Religion Commons^™

Listening Life: An Approach To Spiritual Formation At Newberg Friends Church, Stephen D. Fawver

Doctor of Ministry

At Newberg Friends Church we have developed a Listening Life approach to spiritual formation based on the call of God recorded in Mark 9:7, "This is my Son, whom I love, listen to him." A listening life is a holistic life - one that is open to being in a love relationship with God, creating intentional space and time with Christ, and responding to the nudges of the Spirit in the spontaneity of life. This listening is richer when done together with others and more free if it embraces an experimental attitude that holds things loosely as we seek to …

Conflict And The Campus Ministry Leader : A Strategy For Preparation, Robert S. Henry

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Elegant Leadership In Heterogeneous Ministry Settings, Karen Louise Palmbaum Claassen

Doctor of Ministry

Most Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations are heterogeneous when viewed from some demographic angles. Age, economic status, theological viewpoint, ethnicity, language, family structure, and culture all provide angles through which to contemplate demographic heterogeneity. Part of the variety within my denomination occurs naturally. Other is due to changes in our society. Regardless of origin, increasing diversity is likely to continue. While some argue that uniformity in one or two overarching categories means that a congregation is not diverse, I affim1 that acknowledging diversity points, and exploiting those differences at times, is critical to health and vitality in a congregation. This dissertation …

The Great Hand-Off: Empowering Effective Leadership Succession From Baby Boomer To Gen Y Leaders, John Stumbo

Doctor of Ministry

A new generation of passionate young leaders is arriving. Their commitment to Christ shows signs of vitality through fresh expressions of faith. However, is the church of North America-primarily led by Boomer leaders-ready for them? It is my claim that many of today's churches can thrive into the next decades as insightful and courageous Boomer leaders begin now to prepare for healthy leadership succession. Practical and realistic changes can now be made by Boomer leaders to facilitate an effective hand-off to Generation Y leaders. However, if intentional efforts are not made by the leaders who currently hold the positions of …

Organic Disciple Development: Purposeful And Practical Mentoring As An Answer To Twentysomethings Leaving The Local Church In The Postmodern Context, Jerry W. Payne

Doctor of Ministry

The thesis of this paper is that mentoring twentysomething followers of Christ as part of an organic disciple-development process will mitigate the frustrations caused by the attractional growth model and increase the effectiveness of the church in this postmodern context. This thesis will be supported by introducing practical methodologies, integrating theological reflection, and incorporating biblical precepts.

Chapter one provides an overview and working definition of the attractional church model. It provides a brief, but detailed, history of the attractional model and examines it through the lens of three distinct time periods (pre-modern, modern, and postmodern), tracing the model from the …

Creating New Expressions Of Worship Gatherings Within Existing Churches, Eric K. Baker

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that multiple expressions of worship gatherings must be created to connect generations to Jesus. Worship "services" are the face of many churches, but according to recent studies many people are leaving the American church at a rapid rate.1 Many issues surrounding the decline of the American church exist, but my claim is that many young adults feel disconnected from many Sunday morning worship experiences. Many have attempted to fix this problem by creating evangelistic ministry teams, by moving churches from the mega church model to the house church model, and even by removing the mass gathering …

Never The Same: Using Short-Term Missions As A Tool For Spiritual Formation, Thomas G. Moon

Doctor of Ministry

It is estimated that over one and a half million American Christians will travel abroad this year on a short-term mission project, and that doesn't include the number who travel on similar domestic trips. However, in spite of the phenomenal growth, the modern short-term missions movement continues to suffer from what could only be described as an identity crisis. Many pastors, educators, and mission leaders continue to be engaged in missiological soul-searching, dialoging about the fundamental questions concerning the value and purpose of short-term mission trips. The insistence on using the same language to describe and discuss both long-term and …

A Study On The Doctrine Of Original Sin As The Foundation Of Wesleyan Theology, Christopher A. Black

Doctor of Ministry

John Wesley believed that the doctrine of original sin established the biblical foundation for the doctrines of justification and sanctification. Wesley's use and emphasis of this doctrine was neither new nor innovative. He believed that the rejection of the doctrine of original sin would lead to the loss of biblical Christianity. Wesley adamantly defended this doctrine affirming the basic tenets of the Western Christian tradition. While utilizing some relational and therapeutic images, Wesley blatantly speaks in judicial, punitive and substantialist terms concerning original sin. The consequences of judicial, punitive and substantialist perspectives are far reaching for distinctively Wesleyan theology. These …

Mission Fields Across The Street: Sending And Supporting Simple Church Planters As Local Missionaries, Rick Shrout

Doctor of Ministry

Churches in North America are ineffective in reaching their smTounding neighborhoods when those neighborhoods are populated predominately by people who embrace a postmodem lifestyle and worldview. One of the reasons for this ineffectiveness stems from an ecclesiology that leans heavily upon institutional stmctures and methods that fly in the face of postmodem sensibilities. This problem is addressed by proposing partnerships of established churches and denominational agencies with simple church planters as a way for traditional churches to play an active role in supporting a missional presence in an emerging culture through planting simple churches.

Section 2 introduces the problems and …

X-Ile, Todd Seelau

Doctor of Ministry

The negative perceptions that those outside of Christianity have toward those who pride themselves as carriers of the Good News make it evident that many of these relationships are broken, perhaps even beyond repair. Is there hope? Reconciliation, defined as a just and graceful effort to heal the relationships between humanity, God, and creation is the essential process-the core-of the Gospel as we know it. A theology for reconciliation provides a radical shift in focus from personal holiness to relational healing. In order to heal these relationships churches have tried seeker-sensitive services, alternative styles of worship, and organic types of …

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: An Ethic Of Reconciliation, David Hutchinson

Doctor of Ministry

The author of this dissertation contends that reconciliation is the goal of divine and human action. The problem addressed is that human attempts at reconciliation are incomplete. Reconciliation can be defined with careful attention to the use of the words "mercy," "justice," and "truth." The disse1iation's thesis is that the South African expe1ience of mercy provides a reconciliation model for relationship, conversation, and ministry in Portland, Oregon. Chapter 1 introduces the challenge of addressing the problem through an account of a Restorative Listening Project on Gentrification meeting. The challenge is to move from words to action. Chapter 1 then describes …

Becoming Fully Human: Re-Imagining Christian Discipleship For An Emerging Generation, Vincent A. Beresford

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that followers of Jesus in the United States are suffering from missional amnesia and are seemingly unaware of their increasingly ineffective approaches towards Christian discipleship and evangelism. It seems the Church has forgotten why they exist? Simultaneously, an emerging generation watches how the Christian faith is being played out in the United States, and has arrived at the conclusion that the "organized church" has missed the point. The world has changed and the Church's lack of response clearly indicates grand delusions of denial. The unique Christian sub-culture who were once the "natives" in the United States …

Mobilizing Christ-Followers For Kingdom Ministry, Shonnie Scott

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

The Good Soil Process: A Strategic Missional Process For American Institutional Churches, Keith Tilley

Doctor of Ministry

The Primary Readers: Christian laity and clergy who are interested in learning about the increasing institutionalization of American mainstream denominations and the problems associated with maintaining such large corporations. They include those who have a burden for postmodern 21st century North America as a mission field and wish to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ effectively. The two project artifacts will specifically be contextualized for smaller to mid-size rural East Texas communities of faith. Much of the history and denominational traditions drawn upon in this written statement will be influenced by United Methodist heritage and experience but provided for …

Pastoral Premarital Counseling For Bi-Cultural Traditional Chinese And Chinese American Couples, Joseph Yeung

Doctor of Ministry

This ministry focus paper provides a premarital counseling manual based on partnership in tnarriage for pastors who counsel bicultural couples. Bicultural is defined as couples that include a traditional Chinese Christian and Chinese American Christian. The paper's thesis is that a pastoral pretnarital counseling manual can be developed for couples that include a traditional Chinese Christian and a Chinese American Christian in a bi-cultural relationship.

Traditional Chinese Christians are influenced deeply by traditional Chinese culture, and their behavior and cultural patterns are relatively unaffected by Atnerican culture. Chinese American Christians are raised in America and embrace American culture, behavior, and …

Rethinking Missions: A Pathway For Helping The Next Generation To Fulfill Christ's Great Commission, Jon Olson

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Reframing Transition, Jim Regehir

Doctor of Ministry

In the life of any organization, when a significant upheaval or crisis occurs, the participants are thrown into confusion and a sense of direction can be lost. In the church the crisis is more intense simply because, not only is the church an organization, it is also a group of people who have joined together as a representation of the family of God. Thus significant upheaval and crisis can result in not only confusion and a loss of direction, but also a loss of trust in one another and the questioning of God's purpose for them as a community of …

Faith At Work: How Churches Can Better Enable Believers To Integrate Their Personal Faith In The Workplace, Stuart D. Dugan

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Early Stage Adult Christian Formation In Emerging Northwest Culture, Robert E. Hunter

Doctor of Ministry

The problem this dissertation addresses is that many churches, disciplers, catechists, and ecclesial leaders use lecture-based fonnats primarily when nurturing people new to the faith. The thesis of this paper is that a biblically sound, transformative model can be developed to form new disciples. The thesis provides the foundation for a ten-part curriculum presented as media artifact.

Section 2 describes other solutions and methodologies used currently to nurture people in the early stages of Christian formation. Some of the current methodologies include traditional Sunday school, sermon-based small groups, biblical discipleship, and group media discipleship. The fourth section develops the thesis …

Leading As You Were Designed: Applying A Career Assessment Tool For Pastoral Compatibility In Ministry, Cameron R. Garven

Doctor of Ministry

The thesis of this paper is that pastors must be compatible with the churches they serve in order to have fruitful and long-lasting ministries, and proper assessment of compatibility can increase a pastor's success. Many pastors leave due to an incompatibility with churches they serve, and this paper asserts that pastors must be compatible in order to lead others. Research indicates that long tenure in a church contributes to effective ministry, and a better match between church and pastor contributes to a longer tenure. This dissertation uses the PRO Development™ (PRO D) assessment tool to help pastors discern their match …

That They May Be One: Spiritual Formation And Its Locus In Community, Phillip G. Carnes

Doctor of Ministry

American Christians, as a whole, lack a spiritual maturity that infuses the whole of their lives with Christlikeness. Additionally, Americans suffer from an epidemic of loneliness. These two problems are related. We will demonstrate that American Christians lack spiritual maturity, in part, because they have privatized their faith and made spiritual formation an individual endeavor. Furthermore, we will show that spiritual formation is best located and grounded within a community context. Humans are social creatures. It is becoming ever more widely recognized that social isolation and loneliness are root causes of much psychosocial dysfunction. Humans do not function well if …

Global Christian Shifts And Missional Church Movements: Linking The Postcolonial Global South With The Postmodern West, Stephen P. Lewis

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation engages cunent shifts in global Christianity. The problem we are studying is the movement toward the postmodern emerging church in the West and the postcolonial church emerging in the global South, in order to understand both the past failings in the relationship of the Western and Southern church and their present common context, in order to help postmodern and postcolonial churches repent of previous failures and move forward utilizing a common set of experiences and cultural conditions, so that God's people will love and work with one another as co-heirs, co-equals, and comissionaries of the Kingdom.

In order …

Exploring The Process Of Being Me As The Central Focus Of Our Spiritual Journey, Jeffrey L. Zakrzewski

Doctor of Ministry

The struggle of being me, or living my true self, has been a longtime wrestling match for humanity that has not always produced a raised-arm victor. Personal identity struggles are as old as human life and can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eve. Yet every human being has that same desire: to know themselves and be known and still be accepted for who they really are. It has raised its head through people living in the shadow of rejection and struggling within their relationships. Yet, I claim that the struggle of being me is designed by …

Imago Dei As Missio Dei, Fourie Van Den Berg

Doctor of Ministry

Section 1 of this paper describes the Dutch Reformed Church in Namibia's (DRCN) problems, uncertainty, and loss of direction because neglects God's mission. As a rule, the DRCN has lost members and credibility and cares more about itself than the suffering Namibian society. Because and the DCRN lost its connection with the missio Dei, Namibian socio-economical problems increased and created a huge gap between the DRCN and Namibian society. The DCRN has little impact on major sociological issues. The DRCN can address these realities by rediscovering imago Dei theology and the missio Dei. This change will bridge the gap between …

Understanding Behavioral Change Through The Integration Of Theology And Emerging Sciences, William David Phillips

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Interplace: Incarnating Christ's Kingdom Community In The Emerging Culture By A Missional Approach That Creates Safe Spaces For Sharing Stories And Developing Organic Relationships, Terry R. Swenson

Doctor of Ministry

The traditional propositional and proclamational forms of evangelism implemented during the modern era are diminishing in their effectiveness to share the Gospel and bring people into God's Kingdom community. The attractional paradigm is out of harmony with the current trends exhibited in emerging culture. There are possible solutions to this problem, such as modifying traditional methodologies and incorporating contemporary media, music, and technology; developing ministries that meet postmodern needs but on an attractional basis; or ignoring emerging concerns and maintaining modern era techniques. Any of these solutions have marginal or no impact as reported by research that reveals the minimal …

The Role Of Human Emotion In Christian Discipleship, Alex Bryan

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation asks and attempts to answer the following question: What role does human emotion play in the problem of contemporary Christian discipleship and how might emotion play a provisional and productive role in its success ? The argument of this project, in response to the above question, is that recognition and recreation of human emotions is essential in corifronting the challenges of contemporary Christian discipleship. Just as the rational (left brain) component of human beings is complicit both in the spiritual pathology and redemptive potential of mankind, so to is the emotive (right brain) mind a responsible party in …

Sustaining Spiritual Leadership For The Long Haul: The Center For Spiritual Renewal At Barclay College, David O. Williams

Doctor of Ministry

There is no higher calling in the Christian life than the call to serve as a spiritual leader within the body of Christ (pastor, music minister, missionary, etc.). While many of these leaders are functioning quite well in their respective ministries today, many others are leaving vocational ministry at an alarming rate. In section one of this document, an attempt will be made to identify some of the key factors that contribute to this current clergy crisis. A significant number of support services have emerged in recent years in an attempt to address the problem of clergy burnout. Section two …

It Takes A Missional Order To Raise A Leader: "Order-Ing" Leadership Communities For Life Transformation And Missional Impact, Daniel L. Steigerwald

Doctor of Ministry

The times in which we live in the West grow more complex from year to year. This presents a problem, as church and para-church leaders find themselves increasingly less prepared to meet the demands of "missional leadership," that is, leadership that exemplifies and passes on the passion, practices and perspectives conducive to fostering growth in God and fruitful missionary engagement with his world.

In chapter one I identify this problem both from the vantage point of my own leadership journey and also from that of Christian leaders in general. I then propose my thesis: Amid the complexities, distractions and pressures …

Regarding Women: Philo And Paul As Two Women In A Stoic World, Karissa Worst

Doctor of Ministry

This thesis investigates the views and lives of Philo of Alexandria and the Apostle Paul in regard to women in creation, the fall of humanity, and life. Particularly, it looks at the influence of Stoic thought upon Philo' s and Paul's view of women. We recognize that the common culture and thought of the time greatly shapes human beings and so we acknowledge the influence that Hellenization had upon these men. They utilized the accepted philosophies of their time to develop their theologies and teach their audiences. We address the low philosophical view of women held in Greek philosophy. However, …