Practical Theology Commons^™

Developing A Strategy For Growth In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Finland Using The Natural Church Development Approach Based On A Case Study In The Turku Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Aimo Helminen

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The growth of the Adventist Church in Finland stagnated in the mid 1980s and after that the membership of the church began to slowly decrease. There is a need to look at the past growth patterns of the church in Finland to discover the reasons for the present decline in membership and develop and implement a strategy for church growth.

Method

Current literature was reviewed, including books and articles on the principles and strategies of church growth. These were studied in the context of the Turku Church in order to determine if the principles in the Natural Church Development …

"Your Daughters Shall Prophesy": James White, Uriah Smith, And The "Triumphant Vindication Of The Right Of Sisters" To Preach, Beverly Beem, Ginger Hanks Harwood

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

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Ministering In The Midst Of Competing Worldviews, Trevor O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Church Planting As Growth Strategy: Is It Effective?, Skip Bell, Rod Davis

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Operation Homeland Support, Esther R. Knott

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Creation: The Foundational Importance Of Scripture As Revelation, Norman R. Gulley

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

From Vision To System: Finishing The Task Of Adventist Theology Part I: Historical Review, Fernando Canale

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Diseño De Una Estrategia Para El Evangelismo En Delmas, Puerto Princípe, Haití, Robert Jean-Marie Charles

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

At present more than half of the world's population lives in cities. These cities present the greatest challenge to world evangelization. The evangelization of Delmas is a great' responsibility for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The purpose of this dissertation was to design a strategy for urban evangelism in Delmas.

Methodology

The topic of urban evangelism was researched in the Bible, the writings of Ellen G. White, and other contemporary- authors. A survey of pastors and lay people in Port-au-Prince was done, together with in-depth interviews with key church pastors.

Results

Jesus greatly emphasized urban evangelism. Early …

Toward A Paradigm Of Servant Leadership For Seventh-Day Adventist Ministers In Korea, Youngsoo Chung

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Korean society retains a strong Confucian tradition, manifested by a strong devotion to family and an emphasis on hierarchy and vertical relationships. The Buddhist and Shamanist traditions provide a model of authoritarian leadership. These traditions have been modified to adapt to modem leadership concerns, but the hierarchal practice of power and authority-based leadership still prevails. The challenge facing Christianity is the prevalence of this existing leadership style. It is a barrier to the acceptance of the biblical model of servant-leadership. Effective leadership that is both biblically sound and culturally suitable is needed for the Seventh-day Adventist church in Korea. …

Preventive Steps For Pastoral Sexual Misconduct: A Seminar For Brazilian Pastors In The North American Division, Samuel Ramos

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In recent years sexual misconduct among clergyman has received an unprecedented public profile as victims have become increasingly willing to speak up and the media has disseminated the stories of clergy abuse. An increasing number of people have been willing to risk their personal reputation and go public with their stories. Effective ministry occurs only within a climate of trust and credibility; however, the ministry is increasingly losing its credibility in society. The goal of this study was to prepare, present, and evaluate a seminar for Brazilian pastors in the North American Division, discussing the main reasons for a …

Promoting Financial And Spiritual Growth In The Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In The South Ghana Conference Through Stewardship Workshops, Alfred K. Adonu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The task of this dissertation was to discover the reasons for the poor financial strength and to develop stewardship workshops to promote spiritual growth and sound financial performance in the churches of the South Ghana Conference. Since its organization in 1988, the South Ghana Conference has not experienced consistent growth in giving. By year-end 2001 it had a baptized membership of 41,747 with 101 organized churches and 235 companies. During the same period, the annual tithe was US$479,674 with a tithe per capita of US$12.18. However, there is wide spread suspicion that many return a partial tithe. In spite …

The Creation And Implementation Of A Spiritual Mentoring Program For Deployed Sailors And Marines On Board The Uss Oak Hill, Santiago Rodriguez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation was to create, implement, and evaluate a Mentoring for Spirituality program for deployed sailors and marines on board the amphibious warship USS Oak Hill. This program endeavors to help military personnel grow in their relationship with God and, thus, help them overcome many of the emotional and behavioral problems they experience being away from home.

Problem

The spiritual lives of many United States Navy/Marine personnel under my chaplaincy direction are affected by long periods away from home. While away from their families and friends, many young sailors and marines often run the risk of …

Programa De Discipulado Para La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Rio Grande, Albuquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Joel Soto

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A discipleship program is the key to maintaining a healthy church in constant growth. It also provides the opportunity to consolidate the believers in church philosophy, exercising faith through practice of spiritual life. The purpose of this dissertation was to elaborate a program that would retain new believers in the church, leading them to action in their spiritual life, and in the practice of lay activities.

The investigation revealed the causes for lack of participation in spiritual activities, in the practice and discovery of spiritual gifts, and intervention in missionary work. This program is expected to better-equip members so they …

Programa De Crescimento Da Igreja Para O Território Da União Sul-Brasileira, Jose Santos Filho

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Brazil Union territory (SBU) has become known for its quantitative growth. However, as one analyzes the population size of that region, the conclusion is that much more still needs to be done. Studies made by Christian Schwarz in several countries indicate that the number and quality of members may increase provided that certain biblical principles of church growth are implemented.

Method

The research was done through extensive analysis of previous studies regarding church growth. Biblical perspectives, as well as existent literature on the development of churches, lay ministry, pastoral leadership, training, and …

The Development And Implementation Of A Grief Support Program At Florida Hospital, Michael R. Lombardo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

With little or no formal grief support provided at Florida Hospital, an intentional bereavement facilitation program was needed. Many of the problems individuals face can be traced back to unresolved loss. The grief support program at Florida Hospital provides numerous avenues for the grief process to take place. This study describes the development and implementation of a comprehensive grief support program at Florida Hospital designed to enhance the bereavement process for those in grief and to provide assistance to care-givers involved in bereavement facilitation.

Method

There were various methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. All 219 …

101 Life Changing Ideas, Trevor O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Miniature Symbolization And The Year-Day Principle Of Prophetic Interpretation / Alberto R. Timm., Alberto R. Timm

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

The Stairway To Heaven: A Critique Of The Evangelical Gospel Presentation In North America, Paul Brent Dybdahl

Dissertations

The topic . This study focuses on the so-called "plan of salvation" or "gospel presentation" that evangelical Christians in the United States present to seekers who want to know how to be saved. There are currently three dominant presentations that are widely employed and emulated. The authors of each are well-known: D. James Kennedy, Bill Bright, and Billy Graham.

The major portion of my study involves a two-stage critique of these dominant evangelical gospel presentations: first, from the perspective provided by communication theory, and second, by comparing the presentations of Kennedy, Bright, and Graham with conversion accounts from Luke-Acts. Essentially, …

Festivals

Shabbat Shalom: A Journal for Jewish-Christian Reconciliation

No abstract provided.

World Religions And The Vegetarian Diet, Jo Ann Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Andrews Academy Students Sow For God’S Kingdom, Katrina Emery

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Short-Term Mission; Long-Term Impact, Glenn Russell

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Taming The Tyranny Of Too Much, H. Peter Swanson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Lake Union Volunteers Construct New Church, Bryan Del Valle

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

A Song In The Night, Ray Mcallister

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

A Twenty-First-Century Approach To Empowering The Youth Of The Brooklyn Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Newton Upanton Cleghorne

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In several churches in the Northeastern Conference and, in particular, the Brooklyn Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church, the adult membership has dominated the positions of leadership. Most of the potential youth leaders have painfully become spectators rather than players and leaders in the church. The goal of this dissertation, therefore, is to develop and implement a program to empower these youth through training, mentoring, positioning, and liberation.

The Method

Any theology that does not have a biblical foundation is suspect and, therefore, humanistic. A theology of youth ministry was developed within a biblical context. The intent of the study was …

The Role Of The Pastor In Equipping The Laity For Ministry In The West Jamaica Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Eldon Gosnel Walker

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In spite of the urgent need to train and equip the laity for ministry in the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, no serious strategy has been developed to prepare the pastors to meet this problem. This study seeks to evaluate the current practices that are being used by pastors and to suggest strategies that will help them to identify their role in equipping the laity for ministry.

Method

Current literature was reviewed on the principles, strategies, and programs related to equipping the laity for ministry. Valuable to this study were books and literature written in Jamaica which provided …

Development Of Targeted Strategies For Church Growth Within The Greater New York Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Angel Jesus Rodriguez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

For the past twelve years the Greater New York Conference has been struggling to produce growth within the Caucasian sector and other indigenous people groups. The primary source of membership growth has been from immigrants. An analysis of the demographics retained of the Conference's geographical location, however, reveals that the majority of the people are second- and third-generation Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. These are the people who the Greater New York Conference has not been successfully evangelizing.

Method

In order to understand how churches grow, I surveyed pertinent literature on church growth. I implemented these strategies into …

The End Of Historicism? Reflections On The Adventist Approach To Biblical Apocalyptic - Part One, Jon Paulien

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

A Spiritual Master Plan For Spicer Memorial College, Mohanraj W. Israel

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In the face of required expenditures for competitive higher education and the growing challenges of quality Christian training, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church is concerned about accountability in spiritual development and outcomes assessment. The General Conference Annual Council of 1996 voted the “Total Commitment to God” document. This document focuses on developing at each tertiary institution a comprehensive Spiritual Master Plan, proposed by the faculty and approved by the board, that identifies the spiritual truths and values, both cognitive and relational, which the institution is committed to share with its students, and to comprehensively identify the opportunities through which those …