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Series

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

2012

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Making Disciples Through Evangelism: A Plan For The Evangelist Who Only Has One Chance At A New Convert, Richard Hertless Dec 2012

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 Dec 2012

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 …


A Model For Revitalizing And Restructuring Peter's Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, Jerry Grimes Nov 2012

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.


Effective Transitional Ministry Plan: Pastoral Leadership In The 21st Century Church, Keith Gardner Nov 2012

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 …


About My Father's Business: Pastoral Succession From Father To Son, Clifford Hartley Oct 2012

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 Oct 2012

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 Oct 2012

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 Comparative Study: Traditional Evangelical Friends Pastors With Contemporar Evangelical Pastors For Twenty-First Century Application, Thomas Crawford Sep 2012

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 …


A Renewed Approach To Undergraduate Worship Leader Education, Allen Hendricks Sep 2012

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 Sep 2012

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 …


Epic Families: Equipping Parents To Reclaim Their Biblical Mandate While Inspiring Children To Know And Love The God Who Made Them, Marybeth Meltzer Aug 2012

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.


Pastoral Care: A New Model For Assessing The Spiritual Needs Of Hospitalized Patients, Douglas Robinson Aug 2012

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, …


How To Get To The Other Side Of Emotional Pain, Ronnie Moore Aug 2012

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 …


A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park Aug 2012

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 …


A Model To Recruit And Implement Volunteers To Serve And Create A Culture Of Biblical Servanthood In The Church, Rodney Briles Jul 2012

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 Jul 2012

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 Jul 2012

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 …


Effectively Ministering To Congregants With Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), Jason Whitehurst Jul 2012

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.


The Manifestation Of Biblical Community Understanding In A Facebook Community: A Qualitative Study Among Christian College Students, Paul Perkins Jun 2012

The Manifestation Of Biblical Community Understanding In A Facebook Community: A Qualitative Study Among Christian College Students, Paul Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Applying theoretical studies of social capital, social presence, cognitive presence, and community helps researchers understand more fully the phenomenon of online social networks. The debate has moved from the positive and negative effects of online social networks to understanding how they fit into daily life. However, do biblical community beliefs transfer to Facebook? If Facebook is considered a community, does it exhibit the characteristics of a biblical community? Through a qualitative case study design, this research explored eight Christian college students, four men and four women, from two Midwest Christian colleges, investigating their understanding of biblical community and its application …


A Phenomenological Study Of Motivations, Experiences And Reflections As Related To Teacher Training And Development In Tanzania, Melinda Ingiaimo Jun 2012

A Phenomenological Study Of Motivations, Experiences And Reflections As Related To Teacher Training And Development In Tanzania, Melinda Ingiaimo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In third world countries where education often takes a back seat to survival, teachers struggle to prepare themselves to shape the destiny and future of the upcoming generation. This study examined the phenomena of Tanzanian teacher preparation with special emphasis on the motivating factors, common experiences and reflections of participants concerning their preparation process for teaching in a government funded school. This study inquired into the immediate teaching environment and the ongoing teacher development processes. Fifteen Tanzanian teachers were purposefully chosen for this study and data was gathered utilizing a semi-structured interview, a survey and a focus group. The teacher …


The Impact Of Multimedia And Redundancy On The Efficiency Of History Presentations, Adam Leach May 2012

The Impact Of Multimedia And Redundancy On The Efficiency Of History Presentations, Adam Leach

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The use of educational technology to create classroom presentations is already commonplace in American history classes. Therefore, this study focuses on how multimedia presentations can promote efficient instruction specifically, can the employment of the multimedia and redundancy principles (Mayer, 2009) improve the efficiency of student learning in high school history. The goal is to identify methods of multimedia presentation design that maximize the efficiency of instruction, as a gap in literature exists when referencing the performance of adolescents in a public high school and in the study of history. Keeping the focus on efficient learning, this study uses a quasi-experimental …


Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions Of Evangelistic Preaching, Kenneth Kinton May 2012

Kingdom Consequences: Socio-Political Dimensions Of Evangelistic Preaching, Kenneth Kinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines biblical, historical, and theoretcial trends in evangelistic preaching. This has been accomplished using biblical evidence, as well as insights from theologians and scholars within the realm of society, politics, and Christianity. The study provides a suggested methodology of sermon preparation for communicating to the modern Church.


Ministry Of Memories: Keys To Pastoral Care Of Non-Cognitive Persons, Reginald Corfield May 2012

Ministry Of Memories: Keys To Pastoral Care Of Non-Cognitive Persons, Reginald Corfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This work is intended to examine and study the theological and moral reasons to provide pastoral care to persons who have limited or no cognition. Dementia, Alzheimer's, certain other medical conditions and the aging process cause a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, behavior and judgment. Most Clergy wrestle with the fact as to whether there is any purpose in ministering to such persons especially when there is no verbal or non-verbal response. This paper involves surveys, research, collection of historical and biblical data and medical science to evaluate the disease process and explore ways in which to …


Insights From Charles Spurgeon's Preaching For A Changing Culture, John Lewis May 2012

Insights From Charles Spurgeon's Preaching For A Changing Culture, John Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project has been done in order to increase the amount of literature available that demonstrates how to preach to a 21st century culture and to enlighten preachers to the timeless truths that transcend from the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon. A close evaluation of Charles Spurgeon's biblical preaching reveals a model for pastors to emulate in a post-modern context in the local church. Spurgeon was a master communicator and a survey of his mid to late 1800's preaching reveals those areas of his ministry that are still useful in the New Millennium. By reviewing Spurgeon's sermons and writings, …


The Father's Business Person, The Shift To Tentmaking Missions Strategy, Chris White May 2012

The Father's Business Person, The Shift To Tentmaking Missions Strategy, Chris White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the important place that tentmaking holds or should hold in missions strategy. It is the belief of the author (supported by almost 20 years of ministry experience overseas) that visas and money are often barriers to ministry effectiveness. This paper would like to provide a solution (i.e. tentmaking) to these common tensions that most missionaries encounter. The value of the topic is very personal to the author's ministry: first because I am currently serving on the mission field (needing a visa and money), and second because of the potential tentmaking holds for …


Finishing Well: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Spiritual Transformation In Retirement-Age Evangelical Men, Johnny Justin Baker Apr 2012

Finishing Well: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Spiritual Transformation In Retirement-Age Evangelical Men, Johnny Justin Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The baby boomers comprise a large segment of the United States population (78 million) but many of them are without spiritual resources to finish well in life. However, there are a few Evangelical men who have experienced spiritual transformation in retirement-age and have discovered the resources for security and significance in the spiritual dimension. Through a qualitative research design the stories of eight participants gave richness and depth to this study. These men described how they and others were impacted by the transformation experience. They discarded superficial forms of cultural Christianity to embrace authentic intrinsic change. The spiritual transformation experience, …


An Examination Of Key Foundational Elements For Pastoral Identity As Found In The Life And Writings Of The Apostle Paul, Carl Taylor Apr 2012

An Examination Of Key Foundational Elements For Pastoral Identity As Found In The Life And Writings Of The Apostle Paul, Carl Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The challenges of pastoral ministry can be seen since New Testament times. Studies reveal that an alarming number of pastors leave the ministry each year. Those that remain in ministry often see their families in turmoil as a result of the hardships of ministry. The Apostle Paul's ministry challenges are detailed and described for today's pastor through the New Testament. Today's pastor can learn a great deal from Paul's example in regard to how to finish the race of ministry. Through an examination of Paul's writings, writings about Paul in the book of Acts, surveys with pastors, and a review …


Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant Apr 2012

Effect Of Music Integrated Instruction On First Graders' Reading Fluency, Kerry Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined music-integrated (MI) instruction, framed by automatic information processing theory and elements of prosody. A quasi-experimental, pre- and posttest design was utilized to ascertain the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency among first grade students. Subjects were students in two public elementary schools in Georgia. To determine the effect of MI instruction on reading fluency scores, independent samples t-tests were employed to compare students' Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) test scores. Analysis revealed to what degree MI instruction in reading had effect upon two DIBELS indicators, specifically nonsense word fluency (NWF) and phoneme segmentation fluency …


The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga Apr 2012

The Relationship Between Text Message Volume And Formal Writing Performance Among Upper Level High School Students And College Freshmen, Brian Wardyga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to reveal whether there is a relationship between students' volume of text messaging and formal writing performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test writing section. The study also examined gender as a contributing variable in this measure. As a supplementary correlation, student text message volume was also compared to their Writing I course final grade. The study focused solely on texting because texting has become the preferred method of telecommunication among teens and young adults (Lindley, 2008, p. 19). The design included a questionnaire that collected data to show whether any relationships exist that indicate …


Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin Apr 2012

Discipling Worship Leadership: Biblical And Theological Rationale For Discipling Worship Leaders, Byron Spradlin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current worship literature reveals very little guidance to assist Protestant church leaders in training, discipling or mentoring congregational worship leadership. Therefore, this thesis project researched and presents a basic rationale for developing worship leadership discipling curricula strategically targeting the needs related to discipling and training artistic Christians who are called to worship leadership in the local church.