Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Overcoming The Unique Spiritual Formation Challenges Experienced By Large-Church Staff, Scott Whaley

Doctor of Ministry

Church staff encounter unique spiritual formation challenges that are not experienced in other vocations. In addition to managing stressors that are typical in every workplace setting, the church staff must also address the implications that arise because their pastor is also their employer, and their place of worship is also their workplace. These challenges are magnified in the large-church environment due an increased focus on employee performance and an emphasis on a corporate organizational structure. Over the last few decades, large churches have adopted best-practices from the corporate world, practices which focus scrutiny on increasing staff performance, further adding to …

The Study Of Brokenness As A Critical Success Factor In The Effective Leadership Of The Pastor, Robert Thompson

Doctor of Ministry

In our western culture, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders have adopted secular leadership that emphasizes performance and results rather than emphasizing spiritual leadership based in our identity in Christ as a servant leader and the process of brokenness that God uses to develop His servants. Recent literature has suggested that pastors and Christian leaders need to revisit the need for brokenness in their Christian formation as a critical success factor in their leadership. The Church should consider brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the pastor.

This dissertation will concentrate on the importance of brokenness …

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 …

A Church Family's Path Through Founding Pastor Transition, Nick Martineau

Doctor of Ministry

Leadership transitions are inevitable within all organizations. It is not a question of if, but when. This is particularly true within churches. Pastoral succession, particularly a long-term founding pastor’s transition, is difficult. There are many emotions and tensions to navigate for the church family, staff, elders, founding pastor, and incoming pastor, in the midst of the transition. A struggle for control often takes place in addition to a great sense of loss, confusion, and fear for many in the church family. Every transition has its own unique story. Some transitions go smoothly, while others result in pain and a disaster, …

Praying About Forgiveness In Japanese, English, And Beyond Words: Bilingualism As An Underexplored Resource For Christian Spiritual Formation, Andrea Lundquist Johnson

Doctor of Ministry

Prayer understood as a form of communication and communion with the Deity is a nearly universal human activity and a core Christian practice. Christian prayer may take many shapes including colloquial, petitionary, ritual, and meditative, and may be practiced alone or with others. Prayer regarding forgiveness is both the example and command of Jesus, yet forgiveness is multidimensional, complex, and culturally conditioned in addition to being difficult because it involves change in self identity.

The question of whether the language of prayer matters for bilinguals, specifically Japanese/English speaking bilinguals, has not been researched. Neither has the area of bilingual prayer …

The Ecological Gift Of Spiritual Formation: A Renewal For Healthy Clergy, Jody Becker

Doctor of Ministry

Every year Lutheran clergy resign pastoral calls citing one, primary reason: burnout. Certainly, the demands of pastoral call within a congregation are easy to observe: long on-call periods of time, intense levels of pastoral care needs, and navigating multifaceted, interpersonal relationships, to name a few. While these demands become symptomatic to the problem of burnout, the determining cause is still unknown, especially given the various contextual factors for these pastors. Yet, the number of pastors leaving ministry or experiencing shortened tenures is alarming. In the Lutheran church, spiritual formation language is often associated with determined deficiencies. Other times, spiritual formation …

Not Rewriting Lazarus’ Story, Jackie Smallbones

Northwestern Review

In this sermon, the author considers Jesus’ raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45). Focusing on the awkwardness of Jesus’ deliberate delay in coming, the sermon asks whether rewriting the incident to make Jesus appear more caring is advisable. No, rewriting the incident would undercut three lessons in the story as written. First, Jesus’ chief concern was with God and his glory. Second, Jesus revealed more about himself, namely, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Third, Jesus wanted to deepen the faith of Lazarus’ family, friends, and his disciples then and since.

Telling Fisk’S Story, John Hubers

Northwestern Review

Pliny Fisk (1792-1825) was one of two missionaries sent in 1819 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) to the Ottoman Empire. This made them not only the first American missionaries in the Muslim majority world, but two of the first Americans to make a permanent move to the Middle East. Hubers’ book explores what it meant for Pliny and his companion Levi Parsons to make that trip, exploring in particular the impact this had on their perceptions of the religious other.

What makes this an interesting study is noting that Fisk never met a Middle Easterner …

Power, Liberalism, And Political Science: Some Christian Reflections, Daniel E. Young

Northwestern Review

How should a Christian political scientist think about power, liberalism, and political science? In answering this question, this article first defines power. Considered primarily in relation to the state, power is exercised in conflicts of interests: by officials, parties, or groups or elites getting others to do something the others would not otherwise do, or keeping one or more alternative from even being discussed, and perhaps obscuring what the real interests of others are. Then the argument turns to establishing that how one thinks about power is closely related to one’s larger political theory, e.g., what counts as the “real …

Divinity, Incarnation, And The Strange Body Of Jesus In Horror Films, Mike Kugler

Northwestern Review

Through an analysis of a number of horror films or films with horror-infused aspects, such as The Last Temptation Christ, Passion of the Christ, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, Jesus, and Fist of Jesus, the author uses theology to reflect not only on the horror genre but also on the doctrine of the Incarnation.

Lessons Of Faith From A Poor Moabite Widow, Jessica Evangeline Setiawan

Student Work

"We tend to rely on human solutions in the face of huge crises in our lives, and forget that God’s providence extends to every single aspect of our lives."

Posting about unconditional faith in our God from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/lessons-of-faith-from-a-poor-moabite-widow/

Vainglory: How To Share Your Virtue Without Showing Off, Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Who Is My Neighbor?, Tom Clark

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"How should we have mercy on those who are experiencing the ravages of war, whose very lives are being robbed from them?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­responding to the less fortunate from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/who-is-my-neighbor/

Boasting In The Lord, Tori Mann

Student Work

"Instead of drawing attention to ourselves, we draw attention to Christ. This boasting is a call for people to admire him as much as we admire him."

Posting about Christ's worth from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/boasting-in-the-lord/

The Faithful Flyer, 01-29-2017, University Of Dayton. Campus Ministry

Chapel Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 4 One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 4 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

By Our Love, Josh Bootsma

Student Work

"Love, then, is lavishing yourself upon someone who is unworthy and unattractive. It’s loving to the end—that is, to death."

Posting about Christ's example of love from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/by-our-love/

A Sweet Sound: Absorbing God's Word In The Language Of The Heart, Ann Kapteyn

Symposium on Worship Archive

Many people around the world are multilingual but do not have access to the scriptures in their mother tongue. What changes when a person hears God’s Word in their own language as opposed to their second or third language? How does the translation of key theological terms into a person’s mother tongue change their understanding? Beyond language, some cultures are oriented to oral methods of communication rather than reading and writing. What methods, resources, and new technology are available to people who prefer to listen to God’s Word rather than read it? This talk will be a wide-ranging discussion how …

Latin American Psalms, Hymns, And Spiritual Songs, Alfredo Colman

Symposium on Worship Archive

Aimed at keyboardists as well as other instrumentalists, this workshop emphasizes basic and intermediate accompanying techniques such as re-harmonization and rhythmic variations, and applies them to specific examples that illustrate a variety of styles within the Latin American sacred music tradition.

The Contemplative Worship Leader, Paul Ryan

Symposium on Worship Archive

Parker Palmer writes, “At root, contemplation and action are the same.” For worship leaders, a deep well of spiritual practice is vital amid the activity and demands of worship leadership. But as the anxious and hurried, our spirituality is often found wanting. New and ancient patterns in Christ’s Spirit, however, are available to worship leaders, and in this workshop we will together explore how to find life and vitality in our diverse contexts and through our varied our personalities.

Beauty, Silence, And Culture Care: An Interview With Makoto Fujimura, Makoto Fujimura, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.

Symposium on Worship Archive

Theologian Neal Plantinga engages with artist and author Mako Fujimura on his vision for complementing recent work on creation care with what he has termed “culture care”—a redemptive approach to artistry and other forms of cultural engagement which seeks to contribute to “the healing of the nations.” What is it like for a novelist, filmmaker, and painter to embody this culture care approach? And what might this teach those who lead worship or congregational life? Come for a wide-ranging discussion that promises to include a discussion Martin Scorcese’s latest film, Mako’s own painting, and some resourceful examples emerging from next-generation …

Shaping A Congregation’S Worship Dna, Kevin Adams

Symposium on Worship Archive

This workshop offers wisdom for designing and shaping the first year of worship in new and restart church settings, with practical and theological insights about how worship connects to the tradition, neighborhood, and persons of the church planting context, leader and team.

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Church Sound Systems, Greg Scheer

Symposium on Worship Archive

Of the many hats worship musicians and pastors wear, “sound system purchaser and troubleshooter” may be the most uncomfortable. Nonetheless, your understanding of how a sound system works could have a huge impact on your congregation’s ability to hear the preaching and take part in singing. This session will teach you about microphones, channel strips, speaker placement, and a myriad of other subjects that likely weren’t included in your seminary or music education.

Hosanna!: Ecumenical Songs For Justice And Peace, Ester P. Widiasih

Symposium on Worship Archive

This collection of music is gathered from five continents and many different cultural contexts. Each song carries with it a story that provides insights into the unique challenges and piety of worshiping communities around the world. Learning these songs and the stories, gestures, rhythms and instruments that accompany them is a wonderful way to pray for the church around the world and to stretch your community experience toward new empathy for the piety of others.

Limelight And Christian Leadership, Rebecca K. Deyoung

Symposium on Worship Archive

Work in Christian ministry and worship leadership often brings a struggle with image, reputation, and audience-pleasing. In this workshop, we’ll learn about the vice of vainglory—both the patterns of its temptation to show off a false self and time-tested spiritual disciplines of resistance to this vice. In a world captivated with selfies and social media, we’ll explore virtuous practices that can help Christians handle the limelight well and show appreciation for each other in ways that glorify God.

Bringing Hymns To Life On Guitar, Wendell Kimbrough

Symposium on Worship Archive

We’ve heard many of the great old hymns played beautifully with organs, pianos, and choirs, but their journey into the world of guitar-led worship can be awkward. Old tunes are often abandoned or significantly altered in the name of modernization, but such revision is not always necessary. This workshop will focus on demonstrating and discussing how to translate traditional hymns into a guitar-led band format while keeping the hymn’s soul intact.

Explaining Christian Worship To The Skeptical Or Questioning Seeker: Group Exercise, Kevin Adams

Symposium on Worship Archive

What are best practices for introducing people to the practices of Christian worship? How can we give an account of what we do in worship in warm, winsome, and convicting ways that move beyond surface level explanations to address the deepest spiritual hungers of our age?