Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Letting Cities Shape How We Pray And What We Choose, William Reiser S.J.

Religious Studies Faculty Scholarship

Immersion into the life of our cities not only expands the knowledge we have of the people and places in the local community, but can have a profound and transformative effect on our spiritual lives as well.

Book Review: Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond The Walls Of The Sanctuary, Greg Gilbert

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Toward A Holistic And Postmodernal Theory Of Change: The Four-Forces Model Of Change As Reflected In Church Growth Movement Literature, Bob Whitesel

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The purpose of this present study is to form a background from Church Growth Movement literature against which might emerge a contemporary epistemology and model for theories of change and changing. And, since the cultural predilections of postmodernity heavily influence future strategizing, postmodern theoretical understandings will be sought.

Book Review: Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond The Walls Of The Sanctuary, R. Daniel Reeves

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond The Walls Of The Sanctuary, Robb Redman

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Calvin Van Reken, John Rottman, Richard E. Sytsma

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Sin
3 - Sin by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
5 - The Calling of Matthew by Calvin Van Reken
7 - Get Rid of Sin in Church by John Rottman
9 - The Threads of Guilt and Shame in the Gospel Message by Richard E. Sytsma
10 - Sin and Grace in Pastoral Care Class by Kathy Smith

Departments
12 - Formation for Ministry

Pacifism In Churches Of Christ In Western Canada During World War 2 And The Influence Of Nashville Bible School, Shelley L. Jacobs

Restoration Quarterly

Jacobs, Shelley L. (2006) "Pacifism in Churches of Christ in Western Canada During World War 2 and the Influence of Nashville Bible School," Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 48 : No. 4.

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.

The “Emotionally Relevant” Congregation, Goerge G. Hunter Iii

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The case for emotional relevance is more easily made than for cultural relevance. Simply stated, the emotional lives of a great many pre-Christian people (and many Christian people) are dysfunctional, out of control, and crippling their lives. We meet people (and families) every day whose lives are hijacked by powerful emotions they do not understand, and may even deny.

Book Review: Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond The Walls Of The Sanctuary, Bob Wenz

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

The Spirit Driven Church, Timothy Robnett, Allen H. Quist

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The authors focus on three initiatives of Christian leadership, all addressing the nature of the relationship between God and Christian leaders. For his part, God fills us with his Spirit, God calls us to walk in his Spirit, and God empowers Spirit-filled leaders to lead by the Spirit. For our part, we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind; we are to choose God as our source of our control rather than our own self-interest (i.e., our flesh); and we are to stay dependent on God for leading and empowering. Leaders are called to return to …

Reexamining Relational Youth Ministry: Implications From The Theology Of Bonhoeffer, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

Youth ministry often focuses on building relationships between youth ministers and adolescents. But to what end? A relationship designed to influence the other is no relationship and is unworthy of Christ. In a true relationship Christians must be willing fully to share the place of another.

Identity And Nostalgia Among The Campbellites, James Maverick Cook

Restoration Quarterly

Cook, James Maverick (2006) "Identity and Nostalgia among the Campbellites,"Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 48 : No. 3.

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.

Angels As Spiritual Guides, David San Filippo Ph.D.

David San Filippo Ph.D.

The existence of angels has been discussed for centuries in legendary, philosophical, and religious writings. Many people have reported encounters with angels at different times in their life. Near-death research has recorded angelic encounters, during near-death experiences, by describing encounters with beings of light or angelic forms recognizable to the experiencer. This essay will discuss some legendary, theological, and philosophical beliefs that support the belief in the reality of angels as messengers, guides, and guardians to human beings and their function as spiritual guides during near-death experiences.

Blessing And Sending The Church Into The World For The Sake Of The World, Using Congregational Blessings As A Missional Enterprise, Michael Harbour

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This thesis project equipped the elders to function as a community of men called and authorized by God to bless and send his people into the world for the sake of the world. They were equipped through seven sessions of theological reflection on Scripture and reflection on narratives of those who have offered pastoral blessings. The sessions also included an examination of templates and the opportunity to practice writing and speaking blessings. The elders have been speaking a shepherd’s blessing as the last liturgical act of the Sunday assembly. In this project, missional and textual focus was given to the …

Sheep You Cannot Shear, D. Bruce Seymour

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Do you have sheep like this in your flock? They come to church and feed with the other sheep, we guard them and make sure they stay healthy, but the church never gets any benefit from them. They are three-bags-full sheep, but the church never gets any wool. All their time, all their energy, all their talent is being given to someone else. Those sheep are part of your flock but they are sheep you cannot shear.

Introduction, Gary L. Mcintosh

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

The State Of The Unions—Denominations In The 21st Century, Robert Wenz

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The denominational landscape in America is changing. It is no longer a landscape of blossoming and blooming. It is rather a landscape marked by withering, fallen petals, and some new and different shoots budding. Some denominations are merging or consolidating districts/regions/presbyteries, effectively reducing regional overhead. This serves to reduce the burden on churches to support both a national organization and a regional association. Increasingly, denominations are questioning the relative value and cutting their publications ministries.

Book Review: Small Groups And Established Churches: Challenge And Hope For The Future, Katie Dudgeon

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Church Planting, Elmer Towns

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The challenge of church planting has never been greater. There has always been the challenge of reaching people. But today’s challenges are different than ever before, and more extreme than ever before. Today’s challenges are exploding population, urbanization, technological innovations, expanding travel, complex international commercialization, the growing threat of terrorism, and growing secularization in First World or civilized countries; and in the Third World countries growing mysticism, spiritism, and demonism. Other challenges involve the influence of postmodernity, the influence of globalization through the United Nations, the collapse of church cooperation, i.e., World Council of Churches, Baptist World Alliance, etc.; the …

Pascal’S Wager: A Good Bet For Personal Evangelism, Charles H. Reilly

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), a French scientist and mathematician, argued that it is advantageous to believe in or to “bet on” God because the rewards for doing so are at least as great as the rewards for not believing in God, regardless of whether or not God exists. His decision theoretic argument is commonly referred to as Pascal’s Wager. It is unlikely that everyone has the same estimates of the rewards for believing in God or for not believing in God that Pascal had. Consequently, a series of five questions, based on Pascal’s Wager, is suggested here for personalizing Pascal’s Wager. …

How To Reach The Non-Seeker For Christ, Larry A. Gilbert

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

While we recognize that Seekers may be Christians or non-Christians, all unsaved or unchurched people are NOT Seekers. An overwhelming majority are Non-Seekers, those who do not care about spiritual things and would rather you not bring them up either. In fact, most of the people we really wish we could reach for Christ are non-Seekers. Seeker-oriented methodology will not work for reaching, or for influencing, non-Seekers in today’s culture.

Book Review: Becoming A Healthy Team: 5 Traits Of Vital Leadership, Michael Luster

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

When Scholarship Goes South: Biblical Scholarship And Global Trends, Evertt W. Huffard

Restoration Quarterly

Huffard, Evertt W. (2006) "When Scholarship Goes South: Biblical Scholarship and Global Trends," Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 48 : No. 2.

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.

Book Review: Small Groups & Established Churches: Challenge And Hope For The Future, Gwendolyn Jackson

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

No abstract provided.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit And Church Revitalization: Acts 2:42-2:47, Ray W. Ellis

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

The work of the Holy Spirit is vital to the revitalization of a local church. The entire process of revitalization is based on seeking spiritual health, prayer and the energizing work of the Holy Spirit. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit at work in the life and ministry of a local church all efforts are in vain. A local church may experience numerical gains in attendance, but without the ministry of the Holy Spirit the church will not experience redemptive, Kingdom of God growth.

The Complex Task—A Place For Everyone: Session Four Manhattan Christian College, October 1981, Donald Mcgavran

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

In 1981, Donald McGavran presented a series of lectures at Manhattan Christian College. Over the next few journals, we will publish this series in a continuing effort to honor McGavran and his legacy of Church Growth Missiology. This is the fourth in the series. This article has been transcribed from the taped lectures.

What Does A Real Christian Look Like?, Chuck Fenrick

ATS Conferences

No abstract provided.

Borders And The Kingdom, Steven Ybarrola, Eunice Irwin

ATS Conferences

No abstract provided.

The Whole World Has Changed And The Church Is Asleep, Roland J. Wells Jr.

ATS Conferences

No abstract provided.

My Pilgrimage In Church Growth, Elmer L. Towns

Journal of the American Society for Church Growth

My pilgrimage with Church Growth began with my conversion. It was a deep conversion that affected every part of my life and it was a hard struggle because I didn’t want to give up my self-righteousness.