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Articles 1651 - 1680 of 2338
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
From Spectator To Servant: Addressing The Heart Of The Christian For Service Within The Church Based Upon Ephesians 5:18-21 And Biblical Principles Of Servanthood, David Warren Di Raddo
From Spectator To Servant: Addressing The Heart Of The Christian For Service Within The Church Based Upon Ephesians 5:18-21 And Biblical Principles Of Servanthood, David Warren Di Raddo
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In the ninth chapter of Matthew's Gospel, verses thirty-six through thirty-eight, Jesus said to His disciples that the fields were ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. This dissertation project will address the question of why today, as in the days of Jesus, workers in the church continue to be few in number. Specifically, what factors have contributed to the majority of those who attend church becoming spectators rather than servants, and what will change the heart of the individual? This study will include three primary data collection methods comprised of a pre- and post-intervention questionnaire, a ten-question survey …
A Case For Basic Belief In The Christian Scriptures: An Augmented Aquinas/Calvin Model In Favor Of Including Scripture Beliefs Among The Great Things Of The Gospel, Peter William Van Kleeck Jr
A Case For Basic Belief In The Christian Scriptures: An Augmented Aquinas/Calvin Model In Favor Of Including Scripture Beliefs Among The Great Things Of The Gospel, Peter William Van Kleeck Jr
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
By what means does the Christian come to believe and know the Christian Scriptures are the word of God? The more popular opinion relies on a discursive scientific evaluation of historical artifacts (i.e. manuscripts). While this methodology can be extremely helpful in several respects it is highly improbable that it can serve as the ground and fountain of the belief and knowledge that the Christian Scriptures are/probably are the word of God. With this improbability in mind, I offer an alternative by way of Alvin Plantinga’s Reformed Epistemology and his treatment of the great things of the Gospel [i.e. GTG]. …
Bringing Millennials Back To Church, Katherine Noell Parrish
Bringing Millennials Back To Church, Katherine Noell Parrish
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study is focused on the millennial age group at Mechanicsville Baptist Church in Gordonsville, Virginia. The overall purpose of this study is to increase the attendance of the millennial age group at MBC. If the church gains a better understanding of the dropout problem, increases communication, and improves discipleship, then it should increase millennials at MBC by 20% over four weeks. There were several events planned, along with increased communication, in the hope of meeting this goal. Some of these events had to be modified or cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic limits for any gatherings in Virginia. The unforeseen …
The Examination Of Grit In Southern Baptist Lead Pastors In Alabama, Kyle Bradley Hodges
The Examination Of Grit In Southern Baptist Lead Pastors In Alabama, Kyle Bradley Hodges
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand the attribute of grit in current Sothern Baptist Convention (SBC) lead pastors in Alabama. Having first been coined as a separate attribute in 2007, there was much still to learn about grit and its qualities. This study attempted to research the impact of grit in Christian ministry. Grit was coined by Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly (2007) and is defined as the perseverance and passion for long term goals and the attainment of those goals. In this mixed-method study, grit was examined in lead pastors of SBC churches in Alabama …
Understanding And Equipping Female Leadership At Prosperous Temple Church Of God In Christ, Jonathan R. Hackett
Understanding And Equipping Female Leadership At Prosperous Temple Church Of God In Christ, Jonathan R. Hackett
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Debates on whether women qualify to take up church leadership have persisted over the years. In 2016, there was an instance in Alabama where a woman was appointed as the assistant pastor of a church. Within three months of her service, the number of congregants dropped. Efforts by the church management to unravel the cause of the decline revealed that a majority of the people, particularly women, who canceled their church attendance were uncomfortable with women taking up leadership positions. The case informed this research, which will use the case study of Prosperous Temple Church of God in Christ. The …
Christian Liberty, Harry Allotey
Christian Liberty, Harry Allotey
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Christian liberty is freedom from the law, made possible through the finished work of Christ. This project seeks to present a biblical and theological explanation of Christian liberty and develop concepts that apply to the believer’s everyday experience. It is important to address the ever-present dangers of legalism and libertinism and their impact on the Christians and churches. The project focuses on a New Testament explanation of Christian liberty, drawing lessons from both the deliberations of the Jerusalem Council of 49 A.D. and the Pauline thesis to the Galatians. What happens after a person has been freed from the demands …
A Study On The Development And Effectiveness Of Christian Leaders Through Cambodia Christian International School, Changsoon Son
A Study On The Development And Effectiveness Of Christian Leaders Through Cambodia Christian International School, Changsoon Son
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This paper is about fostering Christian leaders and missionary roles in Cambodia through the operation of the Christian International School in Cambodia. The researcher emphasizes the necessity and importance of Christian international schools in Cambodia, a Buddhist country, and aims to present missionary strategies through them. Cambodia is located in Indochina, southeast of Asia, and has a painful history of the Killing Fields. In 1976, a Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge leader, Pol Pot, killed at least one million Cambodians by 1979, systematically sweeping the educated middle class and most of those who seemed enemies of the government. As a result, Cambodia …
Biblical Concepts In Action: A Case For Discipleship In The Worship Ministry, Wendall D. Reed
Biblical Concepts In Action: A Case For Discipleship In The Worship Ministry, Wendall D. Reed
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative historical study is to examine the discipleship of the worship ministry in the local church according to biblical principles of discipleship. Despite the biblical examples of discipleship benefits, worship ministry personnel are often not included in discipleship efforts from church leadership. The leadership and the congregation alike may assume their spiritual maturity. The preaching ministry and the worship ministry are the most public act of worship viewable by congregants. Some worship ministry volunteers and staff may feel they are expected to have already been discipled and may be reluctant to pursue discipleship engagement. This study …
Preaching To Millennials: A Content Analysis Of Preachers' Communication As It Relates To Millennial Congregants, Matthew Joel Hastings
Preaching To Millennials: A Content Analysis Of Preachers' Communication As It Relates To Millennial Congregants, Matthew Joel Hastings
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The American church is facing a decline in attendance (Barna, 2014). This truth is especially prevalent in the millennial generation, the largest yet also the least religious American generation. Many of whom describe themselves as spiritual but not religious. The church has a unique opportunity through the weekly sermon that other organizations do not have. This opportunity provides the ability to verbally communicate in person with the entire organization at one time. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis study was to better understand how preachers who led the fastest growing churches in the Southern Baptist Convention used communication tactics …
A Study On Alternatives For Next Generation Through Vitalizing Family Worship: The Case Of Daegil Church, Eunjick Cha
A Study On Alternatives For Next Generation Through Vitalizing Family Worship: The Case Of Daegil Church, Eunjick Cha
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis aims to highlight the necessity of family worship for the succession of the next generation's faith by studying the effect of the revitalization of family worship on the transmission of faith to the next generation. The growth of Korean churches in the past has grown so rapidly that it is hard to find in the history of churches around the world. However, despite the fact that there are various forms of worship and training programs, in the 21st century, Korean churches are experiencing a slowdown in church growth along with the stagnation of Sunday School. There may be …
Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine
Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Despite the Constitution allowing for the removal of religious conceptions from public schools, the perspectives of most United States middle school-age kids show that the cultural shift towards scientific naturalism as the de facto worldview has impacted worship music in the Church. The worldview is one of worship that presents more as a concert than that of praise. The data, such as suicide statistics, show that there is a correlation between a negatively shifted moral valuation and the aversion, or inability, for the subject of God to be approached in the school setting (i.e., the science classroom) - even where …
A Missional Resurgence: Helping Bridges Church Rediscover Her Missional Purpose Resulting In Vibrant Growth, Patrick Headen Norris
A Missional Resurgence: Helping Bridges Church Rediscover Her Missional Purpose Resulting In Vibrant Growth, Patrick Headen Norris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The church in America is facing difficult times. The majority of churches are experiencing plateaued or declining attendance and a lack of spiritual vitality. While every church is unique in her own experience, there are some common factors that can lead to new life and vibrancy. The purpose of this study was to understand how to lead a specific church, Bridges Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to rediscover her missional purpose and discover vibrant growth, as individuals and as a corporate body. This study utilized the REVEAL for Churches Survey, an online survey that is both descriptive and prescriptive in …
A Look At Short-Term Mission Trips In The Context Of Cypress Baptist Church As A Sending Unit, John Daniel Bodine
A Look At Short-Term Mission Trips In The Context Of Cypress Baptist Church As A Sending Unit, John Daniel Bodine
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project is a study on short-term missions in the context of Cypress Baptist Church as a sending unit. The purpose of this project is to seek answers of why many of Cypress members are choosing not to engage globally by being part of the ministry of short-term missions at Cypress. Cypress Baptist Church is a rapidly growing church, and as it grows it should see more members participating in short-term missions. The goal is to ask the people of Cypress questions centered around this project so the project manager can get candid, real answers to why many are …
The Rural Church As Community Support For Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren, William Shane Cassida
The Rural Church As Community Support For Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren, William Shane Cassida
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
A growing trend in rural communities located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as across much of the United States, is the significant increase in the number of grandparents that are being forced to accept the responsibility of raising their grandchildren due to a crisis within the family structure. The US Census Bureau cited in 2016 that over 2.5 million grandparents are helping with the responsibility of raising their grandchildren, and that 7.8 million children live in homes owned by their grandparents. This accounts for almost 10% of all children nationally. There is a current ministry need for churches …
Spiritually Guided And Bridging The Gap: An Inquisitive Analysis On The Correlation Of Pastoral Counseling And Mental Health, Cynthia E. Taylor
Spiritually Guided And Bridging The Gap: An Inquisitive Analysis On The Correlation Of Pastoral Counseling And Mental Health, Cynthia E. Taylor
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This research study evaluates the outcomes of pastoral counseling on mental health within a predominantly African American congregation in the southeastern United States. The research study is intended to build a further understanding of the pastor’s role in counseling individuals with mental health conditions, given individuals seek counseling as a treatment option. To evaluate those perceptions, the researcher analyzed data collected from a survey. The outcomes from this qualitative data study suggest that pastoral counseling alone is ineffective given several factors such as individual failure to seek counseling, no suggested mental-health related issues within the sampled population, and ethnicity barriers. …
Unhealthy Leadership In The Christian Church: A Study Of The Divorce Rate, Curtis William Carter
Unhealthy Leadership In The Christian Church: A Study Of The Divorce Rate, Curtis William Carter
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this project is to bring healing and direction to a particular area of the Christian church that is destroying marriages and greatly emotionally damaging children and families. This specific research will look at both the divorce rate in the secular community and the divorce rate in the Christian church, thus comparing and contrasting the two. While at the same time, showing how unhealthy leadership in the Christian church continues this damage. Furthermore, this research will also illustrate which gender is most likely filing for the divorces here in the 21st century and answer the questions why, where, …
Sharing The Lord’S Supper: Finding Fellowship And Love In A Sacramental, Communal Meal, Joshua David Peterson
Sharing The Lord’S Supper: Finding Fellowship And Love In A Sacramental, Communal Meal, Joshua David Peterson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis project identifies the biblical practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper weekly in conjunction with a communal meal. At this project’s Ministry Context, Garden City Bible Fellowship, there is a lack of fellowship and love. This project investigates whether the implementation of the Lord’s Supper and a communal meal on a weekly basis will build fellowship and love in a biblical way. After being approved by the leadership of this church, the topic will be introduced to the congregation via a sermon on the subject, culminating in a question and answer session for anyone who has questions before participating. …
Biblical Literacy: Developing A Habit Of Personal Bible Reading Among The Members Of Contending For The Faith Christian Fellowship, Christopher L. Coleman
Biblical Literacy: Developing A Habit Of Personal Bible Reading Among The Members Of Contending For The Faith Christian Fellowship, Christopher L. Coleman
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Biblical literacy is an important value in the life of any person, and especially in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. However, all too often, believers lack a firm grasp of Scripture knowledge and understanding, and consequently, are unprepared to detect and avoid erroneous teaching and to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). One of the reasons for this pervasive lack of biblical literacy among many believers is because there is a lack in the development of a habit in personal Bible reading outside of the weekly church services. …
Who Is Leading Our Churches In Worship And Are They Ready? A Study On Worship Leading In The Free Will Baptist Denomination, James Anthony Cooper Sr
Who Is Leading Our Churches In Worship And Are They Ready? A Study On Worship Leading In The Free Will Baptist Denomination, James Anthony Cooper Sr
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Since the institution of Old Testament-Temple corporate worship, there has been someone assigned the task of leading congregational worship. The Chronicler records King David’s divisions of the sons of Asaph to be “set apart for service…under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord.”1 Although for some churches, a full-time, salaried position is not feasible or there may not be enough existing duties to justify a paid position. In this case, the responsibility of leading worship falls to a person in the congregation who might have any type of background in music or an …
The New Digital Media: Opportunities For Church Sound Recording, Songwriting, And Music Publishing, Christopher Andrew Brown
The New Digital Media: Opportunities For Church Sound Recording, Songwriting, And Music Publishing, Christopher Andrew Brown
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The new digital media, particularly streaming music, has made the original record industry model antiquated. Now it is possible for independent artists to be their own label and publisher and through streaming platforms, have a national or global reach. This new model also applies to churches with some church leaders considering beginning a songwriting ministry and producing original worship music, Church record labels are not new; in fact, there is precedent for this extending back to the Jesus Movement of the late sixties. Although research and literature covering changes in the old music paradigm and new opportunities are plentiful, there …
An Effective Strategy Of Family Ministry In Korean Church To Build A Biblical Family, Ikjae Jin
An Effective Strategy Of Family Ministry In Korean Church To Build A Biblical Family, Ikjae Jin
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this project is to assist churches in building a biblical family and developing an effective strategy for family ministry programs. Additionally, it will address the problems and difficulties of Korean families. The study will be based on Korean churches in South Korea. A study of what churches are doing to assist these families will be conducted. This project will suggest how to build a biblical family in Korean churches. This research will survey at least 50 Korean pastors living in Korea and will conduct research on existing family ministry programs in Korean churches based on biblical and …
Loving The Unloveable: A Biblical Approach For The Local Church To Homosexuality In A Morally Declining Society, Robert Jonathan Archer
Loving The Unloveable: A Biblical Approach For The Local Church To Homosexuality In A Morally Declining Society, Robert Jonathan Archer
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This thesis will strive to prove that local churches worldwide have been highly ineffective at providing true recovery for parishioners that struggle with homosexuality often ostracizing them as a diseased product rather than a creation of the Father. The goal is to help the church discover, assess, and address the sin, healing, and recovery for homosexuals in their ministry in a healthy biblical manner that promotes freedom in Christ and true recovery. This will allow the local church to partake in the healing process of broken parishioners promoting evangelism and discipleship that will in turn extend into the communities of …
The Integration Of Spiritual Formation Through Distance Education For Christian Higher Education Students, Derwin Earl Lewis
The Integration Of Spiritual Formation Through Distance Education For Christian Higher Education Students, Derwin Earl Lewis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Many factors contribute to the recent increase of digital education in higher learning institutions, including the expanded use of mobile devices, social media, and other online populations. CNBC reports that over two billion users ascribe to Facebook monthly (Balakrishnan, 2017). Over four hundred million Instagram users and over three hundred million active Twitter accounts are being used daily (Clement, 2019). Celebrating technology’s imprint on society presents another opportunity for social sciences to applaud human achievement at the risk of discounting God’s sovereignty. The digital era has created an opportunity for Christian education to expand its reachability through churches and Bible-based …
Expository Teaching For The Stonepath Church’S Understanding Of Worship, Cassidy Ryan Kesler
Expository Teaching For The Stonepath Church’S Understanding Of Worship, Cassidy Ryan Kesler
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Expository teaching is a method of explanation that can raise the biblical understanding in the minds of those receiving the teaching. This paper studies a group of participants from Stonepath Church who receive three expository teaching lessons on three biblical passages on worship. The initial understanding of biblical worship is gauged by the scores of the participants on a worship survey taken before the first lesson, and the increase in biblical knowledge is gauged by the scores of the participants on the same worship survey taken after the third lesson. A statistical analysis is run to determine whether or not …
Modern-Day Korahites In Crisis: Causes And Consequences Of Moral Failure In Worship Leaders, Adely Thelus Charles
Modern-Day Korahites In Crisis: Causes And Consequences Of Moral Failure In Worship Leaders, Adely Thelus Charles
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In the Bible and throughout the history of Christianity, examples of moral failure in ministry leadership demonstrate a negative impact on the leader's family, congregations, faith traditions, and ministry efficacy. This qualitative study examines the causes and consequences of moral failure in worship leadership by considering the biblical account of Old Testament leaders who morally failed and apply psychological principles to assess moral fragility that may be faced by some worship leaders. Finally, this study offers biblical principles and practical strategies that target the potential pitfalls of leadership in an effort to hinder moral failure among worship leaders.
Intentional Discipleship: Effective Disciple-Making For Church Growth In Liberia, George L. Suah
Intentional Discipleship: Effective Disciple-Making For Church Growth In Liberia, George L. Suah
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Pastors of extremely effective disciple-making churches are conscious of the degree of church efficiency, and they recognize the significance of intentional discipleship for church growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate intentional discipleship for church growth in Liberia. An anonymous research study of 12 pastors and church leaders (evangelists) from Unity Light Ministry Network (UCC) in Kakata, Liberia, West Africa, was conducted to explore why Unity Light Ministry Network (UCC) in Liberia is struggling to grow their church numerically and spiritually. The study found that the Ministry does not have adequate and systematic training on intentional discipleship for …
Refilling The Oilpots: Developing A Program To Reverse Stagnancy In African-American Churches, Mancil Carroll
Refilling The Oilpots: Developing A Program To Reverse Stagnancy In African-American Churches, Mancil Carroll
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Many African American churches in America are experiencing a decline in attendance and participation. The typical church goes through a life-cycle that includes the church's birth, infancy, maturity, stagnation, and death. However, it is possible to create a rebirth process that will restart the life-cycle from the beginning. This thesis develops a strategic plan to initiate church rebirth and build momentum for the congregation. This project's research approach will include interviews with the leaders of a medium-size African American church in Dallas's suburbs. The project will also include survey questionnaires to congregants, former church members, and random subjects selected through …
The Impact Of Sunday School Participation On Spiritual Formation In African American Baptist Churches In North Carolina, Christopher Eugene Harris
The Impact Of Sunday School Participation On Spiritual Formation In African American Baptist Churches In North Carolina, Christopher Eugene Harris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to determine a relationship between Sunday School participation and spiritual formation upon participating congregations of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (GBSCNC). The process of spiritual formation comes through the spiritual disciplines being practiced. The spiritual disciplines were measured through the study sample of GBSCNC churches in this study using four spiritual development modes from the Christian Spiritual Participation Profile: growing through a relationship with God, growing through the Word, growing through critical reflection, and growing through relationships with others (Thayer, 1996). The research findings were based on a sample …
First-Generation College Students' Lived Experiences In An Undergraduate Music Education Program: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Joseph Benjamin Earp
First-Generation College Students' Lived Experiences In An Undergraduate Music Education Program: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Joseph Benjamin Earp
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of first-generation college students (FGCSs) majoring in music education at a small, private university in the southeastern United States. Through understanding FGCSs’ experiences, university faculty and administrators can make informed decisions that can help this important sub-population of students. The self-determination theory (SDT) and the relationships motivation theory (SDT mini-theory) have guided this study exploring the central research question: How do FGCSs describe their lived experiences while majoring in music education? Sub-questions include (1) how do FGCSs majoring in music education describe challenges relating to self-determination while …
The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Chaplaincy: An Analysis If Ei In The Delivery Of Patient-Centered Care, Dean A. Darroux
The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Chaplaincy: An Analysis If Ei In The Delivery Of Patient-Centered Care, Dean A. Darroux
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study addressed the role of emotional intelligence among healthcare chaplains and its place in delivering patient-centered care at Adventist healthcare, Maryland. The study assumed that since healthcare chaplains’ journeys with their patients help them process their feelings as they understand the nature of their illness, they must identify their feelings and that of their patients to provide better care. It further examined the role of personality in determining its relationship with emotional intelligence and how it would influence patient-centered care. The literature surveyed indicated that emotional intelligence helps individuals understand their emotions as well as that of others. A …