Practical Theology Commons^™

A Chaplaincy Training And Support Program To Equip Pastors For Ministry In The South Ghana Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Nathan Teye Odonkor

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There is currently no Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries capacity development plan to clinically train pastors as chaplains in the South Ghana Conference (SGC) of the Seventh-day Adventist church. This has resulted in the absence of professional chaplains within the denomination in South Ghana.

Method

I conducted a Chaplaincy Training and Support Program (CTSP) for 15 selected trainees at the South Ghana Church Headquarters Asoredanho-Accra. The Key area of competencies was Clinical Pastoral Education. I employed qualitative method of evaluating trainees by conducting oral and written assessments of data from trainees and ministry recipients.

Results

As a result of the CTSP, …

Advancing The Cause Of The Gospel Pastoral Blogging By Luther’S Heirs, Robert Stroud

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Stroud, Robert C. “Advancing the Cause of the Gospel: Pastoral Blogging by Luther’s Heirs.” D.Min. diss., Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, [2016]. [353] pp.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether provision of a digital Handbook for Pastoral Blogging would be of value to pastors who had never before blogged. A draft Handbook was provided to thirteen LCMS clergy from across the United States who were serving in parish ministries. They proceeded to begin blogs and maintain them over a period of three months.

Data was collected from the participants at three points. The first was an online survey prior …

Healthy Churches Grow, Rodney Mills

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Change will not occur until there is a sense of urgency. Church leaders and their members have long tolerated the atmosphere of ill health. Their current state of dysfunction has been going on for so long that the members often believe it is normal and therefore to be expected. Excuses are made to maintain the status quo and as a result nothing improves in the life of the church. For lasting change to occur, church leaders and members must sense the urgency of the situation and determine that doing nothing is worse than the anticipated pain of changing long-standing practices …

Shared Leadership: Best Practice In A Ministry Context, Shaldana Juanette Johns

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Dissertation Notice:

Full Text of the Dissertation

This qualitative, multiple case study examined the best practice of shared leadership in a ministry context ... The top three highest occurrences of established best practices in a ministry context were spiritual giftedness, relational support, and biblical shared leadership. Unique best practices were discovered and isolated as well.

Ministry In Secular Employment (Mse) In The Church Of England, 1960- 2000, Thomas Christopher Keighley

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Dissertation Notice:

Full Text of Dissertation

Analysis identified that the experimental start to the initiative had not been embedded into the structure and strategy of the church, while being well embedded into the culture and structures of the worlds in which the Ministers in Secular Employment lived and worked. The church adopted a homeostatic approach to this development characterized by dioceses and their bishops acting independently. MSE had not been explored for its potential in the field of mission or cultural integration of church and society. The church continues to understand its mission and purpose in terms of stipendiary parish …

Using World Café Methodology For Affective Change, Stephen Rynearson

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Rynearson, Stephen P. “Using World Café Methodology for Affective Change” D.MIN MAP., Concordia Seminary, 2016. pp.142.

The purpose of this MAP is to evaluate the usefulness of using the “World Café” methodology in changing attitudes. In particular, the participants went through a World Café to see if any change was made from the previous apathetic service to the Lord into a joyful service. Also tested was the usefulness of the World Café methodology for congregational decision making.

Among the topics discussed are: what constitutes joyful service in the Scriptures; what other means are often used in making decisions; and how …

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 …

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 …

Restorative Justice : Transformation Project Prison Ministry's Reason For Growth And Motivation Of The Volunteers, Yong Hui V. Mcdonald

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 …

Reflections On Mentoring And Multi-Generational Ministry, Gordon Macdonald

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

" I would challenge the multi-generational leaders. I would ask the young people to engage the older people and say, “tell me your story.” I would say to the older people, “You need to listen to the young people because they will build enthusiasm into you. they will give you fresh ideas. and tell them your story. Let them ask you questions. Don’t give them advice unless they ask for it, so we can bring this all together.'”

Ministry Partners: Ten Key Characteristics Of A Healthy Marriage In Ministry, Arlen Pfenninger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In the beginning, God created a partner for man to have as they live their lives together. This partnership was created so they could work together for the kingdom God created. There has been literature written about the unhealthiness of some marriages in ministry because the pastor has neglected his or her family for the cause of Christ. There are others who have advocated a partnership in marriage ministry where the husband and wife work together as a ministry team. This thesis project presents an understanding of the healthy characteristics couples portray as they partner together in the ministry in …

Transitioning The Waldorf Seventh-Day Adventist Church To An Integrated Multiethnic/Multicultural Ministry, Kleyton Feitosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Charles County, Maryland, is an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The only two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the county are mono-ethnic – one White and one African-American – and do not reflect the multiethnic composition of the community. In the beginning of this study the Waldorf Church had the following ethnic composition: 81% White and 19% of all other major ethnic groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), Waldorf city was made up of 40.6% White and 59.4% of all other groups combined. In light of this reality, being a monoethnic White church presented significant church growth challenges …

Profile Of Graduates Of Adventist Latin American Seminary Of Theology In Brazil: A Study To Develop A Selection Process Of Pastors For Ministry At The Brazilian Northwestern Union, Gilmar Zahn

Master's Theses

Purpose

To characterize and evaluate the profile of theology course trainees in Brazil as compared to the profile required for the exercise of pastoral ministry in the UNoB.

Method

Research of a qualitative nature, carried out by means of structured interviews with undergraduated students of the Latin American Theology Seminary (Seminário Latino Americano de Teologia–SALT) in a total of 11 interviews with students who are Brazilian, both married and unmarried, born into the church or converted. Data from the registrar offices of the associations and institutions that compose the UNoB were also consulted.

Results

The interviewees had left professional careers …

A Timely Word From Luther On Recruiting Young Men For Pastoral Ministry, David Peter

Concordia Journal

Luther’s admonition is one that is appropriate for parents and parishes today: “…your children are not so wholly yours that you need give nothing of them to God. He too will have what is rightfully his—and they are more his than yours!”

Team Approach To Ministry : Effective Strategy Against Pastoral Burnout, Luis A. Soto

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Deaf Can Hear The Word Of God, John Reinke

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The purpose of my MAP is to develop a set of rubrics that will be available to everyone working in the area of adapting materials for Deaf people. This set of rubrics will be used to guide the training of people wanting to work in the adaptation process, providing structure and reliability to the process. These rubrics will also bring validity to the adaptation of the religious materials as we will have an objective tool to measure the quality to the adapted materials.

Partners In The Gospel: A Study In Dual And Multi-Parish Ministry, Paul Winningham

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Problem: Since it has not been researched how the members of Grace Lutheran Church of Uniontown (MO) and Zion Lutheran Church of Longtown (MO) understand and value their partnership in the Grace-Zion Joint Lutheran Parish, this project seeks to gain increasing clarity as to the vision Grace and Zion Lutheran Churches have of themselves, and of the partnership they share.

This study employed both questionnaire and focus groups to gather both quantitative and qualitative data in this dual parish or multiple parish about the perception participants have of their own congregation, as well as the partnership they share.

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 …

Equipping Church Leaders To Minister To Abused And Oppressed People, Marion Winifred Duncan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Miles (2011) maintains that no church community is "immune" to situations of abuse, "yet" he said, "pastors still receive very little training in this area" (p. x). As a result, many victims of abuse are seen to experience secondary victimization on top of the trauma that brought them to their church for help in the first place. This secondary victimization has been caused by the utilization of simplistic scriptural solutions to complex life situations. These solutions are well known in the churches and commonly used, having been handed down from generation to generation. The pastors who use them are …

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, …

Best Practices For Retaining Youth Group Students In The Local Church Post-High School, Christopher Dortch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has indicated that students who were once active in a local church are leaving the church and possibly leaving the faith after they graduate high school. The purpose of this project is to present best practices for youth pastors in retaining students' involvement in a local church post-high school. The project will consist of surveying fifty student pastors and will examine the impact of the student pastor's tenure, student ministry philosophy and structure, curriculum plans, and the role of the student pastor in assisting students through this transition. Through a review and examination of these elements, the project will …

Reaching The Community Through Childcare: A Plan To Use Early Childhood Centers To Assimilate Members Into Resurrection Lutheran Church In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Christopher Ascher

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Ascher, Christopher D. “Reaching the Community Through Childcare: A Plan to use Early Childhood Centers To Assimilate Members into Resurrection Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.” DMin Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, [2014]. [207] pp.

Churches have for some time operated early childhood programs. Often times the stated reason is to reach out to those in their community, and the unstated reason is to bring members and growth into their congregations. This project is a descriptive study that surveyed congregations operating an early childhood center. Follow up interviews were then conducted with church staff whose congregations saw some growth …

Leadership Strategies In Visioning And Strategic Planning For Members In Ministry In The Hamilton Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenneth Manders

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bermuda has over 800 church members and 170 church officers, yet only one ministry has been actively engaged in interfacing with the community. The gospel commission calls us to return to the united ministry given to our first parents, to populate the earth with children of God. It requires ministry to be conducted by all believers without distinction, from the entire world, to the entire world. Pastoral leaders are called to cast this vision and strategically plan how to develop and how to deploy church members into the community, according to their spiritual …

Empowering Volunteers For Community-Focused Ministry For Families Of Inmates: Selected Churches Of The Potomac Conference, Jorge A. Ramirez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Nearly 70% of churches in the Potomac Conference do not have ministries that are geared at serving their communities. As a result of this problem, churches are not growing and are not making a significant impact in their communities. They have become internally focused congregations. Churches are missing opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with these communities through creative externally focused ministries. Externally focused churches believe God has called them to change communities for God’s kingdom. There is a need for churches in the Potomac Conference to become externally focused.

Methodology

The recruiting and training of church volunteers to serve …

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 …

Seeking To Glorify God: An Armed Forces Member's Handbook For Discipleship, Charles Blankenship

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to equip military Christians in glorifying God through obedience to the Great Commission. Jesus' command to make disciples applies universally to all Christians, yet those in the armed forces often retreat or experience little success in discipleship within their native environment where they feel restricted by institutional policy, ungodly leadership, and isolation from the body of Christ. This project proposes a practical method of discipleship that seeks to equip Christians in uniform to make passionate followers of Christ who willingly embrace the same mission. The research for this thesis will be primarily conducted by …

Service V. Presence: Implementation Of The Ministry Of Service In The Military Chaplaincy - A Receptivity And Feasibility Study, Mark Tinsley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In Spring 2012, a new ministerial paradigm for the military chaplaincy was proposed in a thesis entitled “The Ministry of Service: A Critical Practico-Theological Examination of the Ministry of Presence and its Reformulation for Military Chaplains.” Known as the “ministry of service,” this new paradigm was heralded as a potential replacement for the current presence-ministry model that has guided military chaplains for decades. The purpose of the current research project is to determine the receptivity of this proposed paradigmatic shift among Army service members, analyze strengths and weaknesses of implementing a new ministry model, and verify if procedures and administrative …

Pastor Is As Pastor Does – 2kf Ministry Model, Martin Brauer

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The primary purpose of this project was to introduce to pastors The Pastor Is As Pastor Does 2KF Ministry Model. This model has been implemented in the principle researcher’s congregation over the past six years. This model delineates between 2 Kinds of Functions in the church: pastoral and operational. The operation functions are then delegated to nonclergy paid and volunteer staff. This ministry model has improved the performance of both functions while also diminishing role confusion in and about the pastoral office. The secondary purpose of this project was to assist pastors in adapting this ministry model to their circumstance. …

Christian Navy Chaplains And The Challenge Of Expanding Religious Pluralism, Timothy Oswald

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Oswald, Timothy J. “Christian Navy Chaplains and the Challenge of Expanding Religious Pluralism.” D.Min. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary – St. Louis. 2013. 245 pp.

Navy chaplains are expected to facilitate for the religious needs of those from other faiths. For chaplains who believe in the exclusivity of the Christian religion, this can create theological and even personal tensions about support for religious practices which the chaplain believes to be false.

This project explores those tensions and proposes ways to help exclusivist Navy chaplains navigate them. The final ministry product is a Power Point® brief. It draws from bibliographic research, …