Religion Commons^™

180° Symposium 2024 Focus Group—Practitioners, David Kim

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

David Kim, chair; Tamara Bennet, Steve Case, Isaac Catambatam, Khai Kahi Cin, Elliott, Alfred Kilembe, Mary Kobimbo, Nahum Mendez, Jiwan Moon, Althea Truman, and Say Pazaw Wah (Zoom attendee).

Book Review: Embracing The New Samaria Opening Our Eyes To Our Multicultural Future, By Alejandro Mandes, Nelson Silva

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Young Adult Ministry Now: A Growing Young Guide, By Steven Argue, Eden Samaniego

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Intergenerational Christian Formation, 2nd Edition: Bringing The Whole Church Together In Ministry, Community, And Worship, By Holly Catterton Allen, Christine Lawton, And Cory L. Seibel, Steve Case

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

No abstract provided.

Is There A Future For The Missiological Study Of Worldview? Part 1, Paulo C. Oliveira

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This two-part article aims to assess the missiological worldview theory critically while pointing to implications for mission studies. It argues that the concept needs serious development to be useful for research in contemporary society. The social shifts experienced in the last decades and a lack of robust missiological critical engagement have made the model theoretically unreliable as an analytical tool. This first paper introduces the genealogy of missiological worldview theory to expose its theoretical underpinnings and identifies a departure between anthropology and missiology regarding the concept. The first task in the ensuing discussion is to unearth the theoretical foundations of …

Developing A Small Groups Health Ministry At The Ventura County Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Hee Choung Park

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although the members of the Ventura County Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church (VC KSDA) expressed interest in evangelism, the congregation had not shown evidence of evangelism during the past three years (2017-2020). As the pastor, I suggested that the members lacked a clear, planned, and structured program for outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for small group health programs. This study was to challenge the church to find ways to respond to the growing influence that the church wanted to have on the community.

Method

The program was designed and implemented at the VC KSDA Church in the fall of …

Desarrollo, Implementacion Y Evaluacion De Un Seminario De Liberazgo Para Lideres De La Iglesia Central De Cojupeque, El Salvador, Alvaro Rafael Linero Vargas

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in the ministry of all believers, and at its base, the local church is not only led by pastors but also by members who take on leadership roles. In order for these members to excel in their ministries, their training and education must be intentional. The Central Cojutepeque Seventh-day Adventist Church of the Paracentral El Salvador Conference did not have an intentional leadership instruction program that can help said leaders assist in the leading of the church.

Methodology

This project is a research initiative in the field of practical theology. It was applied within …

Programa Para Fomentar El Ministerio Filantrópico En La Iglesia Adventista Del Septimo Día Hispana De Georgetown, Delaware, Luz E. Pinzón González

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the last few years, many of the members of the Hispanic Adventist Church in Georgetown, Delaware, had not learned of community service activities, especially those available in Philanthropic Ministry. The church community has many families with economic needs, which would benefit from a philanthropic program that would supply their basic alimentary needs. Such a program would also open doors for the church to share the Adventist message with the beneficiaries. This problem was directly observed by the author, in consultation with the pastor and the church leaders.

Methodology

This present project is based on creating a program to …

Seminarios Para Aplicar Principios De Interpretacion De Los Escritos De Elena G. De White Para Las Iglesias Adventistas Hispanas En Paterson, New Jersey, Jose Alberto Hernancez Lache

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The observations made by the researcher in the district of Hispanic Adventist churches in Paterson, New Jersey, in the years 2021 and 2022, led to the conclusion that the way the leaders uses the writings of Ellen G. White is not the best. Even the understanding held by fellow church members, mostly used for rebuking the behaviors or judging certain situations of other members, clearly demonstrates a lack of wisdom and balance on this subject. This issue creates discontent and animosity towards the task Ellen G. White sought to accomplish when called by God to encourage, strengthen, and sustain …

Seminario De Orientación Sobre El Acoso Escolar Para Los Adolescentes De La Iglesia Adventista Hispana Atlanta Norte, Georgia, Usa, Andres M. Lizardo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the United States, about 160,000 adolescents drop out of school every day because of bullying. A survey of adolescents from the Atlanta North Hispanic Adventist Church (IAHAN), revealed that 83 percent have experienced incidents of bullying. A seminar on bullying at this church informs on the evils caused by bullying, and has the potential to help decrease bullying and dropout rates among IAHAN adolescents.

Methodology

This research belongs to the practical theology area. The purpose is to develop an orientation seminar to instruct IAHAN adolescents on how to face bullying in their social interactions. The task consisted in …

A Strategic Approach To A Discipleship System And Culture At The Adventist Community Church Of Vancouver, Washington, Ryan H. Whitehead

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Discipleship is a term that church congregations use to articulate their goal of fulfilling the call of Jesus to make disciples (Matt. 28:19, 20). The Adventist Community Church (ACC) in Vancouver, Washington is no different. With a mission to “Reach Up in Worship, Reach Deep in Discipleship, and Reach Out in Evangelism,” a discipleship culture is key to the church’s mission. A deficiency in the discipleship culture at ACC is evident in the absence of a disciple-making system. The strategy to address this challenge is to invest in an intentional and robust discipleship growth plan.

Method

A systems-thinking approach …

Encouraging Intergenerational Faith Transmission And Spiritual Growth In Home And Church: Reconnecting Youth And Older Generations Through Family Systems Concepts At The Adelaide Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Bahamas, Larry L. Green

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This Doctor of Ministry (DMin) project addresses a pressing issue within the church context of the Adelaide Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Bahamas. We first observed sporadic attendance of our youth (Gen Z and Millennials) and their lack of identity with the church. Wider observation revealed weak relationships among the various generations within our church as well as in our homes. This absence of relatedness across generations potentially hinders some from embracing the community’s faith and growing spiritually.

Method

This study aimed to understand and address the nuanced factors contributing to this generational disconnection through the intervention of an …

A Leadership Strategy To Train And Equip African Pastors And Lay Leaders For Effective Ministry To Central African Refugees And Immigrants In Phoenix, Arizona, Joel Mpabwanimana

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since 2010, there has been a growing number of Central African refugees and immigrants resettling in Arizona. This transition adds many other challenges to the trauma some of them have already endured. Unfortunately, there is a lack of trained pastors and lay leaders to effectively minister to them. I designed this project to develop and implement an effective strategy to train and equip pastors and lay leaders to minister to Central African refugee and immigrant communities in the Ubumwe Seventh-day Adventist Church and Glendale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.

Method

This project had several primary objectives: (1) to …

Intergenerational Mentorship Model For Membership Revitalization And Involvement At The Guelph Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Aundrea A. Thompson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Guelph Seventh-day Adventist Church faced challenges characterized by low spiritual vitality and a generational divide. These factors jeopardized the spiritual well-being of some members, leading to a decline in church engagement.

Method

Recognizing the urgency of revitalization, the study explored the impact of a seven-week intergenerational mentorship model on participants’ spiritual health and church involvement. Employing a Participatory Action Research approach led by the pastor-researcher in collaboration with the church board, the study utilized Lifeway’s Spiritual Growth Assessment and Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests by Melissa Kruger (2020) to guide the development and …

Estrategia Para Fortalecer La Retencion De Jovenes En La Iglesia Adventista Central De Las Tunas, Cuba, Magdiel Larramendy Laurencio

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist church in the city of Las Tunas, Cuba, from 2000 to 2015 has suffered for the loss of the youth ages 18 to 35 years old. A pastoral study of the congregation revealed that 70% of the youth that were born between the years 1990 and 2000 abandoned the church, indicating that it´s services were irrelevant and the absence of younger people and lacked youth in the leadership of the church. The congregation of Las Tunas has been a church centered in the accomplishment of the mission, and focused on the expansion of the gospel in …

Seminario Sobre La Educacion De Los Hijos Para La Iglesia Adventista Del Septimo Dia Hispana Indy Segunda De Indianapolis, Indiana, Fernando Pizarro

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Instructing parents about the education of children is a task that requires time, willingness, and commitment. Nonetheless, the literature suggests that educating parents on this subject tends to produce favorable outcomes in children (Finders et al. 2016; Nelson 2015; Barth and Liggeth 2014). The Bible also highlights the vital role parents play in educating their children (Deut 6:7; Eph 6:4). However, according to the records of the Indy Second Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church Board in Indianapolis, Indiana, no seminar regarding the education of children has been held in this congregation for the past seven years. In addition to the …

Programa De Discipulado Sobre La Familia Nuclear Para La Iglesia Bilingue Adventista Del Septimo Dia De Hanford, California, Usa, Bismarck Castillo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20) charges each believer with the duty of forming disciples among people inside and outside the church and could be applied to members within the nuclear family. The Hanford Bilingual Adventist Church (IABH) does not have a program that trains parents in making disciples within their homes. Such a program has the potential to strengthen the nuclear families of the IABH and to form disciples within other families in the community.

Methodology

This research was carried out in the field of practical theology and its main objective was to develop a discipleship program oriented towards …

Desenvolvimento De Um Programa Para Capacitar Pastores Em Preparação Pre-Matrimonial Com Antecedência Na Associacao Paulistana De Iasd No Brasil, Jairo De Oliveira

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

At the São Paulo Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brazil, a preliminary survey found that 98% of engaged couples who sought out the pre-marital preparation program offered by the church would get married shortly after the preparation course. Given this trend, there was a need for a strategy to encourage engaged couples to participate in a pre-marital preparation program well in advance. A program was then developed to train pastors in pre-marital preparation in advance in the Sao Paulo Conference whose aim was to form healthy and stable marriages.

Methodology

This study adopted a qualitative approach to …

Facilitating Appropriate Clergy Response To Abuse Among Parishioners In The Wisconsin Conference Of Seventh-Day Advetnists, Nicholas S. Moore

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Clergy are frequently the initial point of contact for parishioners seeking guidance and counseling on various life issues and challenges. In certain instances, these matters may be linked to physical and/or sexual abuse, either directly or indirectly. Many clergy have not had the opportunity to receive training on recognizing the signs, symptoms, prevalence, causes, and effects of abuse, or on how and when to refer individuals to specialists or law enforcement when abuse is suspected. This can lead to inadequate emotional and spiritual healing at best, and further psychological damage at worst, for parishioners, with effects that may last …

Programa De Capacitacao Em Evangelismo Publico Para Pastores Distritais Na Divisao Sul-American Da Igreja Adventista Do Septimo Dia, Rafael Ayala Silva Rossi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In a world facing constant changes, the School of Evangelism of South American Division emerges as another key element in preparing and inspiring district pastors to lead effective evangelism campaigns. The reality presents unique missionary challenges, and thus, the urgency to strengthen communal faith and expand public evangelism becomes more pressing. This thesis addresses the crucial importance of reformulating guidelines and updating the curriculum of the School of Evangelism to meet new spiritual and missionary demands. The aim of this thesis is to answer the following question: In what way can a training program in public evangelism help district …

A Strategy To Equip Selected Members Of The Gaeta Church To Build Bridges With Immigrants To Draw Them Toward The Fellowship Of The Congregation, Rebecca Kessewa Gaisie

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Due to the outbreak of a civil war in Libya in 2011, Italy has been experiencing a great influx of immigrants. Many are scattered throughout Italy, including Gaeta. A majority of the Italian members of Gaeta Church do not understand and engage in the call of God to bring all people into the fellowship of the church. This causes a lack of interest in building bridges to reach immigrants.

Method

The task of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a strategy to equip some members of Gaeta church to build bridges with immigrants to draw them toward …

Cross-Denominational Dialogue: Sola Scriptura In Setting The Table For Charitable And Faithful Christian Discourse, Ciprian Mihai Manea

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In this project, the problem centers around cross-denominational dialogue. The contemporary Christian theological landscape is highly complex and varied. Theologians engage with different theories of knowledge, authority sources, and theological methods, resulting in diverse perspectives that conflict with each other and with Adventist Christian convictions. The differing rational structures of these perspectives require committed effort to understand and communicate effectively. Best practice cross-denominational dialogue involving the theologically informed must account for these differences and provide a context that can facilitate faithful and charitable discourse. Such a context would not only ease the tensions among different Christian traditions but would …

To Assimilate And Nurture Newly Baptized Members In The 9 Mile Seventh-Day Adventist Church Through An Intergenerational Approach, John Gunua Nebare

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The 9 Mile Seventh-day Adventist Church is one of the biggest churches in the city Port Moresby. It has been discovered that many young people and some adults who were baptized into the 9 Mile SDA Church in the last ten years no longer attend church. According to overall General Conference statistics, 9 Mile SDA Church’s local conference has been losing members over the last ten years.

Method

The research was conducted using the established research protocols. Three types of research were conducted: focus groups involving both active and non-active members; a major research survey of one hundred people …

Seminario Sobre Conceptos Básicos De Capellanía Policial Para Pastores Adventistas En Fresno, California, José Antonio Pagán

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There is a high demand for chaplains in the Fresno Police Department who can support police officers in addressing city crises. Most Adventist pastors in Fresno do not have the basic knowledge of police chaplaincy nor do they have the certification to practice in this specialized ministry. The latest study published by the California Department of Justice (2023) on the wave of violence in California shows that in 2022, 2,206 homicides were reported, of which 60 were reported by the Fresno Police Department (2023) which required the intervention of trained chaplains to care for the survivors of each victim. …

Spiritual Care For Staff During Trauma And Acute Stress At Adventist Healthcare, Sydney: An Ethnographic Study, Stenoy Stephenson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Health Care is evolving from an exclusive concentration on the physical dimension of illness to a more holistic model which considers the psychosocial and the spiritual. There seems to be a growing need for the spiritual care of the staff who have experienced trauma and acute stress. Although the need for spiritual care in health care services has been largely advocated, there is arguably a lack of attention to the spiritual care needs of staff dealing with traumatic situations and acute stress. The task of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate spiritual care intervention with staff who …

Self-Care Through Clinical Pastoral Education For Emotional Healing Of Pastoral Staff In The United States: A Case Study For Exploring Relationships, Roberto Vizcaino

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

I have observed that many pastors are suffering from problems experienced in the past and in the present. The problems are both personal (e.g., lack of self-care and depression) and national (e.g., lack of support for social recovery from hurricanes and other natural and socioeconomic catastrophes). Some of the problems experienced by these pastors are because they have not had the opportunity to identify the traumas they experienced in their lives and that still affect them now. In addition, many of them do not have a place where they can share their problems with their colleagues, be heard, supported, …

Exploring Healing Touches In The Bible, Michée B. Badé

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Healing touches in the Bible hold significant meaning in both the spiritual and physical contexts. Numerous biblical accounts illustrate how physical healing in connection with touch served as a demonstration of faith, connection, and divine power. These narratives depict important moments in which touch becomes a conduit for divine healing and emphasize the prominent role that touch plays in biblical accounts of healing.

This paper first explores the concept of health and healing as presented in Scripture, followed by an examination of touch and healing in both the Old and New Testaments, while looking at the cultural, theological, and missiological …

Ellen G. White On Pain And Suffering Among Christians, Gary Councell

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Though “blameless and upright” (Job 1:8), Job’s epic losses and pain exceed our human ability to imagine. The Apostle Paul’s sufferings nearly killed him several times (see II Cor 11:23-28, 12:7-10). Christ’s pain on the cross is incomprehensible. Other biblical notables suffered mentally and/ or emotionally: Jacob, Hannah, Saul, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and unnamed others whose maladies were healed by Jesus. But those records seem remote—in the distant past, so when you feel pain and your suffering lasts and lasts, blurring days into nights and making routine tasks difficult, what are you to do? Even brief shocks of pain …

Transformative Power Of Healing And Dreams: A Divine Encounter With Jesus, Jony Hajaj

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Throughout history, countless individuals have reported experiencing miraculous healings and profound encounters with Jesus Christ in their dreams. These encounters have profoundly impacted their lives, instilling them with renewed faith, hope, and purpose. These encounters as spiritual experiences possess transformative power. In this article, I will examine the fascinating realm of healing through God-given dreams where Jesus Christ appears, brings solace, guidance, and restoration to those in need.

A Biblical And Theological Foundation To Disciple And Retain Adventist Yorla, Ako Zimko

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article considers literature on interfaith marriages and draws principles especially relevant for Adventist Yorla from the writings of Ellen G. White and the lives and examples of Ruth, Abigail, and Esther. It then, explains the advice for Christians whose spouses were unbelievers from Paul and Peter in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 and 1 Peter 3:1,2.

Adventist Yorla refers to Adventist women married to non-Adventists in Tangkhul terms. Thus, the term interfaith marriage, which refers to the union of two individuals from different religious or denominational backgrounds, applies in this context. In the context of the Tangkhul tribe, which is a …