Practical Theology Commons^™

El Modelo Foto Eco-Narrativo: Elaboración, Implementación, Y Evaluación De Sermones Narrativos En La Iglesia Hispana Adventista Del Séptimo Día Vista, California, Haroldo Guizar-Whittemore

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The task of this project is narrative preaching in the context of the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Vista California. It is a present reality that different voices compete for its attention, and in such an environment God’s Word frequently goes unheard, and is not necessarily understood by the different generations of Hispanics in a given church. Thus it is of critical importance that the gospel be heard in a language this culture readily understands. Because it is specifically attuned to the contemporary sensibility of human beings, narrative and narrative forms of preaching have particular power to assist individuals in …

The Rwandan Ethnic Crisis Of The 1990s: An Historical Analysis Of The Causes And A Strategy For Forgiveness And Reconciliation From A Seventh-Day Adventist Perspective, Hesron R. Byilingiro

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Statement of the Task

In 1994, the central Africa nation of Rwanda experienced a large-scale genocide in which thousands of people were killed. Many Christians including Adventists participated in these mass killings. It is the task of this study to investigate (1) the historical causes of the genocide, (2) why Seventh-day Adventist Christians participated in the genocide, and (3) propose strategies for forgiveness and reconciliation from an Adventist perspective.

Methodology

The study is an historical and analytical investigation of the country and people of Rwanda from precolonial to post-independence time. It draws on the personal experience and direct interviews of …

Concepto Rebautismal Del Adventismo En Venezuela, Edgar La Rosa Brito

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The frequency of rebaptism has been increasing within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Venezuela. Some have considered rebaptism as a desirable alternative to reconsecration of active church members. This practice has generated concern among a number of pastors and lay people. Hence, this dissertation.

This dissertation includes a study of the New Testament theology of baptism and a sketch of the history of baptism and rebaptism throughout Christian history. Also studied were the writings of Ellen G. White and Adventist writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The research was completed with personal interviews and surveys of pastors and lay …

Factores De Iglecrecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Sur De México, David Javier Perez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Three questions guided the research: How has the Seventh-day Adventist Church grown in southern Mexico during the last sixteen years? What have been the factors that supported this growth? What elements could strengthen church growth in the Southern Union of Mexico? The average annual growth in the Southern Union, from 1985 to 1990, was 9.49 percent. From 1991 to 2000, the average growth was 4.05 percent. The average growth from 1985 to 2000 was 6.09 percent. Before attempting to identify factors that contributed to growth in the Southern Union, church growth was studied in the Bible, in the writings of …

Programa De Reclutamiento, Capacitación Y Motivación De Líderes De Grupos Pequeños, Jose Javier Sol Martinez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The success or failure of small groups in a church is determined by the leadership of the groups. A good group begins with a good leader. The quality of a group depends on the qualifications of its leader. Because this fact has not been kept in mind in Mexico City, the small group program has been weak. The purpose of this dissertation was to remedy this situation by developing a program for recruitment, training, and motivation of small group leaders. Moses used the small group to minister to the people of Israel. To do so he carefully chose thousands of …

Estrategia Para Mejorar La Asistencia A Los Cultos Nocturnos De La Iglesia De Mérida 61, Miguel A. Presuel Euan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

La asistencia a los cultos es un elemento clave para mantener el compromiso con Dios, por medio del culto y la adoration. Es basica para consolidar la fe de los creyentes y concede la oportunidad de instruirlos y capacitarlos para que desarrollen sus talentos para la mision. La Biblia y la literatura revisada concuerdan, en que la asistencia a los cultos es necesaria y a la vez una serial de prioridad cristiana en el entomo de nuestra relation con Dios y el desarrollo de la mision. La asistencia a las reuniones noctumas de la iglesia Merida 61, en Merida, Yucatan, …

An Integration Of Quality Assurance And Existing Worship Components: A Model To Improve Worship In The Small Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Nelson Fernando De Oliveira

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Corporate worship is an experience that needs to be relevant to all. Small-church leaders face the challenge of transforming existing worship components into a more dynamic service, and increasing member involvement. Leaders at small churches have been known to express frustration trying to improve lives, and to worship in spirit and truth. Currently, there is little or no interface between the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) components of the worship service (e.g., music, offering, preaching, and Scripture reading) and current discussions of quality assurance in relationship to a more vibrant corporate worship experience. There is a need to develop a model …

El Evangelismo De La Amistad Como Factor De Crecimiento En La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día, Tomas Torres De Dios

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The faithful fulfillment of the gospel commission demands the use of correct and appropriate methods to bring new members into the church. For this reason, the Seventh- day Adventist Church has used various evangelistic methods. The purpose of this dissertation was to make a theoretical study of friendship evangelism and prepare a workshop to train church members and local leaders. The Bible shows kindness as one of God’s attributes in dealing with human beings. Ever since Creation God has provided what human beings need to live in an environment of good relationships. One of the ways in which God showed …

Islam, Indigenous Traditions, And Adventism In Kenya: A Comparative Study To Determine Effective Approaches To Evangelize Kenyan Muslims, Joseph Kilonzo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Islam is spreading speedily in Kenya from the coast and the north towards inland areas, converting great number of persons and communities. The Islamic influence is evident in almost all spheres of life in the country, including social, political, economical, and spiritual. Muslims are particularly hard to reach with the gospel. However, this does not mean the task of reaching them is unsurmountable. The task of this project, therefore, was to provide a biblical, theological, and missiological strategy for presenting the gospel to Muslims in Kenya with the view of winning them over to Christianity (Adventism).

Method

The research …

Youth Ministry Strategies For Korean Seventh-Day Adventists In The United States, Joon Hwan Huh

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since the ministries of Korean-American churches have focused mainly on the first generation, little relevant ministry to second- and third-generation Korean-Americans has been developed. The youth have been ignored by the church leadership. Consequently there has been a need to encourage the spiritual developmental stage of youth leadership, to clarify worship and relationships, and to design an effective youth ministry for the SDA Korean-American church.

Method

The task of this dissertation was to discover biblical principles and guidelines for the development of effective and relevant youth ministries for Korean-American Seventh-day Adventist churches. In order to meet this aim, Scripture …

Retention Of New Members Into The Caffin Avenue Seventh-Day Adventist Church, David W. Hinds

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This study attempted to identify the reasons why new members stop attending church one to six months after they are accepted into membership of the Caffin Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church and to find ways to reduce the number of individuals who drop out. The introduction analyzes the biblical and theological basis for a higher retention of new converts. It considers principles found in the book of Acts and concerns for lost membership. A review of relevant literature on the assimilation of new members was done to provide an overview of the problem and to gain insights into reducing the number …

Development And Implementation Of A Stewardship Program At The Calhoun, Georgia, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Paul S. Hoover

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Task

The task of this project was to increase the participation among the membership of the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church with the financial stewardship need of the congregation. The study was to determine the number of families involved and to implement factors to increase church family involvement.

Method

A family giving unit was defined as a family within the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church. A family unit is made up of a household whether the member is single, married, or married with dependents. Family involvement was measured in three giving areas of tithe, church budget, and debt reduction to the Calhoun …

Preaching By Discovery: A Training Program To Help Lay Speakers Develop A Style Of Preaching That Motivates To Action, Michael A. Mnich

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many Seventh-day Adventist congregants do not act upon the sermons they hear. Lay preachers often preach in small, rural, Seventh-day Adventist churches. This project sought to develop a six-hour seminar to train lay preachers to preach in a way that motivates hearers to action.

Method

A literature search was conducted on motivational principles in psychology, education, the Bible, and the writings of Ellen G. White. These principles were used to develop the Preaching by Discovery seminar, which was given to the lay preachers of three small rural Seventh-day Adventist churches in Kansas. After the six-hour weekend seminar, lay preachers …

A Program To Improve Bible Study And Prayer In The Humboldt Park Hispanic Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Julio I. Juarez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

A survey conducted in the Humboldt Park Hispanic SDA church (HPHC) indicated that its members, like many others in our post-modern society, have neglected personal Bible study (PBS) and prayer. The results of this were evident in many aspects of their lives.

Method

This problem was brought to the attention of church leaders (elders and the church board). Consequently, a strategy was developed for involving all members in a week of prayer and seminars centered around personal Bible study and prayer. The seminars were based on a review of related literature. A survey was conducted before and after the …

Evangelizing The Secular-Minded: A Training Seminar For The University Seventh-Day Adventist Church In East Lansing, Michigan, Roy Anthony Castelbuono

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Topic

Today in many ways our world has been unified, not by a political empire but by a way of thinking. People today find common ground in a shared experience of living guided by a set of values that spans the divide of culture, language, and history. The process of this transformation is best described by the term “secularization.” Secularization best describes the far-reaching changes we find in our communities and in our personal lives, and is one of the greatest challenges the Seventh-day Adventist Church faces as we begin the twenty-first century.

Purpose

The purpose of this project was …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Leadership Mentoring Program In The Hampden Heights Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Barry Tryon

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Leadership development is a vital but often neglected part of church life. In many churches little is taught on the subject to the current leaders of the church, and even less is done for the development o f future leaders. In addition, the traditional seminar approach, when used, is not always effective in developing church leaders. One program, written by Dr. Dan Reiland, seems to address both o f these problems. Joshua's Men is a spiritual leadership training program using mentoring (discipleship) to grow potential leaders in the church. Is this program effective? Does it develop spiritual leaders in …

A Seminar On Reaching The Secular Mind For Members And Guests Of The Hickory Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenneth J. Ford

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Western civilization is now pre- or post-Christian. Secularism has entrenched itself in our culture. Many churches are still utilizing mostly antiquated methods of reaching a Christian culture. We need to discover methods to engage the twenty-first-century secular mind.

Method

This report is outlined in the following way. It gives a brief overview of secularism by defining and then tracing its origin and development. Then it gives an overview of biblical, SDA, and selected evangelical literature on reaching the secular mind. A six-session seminar was formulated utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint, to be conducted sometime in the near future.

Results

The results …

Church Growth In The Khasi-Jaintia Conference, Meghalaya, India, Khrawbor Kharbteng

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The population of the Khasi-Jaintia Conference territory is made up of 80 percent Khasis and 20 percent other ethnic groups. The Khasis, an accepting and happy people, are receptive to the Christian message. This receptivity comes from their monotheistic concept of God and their admiration for the dedicated missionaries who brought the gospel but did not attempt to modify their culture, except for their refusal to accept social evils such as drinking, gambling, and sexual promiscuity. Seventh-day Adventism came to the Khasi region in 1915 with the arrival of E. G. Hardinge and family. The actual work of the Seventh-day …

A Training Program For Local Church Elders/Leaders In Northeast India, Kongyui Awungshi Shimray

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Local church elders and leaders in the Northeast India Union have regularly cared for nurturing and evangelism within the church. They have performed pastoral responsibilities because there are only eighteen paid district pastors in charge of over 130 organized churches and more than 300 companies. However, elders and leaders have no training to perform the task effectively. To enable local church elders and leaders to minister effectively, leadership training is required.

Method

The project considered first the concept of Christ's servant leadership as a basis for the work of elders and local leaders within the chinch. It also reviewed …

Training Laity To Minister To Inactive Members In The North Tamil Conference, Paulraj Masillamony

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Inactive and uninterested members are common in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the North Tamil Conference. They are the aching, anxious persons who have great difficulty in living in anxiety-provoking settings. The church, if it is going to be an effective instrument to its own membership, needs to be sensitive to what is going on in the life of its members. This presents a problem because the members are ill-equipped for the task. In this study a theological basis for equipping laity was developed. Interviews with pastors and both active and inactive members in the local church and study from …

Enriching The Understanding And Experience Of Baptism In Kenya, Samson Nyang'au Mwebi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem and Method Used

Baptism is a church activity conducted every three months in most Seventh-day Adventist churches in Kenya. While it brings joy to see new members join the church, the significance of baptism is not fully reflected in the life of individual believers or of the church. This problem may largely stem from inadequate understanding of the significance and meaning of baptism and its celebration. This study sought to develop ways of improving the practice of baptism in the areas of preparation of candidates for baptism, celebration of baptismal ceremonies, reception of new converts into church membership, …

A Church-Growth Strategy For Revitalizing The Kolhapur Church, Bhupal R. Chandanshive

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The task of this dissertation was to study the factors that have affected the growth of the Kolhapur church in south Maharashtra and to develop a strategy to revitalize the church. Twenty-five years ago, Seventh-day Adventist churches in Maharashtra were spiritually lively and active. But in recent years the churches have become weak; the attendance is nominal and there is little vibrancy.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kolhapur was viewed through the dynamics of church-growth principles, especially those applicable in the Indian context. The history of the church, together with membership statistics, provided information on the church over the last …

Narrative Preaching: A Study Of Contemporary Theory And The Development And Implementation Of An Integrative Model In The Walla Walla College Church, John C. Cress

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Topic

The topic of this project is narrative preaching. Post-modern culture is characterized by a surfeit of information and a famine of meaning. A cacophony of voices competes for its attention and in such an environment God’s Word frequently goes unheard. Thus it is of critical importance that the gospel be heard in a "language" this culture readily understands. Because it is specifically attuned to the contemporary sensibility of human beings (i.e., it is a “language” most individuals intuitively understand), narrative and narrative forms of preaching have particular power to assist individuals in coming to saving faith in Jesus …

Development Of A Series Of Bible Study Guides To Prepare Preteens For Baptism And Membership In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Francois J. Sarault

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

According to the 1992 Valuegenesis Study, a survey of Adventist youth in grades 7-12 showed that 77 percent wanted a deeper relationship with God, and 66 percent were interested or very interested in Bible study. Yet, an informal survey of existing materials created to lead SDA youth into a deeper relationship with Christ through Bible study, baptism into Christ, and active membership in the Adventist Church points to these existing materials as being inadequate in approach and content. Preparing preteens for baptism and active membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church must include something more than simplifying adult Bible studies …

The Establishment Of A Lay Evangelism School At The Ephesus Sda Church In Richmond, Virginia, Gene Michael Donaldson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Sharing the good news is an imperative issued by the Supreme Commander, Jesus Christ for all who call Him Lord. Every member of the church is a minister with the responsibility to bring others to faith. The mandate to witness to others in the context of the three angels message of Revelation 14 is of paramount importance to the Seventh-day Adventist Christian. The purpose of this study was to prepare a training program to equip lay persons in the Virginia area churches of the Allegheny East Conference on how to bring others to faith.

Method

An equipping course called, …

Developing Lay Ministry Through Small Groups In The Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In Korea, Gil Ho Choi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

As churches continue to grow from small to large communities, they struggle to meet the need of a growing community. There is a need to involve more church members in the ministries of the congregation. The churches also need to assimilate the new church members. Increasing demands are placed upon the pastors of churches to meet the challenge.

Method

This study deals with a program designed for lay ministry through small groups. It consists of two main parts. The first considers the concepts of small-group lay ministry in the theological, sociological framework of the local church. It includes an …

Spiritual Awareness And Growth Of Indian Adventist Youth Through Retreats, Maywald Jesudass

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Each year, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in India spends large sums of money on youth and Pathfinder camps. These camps provide recreation and interaction among the youth, but often fail to lead the campers to conversion and commitment. The program, the methodology, and lack of trained resource personnel contribute to these poor results yearly. Retreats can provide a better alternative to youth camps. Retreats provide seclusion in which the retreatant becomes aware of self and God. The biblical-retreat models of the Old and the New Testaments form the foundation of the study.

For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has required …

Improving Member Retention In The Zambia Union Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Fordson Vincent Chimoga

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The loss of church members in the Zambia Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is of grave concern. According to church statistics, every year members leave the church through being missing and apostasy. This study is intended to provide practical solutions to pastors and the laity on how to keep members from leaving the church. This study of church member retention is approached in the following manner. First an analysis is made of the finding of the questionnaires sent to pastors and church members in Zambia. Second, there is an analysis of the church statistics obtained from Zambia. Third, …

A Church Growth Study Of Three Churches In Kottayam, Robinson Stephenson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many of the churches in the North Kerala Section have been stagnant for years. In some churches over 50 percent of the members are inactive. This study analyzes the hindrances to the growth of three churches in the Kottayam District and suggests a strategy for church growth.

Method

The theological, historical, missiological, and practical dimensions of church growth were examined. A church growth approach was used which included an analysis of the factors involved in the growth and decline of three SDA churches in the Kottayam district. The growth patterns of three churches over the past ten years were …

Using The Heritage Of The St. Thomas Christians To Develop An Outreach Strategy, Kunjunjukutty Yohannan

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The St. Thomas Christians in Kerala claim their spiritual heritage from Thomas the apostle. Yet they are not generally aware of a number of scriptural teachings including the seventh-day Sabbath, which Thomas and their forefathers observed. For the last one hundred years there has been no developed Seventh-day Adventist strategy to proclaim the full biblical message, which was their heritage, to this people group.

Findings

The St. Thomas Christians of Kerala, India, believe that Thomas the apostle took Christianity to India. Their very existence bears witness to it. Thomas is reported to have arrived in Kerala in A.D. 52. …