Practical Theology Commons^™

Trauma And Memory: Challenges To Settler Solidarity, Elaine L. Enns

Consensus

No abstract provided.

What The Trc Reveals About The Churches, Mark Mcdonald

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Journeying Together Toward Truth And Reconciliation, Cameron Harder, Allen Jorgenson

Consensus

No abstract provided.

052. Honoring Jesus, Anthony Cook, Jason Broge

Table Talk: Family Devotions

A family devotion based on Jesus and the promise of eternal life for those who honor God.

Festival Of The Holy Trinity Series C 2016, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments on the readings for the Festival of Holy Trinity, 2016 and offers up sermon ideas.

Festival Of Pentecost Series C 2016, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments upon and proposes sermon ideas for the Festival of Pentecost, Series C.

051. The Helper Has Come, Anthony Cook, Jason Broge

Table Talk: Family Devotions

A family devotion based on Jesus promising to send the Holy Spirit to guide us in Jesus' name.

The Perceived Need For Spiritual Development Among Female Church Of Christ Students At Harding University, Anessa Westbrook

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This work explores how female students perceive their need for personal spiritual development. In a male-dominant structure, women may question their need to develop spiritually. Three areas of college life were investigated to see how they influenced female students’ perception of their own need for spiritual development: pre-college experiences, classroom experiences, and co-curricular religious activities. The research questions focused on these three areas in an effort to identify what was most effective in achieving spiritual growth among female students from a Church of Christ background. A survey was conducted among a sample of 610 sophomore female and male students.

Results …

Haven: Asceticism, Spiritual Formation, And Youth Ministry, Brandon Pierce

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This essay reflects upon the application of a field of scholarly study—ascetic theology— to a ministerial context: youth ministry. The goal here is to offer an example of and reflections upon the application of a personal scholarly interest to ministerial contexts.

The essay begins with an assessment of the ministry context, illustrating the problems that demanded attention and solution. It then outlines the sociological and theological theories of asceticism that informed the proposed solution. Having discussed the foundational context and ideas, the next section describes in detail the proposed solution named "Haven" and elaborates on the ascetic theory behind it. …

A Narrative, Missional Approach To Discipleship And Spiritual Growth, Travis A. Sharpe

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

All Christians have the desire to grow in faith and knowledge of God. The difficulty is that most do not have the tools to help them accomplish the task. While churches desire to help their members grow in faith, many have never created an intentional plan to make spiritual formation possible. While there are a multitude of ways this could be accomplished, one avenue would be for churches to implement an intentional discipleship program. A discipleship program that combines a missional/narrative reading of scripture with spiritual disciplines has been shown to help participants grow in spiritual formation and join the …

Through The Lens Of The Cross: Cruciformity As A Model For Teaching Ministry, Benjamin D. Pickett

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

As the contemporary church travels deeper into the postmodern era, modern methods of education and catechesis have remained. In this paper, a foundational set of principles drawn from Michael Gorman’s analysis of Pauline spirituality—known as “cruciformity”—is examined and presented as a lens to inform and support the teaching ministry in churches. Gorman’s thought provides a fresh way to understand the central theme of Paul’s correspondence to the first century churches.

The paper begins with a brief explanation of the current conditions regarding the adult education ministry of churches and then examines Gorman’s cruciform patterns of faith, love, power, and hope, …

Easter 7 Series C 2016, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments on the readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Series C, and offers up sermon ideas.

The Contributions Of Faith-Based Organizations To Development And The Humanitarian Field: An Adra Case Study, Alexandra Raney, Joel Raveloharimisy

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

The purpose of this paper is to explain the contributions of faith-based organizations (FBOs) to development and the humanitarian field. To do this we used mixed methods research to conduct a case study of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), evaluating its mission, mandate, organizational resources, and activities conducted in 136 countries around the world. We argue that the contributions of FBOs to development and the humanitarian field are explained by the interplay of their identity, resources, and opportunities to do good. The paper concludes with recommendations for FBOs as we move toward the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, while …

Easter 6 Series C 2016, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments on the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Series C, and offers up sermon ideas.

Involving Youth In Ministries Of Service, Maryrae Romatowski Stein

Pastoral Institute

I am currently serving the parish of St. Anthony Marie de Claret as the Director of Religious Education. Prior to outlining this proposal, I assessed the strengths and weaknesses within our catechetical programs, looked at the dynamics of the St. Anthony community, and discussed the project with our pastor to obtain his preferences. The common thread of concern was the lack of involvement and presence of the youth in the life of the parish. I decided to design and implement a pastoral project, using my ninth grade class as the pilot group, which would allow students to serve alongside adult …

Challenging Students At Fort Worth Christian School To Engage The Economically Disadvantaged In Their Community, James Hensley

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents a project in which I led a group of students at Fort Worth Christian School in experiences that challenged them to be more engaged with the economically disadvantaged in their community. The problem I identified at the outset of the project was a lack of such experiences along with troubling attitudes about poverty. Many students initially demonstrated ambivalence or even outright hostility toward the notion of helping people who live in poverty. I found such attitudes to be contrary to the teachings of Jesus and to my central beliefs as a Christian. I believed …

Developing A Model For Church-Based Disaster Relief, Brady Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a manual for the local church to implement in preparation for and during times of disaster. The author will specifically focus on the region of Amherst County, Virginia for this project. The author will approach this project by first defining what a disaster is and the role the church should play during times of great need. Attention will be given specifically to how the church should respond during times of disaster in foreign nations, in the United States, in nearby counties, and in the community of the church’s backyard. This project will …

Proposal For A Local Church Ministry To Mentally Ill Addicts, Terry Jacobs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a significant sub-culture of mental health patients who are addicted to prescription drugs, whose needs are not being met by the mental health rehabilitation system. These individuals are incapable of functioning or working normally and exist solely on welfare and community charities. This thesis will investigate this nationwide problem to determine existing ministry approaches, to create a reproducible ministry strategy for reaching this segment of our society with the gospel, by implementing Christian growth, and providing God’s hope for recovery from addiction. The writer has experience with such a ministry, including a church ministry home in the community, …

Obligations Of Grace, Mark E. Roberts

Empowered21 Global Network of Spirit-Empowered Scholars

Grace obliges recipients to respond in gratitude and obedience to God, the giver of grace. While the New Testament emphasizes God's grace given through Jesus Christ in a New Covenant with believers, the Old Testament emphasizes grace more than many Christians recognize. Grace is expressed in the Old Testament especially through God's free choosing of Abraham as the "father of the faithful," through divine covenants with Abraham, with the divinely constituted nation of Israel, and with the governing house of David. Such grace abounds when God's covenanted people fail to keep their covenant, yet God, after disciplining the covenant people …

Becoming Wise : Designing Leadership Formation Programs In Light Of Training Transfer Constructs, Narcis Natanael Vlasin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Growing Together : A Study Of Christian Discipleship, Thad Harvey

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Sense Of Belonging In Sermon-Based Small Groups, Trenton David Eastman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Spiritual Mentoring Among African American Males At Eastern Kentucky University, Harvey Cozart

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Integrating Theory And Practice : A Guided Mentoring Research Process For Licensed Ministers In The West Michigan District Of The Wesleyan Church, Michael Anthony Black

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Biblical Principles Of Small Group Ministry, Shawn Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Small group ministry models abound today, and so do the materials that provide the methodology for these models. However, there seems to be a dearth of resources that connect the methods with a theological foundation. This project will demonstrate the need for examining small groups from a theological aspect, and then examine the principles of biblical community as found in Scripture. These principles will then be measured through surveys of at least fifty participants in small group settings from several churches, including the churches where the author was the small group pastor for the last seven years and where he …

Encouraging Word : The Pastor's Role In Increasing Biblical Literacy In The Local Congregation, Todd A. Leach

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Clergy Cultural Competency : Multicultural Competency As A Prerequisite For Ministry In Hawaii, Debra K. Murray

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Empty-Handed Church : Discerning Consumerism's Impact On Today's Christian, Raymond J. Rooney Jr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Initiating A Missional Mindset : The International Leadership Institute's Eight Core Values As Impetus For Missional Living, Kenneth R. Ott

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Effective Training Program For Short-Term Mission Trips In Dayton Korean Grace Church, Ingyu Song

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.