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Full-Text Articles in Missions and World Christianity

Book Review: Emplacing Globalisation: Contextualising Mission In Settings Of People, Places And Processes By John Cheong And Jonathan Ro, David H. Campbell Apr 2026

Book Review: Emplacing Globalisation: Contextualising Mission In Settings Of People, Places And Processes By John Cheong And Jonathan Ro, David H. Campbell

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Cultural Landscaping Of North Korea: Preparing For Mission Engagement Through Large-Scale Defector Insights On Economy And Society, Soo Min James Park Apr 2026

Cultural Landscaping Of North Korea: Preparing For Mission Engagement Through Large-Scale Defector Insights On Economy And Society, Soo Min James Park

Great Commission Research Journal

North Korea is one of the world’s most closed societies, yet history shows that closed systems can shift rapidly. A sudden opening through political change, humanitarian crisis, or expanded cross-border engagement could expose millions to unprecedented cultural, social, and spiritual influences. While earlier mission research relied primarily on anecdotal testimonies or small-sample studies, this study draws on the most comprehensive resource available to date, in-depth surveys of 6,351 North Korean defectors released in 2025 by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Through thematic analysis, the study conducts cultural deductions across nine categories, including five of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, cultural tightness/looseness, communication …


Life In The Kingdom: Reimagining Theological Education For A Post-Secular Global Age, Jose Philip Oct 2025

Life In The Kingdom: Reimagining Theological Education For A Post-Secular Global Age, Jose Philip

Great Commission Research Journal

Theological education faces a profound crisis, shaped by globalization, secularization, and an epistemological fracture that prioritizes intellectual mastery over spiritual formation. Many seminaries fail to cultivate graduates who are spiritually grounded and missionally engaged due to models rooted in Enlightenment rationalism and managerial pragmatism. This paper advocates for reimagining theological education as a Kingdom-centered vocation, emphasizing transformative participation in the life of God. The paper calls for a shift from content delivery to character formation, centering theological education on faithful, embodied witness to God's mission in a complex world.


Book Review: A New And Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering The Ways God Calls And Sends By Judith Paulsen, Christina D. Gonet Oct 2025

Book Review: A New And Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering The Ways God Calls And Sends By Judith Paulsen, Christina D. Gonet

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Experiments In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2025

Experiments In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Experiments, with their ability to establish causal relationships (unlike correlational studies), are an under-utilized research tool in church-based research. This article examines experimental designs, including pre-experiments, true experiments, and quasi-experiments, and their relevance to church contexts. The challenges of random assignment, ethical considerations, and threats to validity, such as history, maturation, and selection effects, are real, but not insurmountable. There are practical limitations to experiments in church settings, but previously conducted experiments focusing on Bible reading, church attendance, and leadership development initiatives demonstrate their feasibility. The value of experimental methodologies for understanding church-related phenomena, improving ministry effectiveness, fostering spiritual growth, …


A Brief History Of The American Society For Church Growth And Great Commission Research Network, Gary Mcintosh Oct 2025

A Brief History Of The American Society For Church Growth And Great Commission Research Network, Gary Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

This article surveys the 40‑year history of the Great Commission Research Network, originally founded in 1985 as the American Society for Church Growth. It traces the Society’s origins in the vision of C. Peter Wagner, its early development alongside emerging academic and consulting roles in the Church Growth Movement, and its subsequent evolution through changing leadership, themes, and institutional partnerships. The narrative outlines major milestones, including organizational restructuring, name changes, expanding conference formats, and increasing collaboration with seminaries, denominations, and the Society for Church Consulting. Across four decades, the Society has produced significant research, cultivated key leaders, supported academic scholarship, …


Book Review: Reading James Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, And Methods Of James Edited By Abeneazer G. Urga, Jessica A. Udall, And Edward L. Smither, Kenneth Nehrbass Oct 2025

Book Review: Reading James Missiologically: The Missionary Motive, Message, And Methods Of James Edited By Abeneazer G. Urga, Jessica A. Udall, And Edward L. Smither, Kenneth Nehrbass

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: A New And Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering The Ways God Calls And Sends By Judith Paulsen, Rhonda Haynes Oct 2025

Book Review: A New And Ancient Evangelism: Rediscovering The Ways God Calls And Sends By Judith Paulsen, Rhonda Haynes

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


The Receptivity Principle For Effective Evangelism: Its Biblical Basis, Mike Morris Oct 2025

The Receptivity Principle For Effective Evangelism: Its Biblical Basis, Mike Morris

Great Commission Research Journal

Donald McGavran’s receptivity principle remains relevant today as Christian mission agencies and individuals make decisions about prioritizing evangelistic efforts. This article examines the scriptural basis of the principle. The author analyzes various passages that confirm the logical progression of the following statements: The preliminary work of God is necessary for evangelistic effectiveness. God works unevenly around the world as he works in the evangelistic process. Because of God’s uneven work, some individuals and groups are more receptive to the gospel than are other individuals and groups. Christians can and should discern where God is causing increased receptivity, and they should …


Book Review: Bearing Witness In Acts And Today By Troy M. Troftgruben, Christopher Robershaw Oct 2025

Book Review: Bearing Witness In Acts And Today By Troy M. Troftgruben, Christopher Robershaw

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Fall 2025 Complete Issue, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2025

Fall 2025 Complete Issue, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Missiological Triage: A Framework For Integrating Theology And Social Sciences In Missiological Methods By Sarah Lunsford, L. Lynn Thigpen Apr 2025

Book Review: Missiological Triage: A Framework For Integrating Theology And Social Sciences In Missiological Methods By Sarah Lunsford, L. Lynn Thigpen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Christianity In North America (Edinburgh Companions To Global Christianity) Edited By Kenneth R. Ross, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, And Todd M. Johnson, John Cheong Apr 2025

Book Review: Christianity In North America (Edinburgh Companions To Global Christianity) Edited By Kenneth R. Ross, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, And Todd M. Johnson, John Cheong

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Church Doors And Hospital Doors: The Interrelationship, Azubuike Chukwubumnobi Okeke, Samuel Obiajulu Ike Apr 2025

Church Doors And Hospital Doors: The Interrelationship, Azubuike Chukwubumnobi Okeke, Samuel Obiajulu Ike

Great Commission Research Journal

This study examines the place of medical evangelism as a means of church expansion in modern Nigeria. It is a retrospective cross-sectional investigative study involving data collection from the Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital’s anonymized patient records. The Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital is in Enugu State in southeastern Nigeria. Over 100,000 patients sought medical care in the hospital during a period of 19 years. Seventy-four percent had spiritual care provided by a person of the same faith. Most of the respondents came from within the Enugu metropolitan area. Using the church planting ministry of the Chapel of His Resurrection within the …


Validity And Reliability In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz Apr 2025

Validity And Reliability In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Conducting high-quality research is difficult because so many things can go wrong, whether it be poor research design, researcher bias, inaccurate attempts to measure phenomena, random errors made by participants, or any of a myriad of other problems that can occur. Researchers need to consciously seek to maximize the accuracy of their measurements (measurements that are high in reliability) and make credible conclusions (conclusions that are high in validity). This paper explains several forms of validity and reliability using examples from measures of church attendance and spiritual gifts inventories. It first examines how the validity of research design (including both …


Book Review: Partnership In Ministry: A Study Of Networking And Collaboration In Paul’S Ministry And Their Implications By Paul H. Byun, Joyce Brenya Amoah Apr 2025

Book Review: Partnership In Ministry: A Study Of Networking And Collaboration In Paul’S Ministry And Their Implications By Paul H. Byun, Joyce Brenya Amoah

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Stronger Together: Seven Partnership Virtues And The Vices That Subvert Them By Dave Harvey, Rex Ng Apr 2025

Book Review: Stronger Together: Seven Partnership Virtues And The Vices That Subvert Them By Dave Harvey, Rex Ng

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Equipping For Global Mission: Theological And Missiological Proposals And Case Studies Edited By Linda P Saunders, Gregory Mathias, And Edward L. Smithe, Mark D. Wood Apr 2025

Book Review: Equipping For Global Mission: Theological And Missiological Proposals And Case Studies Edited By Linda P Saunders, Gregory Mathias, And Edward L. Smithe, Mark D. Wood

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


2025 Vol 17(1) Complete Issue.Pdf, David R. Dunaetz Apr 2025

2025 Vol 17(1) Complete Issue.Pdf, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Communication In Mission: Global Opportunities And Challenges Edited By Marcus Dean, Scott Moreau, Sue Russell, And Rochelle Scheuermann, I. Francis Kile Iii Oct 2024

Book Review: Communication In Mission: Global Opportunities And Challenges Edited By Marcus Dean, Scott Moreau, Sue Russell, And Rochelle Scheuermann, I. Francis Kile Iii

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Mission In The Way Of Daniel: Empowering Believers To Live Into God’S Plan By Edward Smither, H. L. "Scooter" Ward Jr. Oct 2024

Book Review: Mission In The Way Of Daniel: Empowering Believers To Live Into God’S Plan By Edward Smither, H. L. "Scooter" Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman Oct 2024

Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Review Of Leadership By The Book: Cultivating Spirit-Led Kingdom Leaders By Galen Wendell Jones, Jeremy Langly Apr 2024

Review Of Leadership By The Book: Cultivating Spirit-Led Kingdom Leaders By Galen Wendell Jones, Jeremy Langly

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Review Of Organic Disciples: Seven Ways To Grow Spiritually And Naturally Share Jesus By Kevin And Sherry Harney, Jesse Ruby Apr 2024

Review Of Organic Disciples: Seven Ways To Grow Spiritually And Naturally Share Jesus By Kevin And Sherry Harney, Jesse Ruby

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Review Of Vital Christian Community: 12 Characteristics Of Healthy Congregations By Phil Brochard And Alissa Newton, Renee Jones Apr 2024

Review Of Vital Christian Community: 12 Characteristics Of Healthy Congregations By Phil Brochard And Alissa Newton, Renee Jones

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Gods Have Names: Addressing The Translation Of “God” In The Thai Language And Culture, Kelly M. Hilderbrand Apr 2024

Gods Have Names: Addressing The Translation Of “God” In The Thai Language And Culture, Kelly M. Hilderbrand

Great Commission Research Journal

This article is a practical missiological examination of the word used to reference God in the Thai language. The problem is that the term used in Thai, Phrajao (พระเจ้า), is a generic term that can be used for any number of different gods or royalty and is easily misunderstood. After an examination of the words used for “God” in Chinese and Hindu contexts, the biblical terms for “God” are examined. Although the Bible uses generic terms for God (Elohim and Theos), God has a name. The name of God, Yahweh, was revealed to Moses and used throughout the Old Testament. …


Review Of Diaspora Missions To International Students By Enoch Wan, I. Francis Kyle Iii Apr 2024

Review Of Diaspora Missions To International Students By Enoch Wan, I. Francis Kyle Iii

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Review Of Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses For Engaging Theology And Culture By Justin Ariel Bailey, John E. Rife Jr. Apr 2024

Review Of Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses For Engaging Theology And Culture By Justin Ariel Bailey, John E. Rife Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


Review Of Missionary Motivations: Challenges From The Early Church By Matthew Burden, Ryan Jensen Apr 2024

Review Of Missionary Motivations: Challenges From The Early Church By Matthew Burden, Ryan Jensen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.


About The Great Commission Research Network Spring 2024, David R. Dunaetz Apr 2024

About The Great Commission Research Network Spring 2024, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.