Practical Theology Commons^™

Strategy To Develop A Culture Of Biblical Spirituality Among South New South Wales Conference Pastors, Kendell Cobbin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The majority of the pastors in the South New South Wales Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church work in isolated rural settings. In the past, there has been minimal connection between these pastors, with little sharing of plans, ideas, deeper concerns, or spiritual accountability. This has been compounded by their demanding roles and responsibilities. Such realities have the potential to deplete the spiritual health of individuals.

Method

This project developed, implemented, and evaluated a strategy over a 12 month period that fostered an enhanced intentional journey with God among 18 South New South Wales Conference pastors. The main focus …

Equipping Teenagers Of The Glendale Spanish Seventh-Day Adventist Church To Manage Their Finances Effectively, Jaime A. Heras

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

America's teenagers do not understand the basic financial principles of earning, spending, saving, and investing. Adolescents who never learn to manage their budgets and adopt healthy financial habits grow up to be adults whose spending habits surpass their income. By carrying those habits into adulthood, they will make poor financial decisions that will impact every area of their lives. As a church, providing a financial training will not only increase the financial literacy of adolescents, but it can give them direction for godly priorities and practices as a lifestyle.

Method

A six-hour seminar on financial education and money management …

Leadership Development In The Local Church: An Intentional Strategy For Developing Leaders At Every Level, Brian Moss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every evangelical pastor knows that they have a responsibility to make disciples, and most of their churches have a system for doing so. They also know that every healthy church needs healthy leaders. As more and more of the next generation drop out of church and consequently leadership roles in the church, the evangelical church is facing a serious crisis. Most church leaders would agree that developing new leaders is a critical responsibility of the local church, yet very few churches actually have an intentional leadership development process. Even worse, many pastors are confused as to how leadership development differs …

A Strategy To Plant A Missional, Multiplying Church In Pulaski County, Kentucky, Daniel Basile

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a desperate need for church planters to focus efforts on rural, established communities to reverse trends of declining church attendance and influence. Pulaski County, Kentucky is one such community that sees the unchurched population continue to climb despite hundreds of church buildings. The goal of this thesis project is to reach the numerous unchurched inhabitants of Pulaski County by creating a comprehensive, holistic strategy to design and launch a missional church near Somerset, Kentucky, that will intentionally reproduce itself. Through interviews and surveys of at least 100 local residents, a careful analysis of area demographics and psychographics will …

An Examination Of A.W. Tozer's Life As Practical Applications For Korean Pastors To Combat The Prosperity Gospel, Sin Soo Jeon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In recent years, more Korean pastors are preaching the prosperity gospel in order to pursue quantitative church growth and seem uninterested in companionship with God. However, faithful men, like Aiden Wilson Tozer, always preached the gospel of the Cross alongside an intimate relationship with God. His life and ministry are examples of a true pastor called by God. Like Tozer, pastors in South Korea must discipline themselves to walk with God. The purpose of this thesis is to provide Korean pastors with practical applications for combating the prosperity gospel by building intimate companionship with God in their ministries by examining …

Addressing Family Challenges Associated With Mental Illness, Phyllis Blackmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental illness in a family can be very destructive and the church must endeavor to meet the needs of these families. The stigma associated with mental illness hinders most people from sharing their struggles and needs. Often those who suffer with a mental illness are not embraced by the church. The project will include a survey of church leaders, members, and affected families. Acquired information will provide an understanding of the problems families face and what leaders will need to be of assistance. The goal is to support these families in functioning better in the church and in society. Information …

Preaching That Leads To Transformation At The North Street Church Of Christ In Nacogdoches, Texas, Curtis Barbarick

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to develop a process whereby the sermon would be enhanced for listeners at the North Street Church of Christ in Nacogdoches, Texas, so that preaching would be more effective in leading to transformation. The theology and methodology of John Wesley were utilized as a lens by which to think about and implement this practice.

The intervention involved a six-week session with a focus group that represented a cross-section of the congregation. Participants in this group were asked to engage in a lectio divina exercise on a particular text daily, …

Faith Commitments And Spiritual Influences As Correlates Of Adolescents' Involvement In Service In The Valuegenesis Study, Andrea Cristina Nagy

Dissertations

Purpose. The first goal of this research was to examine the changes that took place over the three administrations of the Valuegenesis survey, in terms of students’ involvement in service. Secondly this study sought to determine the relationship between adolescents’ commitment to religious values and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, and their involvement in service to others. The third goal of this research was to explore the relationship between home, church, and school variables, and the participation in acts of service of students attending Seventh-day Adventist schools.

Methodology. The present research study uses quantitative research methods and is a secondary analysis. …

The Purpose Of Life, Callaghan Mcdonough

Global Tides

In the minds of Plato and Aristotle, happiness is the end goal of life, and the worth of everything else, including goodness, justice, and virtue, is based on whether or not it is beneficial as means to this end. Modern American society, though defining happiness differently, in many ways reflects the Greeks’ idea that happiness is the reason for human life. Supported by the Christian and Hebrew Bible, this essay will attempt to debunk the Greeks’ theory, which will implicitly criticize the modern American pursuit. It will be shown that entities such as goodness, justice, and virtue are desirable in …

Book Review: Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, And Create Movement By Will Mancini, Elizabeth Montgomery

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Legacy Churches By Stephen Gray And Franklin Dumond, Duane H. Boady

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Introduction, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Authority, Autonomy, And Healthy Communication: Embracing The Organizational Complexities Of The Multisite Church, Jamus Edwards

Great Commission Research Journal

A perplexing matrix-style of leadership that reflects numerous leadership teams across multiple locations typically characterizes multisite churches. As a result, the most volatile element in the multisite church is the distribution of decision-making authority. The unique organizational challenge for multisite churches is determining the balance of trust, freedom, and control in the relationship between each campus’s leadership and the primary leadership team of the overall church. Inevitable frustrations among campus pastors can often be decreased when multisite leadership teams are characterized by clarity in roles and authority. Additionally, responsiveness in the areas of authentic communication and the embracing of conflict …

Book Review: Together In One Mission: Pentecostal Cooperation In World Evangelization By Arto Hämäläinen And Grant Mcclung, Eds., David Rogers

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Pastoral Attitudes That Predict Numerical Church Growth, David R. Dunaetz, Kenneth E. Priddy

Great Commission Research Journal

The attitudes of 92 head pastors were measured concerning 20 ministry-relevant ideas and practices, as well as information about their church’s present numerical growth. A statistical analysis found four pastoral attitudes that predict positive or negative numerical church growth. Positive predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs that 1) personal and corporate prayer are important and 2) transfer growth is an indicator of congregational health. Negative predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs in the importance of 1) preaching and 2) outreach to the community. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in light of evangelical theology.

Book Review: Franchising Mcchurch: Feeding Our Obsession With Easy Christianity By Thomas White And John M. Yeats, Brandon Kiesling

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Planning And Implementing Successful Pastoral Succession, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

The senior pastor serves as the visionary catalyst for the local church congregation. Cultural, ethnic, and theological traditions define the pastor’s role, often determining how the pastor plants a church, leads people, and transitions once the pastoral assignment is completed. None of these responsibilities is easy. However, the matter of pastoral succession brings concerns, sensitivities, and challenges that are unique within any discussion of ministerial success. Center of Praise Ministries in Sacramento, California, provides several examples of paradigms, challenges, and mores that one must address when facilitating healthy transition. This article explores how intentional and strategic pastoral succession planning provides …

Book Review: Making Your Vision A Reality: Proven Steps To Develop And Implement Your Church Vision Plan By Paul Cannings, Kenneth Lewis

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Timeless Growth Principles From The Movement Of Hans Nielsen Hauge: A Case Study In Pietism, David Stein, Frederick Thoni

Great Commission Research Journal

As existing churches continually face the challenge of staying relevant, and new churches face the challenge of establishing traction in the first place, a fresh look at the dynamics of movements will help both. While large, existing churches can often operate from an institutional focus, new and growing churches have to operate from a movement focus. Declining churches need to recapture the dynamism that helped them come into being in the first place. In order to break free from the status quo a new catalyst must be inserted into the equation in order to move forward to the next level. …

Book Review: Size Does Matter: Moving Your Ministry From Micro To Mega By R. A. Vernon, Jeremy Upton

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Pastoral Attitudes That Predict Numerical Church Growth, David R. Dunaetz, Kenneth E. Priddy

Selected Faculty Publications

The attitudes of 92 head pastors were measured concerning 20 ministry-relevant ideas and practices, as well as information about their church’s present numerical growth. A statistical analysis found four pastoral attitudes that predict positive or negative numerical church growth. Positive predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs that 1) personal and corporate prayer are important and 2) transfer growth is an indicator of congregational health. Negative predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs in 1) the importance of preaching and 2) the importance of outreach to the community. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in light …

"Not A Hand Bound; Not A Voice Hushed": Ordination And Foundational Adventist Understandings Of Women In Ministry, Ginger Hanks Harwood, Beverly Beem

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

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Thrones In The Book Of Revelation Part 4: Thrones Of God's Adversaries, Laszlo Gallusz

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

The Theological And Practical Significance Of Health Reform In The Writings Of Ellen G. White, Angel Manuel Rodriguez

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

A Strategy Of One-On-One Evangelism In The Nyamira Conference, William Ongaga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Public evangelism has been a successful way of bringing converts to the church, and by using public address systems the church has been able to reach those who are afraid or too skeptical to come and sit in the meetings. Some have actually made a decision and have been baptized as a result of listening from a distance. But with time the public address systems have been misused with people complaining of noise pollution. This concern has forced the government to pass a bill in parliament banning loud noises in public places. This change calls into question the public …

Church Launch: Start Small, Stay Small—Launch Large, Grow Larger!, Dave Page

Great Commission Research Journal

Launching churches is the new paradigm for church planting in America for the twenty-first century. The old school paradigm was to plant a church and watch it grow slowly, like a tree. The new church planting metaphor is launching a church, like launching a rocket ship into space. This article argues that launching large churches is the most effective means of evangelism in the short and long run. Start small, and the church will stay small, as most do. Launch large, and the church has an opportunity to keep on growing. By launching large, churches can break church growth barriers …

Creating Exciting Family Worship, S. Joseph Kidder

Faculty Publications

Family Worship is the regular, intentional gathering as a family unit to worship God by reading scripture, praying, singing praise, and finding ways to be involved in ministry and evangelism together. There are four major components to every family worship: “Read – Pray – Sing – Mission.” Every Christian family should have such time daily.

Using A Small Group Approach To Increase Church Growth In The Gikondo Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Schadrack Nsengimana

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

Although many people are baptized at the Gikondo Seventh-day Adventist Church each year, about 70% leave the church shortly after baptism.

Method.

The biblical principles of church growth were studied and theological reflection focused on four biblical themes. First, the call to integrate the Great Commission into the daily life and relationships of the individual believer in Christ was examined. Second, church growth as faithfulness to God was explored as a biblical teaching. Third, the view that a healthy church embraces multiplication of disciples as its core responsibility was studied from a biblical perspective. Fourth, the role of the …

A Strategy To Present The Concept Of Headship: Healing Families In The North Burundi Mission, Ndikubwayo Joseph

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The headship of a husband over a wife is one of the concepts that creates a lot of misunderstanding in some Seventh-day Adventist homes in the North Burundi Mission. This situation has impacted both families and the church. On one hand, a husband believes he is to be strong, that he is the only one who can think logically, and that he should make all the decisions for the household. On other hand, a woman is considered to be weak, and therefore must respect her husband, have babies, and keep quiet. Unfortunately many women show respect out of fear …

The Impact Of Media On The Morality Of Young Adventist Church People In The Nairobi Central Church, Alex Ambuchi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Young people in urban areas are especially affected by the liberal trends of the media industry.The media advertises and broadcasts programs that promote immoral behaviors among young people. The Nairobi Central Seventh-day Adventist Church is located in the capital city of Kenya and the negative effects of the media have impacted the youth of this church.

Method

The strategy involved sensitizing Adventist youth concerning the negative impact of the media on morality. A theology of morality and purity was developed and a description of the context for the project conducted. I then used the logical framework and the Gantt …