Practical Theology Commons^™

Building Up The Body Of Christ: A Study In Church Revitalization Leading To Church Growth, Eoin Barnard Giller

Doctor of Ministry Projects

One of the most urgent concerns of the Church in the latter part of the twentieth century is to arouse Church members to their responsibility of ministering to each other and of ministering to the community in which they live. For too long the Church has relied upon a group of paid professionals to do the work of ministry. It was the purpose of this project to develop a theology and theory of church revitalization which would lead to church growth and which would apply the principles of Ephesians 4 in a local congregation. It was an attempt to orient …

Preaching With Audio-Visuals, Ervin K. Thomsen

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The increasing usage of audio-visuals in modern communication has brought about an increase in communication efficiency, an efficiency that is sometimes lacking in sermons. Audio-visuals can be viewed by the Christian church as either legitimate or illegitimate means of communication in preaching. If the church accepts these media as genuine and valid vehicles of communication of its message, it must then discover ways of employing audio-visuals effectively and responsibly in preaching.

Methods

For the development of guidelines for the utilization of audio-visuals in preaching, data and information from the following areas have been studied and surveyed: (1) Scriptural data …

An Evaluation Of Evangelism In The Seventh-Day Adventist Churches Of The Southern California Conference, Russell Edward Johnson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The recruitment of new members is a major objective of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many of the departments within the Church compile reports including the number of baptisms which have resulted from their programs. Data from these departments frequently overlap, lack detail, and are of questionable value in evaluating the relative effectiveness of various evangelistic methods. An evaluation of current Adventist evangelism is needed to determine the relative effectiveness of evangelistic methods that the new members perceive as having influenced them to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Method

The methods used divided the study into three areas: (1) the …

The Euro-American Seventh-Day Adventist Church: Its Foundation And Future, With Special Focus On Six Such Congregations In New York City, Ned P. Maletin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task of the Project

The task of this project was to prepare a report on the present condition of the Euro-American Seventh-day Adventist church focusing on six such congregations in the Greater New York Conference. By studying their historical, cultural, and environmental background, the writer sought to determine whether the existence of such congregations, as separate units within the Seventh-day Adventist organization, was justified. And, on the basis of that investigation, to submit his recommendation in favor of their separate ethnic outreach among the groups they represent, or to recommend that they be incorporated with the English-speaking congregations of the …

A Study Of The Spiritual Influence Of The Arts On Christian Liturgy: With Special Emphasis On The Impact Of Architecture On Seventh-Day Adventist Worship Practice, Walter O. Comm

Doctor of Ministry Projects

From its beginning the Seventh-day Adventist church has taken seriously the commission of Christ to proclaim the gospel to all the world. In this endeavor she has laid emphasis on the spoken word in evangelism. It is not so surprising then that the rather controversial area involving the role of art in the visual proclamation of the gospel has received only passing attention. In view of the keen interest, and in some cases excesses, in art and architecture among the Christian churches today, however, the Adventist church cannot stand aloof. She is bound to be influenced and, therefore, needs to …

The Development And Formative Evaluation Of Instructional Materials And Procedures Designed To Teach The Concept Of Christian Witness, Gordon Gale Bietz

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church must witness if they are to fulfill the Gospel commission and spread the three angels' messages. Two factors which may be hindering the development of an active lay witness are: (1) a lack of understanding about what witness really is and, (2) an inadequate understanding of how to witness.

Methods

The methods used were divided into three activities. The first was the review of theological and instructional literature toward the end of the development of instructional materials. The second activity was the use of these materials during which formative evaluation took place. …

A Dialogical Evaluation Of A Series Of Eight Sermons Preached In The Benton Harbor Church Of Seventh-Day Adventists From April 6 To June 1, 1974, Carl Raymond Holmes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Introduction

From April 6 to June 1, 1974» a series of eight sermons were preached to the .Benton Harbor, Michigan congregation of Seventh-day Adventists under the theme FAITH TO FACE THE FUTURE. Homiletical preparation was based on the method suggested by Lloyd M. Perry in his book Biblical Sermon Guide, and harmonized with methods consistent with my own theology of preaching. The series was preceded by two training sessions in listening skills for the Treatment Group designated throughout this report as Group A.

Method

Methodology was two-fold: theoretical and empirical. Research was done in selected works on homiletics and the …

Gotong Royong: A Study Of An Indonesian Concept And The Application Of Its Principles To The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Indonesia, Jan Manaek Hutauruk

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible relevance of the concept of gotong royong to church growth with special applications of its principles to the Seventh-day Adventist church (SDA) in Indonesia.

(No Abstract)

Evangelism Among Muslims, Kenneth S. Oster

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The issue to be addressed by this project is specifically the apparent ineffectiveness of evangelization among Muslims of the Middle East as evidenced by thirteen centuries of polarization between Muslims and Christians. The project is an analysis and evaluation of existing methods of evangelism and approaches to Muslims as conducted by the Seventh- day Adventist Church with proposals for new and improved methods and approaches emerging from the study.

Promoting Church Support Through Giving, Silvanus Ifechukwu Anuligo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Through the experiences of the writer as a local church treasurer for seven years in the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Nigeria, he became aware that this church does not have viable finances at the local church level, the local field level, and at the union field level. The purpose of this project was therefore to survey the patterns of giving, particularly tithing, as practiced in the SDA Church in Nigeria, in order to discover possible weaknesses, and to find ways of overcoming such weaknesses.

Method

The project was conducted by means of three different types of questionnaires. The first …

A Study Of The Functions Of Ministry And Laity With Special Reference To The East Caribbean Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Samuel H. Joseph

Doctor of Ministry Projects

(No Abstract Available)

Bible Study Groups As A Means Of Christian Nurture In The Brazilian Culture, Horne P. Silva

Doctor of Ministry Projects

It is the purpose of this report to present the findings of the author's study with respect to possible adaptations of certain principles and procedures of group Bible study to Brazilian Seventh- day Adventist Church members as a means of Christian nurture.

(No Abstract)

An Inquiry Into The Needs And Problems Of The Seventh-Day Adventist One-Parent Family, Elwood E. Staff

Doctor of Ministry Projects

There has been much concern in recent years about the fate of the American family. This writer is focusing on the one-parent nuclear family. A further specification in the family under study is female-headed Seventh-day Adventist. This project then, is a multiple case study of maternal one- parent families. The small sample was chosen on a non-random basis with the object of typifying what might be found in a Seventh-day Adventist pastorate. The writer was successful in cooperation with the local pastor in obtaining a sample of thirteen Seventh-day Adventist maternal one- parent families where the parent has been widowed …

An Evaluation Of The Concept And Function Of Mutual Ministry And Spiritual Gifts In The South Caribbean Conference, Edwin A. English

Doctor of Ministry Projects

No abstract available.

Church Retreat--Advance Toward Spiritual Renewal, John Andrew Kroncke

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the true concept of church retreat. This included the theological and historical background of retreat, and its purpose and nature. The study explored the variety of uses, the structure, planning and leadership of retreat.

A brief report of the Pioneer Memorial Church Campus Concern retreats and Family Life Education retreats was necessary for perspective; however, the thrust of the study was of the Pioneer Memorial Church Pilot Program of experimental retreats. The paper attempted to evaluate the overall responses to a survey questionnaire administered to Pioneer Memorial Church members who had experienced …