Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Lessons On Spiritual Growth And A Pilot Test Of Their Effectiveness, Delbert W. Dunavant

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

A congregation's primary expectation of their pastor is his/her ability to provide competent guidance in spiritual formation. My education never offered me a class in spiritual formation and this deficiency has not been eliminated since my formal theological education. Therefore, I felt inept when I tried to provide spiritual guidance.

Method

This study began first with the Bible and included literature on spiritual formation. The selected materials were summarized into seventeen lessons. The ii first eleven lessons explain the obstacles to spiritual formation, the holiness of God, and how Christians can experience holiness. The last six lessons explain the …

The Training Of Lay Persons For Careproviding Ministries Among Hispanics, Eliezer Castanon

Professional Dissertations DMin

This study attempted to develop a program that would provide Hispanic laypersons with skills and techniques for careproviding. Laypersons should be able to identify their gifts and particular ministries and use behavioral methods to minister to the members of the church and their respective community. Laypersons have been well-trained to do traditional evangelism, but no one has developed a program to train Hispanic laypersons in the careproviding ministry. Many pastors have multichurch districts, so their time to counsel and care for the flock is limited. In addition, pastors are not usually accessible. Laypersons, who live in the immediate area, once …

An Approach To Motivation For Volunteer Church Ministries, A Wayne Owen

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

One of the important aspects of the minister's work is that of motivating his parishioners in the work of ministry. This involvement is not only necessary to the work of the church but also for the development of the parishioners' faith and growth in Christian maturity. It is the purpose of this study to determine the results of the implementation of psychological and sociological principles outlined in the literature of business and education in the administration of a local church.

Method

The principles of motivation that would apply to volunteer ministries were implemented in the various departments of the …

Ancestral Beliefs And Practices: A Program For Developing Christian Faith Among Adventists In Zimbabwe, Zebron Masukume Ncube

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Every Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Zimbabwe at one time or another has had to deal with a situation where church members consult their ancestors when threatened by sickness, death, misfortune, or a series of tragedies. The Adventist church correctly takes a strong stand against ancestral practices. Despite such a stand the ancestral practices have persisted among many Adventists. Paradoxically, while church members are given the correct teaching before baptism, many continue to regard the ancestors as the court of appeal in times of crisis. This study is undertaken to understand the nature of this traditional religion in order to …

Strategy For Holy Week Incarnational Evangelism For The West Puerto Rico Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Efren Pagan

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Most of the people living in Puerto Rico claim or are claimed to be Catholics by the Catholic leadership of the Island. Most of them have only a form of religion, having lost sight of the power of Christ's religion. They need to be led back to Christ, even though they are unconscious of their situation or of their spiritual need.

Method

Each person is unique, but some characteristics are similar to most of the people in a specific group. Catholics constitute a large group in Puerto Rico. To reach them, one must understand them and approach them in …

An Approach To A Holistic Ministry In A Seventh-Day Adventist Urban Church In Uganda, Nathaniel Mumbere Walemba

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The SDA church in Uganda started in rural areas among rural people. But the situation has changed. Although the majority of the church membership nationwide is still rural, a large percentage is now urban in the real sense of the word. Moreover, it is estimated that by the year 2000, membership in city churches will have doubled. This urbanised membership requires an urbanized approach to ministry. Furthermore, as in any developing country, Ugandan urbanites have many needs which can be met only by a holistic approach to ministry. This study is undertaken to make a contribution toward achieving that …

The Deeper Life Conference: An Adventist Adaptation Of The Spiritual Retreat Concept, Norman A. Yeager

Professional Dissertations DMin

One of the most important responsibilities a pastor faces is to teach the parishioners in his charge how to maintain a deep personal relationship with God. The Seventh-day Adventist church has not developed tools that will enable the pastor to demonstrate to the parishioners how they may grow in their relationship to God.

The Deeper Life Conference is designed to help meet this need within the Seventh-day Adventist church through the adaptation of the spiritual retreat concept. This retreat concept is to be found in both the classical church background and was adapted by the Protestants during and after the …