Practical Theology Commons^™

Exploring The Dynamics Of Transformative Change Of Lectio Divina In The Context Of Transformative Learning Theory, Joyce M. Chen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Soul Food: Understanding And Implementing An Effective Creative Arts Ministry At The Collegiate Level, Kristen Jones

Selected Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss the varying roles of the creative arts in society and the church. It provides a review of literature examining how the arts are being implemented in entertainment, therapy, education, and ministry today, along with a handbook on how to run Soul Food, a college creative arts ministry club. Through a discussion on the intrinsic value of the arts and their ability to provide people with new and deeper ways to encounter God, this thesis provides a basis for the significance of integrating the arts, and empowering artists in the church. The Soul …

Into Ministry : The Pastorals, The Early Church, And The Free Methodist Church In The Early Twenty-First Century, Jason Aaron Leininger

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Practical Guide For Creating A Group Environment To Reach A Postmodern World, Anthony Michael Randall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are disturbing statistics about the number of young people who are leaving the church after they graduate high school and are no longer bound by obligation to the family to attend worship services. If the church does not begin to change its methodology, it will not be able to succeed in reaching this generation. This project seeks to help local churches create an environment in their groups that is comfortable and engaging to the postmodern generation. Churches must create a group environment that not only fosters true Biblical community but also engages our congregations in fulfilling the mission of …

Getting To Acquainted: How A Pastor Can Get To Know His Congregation, Alan J. Ehler

Selected Faculty Publications

This article was published in Ministry Today and lays out principles for new pastors to build relationships and credibility in their new churches.

Proper 12 • Ephesians 3:14–21 • July 26, 2015, Benjamin Haupt

Concordia Journal

Paul is praying that the Ephesian Christians will be able to see the blueprints, so to speak, for the new church construction project, that is the building project of the church of God, the body of Christ.

Perfect Harmony: An Examination Of The Necessity Of Interdependency Between First And Second Generation Korean Congregations, Hank H. Shin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The English speaking second-generation Korean Americans coexisting with the first-generation Koreans topic identifies the issues associated in a typical Korean immigrant church. Based on the resources, the English Ministry has a tendency to stay under the authority of the Korean Ministry leadership, coexist independently with a separate administration, or depart to set up a separate church. This project is separated in three parts. The first section reviews the history of the early Korean American churches in the United States. The second section addresses the problems between English Ministry and Korean Ministry. The third section identifies a strategy to provide harmony …

Identity Lost And Found, Adrienne Jones

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Trauma Of The Heart: Augmenting The Family Paradigm To Stem The Spread Of Hiv/Aids And To Facilitate Healing And Recovery In The Wake Of Hiv/Aids, Gibson Danjuma

CTS Faculty Publications and Creative Activity

This article briefly reflects on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community. The article suggests an alternative paradigm that views the high-risk behaviors that contribute to the spread of the virus as a reaction to ‘trauma of the heart’ as opposed to viewing the epidemic solely in terms of a lack of HIV and sexually transmitted disease awareness. It further suggests a pastoral intervention of expanding the paradigm of family beyond the classical nuclear construct to family as a system of individuals committed to embracing and ‘adopting’ individuals who have experienced trauma of the heart. This augmented understanding of …

Surviving The Other War: Group Intervention For Military Sexual Trauma In The Local Church, Ed Ellis Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is, together with the current military suicide epidemic, arguably the greatest danger to soldiers serving at home or abroad, and sadly the former is a contributing factor for the latter. MST involves the sexual assault or sexual harassment of an individual by one or several fellow service members. An important avenue of assistance is through the local church; however, "the quality of mental health providers does not include a sufficient number of faith-based counselors (especially Christian) to serve the predominantly Christian demographic in the U.S. Armed Forces." To assist in this, a psycho-educational support group has …

A Biblical Guide To Maximizing Great Commission Emphasis By Transforming Your Church Government, Marcus W. Bridges

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

After learning 3500-4000 churches close their doors each year, Ed Stetzer believes, "the church will not change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change." This project will compare Congregation-led churches to Elder or Board-led churches to explore the need for changing the practical operation of the church in attempts to fulfill the Great Commission. The thoughts presented will provide a guide for church leaders, pastors, and church planters to adopt the style of governing policies that best results in for Jesus Christ. There will be fifty pastors polled from Congregation and Elder-led churches …

Exploring A Model For Equipping Colombian Pastors And Lay Leaders In The Skill Of Narrative Preaching, Juan Carlos Mejia

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Appraisal Of L3 Leadership Incubator Model Of Leadership Development As A Process For Forming And Mobilizing Church Planters For Communities In The Vicinity And City Of Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India, Srinivass Rao Chepa

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Church Turnaround : A Study Of Formerly Declining Churches That Are Growing, J. Bradley Martin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Vitality In The Local Church : Spiritual Formation And Lay Leadership, Thomas C. Mabry

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Case Study Of The Causes Of Dependency Among The Churches Of Christian Evangelistic Assemblies And Possible Strategies For Overcoming Dependency, Abraham Kurian

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

So The World Will Believe : Discovering The Invitational Nature Of God, Frank Sterling Harris Iii

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From Diaspora To Disciple : Training Mainland Chinese Christians To Live A Christlike Life, Esther Law

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Changes In Beliefs And Practices Of Christlike Living At The Southwest Campus Of The Darby Creek Church Of The Nazarene, Steven Charles Suttles Sr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Planting, Transitioning, And Growing Multiethnic Churches, Gloria Young-Eun Kim Fowler

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developing Alternative Leadership Training Model For Evangelical Church Leaders In Ethiopia : An Evaluative Study In The Hiwot Berhan Church, Endale Gebremeskel Ousman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Preemptive Restorying As A Means Of Mitigating Costly Conflict : The Case Of The Anglican Mission In American And The Anglican Church Of Rwanda, Robert Joshua Magoola

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Inner-City Evangelism: A Model For Reaching Gangs For Christ, Eric Ladell Boone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will focus on the crimes and violence that have corrupted and invaded the world, in a life-threatening, devastating, and unprecedented way. Criminal gangs have made their presence in communities all around the world, which has resulted in mental corruption and spiritual and physical destruction. Regardless of how gang members are looked upon and viewed by society due to their daily ungodly activities, the author will address the importance of the church becoming dedicated to reach gangs with the gospel, which holds the power to transform the life of whoever hears it regardless of their past or present. The …

African Initiated Churches : The Case Of The Igreja Evangelica Amor De Deus, Romanos 5 : 5, Em Mocambique : (Love Of God Evangelical Church, Romans 5 : 5, In Mozambique), Philip H. Troutman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Three Models Of Acculturation: Applications For Developing A Church Planting Strategy Among Diaspora Populations, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Cross-cultural church planters often work with individuals from several cultures or with immigrants from one specific culture. These church planters can develop a more effective church planting strategy by understanding three models of acculturation, the process by which individuals respond and change when coming into contact with a new culture. The one-dimensional melting pot model describes how immigrants acculturate as time progresses, from one generation to another. The two-dimensional acculturation strategies model describes what can be expected to happen to members of a diaspora population due to their views of both their host and home cultures. The social identity model …

A Strategic Marketing Plan For Community Ministries At The Toronto West Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Allan Roy Chichester

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Toronto West Seventh-day Adventist Church is a large church that has a membership of 1,306, located in a very diverse urban community of Etobicoke North in Toronto, with variety in ethnicity, language, culture and religion. In the church’s neighborhood, there is a growing immigrant population that is currently in flux due to the constant demographic transition. This certainly poses a number of challenges for this church because there are so many varying ethnic and cultural groups that make ministering to this community very difficult. The church has tried to reach its neighbors by hosting community services events such …

A Program For Increasing Personal Reflection From A Biblical Perspective For Spiritual Growth At The Topeka Wanamaker Seventh-Day Adventist Church, George Mclain Goddard

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Shortly after arriving as the new pastor of the Wanamaker church I noticed the appearance of spiritual immaturity and disunity among members and stress between members and leaders. People gave time and talent to the church, yet complained about each other’s actions. It seemed that misperceptions of self, others, and God among members blocked spiritual development toward the maturity and unity that Christ prayed for (John 17). The root of the problem seemed to be perceptual. A developmental program was needed that would be accessible to people across the broad spectrum of understanding and move them toward Christian maturity …

An Investigation Of Adversity In Christian Living And Proposal For Discipleship Response, Christopher Payne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With numerous ministries teaching a cultural gospel comprised of prosperity and pleasure, people have the impression that a saving faith limits personal hardships. Jesus taught his disciples the truth about hardship and how to struggle well and the Church is called to do likewise. This thesis will present five key biblical truths to equip Christians for growing their faith through personal struggle. Moreover, the project will give leaders a guide for discipling hurting church members. The author will research current and historical discipleship materials and models, examine current teachings on faith and struggle, explore relevant biblical teachings, and survey fifty …

Millennials: The Unreached In Our Midst. A Practical Theology Of Reaching Millennials Through Organic Church Principles And Repurposing The Church, Janelle Anderson

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

There is an unreached people group in your community--you interact with them on a consistent basis, but they are beyond the reach of the Church right now. The Church has missed her opportunity to reach and disciple Millennials as children and is now struggling to connect with them at all. The first step to reaching this people group is understanding them. This thesis presents the three major longings of generalized Millennial culture, in hopes of highlighting ways to interlace individual lives with faith and Christian community. Each of the three cries of this generation has varied implications for the world, …

Combating Church Tradition: Freeing The Church To Reach Their Community For Christ, J. David Reid

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It appears that many American Protestant churches have plateaued and are declining. Although there may be numerous reasons for this phenomenon, one reason is that churches appear to be losing their effectiveness in reaching their communities. An examination of this failure is essential to identify steps necessary in moving churches back to their roots of fulfilling the Great Commission. This project is designed to assist churches in moving from ineffectiveness to vibrancy and transformative power. Such churches are transformational. They set the stage for God to transform lives. The research for this project will be accomplished through documentary analysis and …