Practical Theology Commons^™

God Did An Awesome Thing: A Church Growth Strategy That Worked, S. Joseph Kidder

Faculty Publications

We think that the work of God is going to be finished by what we do, through programs we develop, resources we find, and talents we exhibit. Wrong. These are not the things of eternal significance. What really works is the Spirit of the Lord Almighty. We do not need more formulas, we need more filling. We do not need more plans, we need more power. We do not need more strategies, we need more Spirit.

Christ's Response To The Last, The Least, The Lost, The Left Out - Is The Church Living Up To Christ's Standard?, Jerry Staples

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a plethora of statistics concerning how many un-churched people there are in the United States and the socioeconomic ladder does not discriminate who fits this lost category. Yet, the concern of this project deals with the gang member, drug dealer, drug users, pimps and prostitutes. The intent is to take outreach to the street through cook outs, Holy block parties, street revivals and the like. The rationale of this project is to show how one can reach, teach and keep this group of people, the potential dangers, and positive consequences associated with it. The potential value of this …

A Plan For Developing An Effective Community Outreach Strategy For Churches In The Northeast, Roscoe Lilly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Community outreach is an essential part of a church's mission to be "salt and light" to those around them. Community outreach creates the crucial platform for a church's evangelistic efforts. While many churches want to reach out to their community, few have a clear understanding of how or where to begin. The purpose of this project is to help churches in the Northeast better understand how to increase their community's receptivity to the gospel through a strategic community outreach plan. The project will use NorthStar Church as a case study. It is the aim of this project to demonstrate how …

Jesus' Prophetic Reach: Drawing Children To The Center Of Congregational Life, Tim Coltvet

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genesis 12-50 And Work, Theology Of Work Project, Bob Stallman

Theology of Work Project

1. Introduction to Genesis 12-50 and Work
2. Abraham (Genesis 12:1-25:11)
   • Abraham’s faithfulness contrasted with the faithlessness of Babel (Genesis 12:1-3)
   • The Pastoral Lifestyle of Abraham and his Family (Genesis 12:4-7)
   • Abraham’s journey begins with disaster in Egypt (Genesis 12:8-13:2)
   • Abraham and Lot parted (Genesis 13:3-18)
   • Abraham and Sarah’s hospitality (Genesis 18:1-15)
   • Abraham’s dispute with Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-16; 21:22-34)
   • A burial plot for Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20)
3. Isaac (Genesis 21:1-35:29)
4. Jacob (Genesis 25:19-49:33)
   • Jacob's unethical procurement of Esau’s birthright and blessing (Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34–28:9)
   • Jacob Gains His Fortune (Genesis 30-31)
   • Jacob’s transformation and reconciliation with Esau (Genesis 32–33)
5. Joseph (Genesis 37:2-50:26)
   • Joseph rejected …

Ellen Wh Ite, Ordination, And Authority, Jerry Moon

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to show that the same pattern of authority that gives order to the universe is also reflected in the divinely designed structure for both church and society on earth. In order to uphold the truth as it is in Jesus, the church must structure its delegation of ministerial authority in harmony with the Creator’s original design. .

Ellen White, Women In Ministry And The Ordination Of Women, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

What I would like to offer in this paper is that a careful consideration of Ellen White’s thought on the role of women in the church, taken in its nineteenth-century context, her understanding of the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church, her counsels regarding ministry and its many functions taken in historical context, and her non-sacramental understanding of ordination and early Seventh-day Adventist practice of ordination, can support the case for allowing the ordination of women today.

Headship, Gender, And Ordination In The Writings Of Ellen G. White, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

The study will focus on the teachings of Ellen White on the role of the Bible in this controversy and the principles for interpreting the Bible to find a solution to the current situation. The paper will also look at her understanding of equality and submission in God’s universal kingdom, and the function of headship in Jesus’ model of leadership and its relation to gender in regard to the qualifications for the biblical office of overseer in the church and their implications in regard to ordination. All of these aspects form an integral part of 16 Ellen White’s theology of …

Women's Status And Ordination As Elders Or Bishops In The Early Church, Reformation, And Post-Reformation Eras, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

This paper will investigate the views of the status of women in the church and whether women were ordained as elders, bishops, or priests in certain periods of the history of the Christian Church. The main focus of this paper will be on the Early Church, the Reformation, and Post-Reformation eras. The sources for the early church are limited to the early church fathers, and for the Reformers to their commentaries on the Bible. Martin Luther and John Calvin have been chosen because of their emphasis on the Bible as the rule for doctrine and practice, which was adopted by …

Book Review: The Explicit Gospel By Matt Chandler, Jeremy Mcgarity

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Church Growth Missiologist And Defender Of The Faith: George G. Hunter, Iii, R. Daniel Reeves

Great Commission Research Journal

Reeves summarizes Hunter’s impact in McGavran missiology with professors, church planters and evangelists. He highlights Hunter’s pioneering research among secular peoples at Muscle Beach and the fifth century Celtic movement, with broad application for enlisting and equipping disciples. Reeves also emphasizes Hunter’s less reported role as friend and trusted advisor, citing his personal experience of receiving encouragement and advice while forming and facilitating the Council on Ecclesiology, a project aimed at reducing counterproductive rhetoric among several popular movements.

Evangelism Or Disciple-Making?, Charles Arn

Great Commission Research Journal

Evangelistic “success” is often defined by the number of “decisions for Christ”—those who raise their hands . . . come to the altar . . . pray the sinner’s prayer. However, the definition of success, when measured by the “fruit that remains” (Jn. 15:16) indicates that decision-making does not always result in disciple-making. In fact, upon closer study, many of the evangelistic methods commonly used by churches and Christians today have been shown to be ineffective—and even counter-productive—in producing disciples and responsible church members. In this article, Charles Arn contrasts the difference in practice and results between traditional evangelism vs. …

The Gathering Of The Saints: Noun Or Verb?, Kenneth E. Priddy

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper examines the question: Who are the saints? In the Old Testament the saints are the people of God, the nation of Israel, specifically those who have genuine faith and are true believers. In the New Testament the saints are the church, those who have been regenerated through the working of the Holy Spirit to be more than members of the visible church, but members of the eternal invisible church as well. In modern times we often speak of the “gathering of the saints.” Both noun and verb uses are included in Scripture and they are essentially distinguished by …

Book Review: The Churching Of America 1776–2005: Winners And Losers In Our Religious Economy By Roger Finke And Rodney Stark, Charles Salmon

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Finding The Way Forward: George Gill Hunter, Iii, Ronald K. Crandall

Great Commission Research Journal

Ron Crandall recounts some of the significant personal transitions, achievements, and contributions to evangelism and church growth made by his long time colleague. This brief “inside story” captures some of both the professional and personal life of this world-class scholar, and reveals his passionate pursuit to help thousands of churches and millions of secular and disenchanted peoples “find the way forward.” Never content to only talk about evangelism, George Hunter is portrayed as employing every gift available to equip the Church for its apostolic mission to spread the power of “Christ in us, the hope of glory.”

Book Review: The Recovery Of A Contagious Methodist Movement By George G. Hunter, Iii, Randy Willis

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Shaping Of Things To Come: Innovation And Mission For The 21st Century Church By Michael Frost And Alan Hirsch, Jihoon Lee

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Being The Church In A Multi-Ethnic Community: Why It Matters And How It Works By Gary L. Mcintosh And Alan Mcmahan, Jeffrey Medina

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Developing A Congregational Care Model: Mount Olive Baptist Church, Donna Robinson Mack-Tatum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a layperson based Congregational Care Ministry Model to assist the pastor of large congregations. The topic was chosen as a means of addressing the need for the pastor of the Mount Olive Baptist Church to have assistance with meeting the needs of the congregation. As the congregation increases in size, it has become increasingly more difficult for him to visit the sick, counsel, minister to the bereaved, preach, and teach. While there are other ministries that assist in various ways with these tasks, this ministry will enhance the efforts that are already …

Conservative Holiness Pastors' Ability To Assess Depression And Their Willingness To Refer To Mental Health Professionals, Andrew Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the willingness and ability of Conservative Holiness pastors to assess depression and their willingness to refer to mental health professionals. Eighty-six pastors completed a four-part survey that measured diagnostic accuracy, willingness to refer, attitudes toward mental health, perceived competency to assist, recognition of need for help and confidence in mental health professionals. Demographic characteristics and case study responses were investigated through analysis of frequency data; relationships with demographic variables were analyzed using Spearman's rho and independent t-tests; relationships with variables derived from the scales were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Analyses found …

Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative research study exploring the spiritually formative experiences of nonstudent, female, seminary spouses whose student spouses are beyond the halfway point in their pursuit of an M.Div. at a large evangelical seminary in the eastern United States. Fifteen participants (twelve online nonstudent spouses and three residential nonstudent spouses) were purposefully sampled. The data, which was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and discussion forums, was analyzed using transcendental phenomenological analysis. Through this analysis it became apparent that seminary spouses did in fact experience spiritual formation through their husband's education. …

Lay-Leadership: How To Develop Lay Leaders In A Local Church With Special Reference To The Hyesung Presbyterian Church In South Korea, Kang Eun Bae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis is designed to help church leaders establish a lay leadership development process in a local church, especially in a Korean church with a size between 300 and 1,000 church members. In the first part, the fundamental knowledge of leadership is described, including the characteristics of leadership concerning lay leadership development, the reasons why a local church should develop lay leaders, and what the leaders should develop through the process. In the second part, a lay leadership development process and how to establish it in a local church is described. In the third part, Hyesung Church's leadership development process …

Reaching Secular Peoples: A Review Of The Books Of George G. Hunter, Iii, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

“Reaching Secular Peoples: A Review of the Books of George G. Hunter III” traces the development of the author’s thought through his eighteen books (as of June 2011). The review demonstrates that Hunter is the primary interpreter of classic church growth thought to those in the Wesleyan tradition, but he also ably speaks to members of the larger Christian family across all theological spectrums with a spirit of grace, cooperation, and collegiality. While his early books, written between 1971 and 1980, communicated insights from the emerging Church Growth movement to Wesleyans (particularly the people called Methodists), his later books demonstrate …

The North American Church Journey: Lessons We Are Learning, Daryl K. Thompson

Great Commission Research Journal

The North American church is on a journey. It is a journey compelled by the church’s decline in the past half century. The primary lesson that is being learned on this journey is that mission catalyzes Christianity in a way that nothing else does. Western European Christendom has significantly influenced the North American church. This expression of Christianity drifted radically from the early churches missional clarity. The result was an anemic Christianity that saw little personal and societal transformation. Missionally-minded and outwardly-focused pastors are essential to helping the North American church recover its missional orientation.

A Holistic Good News: Missional, Effective Evangelism And Lessons Learned While Traveling In The Hoof Prints Of Wesley, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

The Good News can be understood as the message of the missio Dei to which varying methods can be attached. Churches, however, often specialize in a specific part or method of that mission, e.g., helping the needy, emphasizing conversion, or promoting discipleship. This article suggests the Good News has yielded significant historical impact when churches embrace a comprehensive or holistic understanding of the Good News that includes three methodological components: establishing legitimacy by meeting the needs of non-believers, effectively facilitating conversion, and spiritual formation in small communal groups. Missional and effective evangelism nomenclature will be discussed in relation to this …

The Profile Of Asian-American Pastors, Jonathan H. Kim

Great Commission Research Journal

This case study surveyed 277 and interviewed 47 Asian-American pastors to gather information regarding their demographic characteristics, ministry context, sense of call, spiritual formation, employment status, length of tenure, conflict in ministry, and reasons for ministry or career changes. The purpose of this study was to understand personal and institutional issues affecting Asian-American pastors’ ministry tenure.

Behaving Beyond Your Barriers, Melissa Pratt

Great Commission Research Journal

Pastoral leaders must embrace the attitude that God expects His church to grow. Effective pastors must be future-focused rather than problem-focused. They must see and personally live beyond where a church is, beyond where the barriers to growth are, and into the place God wants to take His people. Pastors must identify the behaviors of “next-level” churches to evaluate what kinds of behaviors current church leaders and members should adopt. After casting a “next-level” vision, Pastors should equip their members to behave not as they are, but as they desire to become in order to push through barriers to growth.

Book Review: The Celtic Way Of Evangelism: How Christianity Won The West Again By George G. Hunter, Iii, Allan Karr

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Unchristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity . . . And Why It Matters By David Kinnaman, Matthew Costner

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Resurrecting The Celtic Model Of Evangelism For The 21st Century: George G. Hunter, Iii, James R. Farrer

Great Commission Research Journal

Dr. George G. Hunter III has been the premier author in alerting Christians in our current era to the ancient Celtic Christian style of evangelism and mission. This model, pioneered by St. Patrick, became the “greatest sustained Christian mission in Christianity’s history.” The contagious power of these Christians and their communities ushered in almost 1,000 years of Christian culture to Europe. Hunter identifies the Celtic Christians’ main strategies which can be fruitful in reaching today’s prodigals, “nones,” and modern “barbarians.” This model is urgently needed today since the United States has become the third largest mission field of non-Christians in …