced, and argues that digital media has a place in literary writing programs to …

Christ In The Covenant Curses? Deuteronomy 28 And The Gospel, A. Rahel Wells

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Contributor's Biographies

The John Carroll Review

No abstract provided.