Practical Theology Commons^™

Weeping In The Household: Equipping Pastoral Caregivers Among Grieving Families At Grace Presbyterian Church In Baltimore, Maryland, Charles Brandon Brewer

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project sought to equip pastoral care ministry members of Grace Presbyterian Church to explore communal grief and deepen their own understanding of family systems in intergenerational grief. Participants engaged in a four-week training series aimed at reducing fear surrounding discussions of death, dying, and grief, empowering pastoral caregivers in the church to offer compassionate care to grieving individuals and families. Participants were trained to facilitate Bible studies, group discussions and were equipped with the skills necessary to guide and expand the church’s existing bereavement ministry beyond crisis intervention, strengthening pastoral care efforts, and the pastoral care ministry of the …

Where Transformation Happens : Identifying Formational Qualities Of Spiritual Friendship Groups For Gen Z University Students, Gregory K. Haseloff

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ministry Organization Response To The Mental Health Crisis, Bryn L. Wood

Senior Honors Theses

The mental health crisis has been negatively affecting individuals across the globe for about half a century, only growing in its impact each year. However, following the Covid-19 pandemic, mental health crises skyrocketed. This is especially true for youth and young adults as physical isolation has altered many facets of their lives. This thesis will explore the mental health crisis, as well as the way it has impacted youth and young adult organizations. Specifically, it will discuss research on recommended ways for these organizations to respond to the mental health crisis through unique programming and how these practices have been …

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1

Restoration Quarterly

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

Post Opera, Suzy Lykins

Theses and Dissertations

Post Opera is a spell and work of embodied research which explores medicalization, desire, labor, and belief. Through methods of performance, sound, text and installation, I facilitate encounters of trans-femininity, spiritual power and connectivity. An opening wound, a set of psychic scalpels, sutures and bandages prepare this text for your consumption, take care to digest her well.

How The Story Of Jesus Is Aiding This Generation Of Ucc Clergy To Make Sense Of Their Vocation In A Secular Age, Sheila Macdonald Macgregor, Sheila G. Macgregor Rev.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation, an exercise in practical theology, undertakes two tasks. First, it explores the Christology of fourteen active United Church of Canada (UCC) clergy trained and/or ordained/commissioned in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Secondly, given that their training, and the first years of their ministries, have taken place against a background of overwhelming secularism and unprecedented church decline, it also examines how their understanding of Jesus Christ and his story are aiding them to make sense of their vocation in a secular age. Charles Taylor’s 2007 magnum opus, A Secular Age provides the backdrop for this study. …

The Divine Invitation To Co-Creation: The Effects Of Creative Practice On The Vocation Of Clergy In The Anglican Church Of Canada, Dawn Dickieson-Leger

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Creative practice has been confirmed as having benefits for health and well-being for people as well as an effective spiritual practice aiding in discernment. Clergy find their purpose in their sense of vocation, often formed and discerned in the context of seeking ordination. The researcher, an Anglican priest and amateur artist, presents a renewed idea of vocation as co-creation with God by engaging in creative practice. Throughout the dissertation she offers reflections from her own experiences in art, health recovery, and ministry. Fifteen Anglican clergy were interviewed about their vocation, ministry, and creative practice. Each of these clergy met the …

Records Of The American Society Of Missiology Arc2017-003 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Exploring Undergraduate Understanding And Learning Of Catholic Social Teaching In Catholic Higher Education, Kenny Van Tilburg

Dissertations

Since the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s, Catholic higher education (CHE) has wrestled with its Catholic identity in a changing landscape and changing world (Gallin, 1996, 2000; Gleason, 1995; Morey & Piderit, 2006). A big component of this identity-recognition process is the continued evolution and inclusion of Catholic social teaching (CST) in the educational approach of CHE. Despite its importance, much evidence has suggested CST is underwhelmingly present in the education of contemporary CHE (Beyer, 2021; Galligan-Stierle, 2014; Hudson et al., 2018; Nickerson & Dammer, 2018; Reed-Bouley, 2016; Sullivan & Pagnucco, 2014; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB], …

Modelo Contextualizado De Discipulado Integral Através De Pequenos Grupos Para A Região Leste Do Brasil, Moises Moacir Da Silva

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Adventist Church (and the Christian Church in general) has the great challenge of leading God's flock to spiritual growth and presenting the fruits of this development. These fruits are measured in the areas of faithfulness, mission, Bible study, participation in activities and worship, among others. -- Within this framework, the Church (in many places) began to worry about filling a calendar with various activities and felt fulfilled by providing members with the feeling that there was growth, since they participated in numerous activities - many of them simultaneously. -- This understanding that being busy brings spiritual growth led …

Teologia A Serviço Da Missão: Uma Análise Da Conexão Entre A Teologia E A Prática No Seminário De Teologia Do Unasp Campus Engenheiro Coelho, Evandro Carlos Favero

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

This dissertation investigates the possible dichotomy between academic theology and pastoral practice, questioning whether there is, in fact, a separation between the role of the theologian and that of the pastor, as well as between the formative ideals of the seminary and ministerial reality. If such a division is confirmed, formal theological study could be considered secondary for the exercise of pastoral ministry. However, if theory and practice are understood as integrated and inseparable dimensions, theological training becomes essential for all who aspire to ministry, requiring training institutions to provide preparation that unites knowledge, vocation, and mission. -- Assuming …

Programa Para Fomentar Las Disciplinas Espirituales En La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Forest, Mississippi, Hugo Gomez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The absence of a program focused on fostering spiritual disciplines within the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church of Forest, in the Meridian District, has led to limited awareness of the importance of essential practices such as prayer, Bible study, fasting, singing, and worship gatherings. As a result, the practice of these disciplines has been affected, thus missing out on valuable opportunities for spiritual growth and a deeper communion with God.

Method

This program, which falls under the field of applied theology, follows an “action research” design, as the director was not limited to observation but also participated as an active …

Programa De Evangelismo A Través De Las Redes Sociales En Tucson, Arizona, Cesar Sanchez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Northwest Adventist Church (IAN) in Tucson, Arizona, faces challenges in maintaining a meaningful missional presence within the local community. Despite the growing importance of digital platforms as communication tools, the church has neither developed nor implemented a comprehensive evangelism program that utilizes social media, nor has it provided a training program in this area. This lack of a digital program may be limiting its capacity to attract new members and to increase its relevance in today’s world. Without an appropriate intervention, the church risks continuing to miss opportunities to fulfill its evangelistic mission effectively.

Method

This project employed …

An Urban Discipleship Model For Young Adults Of The New Jersey Conference Of Sda Churches, Carl Rodriguez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem.

The New Jersey Conference Young Adults Department presented three challenging areas to resolve before becoming a vibrant ministry: (1) a leadership succession pathway to train and develop state and area coordinators to plan regional and Conference-level events and initiatives; (2) training, nurturing, and discipling local church young adult leaders to discover their spiritual gifts while providing opportunities to serve; and (3) uniting the different young adult cultural groups to work together as a community of believers.

Method

A new urban approach was used to aid in changing the course of the Young Adults’ ministry for the New Jersey Conference. …

Developing And Implementing A Course On Homiletics To Enhance The Preaching Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In The Western Ontario Region, Laurentiu A. Prelipcian

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastors in the Western Ontario region are divinely entrusted with the responsibility of delivering contextually relevant sermons that foster spiritual growth and inspire transformation within their congregations. While these ministers are deeply committed to their calling and possess substantial theological training and pastoral experience, the continually evolving field of homiletics and the shifting expectations of contemporary audiences requires renewed engagement with current preaching methodologies. For many, formal instruction in homiletics iii occurred decades ago, and opportunities for sustained exposure to emerging current preaching strategies have been minimal or nonexistent. This project seeks to address this critical deficiency by designing …

Seminar On Biblical Hermeneutics For The Leaders Of Seventh-Day Adventist Churches In North Dallas, Texas, Evelio Miranda Páez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The district of McKinney, Lewisville, and Grand Prairie South in North Dallas, Texas, evidences a significant lack of training in biblical hermeneutics among its leaders. This deficiency limits their capacity to understand Scripture faithfully and to provide sound guidance for the congregations. The absence of hermeneutical competence is reflected in four main areas: ignorance of the basic principles of interpretation, lack of methodology for narrative texts, inadequate criteria for complex passages, and insufficient understanding of apocalyptic prophecy, which is central to Adventist identity. As a result, leaders struggle to apply consistent hermeneutical practices in both personal study and ecclesial …

Programa Para Formar Líderes Jóvenes En La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día Hispana De Fresno, Edward Alexander Charles Smith

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church of Fresno faces a significant challenge in developing trained youth leaders capable of directing and sustaining the Youth Ministry. Despite having a large and active membership, the church lacks a structured leadership development process for young people between the ages of 18 and 35. This deficiency resulted in the inability of the Nominating Committee to appoint a youth director due to the absence of adequately prepared candidates. The lack of intentional leadership formation has limited the involvement of youth within the congregation.

Methodology

This Doctor of Ministry project employed an applied ministry approach focused …

Transforming Pathfinder Acculturation Gaps: Confronting Intergenerational Cultural Conflict Between First- And Second- Generation Immigrants With Family Strengthening Workshops Among Scottish Mission Pathfinders And Their Parents, Njabulo King Ndlovu

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The immigrant population in the UK is rapidly increasing along with correlated increases in the membership of both the British Union Conference (BUC) and the Scottish Mission (SM) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Scottish Mission Pathfinder clubs (SMPCs) have many immigrant children. However, as immigrants’ home culture comes into continuous contact with the British culture, acculturation gaps between first- and second-generation immigrants tend to form naturally as a result of the differing pace with which these two generations acculturate. Adolescents are generally thought to adapt quicker. Parent-child miscommunication and disagreement on critical matters such as values, beliefs, and …

Leading The Church Out Of White Supremacy And Toward Biblical Justice And Reconciliation: A Leadership Approach Using The Arc Model, Keenan Tyler

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist church members need to be equipped to respond faithfully to injustice in their communities, beginning with an understanding as to how to respond to systemic racism rooted in White Supremacy.

Method

This Doctor of Ministry project implemented an adapted form of Jamar Tisby’s ARC model—Awareness, Relationships, Commitment—contextualized for a Seventh-day Adventist theological and ecclesial setting. The immediate goal was to move beyond raising awareness of racial injustice to equipping congregations to actively resist systemic racism and dismantle the lingering influence of white supremacy in church life and mission. Over six interactive sessions, 18 participants engaged in historical, …

A Cross-Cultural And Inter-Ethnic Awareness Strategy For Members Of Ipswich, Colchester And Clacton Adventist Churches, Robin Johannes Lewis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The three multicultural, multi-ethnic (MCME) churches in my district were facing tension among members from diverse cultures, ethnicities, countries of origin, and languages. Factions formed cliques and vied for leadership roles, while some groups appeared to dominate the worship services. Certain members became upset when people with difficult accents from specific language groups led out in services and could not be understood. Others shared their distinctive foods only within their own groups. Some members felt isolated and believed they lacked a voice.

Method

Nine seminars and workshops were organised to raise awareness among the MCME congregants about the causes …

Estratégia De Discipulado Para Crescimento Com Retanção De Membros: Um Estudo De Caso Na Igreja Adventista Do Sétimo Dia De Vilas Do Atlântico, José Wilson Da Silva Barbosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since 2013, the Vilas do Atlântico Church has seen above–average growth compared to other churches in the Bahia Conference. However, at the same time, there has also been a significant attrition of members. This likely occurred because the local church lacked a discipleship strategy for growth and member retention. Although the evangelistic strategy produced significant results, it lacked a broader vision of discipleship as a process, both cognitively and relationally. Considering this, a discipleship strategy for growth and member retention was developed for this church, starting in 2022. This strategy sought to answer three questions. The first two refer …

Developing A Mentoring Model For Nurturing Worship Leaders In The Berrien Springs, Michigan Area, Jonathan Paul Rosengren

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Pastoral observation suggests that the use of worship leaders in the area of music is gaining prominence in Adventist churches today. However, because this is a relatively undefined ministry, worship leaders often lack spiritual preparedness and support for ministry in the local church.

Method

As a pastor I want to learn from worship leaders so I can help develop mentoring models that nurture their calling and ministry. The theological basis for nurturing worship leadership is based on a Seventh-day Adventist understanding of worship being central to the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:6-7. In a practical sense, two theological stories …

Volunteering And Spiritual Practices: A Cross-Country Analysis In The Seventh-Day Adventist Context, Elbert Kuhn

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Although the number of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) volunteers worldwide has increased dramatically, the Church continues to face challenges in engaging people, particularly young adults, in volunteer and mission projects on a global scale. While interest in volunteering is growing, especially in countries within the southern hemisphere, the percentage of participation remains disproportionately small in comparison to the global church membership. Given this disparity, there is a pressing need to research the impact of the volunteer experience on spiritual practices and discipline. Understanding how volunteering influences young adults’ spiritual growth is critical to developing strategies that can effectively engage more …

The Mordecai-Esther Mentorship Initiative: A Cross-Gender Mentorship Model For Commissioned Female Pastors In South Central Conference, Latina Carriger

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In the South Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (SCC), while male pastors receive formal mentorship through the ministerial internship program leading up to ordination, female pastors—who are only commissioned and not ordained—often experience a lack of continued mentorship beyond commissioning. This absence hinders their professional development, limits leadership opportunities, and contributes to feelings of isolation. The current mentorship framework does not adequately support the ongoing growth of female pastors in a context where ordination is not extended to women, thereby creating a gap in pastoral leadership development and equity.

Method

This project utilized a qualitative case study design to …

Conectados Para Crescer: Um Modelo De Capacitação De Discipulado Em Rede Para Aspirantes Ao Ministério Pastoral Da Associação Pernambucana Central, Everon Dias Donato

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Central Pernambuco Conference (APeC), the regional headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) based in inland Pernambuco, Brazil, develops discipleship as one of its work programs through an organic network of leaders in small groups. -- However, pastoral ministry interns who join this region annually do not receive adequate training contextualized to the specific demands of the APeC discipleship network, which compromises the effectiveness of the initiative. -- Given this scenario, this study focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating a proposal for ministerial training that is contextualized to prepare pastoral ministry interns in the context of the discipleship …

Programa De Capacitación En Evangelismo Personal Para La Iglesia Hispana El Camino A Cristo, En Los Ángeles, California, Gustavo Mendez

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church El Camino a Cristo, in Los Angeles, California, recognizes the need to equip its members for active evangelism and effective spiritual leadership. Despite its congregation's significant potential, the church lacks a structured and intentional training program for personal evangelism. This gap limits members' involvement in outreach initiatives, reducing overall church growth, and mission impact. Consequently, there is an urgent necessity to implement a systematic training program, to empower members as competent evangelistic leaders.

Method

This doctoral project represents applied research in practical theology, specifically designed for the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist congregation El Camino a …

Estrategia Para Atraer Y Retener A La Comunidad Hispana De La Primera Iglesia Adventista De Austin, Texas, Hadiel Perugorria

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The spiritual influence of the Adventist church in contemporary society is facing the challenges of a generation that is increasingly vulnerable and fragmented due to secularism and the ongoing pursuit of alternative sources of meaning. The community resists the commitment to be part of a Christian family where their lives are transformed and their abilities used for the benefit of others.  --The First Hispanic Church of the Seventh-day Adventists of Austin, Texas, faces the same challenge. The work carried out by the congregation was not sufficient to impact and reach the local community. The researcher's investigation during the years …

A Strategy To Address The Challenges Of Intergenerational Conflict In The Haitian Churches At The Southeastern Conference In Florida, Nicolas Louis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Haitian churches in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of Florida, are severely affected by intergenerational conflict, persisting between young people and adults who cannot get along. Churches affected by this misunderstanding are facing a loss of young people, particularly college-educated members and people with vocational skills. This conflict has touched entire congregations, decreasing growth numerically and financially. Between 2013 and 2018, there was a 60 percent decline in members with college degrees and vocational skills. This study analyzes this intergenerational conflict, which manifests in disagreements over leadership preferences and worship styles.

Method

To address this problem, I established a series …

Seminario Para Fortalecer Las Relaciones Con Dios, Familia E Iglesia De Los Hijos De Pastores De La Conferencia Adventista Del Séptimo Día De Texas, Nelson Montiel

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Few studies have been conducted on Seventh-day Adventist Pastor’s Kids (PKs) at the Conference or Union Conference level. As Sedlacek and Baltazar (2020) say: ‘‘scant recent research literature is available on the children in pastors´ families or pastors´ kids’’ (87). Therefore, it is essential to conduct an updated study that examines the relationship of PKs with God, their families, and the church. A seminar addressing the spiritual challenges faced by PKs in the Texas Conference would be beneficial in strengthening their relationships and alleviating the burdens and pressures they often experience. Additionally, this initiative could help pastors and church …

The Prophetic Role Of The Church In The Associations Of Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (Nbcc) To Address The State Of Morality And Spiritual Transformation In The Land, Imti Lithrongla

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.