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Articles 331 - 360 of 458
Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Book Review: Understanding World Christianity: The Vision And Work Of Andrew F. Walls By William R. Burrows, Mark R. Gornik, And Janice A. Mclean, Eds., Dwight P. Baker
Book Review: Understanding World Christianity: The Vision And Work Of Andrew F. Walls By William R. Burrows, Mark R. Gornik, And Janice A. Mclean, Eds., Dwight P. Baker
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Wisdom From Lyle E. Schaller: The Elder Statesman Of Church Leadership By Warren Bird, Ed., James R. Farrer
Book Review: Wisdom From Lyle E. Schaller: The Elder Statesman Of Church Leadership By Warren Bird, Ed., James R. Farrer
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Blow Ups Or Grow Ups: Strategic Issues For Turnaround Churches, Kent R. Hunter
Blow Ups Or Grow Ups: Strategic Issues For Turnaround Churches, Kent R. Hunter
Great Commission Research Journal
This article addresses the theological and strategic issues affecting current turnaround churches in North America. In at least two scenarios, pastors can either “blow up” or “grow up” their church. The difference lies in the way change is introduced. Dr. Hunter explains that the biblical model of repentance, or metanoia, is always focused on turning towards God. To refocus the church’s mission on discipleship and away from the cultural drift, an understanding of the three most common church change strategies is essential. This discussion includes an analysis of the transition, extension, and organic models, along with an illustration of what …
Finding Still Waters And Green Pastures: Understanding And Reducing Stress In Urban Church Planting, David R. Dunaetz
Finding Still Waters And Green Pastures: Understanding And Reducing Stress In Urban Church Planting, David R. Dunaetz
Great Commission Research Journal
The work of urban church planters is often hindered by high levels of stress. Stress may be viewed as a process that involves stressors and an individual’s perceptions of both the level of threat and his or her ability to deal with the threat. The long-term and the short-term consequences of stress can be attenuated through appropriate coping strategies such as problem solving, prayer, and seeking social support. Recent empirical evidence indicates that exposure to nature is also very effective, a strategy that might be especially beneficial to urban church planters and their ministries. Several practical applications are suggested.
Book Review: Christian, Evangelical & . . . Democrat? By George G. Hunter Iii, Willam Ingram
Book Review: Christian, Evangelical & . . . Democrat? By George G. Hunter Iii, Willam Ingram
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Closing Our Doors: Ten Reasons To Consider Why Your Church May Be In Trouble . . . And What To Do, Danny R. Von Kanel
Closing Our Doors: Ten Reasons To Consider Why Your Church May Be In Trouble . . . And What To Do, Danny R. Von Kanel
Great Commission Research Journal
1) Motivation/problem statement: Churches across America are in decline. This article points out ten possible reasons a person’s church may be soon closing its doors and offers possible solutions. 2) Methods/procedure/approach: I used my experience and several recent research surveys by Barna Research, Faith Communities Today 2005 Survey, and the Leavell Church Growth Center to present a variety of church door slammers. 3) Results/Findings/product: If churches will take note of these door slammers and use the suggested solutions listed, they can address each and turn their church around. 4) Conclusion/implications: If churches want to be healthy in the truest sense …
Book Review: Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor By Ross Anderson, Travis S. Kerns
Book Review: Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor By Ross Anderson, Travis S. Kerns
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
The Impact Of Church Age And Size On Turnaround, Gary Mcintosh
The Impact Of Church Age And Size On Turnaround, Gary Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
Other than a congregation’s beliefs and values, the two key aspects most helpful in understanding a local church are its age and size. While other studies have compared the growth and decline of a church to its life cycle and size barriers, this article examines the primary intervention strategies found most helpful by church consultants for different size and age categories.
Sideways Leadership: Perceptions Of The Senior Pastor’S Transformational Leadership Style And Its Relationship To Church Effectiveness, Donald D. Rumley
Sideways Leadership: Perceptions Of The Senior Pastor’S Transformational Leadership Style And Its Relationship To Church Effectiveness, Donald D. Rumley
Great Commission Research Journal
What if research could demonstrate how a more collaborative or transformational approach to church leadership had a positive impact on the overall effectiveness of the church? Would pastors adjust their leadership style, and would seminaries expand their pastoral training curriculum? Research continues to affirm the importance of leadership in the health and effectiveness of organizations from multiple contexts. Everything from schools to politics shows the need for leadership. Yet, little quantitative research has been done to see the impact of leadership within the church arena. Is it possible that leadership style correlates to the effectiveness of corporate America but has …
In Search Of The Healthy Church: A Meta-Ethnographic Study, Russell L. Huizing
In Search Of The Healthy Church: A Meta-Ethnographic Study, Russell L. Huizing
Great Commission Research Journal
After a brief literature review, eight of the primary contemporary church health resources are subjected to a meta-ethnographic study. The resources’ combined twenty-six health indicators are translated through the meta-themes of organizational structure, developing community, church characteristics, and personal characteristics. A discussion and visual synthesis of the translations point to the church literature developing community through organizational structure which in turn cultivates church and personal characteristics. Future research recommendations include expanding the study of church metaphors beyond “body” and identifying metaphor-specific characteristics through exegetical study
Identifying And Reaching Ethnic Groups In The City, Anthony Casey
Identifying And Reaching Ethnic Groups In The City, Anthony Casey
Great Commission Research Journal
Immigrants are arriving in the United States in large numbers. We know the statistics, but what we do not know is who these people are, where they are living, and how we reach them with the Gospel. This article presents a strategy for identifying and reaching ethnic groups in the city. The first section provides information for locating internationals through research at the national, state, and local level. The second section examines issues related to urban ethnic church planting such as meeting felt needs, understanding worldview issues, dealing with preliterates, and training and partnering with other churches.
Book Review: Leading Small Groups With Purpose: Everything You Need To Lead A Healthy Group By Steve Gladen, Robert L. Turner
Book Review: Leading Small Groups With Purpose: Everything You Need To Lead A Healthy Group By Steve Gladen, Robert L. Turner
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Here Today, There Tomorrow: Unleashing Your Church’S Potential By Gary L. Mcintosh, Robert Vajko
Book Review: Here Today, There Tomorrow: Unleashing Your Church’S Potential By Gary L. Mcintosh, Robert Vajko
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Building Self-Replicating Core Teams For Church Planting, J. R. Miller
Building Self-Replicating Core Teams For Church Planting, J. R. Miller
Great Commission Research Journal
“Building Self-Replicating Core Teams for Church Planting” will assist church planters in building more effective teams that can reproduce themselves in the second-generation leadership of the church. The article begins with a summary of the problem in building self-replicating core teams and continues with a look at the example of the apostle Paul’s church planting ministry. The article goes on to share the results from a survey of highly experienced church planters in the United States. It concludes by presenting a list of key components necessary for building core teams for church planting. The principles were shown through research to …
The Engagement Of Newcomers In Church Attendance: Theological And Case Study Research From Australia, Ian Hussey
The Engagement Of Newcomers In Church Attendance: Theological And Case Study Research From Australia, Ian Hussey
Great Commission Research Journal
Church attendance, as a percentage of population, is declining in Australia. However, the Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS) has identified a number of churches that have large percentages of what the NCLS calls “newcomers”—those who have joined their church in the previous five years and had not previously attended a church. This article reports on theological and sociological case study research into newcomers, the process of engagement, and the churches with which they engage. A model of church engagement in the first century churches is identified and its effectiveness in twenty-first century Australia confirmed.
Book Review: The Post-Racial Church: A Biblical Framework For Multiethnic Reconciliation By Kenneth A. Matthews And M. Sydney Park, Stephen G. Crouse
Book Review: The Post-Racial Church: A Biblical Framework For Multiethnic Reconciliation By Kenneth A. Matthews And M. Sydney Park, Stephen G. Crouse
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: The Ethics Of Evangelism: A Philosophical Defense Of Proselytizing And Persuasion By Elmer John Theissen, Thomas P. Johnston
Book Review: The Ethics Of Evangelism: A Philosophical Defense Of Proselytizing And Persuasion By Elmer John Theissen, Thomas P. Johnston
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
What Makes A Multi-Site Church One Church?, John S. Hammett
What Makes A Multi-Site Church One Church?, John S. Hammett
Great Commission Research Journal
This article examines the phenomenon of the multi-site church movement in light of the historic belief in the oneness of the church. It discusses historic understandings of oneness, the definition of oneness used by multi-site advocates, and the single most commonly raised objection to multi-site churches—that they fail to assemble. It evaluates the validity of that objection and multi-site churches as a whole and finds that the oneness of a local church in the New Testament requires relational and geographical closeness that most multi-site churches lack.
Book Review: Urban Impact: Reaching The World Through Effective Urban Ministry By John L. Thompson, Timothy R. Sisk
Book Review: Urban Impact: Reaching The World Through Effective Urban Ministry By John L. Thompson, Timothy R. Sisk
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Turnaround Church Ministry: Causes Of Decline And Changes Needed For Turnaround, Dan Eymann
Turnaround Church Ministry: Causes Of Decline And Changes Needed For Turnaround, Dan Eymann
Great Commission Research Journal
“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” This familiar saying is the crux of this paper. With 85% of the churches in North America in plateau or decline, change is desperately needed. Change is the name-of-the-game in turnaround church ministry. This paper examines the following three crucial questions in turnaround ministry: (1) what are the primary causes of decline in North American churches, (2) what are the changes needed to effectively turn around plateaued or declining churches, and (3) what is the relationship between the changes implemented for turnaround and the …
Church Turnaround: Perspectives, Principles, And Practices, Kenneth E. Priddy
Church Turnaround: Perspectives, Principles, And Practices, Kenneth E. Priddy
Great Commission Research Journal
Prominent church analysts agree that over 80% of American Protestant churches are in plateau and decline and that the growth of the church is not keeping pace with the growth of the population. Sacrifice on the part of church leaders and congregants is sorely needed but strongly resisted, as congregations tend to prefer stability and familiarity above risk and change. This paper presents insights into the origin of plateau and decline and offers perspectives, principles, and practices that when properly and faithfully applied, generate health, growth, and multiplication in churches that commit to sustainable church turnaround.
Intergenerational Church Splits, Eunice Hong, Richard L. Starcher
Intergenerational Church Splits, Eunice Hong, Richard L. Starcher
Great Commission Research Journal
Generational and cultural differences between the first- and second-generation Korean American church leaders have caused division, anxiety, and tension. Though nearly all immigrant churches recognize the difficulties of embracing different generations and cultures, the lack of attention has resulted in frustration, bitterness, and ultimately, separation of the church. This article explores key factors contributing to church splits in multigenerational Korean-American churches in the greater Los Angeles area. Research participants included seventeen second-generation Korean-Americans. While they were from different churches and various denominations, all participants were involved in a church split. Data was collected through open-ended, semi-structured interviews. A careful analysis …
Interdependent Church Planting Among The Urban Poor: A Case Study With Living Bread Ministries In Southern Brazil, G. Patrick Hubbard Ii
Interdependent Church Planting Among The Urban Poor: A Case Study With Living Bread Ministries In Southern Brazil, G. Patrick Hubbard Ii
Great Commission Research Journal
This case study will highlight the work of Living Bread Ministries. I will detail our seven-year journey of beginning LBM, building interdependent partnerships with indigenous leaders, and planting eight churches in the favelas within the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, Brazil. In addition, I will discuss how these partnerships have led to planting churches and to establishing a Brazilian-led church planting ministry which shares the vision and focus of LBM. Through this organization, Brazilian individuals and churches are joining us to plant churches among the urban poor in Brazil and beyond. Finally, I will share some theological principles that are …
Book Review: A Light To The Nations: The Missional Church And The Biblical Story By Michael W. Goheen, Tereso C. Casino
Book Review: A Light To The Nations: The Missional Church And The Biblical Story By Michael W. Goheen, Tereso C. Casino
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Total Church: A Radical Reshaping Around Gospel And Community By Tim Chester And Steve Timmis, Rod Earls
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, And Possibility Of Christianity In The Late Modern World By James Davison Hunter, Joel Rainey
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging And Traditional By Jim Belcher, William P. Brooks
Book Review: Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging And Traditional By Jim Belcher, William P. Brooks
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Plateaued Church: Creating A Culture Of Growth, Phil Stevenson
Plateaued Church: Creating A Culture Of Growth, Phil Stevenson
Great Commission Research Journal
The plateaued and declining churches are a great challenge for denominational leaders. This paper deals with this challenge. It is the premise of this work that denominations, especially at the judicatory level of their organization, need to be culture creators. Leaders must create a culture where plateaued and declining churches can move from ill health to healthy, fit congregations. Such a culture will only be created when judicatory leaders readjust their role from administration to consulting, coaching, strategizing, and vision casting.
A Critique Of The Multi-Ethnic Church Planting Strategy, Gustavo Suarez
A Critique Of The Multi-Ethnic Church Planting Strategy, Gustavo Suarez
Great Commission Research Journal
This paper seeks to discover if the multiethnic church planting strategy is effective in reaching a multicultural nation. This paper will first take a brief look at the challenges of an ethnic population in North America with primary emphasis given to the Hispanic population. Second, I will present supportive evidence for the multiethnic church planting view. Third, I will present arguments against the multiethnic strategy. Fourth, I will give observations and implications for the church. The main source of argument centers more in the methodology used. The reader will readily see the contrasting theological and cultural opinions of these two …
Characteristics Of Turnaround Pastors, Gordon Penfold
Characteristics Of Turnaround Pastors, Gordon Penfold
Great Commission Research Journal
While the population of the United States grows, the percentage of people attending church continues to plummet. Much of the drop can be attributed to the 70% to 85% of the churches that have plateaued or declined in attendance. However, bright spots are on the church landscape. Many churches, after decades of plateau or decline, begin to turn around and grow as they are led by “turnaround” pastors. This paper explores the leadership characteristics of turnaround pastors in contradistinction to non-turnaround pastors and argues that church renewal and church planting are critical components needed for a healthy twenty-first century church.