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A Phenomenological Understanding Of A Calling With Implications For Pastoral And Vocational Education, Thomas R. Connors Dec 2019

A Phenomenological Understanding Of A Calling With Implications For Pastoral And Vocational Education, Thomas R. Connors

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of calling for seasoned pastors. Guiding the research were four related sub-questions: (a) How do seasoned pastors describe their initial experiences of calling? (b) How do they describe the ways in which they have critically reflected on their experiences of calling ? (c) How do seasoned pastors describe their subsequent actions that have resulted from their calling? (d) HAnd, how do seasoned pastors describe the development of their calling? A purposeful sampling of 11 pastors who have for six or more years functioned as a full-time pastor were engaged …


A Strategy For Transformation Of Men Through Implementing Principles From Wesley's Class And Band Groups, John Joseph Campbell Dec 2019

A Strategy For Transformation Of Men Through Implementing Principles From Wesley's Class And Band Groups, John Joseph Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project will be to implement certain principles from John Wesley’s class and band groups into the men’s ministry group meeting with the goal of the transformation of men. The research will occur at Grace Fellowship in Comstock Park, Michigan. The author of this project is the founding Pastor and Elder of the church who has been for five years and still is part of the men’s ministry group. Through the use of questionnaires, surveys, personal interviews, and analysis of the information collected by these means, this study will compare information collected before the implementation of …


The Role Of Biblical Literacy In Discipling Believers In The Local Church, Joseph G. Austin Nov 2019

The Role Of Biblical Literacy In Discipling Believers In The Local Church, Joseph G. Austin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The degradation of biblical literacy has increased in recent years to the point that many church attendees have very little actual knowledge or understanding of Biblical truths. This lack of knowledge is a direct correlation to the lack of moral foundations for many of today’s believers, particularly with younger generations. The goal of this paper is to provide a balanced, substantive, and interactive plan for churches, large and small, to integrate into their discipleship programs or use to assist the local church in establishing a discipleship program. The process will include surveys gauging the level of biblical literacy among self-identified …


Tracing God's Hand In Redemption: Exploring Evidence Of The Imago Dei In Human Molecular Biology, James Don Johansen Aug 2019

Tracing God's Hand In Redemption: Exploring Evidence Of The Imago Dei In Human Molecular Biology, James Don Johansen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This interdisciplinary dissertation examines how Imago Dei and the impacts and redemption of sin may be observable in molecular biology. It introduces the idea of biological redemption, where, in support of our Imago Dei mission and calling, our bodies can respond to environmental and spiritual factors with biological redemptive adaptations. This project does both theological and scientific assessment. It explores how God is engaged with individuals in community via spiritual social networks, where Christian communities act as an ecosystem in which individuals can thrive and undergo spiritual formation, living out Christian spiritual practices. The main question this dissertation addresses is: …


A Study Of The Renewal Of Worship Through The Restoration Of The Public Nature Of The Gospel: A Case Study Of The Seed Church, Jubilee Together, And Cris, Kang Hyeok Lee Aug 2019

A Study Of The Renewal Of Worship Through The Restoration Of The Public Nature Of The Gospel: A Case Study Of The Seed Church, Jubilee Together, And Cris, Kang Hyeok Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Korean church which advocated evangelicalism is now in crisis. It is because the actual meaning of the Kingdom of God and the public and social significance of the gospel have been lost while the aspect of the individual salvation or the church itself has been its primary concern. As a result of losing the social meaning of sin and salvation, Christianity as a holistic truth has been excluded from the public sphere and is merely regarded as a personal religion. The gospel and the church, which have been reduced to religion and institutions and have acquiesced in the divided …


Evaluating Discipleship Program Effectiveness Of Liberian Churches In Worcester, Massachusetts, Jesse G. Gibson Jul 2019

Evaluating Discipleship Program Effectiveness Of Liberian Churches In Worcester, Massachusetts, Jesse G. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project is evaluating discipleship program effectiveness of Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts. The goal of this thesis is to develop a strategy and effective program for the Liberian churches in Worcester, Massachusetts as a tool to train and educate the Liberian churches for effective and adequate discipleship programs. This project will survey Liberian Christians residing in Worcester, Massachusetts who are members of churches that are dominantly Liberians. This research will help others to understand their religious background, social lifestyles and commitment to discipleship. Implementation of the 12-step training proposed in this project will enable the Liberian churches to be …


Lyrics In Congregational Song: A Biblical And Historical Survey, Michael May Apr 2019

Lyrics In Congregational Song: A Biblical And Historical Survey, Michael May

Senior Honors Theses

Is there a standard as to what constitutes biblical, God-honoring congregational song lyrics? In this paper, I will seek to address this question through a review of relevant biblical principles and positions of prominent leaders throughout church history. The Bible provides a language of worship in the Psalms and includes some information regarding singing in the New Testament. Biblical principles have been applied throughout the centuries by various church fathers. The synthesis of biblical principles and historical contributions will produce a set of guidelines by which congregational song lyrics may be evaluated for the purpose of contextual application in modern …


The Peacemakers: Navigating The Intersection Of Biblical Justice And Contemporary Policing, Nathan Brown Apr 2019

The Peacemakers: Navigating The Intersection Of Biblical Justice And Contemporary Policing, Nathan Brown

Senior Honors Theses

For Christians seeking to enter the field of policing, the question of justice is answered by two separate sources. Conceptions of justice are presented by both the contemporary justice system and the Bible. The history and current state of American policing reveal a sense of justice that is concerned with fighting crime and defending the rights of the vulnerable. There are, however, inherent limitations when operating within a system made by man. Biblical justice goes further by prioritizing restoration and redeemed relationships within its conception of justice. Reconciling these two perspectives equips Christian police officers with a framework with which …


Developing A Strategy To Vitalize Volunteering For Successful Community Service In Korean Churches: Focusing On The Korean Baptist Church Of Blacksburg, Daijoong Park Apr 2019

Developing A Strategy To Vitalize Volunteering For Successful Community Service In Korean Churches: Focusing On The Korean Baptist Church Of Blacksburg, Daijoong Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Volunteering is a practical method of community service which is an essential ministry of the church’s mission as the salt and light of the world. In order for a church to fulfill its mission of community service, the volunteer work of church members should be activated. However, many church members are still not participating in community service, and some volunteers have difficulty in continuing their volunteer work due to the lack of volunteer management for volunteering properly. The purpose of this study is to develop a viable volunteer management process to vitalize volunteering for community service of a church properly …


The Black Church And The Current Generation: A Program To Address The Decline Of African-American Church Attendance In Johnston County Of North Carolina, Robert Allen O'Neal Jr Apr 2019

The Black Church And The Current Generation: A Program To Address The Decline Of African-American Church Attendance In Johnston County Of North Carolina, Robert Allen O'Neal Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study concentrates on issues dealing with the decline of attendance in African American churches. Although long-standing statistics since the Civil Rights Era have always shown the African American Church keeping higher audience percentage than European American churches, the tide has changed, and now African American churches are uncharacteristically declining at a faster rate than usual. Unchurched young adults, particularly African American males, are disproportionately missing in the African American church. The fundamental purpose of this study is to focus specifically on evangelical denomination African American churches in Johnston County, North Carolina by employing quantitative and qualitative research. The survey …


Fostering Hope: The Christian Healthcare Chaplain In A Caring Relationship, Felix O. Otuorimuo Mar 2019

Fostering Hope: The Christian Healthcare Chaplain In A Caring Relationship, Felix O. Otuorimuo

Masters Theses

In 2017, the data from suicide prevention resource center (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) showed an increasing rate of 10.6 million persons between the ages 18-65 that have had suicidal thoughts, a precipitating factor from hopelessness that triggers the goal of killing themselves. Given this challenge, the study seeks to understand how the Christian healthcare chaplain in a caring relationship, fosters biblical hope as spiritual care intervention to persons with suicidal thoughts to promote recovery, repair and restoration. The research was designed to use purposeful sampling to collect responses by anonymous online survey from 35 Christian healthcare chaplains …


The Unifying Theme Of The Mind Of Christ In Philippians Demonstrated By Paul's Use Of Rhetorical And Linguistic Devices In An Oral/Aural Culture, David Alan Posey Mar 2019

The Unifying Theme Of The Mind Of Christ In Philippians Demonstrated By Paul's Use Of Rhetorical And Linguistic Devices In An Oral/Aural Culture, David Alan Posey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Among the debatable issues arising from Paul’s epistle to the Philippians are questions concerning the structure, integrity and thematic emphasis of the letter. This dissertation argues that the “Christ Hymn” (2:6-11) is the central point of a chiastic structure of the letter, establishing the “Mind of Christ” as the primary and, thus, unifying theme of this correspondence. Four primary fields of research lend support to this hypothesis. First, rhetorical criticism seeks to understand the meaning of the biblical text through recognized persuasive devices utilized within first-century literature and speech. Second, linguistic studies, in its simplest form, examines the selection and …


A Study Of The Sermon As Bible Study Materials For Small Group And Church Growth: With A Focus On Singing Hope Church, Ki Young Jeong Jan 2019

A Study Of The Sermon As Bible Study Materials For Small Group And Church Growth: With A Focus On Singing Hope Church, Ki Young Jeong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study will suggest that the Sunday Service sermons are essential elements for church growth and the sermons can be used as Bible study materials in the small group meetings. Korean churches kept on growing after the Pyeongyang Great Revival in 1907. However, Korean churches stopped growing since 2000, at which point they started to decline in numbers. One of the reasons is that the congregants do not live according to the Word of God that is proclaimed from the pulpit. There are various reasons for church growth. The researcher observed that continuously applying Sunday sermons to church members is …