Arts and Humanities Commons^™

An Evaluation Of The Growing Healthy Churches Program As A Method For Producing Healthy, Growing, And Reproducing Southern Baptist Congregations, Donald Hardaway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current status of Southern Baptist churches in the United States necessitates the development of a strategy for renewal toward health and multiplication. The purpose of this project is to suggest a proven model for local church revitalization through the "Growing Healthy Churches" program developed by Dr. Paul Borden. Based on responses from churches participating in the Growing Healthy Churches program and pastors who have led their churches through the strategies presented by Borden, the project explains the revitalization process, reviews the results, and makes a recommended plan of action for local church renewal through association-led programming.

The Victorious Christian Life: Overcoming Alcohol Dependence Through The Phenomenon Of Christian Spirituality, Michael Byrne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Interviews were conducted with graduates of a northeastern evangelical Christian-based treatment program to discover insights regarding the role that the phenomenon of Christian spirituality played in their recovery. Eight themes were extracted from three periods of time in the participants' lives as they related to the phenomenon of Christian spirituality: prior to treatment; during treatment; and after treatment. These themes revealed that the participants lacked resiliencies to overcome alcohol dependence themselves. All participants reported that critical aspects of Christian spirituality, such as regeneration and cultivation of a divine-human relationship through lifestyle exercise of Spiritual Disciplines and diligent application of the …

Cooperation: Churches Working Together Through The Local Baptist Association For Maximum Kingdom Ministry, John Frank

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cooperation is a concept which many churches hold to as a basic belief, yet few incorporate into their ministry plan. With the exception of giving money toward a denominational budget, many churches operate totally independently of other churches. Believers in Jesus Christ can do more in a community as a unified body rather than as splintered groups with individual, and often self-serving, agendas. This thesis project draws together several years of observations and experiences of churches as they have joined together in unity and cooperation. A survey and interview process is used to gain insight and vision from churches and …

Five Principles To Make And Multiply Disciples Through The Small Group Ministry, Timothy Yates

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The unchanging command of the Great Commission is to "make disciples" of all ethnic groups of the world. Unfortunately the church has struggled with her primary mission and has been grossly negligent in equipping church members to become Great Commission leaders. Therefore, this author will develop a small group training manual consisting of five principles to make and multiply disciples through the small group ministry. This manual will provide a laser focus on how to intentionally develop and deploy the common layman within the local church in order to reproduce disciples who reproduce disciples. As a small group pastor, this …

An Examination Of Reaching, Teaching, Feeding And Loving People For The Kingdom Of God, Gwendolyn Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the biblically prescribed methodologies and innovative tools for attaining the desirable results of more disciples instead of followers of Christ. It is incumbent on every believer to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission, to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every ethnos. There are several contributing factors that are conducive to people globally starving holistically mainly due to a deviancy of knowledge imparted and less implementation of discipleship. The inclusion of this thesis is a partial account of interviews with some Christian leaders and selected Disciples of …

Rethinking Discipleship In The Area Of High School Ministry: Key Strategies For Transforming Urban Youth, Michael Rackley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to a Barna Research Group study titled "Third Millennium Teens" 60% of young people will leave the church permanently or for an extended period. Decreasing the number of urban youth ages 14-18 from defecting from the church and to increase retention of church dropouts using Twenty-First Century transformational strategies is the goal of this project. Having served as a youth pastor the writer will analyze key strategies that will benefit high school ministry by raising the bar on expectations and by building future leaders in the church.

This project will include an anonymous survey of 125 participants aged 18-24 …

An Effective Leadership Strategy Model For Lakeland Korean Presbyterian Church, Jae Hwa Mun

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to find out the strategy of building leadership for church growth. This thesis is primarily concerned with understanding church leadership and leadership development for effective ministry. The fundamental reason churches go through crisis in growth is due to a lack of leadership and strategy for leadership development.
To establish effective leadership strategy model, this project examined the leadership qualities and the process of leadership development from the Biblical perspective, and researched effective leadership types for church growth through a survey. The survey was performed on eight churches to look at the need of leadership. …

The Essential Leadership Elements For Transforming The Ethos Of A Local Church, Austin Rammell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the essential leadership elements involved in transforming the ethos of local church from a community organization for Christians into a movement to change the world. It is a case study of what took place at Hardin Baptist Church (now Venture). In addition to published scholarship, the findings from the case study will be compared with five other churches that have experienced a similar transformation. The reason for this project is to document the key elements of the transformation of Hardin in hopes that the changes will serve as a tool for other …

Eight Key Principles To Transform Church Culture To Retain Ministry Leaders, Trent Lambert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today's culture, there is an ever-growing population of unchurched and dechurched within our local communities, not to mention dysfunctional leaders within the Church. This project attempts to create a healthy quality of life for ministry leaders that transcends into relevant evangelism and empowering discipleship. Based on scripture, segments of church history leadership styles, surveys of current ministry leaders, various books/articles, and personal perspectives this paper will delineate lessons to be learned and principles that are effective in the remodeling process. The principles within this project will show how church culture can transition from an antiquated paradigm of ministry to …

Stigma And The Acceptability Of Depression Treatments Among African American Clergy, Connie Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to investigate stigma associated with depression treatments and to approximate its association with treatment acceptability among African American Clergy. There were 109 African American clergy who completed three measures: treatment specific stigma instrument, treatment acceptability instrument, and a demographic questionnaire, anonymously. Three hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics, Mantel-Haenszel common odds ratio estimate, Pearson correlation coefficient, and ordinal logistic regression. Statistical analysis revealed stigma did increase with the expansion of the social circle; Christian mental health counseling had the highest acceptability rate among clergy not pastoral or lay counseling and there was …

A Study Of The Utilization Of Brief And Biblically Integrated Child Parent Relationship Therapy With Mothers From Christian Families And Their 11-14 Year Old Children, Valerie Waruszewski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Twenty-six mothers and their 11-14 year old children participated in the Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT). Although designed for elementary-aged children, CPRT was modified for pre-teens and biblically integrated worldview. An analysis of data obtained from the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire-CA (Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2009), Conflict Behavior Questionnaire-20 (Robin & Foster, 1989), and Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) revealed meaningful trends in the decrease of frustration, levels of conflict, and negative communication within family systems. It is hoped that these findings will encourage additional research to help Christian mothers and therapists with an effective tool that …

Military Service Members: A Manual For Reintegration After Deployment, Carla Barry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Deployment to Afghanistan for Marines and Sailors stationed in Jacksonville, NC is continual. The transition back to home life can be both difficult and stressful. The purpose of this thesis is to increase awareness of the dynamics of reintegration of military members and their families after deployment. Based on questionnaires sent to local churches, military families, observations, and journaling the thesis project validated a need for support. The thesis project produced a resource guide teaching pastors stressors associated with reintegration. The summary and conclusion will address behavioral and social changes by group participants.

Making Disciples Through Evangelism: A Plan For The Evangelist Who Only Has One Chance At A New Convert, Richard Hertless

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Making disciples is an integral part of being a Christian. God has called some to be Evangelists (Ephesians 4:11). The rationale of the project is the need to fulfill the Great Commission's command of "making disciples." The value of this project is the plan that is developed to ensure that new converts will be placed with a disciple to confirm his or her Christian growth. This project will take the reader through a step-by-step plan to prepare, conduct and follow-up on an evangelism event to ensure that the Great Commission is fulfilled for the new convert to successfully walk in …

Examining Crime Among College-Aged Christians: Are Christian Religious Beliefs Associated With Low Levels Of Criminal Activity?, Paul Rickert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study into crime among college-aged Christians in the United States is to determine if indicating higher levels of Christian spiritual growth is associated with lower levels of criminal behavior. A convenience sample of college aged Christians was given an online survey to measure self-reported criminality measured by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports Part I and Part II and self-reported religious convictions as measured by Bufford et al.'s Christ-like Spiritual Growth Scale. This quantitative study then analyzed data generated from 57 respondents and found that reporting higher rates of Christ-like …

Effective Transitional Ministry Plan: Pastoral Leadership In The 21st Century Church, Keith Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The short term nature of the role of transitional pastor allows them to address spiritual deficiencies, provide spiritual corrections and prepare a congregation for change within a shorter time frame than normally required. Having served as a transitional pastor this writer believes the real calling of transitional ministry is to strengthen the church and place it on an effective path for the cause of Christ. Writing on this topic will provide an outline for what a successful transitional ministry plan should look like. This project will include pastoral surveys and interviews that identify spiritual deficiencies and provide biblical solutions for …

A Model For Revitalizing And Restructuring Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Jerry Grimes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a model of ministry that will revitalize Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, which over the past 102 years, has been characterized by stagnate membership, diminishing evangelistic efforts and a declining spiritual impact. This project will detail a model that allows for a restructuring of Peter's Tabernacle that neither denigrates its traditional approach to congregational life nor disrupts its standard hierarchy. Presented will be an implementable approach to developing small groups of congregants trained to evangelize those communities surrounding Peter's Tabernacle while maintaining the administrative structure of its congregational leadership.

About My Father's Business: Pastoral Succession From Father To Son, Clifford Hartley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A son who follows in his fathers' footsteps is not unique to many situations but it is to the office of pastor of the local church. Such a succession raises several questions: Is this a call of God, or the passing on of a dynasty? Is this a healthy transition for a church to consider? What are the associated problems and benefits? What biblical foundations should be considered? Are there common factors that make this transition successful? It is evident that unique planning and caution is necessary that is different from other successions patterns of pastoral ministry. This paper will …

A Resource For Pastors And Counselors: Ministering To Spiritual And Emotional Needs Of Those In Ministry, Shirley Craven

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some pastors are in need of pastoral care and counseling; unfortunately, many will never receive the care they need. Pastors often suffer in silence because they feel they cannot trust revealing their deep dark secrets with fellow clergy. The lack of confidentiality among pastors has caused leaders to struggle in silence with the very issues they preach against: adultery, fornication, pornography, drug, alcohol, etc. The fear of exposure has driven some pastors to seek help in other states where they can remain anonymous. Providing this type of resource will enable pastors to take control of their lives, and seek the …

The Korean-American Church In The 21st Century; A How To Model For Church Growth, Dongsik Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although Korean-Americans have high religious affiliation, they have a low religious commitment. Many Korean-Americans think of the church as a place for relaxation and social connection rather than a place of worship. With the distorted perspective towards the church, the Korean-American churches experience split and division; the church's growth stagnates or declines, and the church is no longer healthy. This project provides suggestions for becoming a healthy church through a case study of the Lord-Jesus Korean Church (LJKC) in Richmond, VA. Based on questionnaires, the project evaluates the effectiveness of the ministries of the LJKC and suggests recommendations for becoming …

A Renewed Approach To Undergraduate Worship Leader Education, Allen Hendricks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church music degree program at Charleston Southern University, based on a European traditional/classical sacred music degree model, has been attracting fewer and fewer students. The last two students pursuing this degree were graduated in May, 2011. Prior to their graduation, the administration encouraged the music department to investigate current career markets and the worship leadership training strategies of other institutions. The purpose of this project is to design a suitable worship leadership degree and thus assist the university in its mission to equip churches with properly trained ministry leaders. Survey instruments will be used to discover the expectations of …

By This They Will Know: Discipleship Principles To Transform The Church, Mark R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current research indicates that ninety-five million individuals in America do not attend church. Nearly forty percent, of this group, have a negative impression of Christianity. The purpose of this project is to study the forces that that are transforming the American culture, and the dynamics that are perpetuating a bad image of Christianity. The author will evaluate the current state of spiritual formation in the Christian community, and make recommendations for developing an effective discipleship strategy for the church. The impetus for this paper is the Great commission issued by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 28:19. The paper will incorporate …

A Comparative Study: Traditional Evangelical Friends Pastors With Contemporar Evangelical Pastors For Twenty-First Century Application, Thomas Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a study of the dominant views of traditional evangelical Friends pastors and contemporary evangelical pastors. A comparative study of lifestyle, methods of ministry, and primary doctrinal beliefs is used to discover areas of agreement, differences, and points critical to successful leadership for Evangelical Friends pastors. Being a pastor and denominational leader in the Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region for the past 32 years gives the author a critical interest in this study. Every church and denomination wants to effectively reach people for Christ. The author and Evangelical Friends are no different. Academic research is combined with interviews of evangelical …

Pastoral Care: A New Model For Assessing The Spiritual Needs Of Hospitalized Patients, Douglas Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hospitalized patients are at an elevated risk of suffering from spiritual distress. Patients value and expect having spiritual and emotional needs met when hospitalized. A direct correlation exists between spiritual and physical health, making spiritual assessment and care a pastoral priority. Research indicates a lack of proper training for pastors making hospital visits. The purpose of this project is to provide pastors with resources and understanding of spiritual assessment of hospitalized patients. This project also provides pastors with a template for a new model of spiritual assessment to aid with establishing a spiritual assessment tool to meet their ministry needs, …

A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study evaluated the psychometric utility of Decisional Forgiveness Scale and Emotional Forgiveness Scale for the North Korean refugee population and explored the relationship among social adaptation, religious commitment, unforgiveness, forgiveness style and mental health variables (trauma symptoms and depression) among North Korean refugees. Confirmatory Factor Analyses were conducted to investigate the North Korean version of DFS and EFS with collected data from 269 North Korean refugees. The forgiveness instruments, when modified with appropriate item deletions, could be considered as useful for North Korean refugees. In the Multiple Regression Analysis, four of five predictors (social adaptation, hurt characteristics, forgiveness …

Epic Families: Equipping Parents To Reclaim Their Biblical Mandate While Inspiring Children To Know And Love The God Who Made Them, Marybeth Meltzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature demonstrates that there is a fundamental problem in the church today: the church has taken on the primary role of discipling children, while many parents have abrogated their biblical mandate as outlined in Deuteronomy 6:6-9. Surveys of parents as well as practical ministry experience confirm that great confusion exists among parents as to the scope of their biblical responsibilities. This project reviews historical perspectives and the present situation in the church and offers guidance to both parents and ministry professionals to help parents reclaim their God-given responsibilities.

How To Get To The Other Side Of Emotional Pain, Ronnie Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a resource of approaches to deal with pain and guide in the direction of getting to the other side of pain. This project is used from a journey of painful events. The study is performed from literature, research and personal experiences. Therefore, this dissertation will provide and allow a person a valuable resource to deal with emotional pain and painful situations as well as provide several tools to get to the other side of emotional pain. It will also show how to understand emotional pain and work through the most devastating hurt …

Effectively Ministering To Congregants With Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), Jason Whitehurst

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A survey of recent medical studies show a rise each year in the number of people diagnosed with A.D.D., or Attention Deficit Disorder. However, pastors have not been adequately educated on how to effectively communicate, counsel, and minister to those with A.D.D. The goal of this project is to educate pastors and church leaders about the nature of A.D.D., the statistics, the symptoms, so that they may better understand how to minister to these people in their congregation. Medical statistics, findings, and new approaches to preaching and ministering will be utilized in this project to fulfill the goal.

A Model To Recruit And Implement Volunteers To Serve And Create A Culture Of Biblical Servanthood In The Church, Rodney Briles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a viable and applicable model for finding and recruiting volunteers to serve the local church and create a culture of Biblical servanthood. The project focuses on: where to find potential volunteers; discerning the volunteer's giftedness; the enlisting process; interviews; and training the volunteer to serve. It also provides practical methods that allow the local church to create a culture of Biblical servanthood. The content of the project is built on the foundation of God's Word coupled with resources from experts in the field.

A Strategy To Transition A Traditional Church Educational System To A Small Group System: A Case Study Of Eternal Life Baptist Church, Kyoung Gil Cho

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to research the avenues in which to have Eternal Life Bible Baptist Church transition to a small group system. This thesis was done through field analysis and literature research, as well as the case study of Eternal Life Bible Baptist Church (ELBBC). The case study was totally focused on the process of changing to a small group system at Eternal Life. The author was a minister at Eternal Life for 8 years, and an associate pastor for a year. In a few years the author will become the next senior pastor of Eternal life …

The Application For Church Planting Through The Intercessory Prayer Ministry Of Young Adult Ministry In Choong Hyun Presbyterian Church, Kwang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is about researching church planting through the intercessory prayer ministry. This project describes several spiritual awakenings through this ministry. The most important result of spiritual awakenings is that skeptical believers in spiritual life have been changed into positive ones and passive believers have been transformed into active ones. Actually the author as an assistant pastor ministered in Choong hyun Presbyterian Church for almost five years. His wife and he led this ministry for one and half years. The author tried to find out the biblical background related to intercessory prayer through the New Testament, write …