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Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons™
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Articles 391 - 420 of 458
Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
The Stew Versus Melting Pot Ministry: Multicultural/Ethic Urban Apostolic Partnership, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr.
The Stew Versus Melting Pot Ministry: Multicultural/Ethic Urban Apostolic Partnership, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr.
Great Commission Research Journal
The church today has an opportunity to explore opportunities of culturally and ethnically diverse apostolic missional partnerships. Is it possible that vanguard and strategic concepts of multicultural/ethnic church planting models are contextualized and expanded within the urban setting? Is it possible that such modalities may serve not only towards the unification of believers, but also provide a means of connectivity to empower the community as a whole? The assertion is there are connecting points of evangelism and church growth opportunities found within such strategic and intentional multi-ethic/cultural models of apostolic partnerships.
History Revisited: Learning From Charles H. Spurgeon’S Commitment To Conversion Growth, Michael O'Neal
History Revisited: Learning From Charles H. Spurgeon’S Commitment To Conversion Growth, Michael O'Neal
Great Commission Research Journal
Donald McGavran and Peter Wagner, the early leaders of the Church Growth Movement (CGM), longed to see conversion growth as the primary source of church growth. Yet one of the common criticisms of church growth today is its lack of emphasis on conversion growth. This article discusses this criticism and argues that the church can learn from Charles H. Spurgeon’s commitment to conversion growth, calling church growth back to its theological and missiological roots.
Leading The Multiethnic Church: Help From New Metaphors And The Leadership Challenge, Elizabeth Childs Drury
Leading The Multiethnic Church: Help From New Metaphors And The Leadership Challenge, Elizabeth Childs Drury
Great Commission Research Journal
Success in leading the multiethnic church (MEC) eludes assessment because of the variety of congregational configurations and the unique intercultural environment. This article describes how leadership in one MEC harmonizes with and differs from basic cultural standards as expressed in James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s The Leadership Challenge. It follows an earlier case study (published in the Summer 2010 issue) about weaknesses that emerged at a DC-area MEC when Dan, the beloved pastor, resigned. Three new categories describe designs: the mall, the cinema, and the blend. Six new metaphors describe relationships among different cultural groups: renters, investors, neighbors, coworkers, siblings, …
Book Review: The Steward Leader: Transforming People, Organizations, And Communities By R. Scott Rodin, Alan Karr
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity In Christ’S Mission Is Vital To The Future Of The Church By John H. Armstrong, Robert I. Garrett Jr.
Book Review: Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity In Christ’S Mission Is Vital To The Future Of The Church By John H. Armstrong, Robert I. Garrett Jr.
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Encountering Theology Of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, And Contemporary Issues By Craig Ott And Stephen J. Strauss With Timothy Tennent, R. Bruce Carlton
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: The Heart Of Mentoring: Ten Proven Principles For Developing People To Their Fullest Potential By David A. Stoddard, Jeff Ritchley
Book Review: The Heart Of Mentoring: Ten Proven Principles For Developing People To Their Fullest Potential By David A. Stoddard, Jeff Ritchley
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
A Theology Of Church Planting, Phil Stevenson
A Theology Of Church Planting, Phil Stevenson
Great Commission Research Journal
Does church planting need a theology of its own? Or is it enough for it to be informed by theological themes? This paper will attempt to address this conversation. It will show that, even though, church planting may fall outside the realm of traditional theology it is still a branch off the theological trunk. Church planting is an implementation of theological teaching. There are four theological foundations that inform the practice of church planting. They are critical for church planting reflection and framing. These are: Missio Dei, Incarnation, Kingdom of God, and Ecclesiology. Each of this will be explored and …
Book Review: Formational Children’S Ministry: Shaping Children Using Story, Ritual, And Relationship By Ivey Beckwith, Brian Honett
Book Review: Formational Children’S Ministry: Shaping Children Using Story, Ritual, And Relationship By Ivey Beckwith, Brian Honett
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Urban Ministry And Social Media: Moving From Billboards To Cafés, Troy Bush
Urban Ministry And Social Media: Moving From Billboards To Cafés, Troy Bush
Great Commission Research Journal
A social revolution has occurred in the last ten years. Social media has forever changed the way we communicate and develop community. At the same time, the urban age has dawned, and the convergence of these two global events creates unprecedented opportunities for urban ministry. This article examines the rise of cell phone texting, Facebook, and Twitter, including city rankings based on the use of social media. It concludes with recommendations for ways urban churches, ministries, and missions can maximize their use of social media.
Equipping Nationals To Train Church Planters In Their Culture, Mark Alan Williams
Equipping Nationals To Train Church Planters In Their Culture, Mark Alan Williams
Great Commission Research Journal
Training in a cross-cultural environment has it challenges, but these challenges can be overcome through cultural sensitivity and emphasizing biblical principles over North American bias. A key element of cross-cultural training is equipping nationals to multiply the training throughout their cultural setting. Nationals make the best trainers for one primary reason: they understand their people best. This article provides practical methods for enhanced cross-cultural training effectiveness. Jesus’ training process is outlined as a model for such training. Common mistakes are shared so they might be avoided in equipping nationals to train.
Book Review: The Color Of Church: A Biblical And Practical Paradigm For Multiracial Churches By Rodney Woo, Todd Robertson
Book Review: The Color Of Church: A Biblical And Practical Paradigm For Multiracial Churches By Rodney Woo, Todd Robertson
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh
Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Global Migration, The United States And Canada: A Great Commission Opportunity, J. D. Payne
Global Migration, The United States And Canada: A Great Commission Opportunity, J. D. Payne
Great Commission Research Journal
The history of the United States and Canada is a story of migration. While many waves of early migrants came from Christianized European countries, the past several decades have revealed many contemporary migrants coming from Asian, African, and Middle Eastern contexts where Evangelicals are small in number. While certainly there is a great influx of migrants from Latin American contexts, there are also large numbers of migrants coming to the U. S. and Canada representing some of the world’s least reached peoples. In this article, I attempt to describe their numbers and offer a theological and missiological response to this …
Rethinking Missiology In The Context For The 21st Century: Global Demographic Trends And Diaspora Missiology, Enoch Wan
Great Commission Research Journal
New orientations are required of practitioners/researchers in formulating mission strategy and conducting missiological research in the context of the 21st Century due to the global demographic trends of internal migration to the city and international immigration to countries of the Northwest region. In addition, the center of Christianity has shifted from the Northern hemisphere towards the south and from the post-Christian west to elsewhere; thus new approaches are required. Diaspora missiology will be presented as an alternative to the traditional orientations of farming analogy (e.g. church planting and church growth), territorialization (e.g. home vs. foreign missions, sending vs. receiving) and …
Unique Characteristics Of Church Planters: A Research Proposal, Francis A. Lonsway, Hutz H. Hertzberg
Unique Characteristics Of Church Planters: A Research Proposal, Francis A. Lonsway, Hutz H. Hertzberg
Great Commission Research Journal
This article is the second and concluding article derived from the doctoral research project on young, male church planters initiated by Hertzberg with statistical and analytical support by Lonsway. Its goal is to recap the major initiatives in the research on church planters in the evangelical tradition and to cite their strengths and limitations, to summarize the research design and findings from Hertzberg’s research using the researcher’s Church Planter Questionnaire and the Stage II Casebook of the ATS Profiles of Ministry Program, and to offer a set of recommendations to strengthen and broaden the research in this vital area of …
More Than Good Ideas: The Significance Of Planning In Scripture, Katie Dudgeon
More Than Good Ideas: The Significance Of Planning In Scripture, Katie Dudgeon
Great Commission Research Journal
Planning often gets a bad rap in churches that are centered on God’s Word, even though planning helps us to be wise, be good stewards, and express our faith in God. This article focuses on the nature of biblical planning as seen in Scripture, as well as three specific instances in Scripture where planning was an essential element of accomplishing God’s purposes. We see that planning is not a twentieth century invention, but something that is core to who God is and how we express our faith in Him.
Teaching For Transformation, Michael L. Wilson
Teaching For Transformation, Michael L. Wilson
Great Commission Research Journal
The center of Christianity began in Jerusalem in the Middle East, then shifted to Europe and then expanded to include North America. In the last three decades the center of Christianity as measured by the number of adherents to the faith has shifted from North America and Europe to South America and Africa. Some of the largest churches in Europe currently were founded by church planters from Africa. Now the shift is back to the Middle East where it all began as millions of Muslims are trusting Christ through visions and other signs and wonders. Conversely the Church in North …
Book Review: The Missional Church And Leadership Formation: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity By Craig Van G Elder, Ed., Scott D. Edgar
Book Review: The Missional Church And Leadership Formation: Helping Congregations Develop Leadership Capacity By Craig Van G Elder, Ed., Scott D. Edgar
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Leadership Next: Changing Leaders In A Changing Culture By Eddie G Ibbs, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr
Book Review: Leadership Next: Changing Leaders In A Changing Culture By Eddie G Ibbs, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Church Movements Of The Last Fifty Years In North America, Gary L. Mcintosh
Church Movements Of The Last Fifty Years In North America, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
Over the last half-century, four major movements have arisen in an effort to stem the tide of decline in church attendance within North America. The Church Renewal Movement, Church Growth Movement, Emerging Church Movement, and Missional Movement have offered different approaches to engaging lost people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This article presents an overview of these major movements and the numerous sub-movements within each and suggests five insights and seven questions that emerge from their interplay.
Book Review: Evangelism Handbook: Biblical, Spiritual, Intentional, Missional By Alvin Reid, Chuck Lawless
Book Review: Evangelism Handbook: Biblical, Spiritual, Intentional, Missional By Alvin Reid, Chuck Lawless
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Book Review: Thy Kingdom Connected: What The Church Can Learn From Facebook, The Internet, And Other Networks By Dwight J. Freisen, Doug Wilson
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Introduction, Alan Mcmahan
When Euangelion Met Apologia: An Examination Of The Mind’S Role In Conversion And The Value Of Apologetics In Evangelism, Adam W. Greenway
When Euangelion Met Apologia: An Examination Of The Mind’S Role In Conversion And The Value Of Apologetics In Evangelism, Adam W. Greenway
Great Commission Research Journal
The purpose of this essay is to explore the contributions apologetics can make to the evangelistic task by examining in detail the role the mind plays in conversion. The first section of the essay is concerned with understanding the nature of the gospel message as shared in an evangelistic encounter. The positive response of saving faith and belief, and its counterpart, the negative response of unbelief, are explored in detail. Of particular significance here is the question of whether or not in a gospel encounter a response of unbelief (i.e., “I don’t believe in heaven, the Bible,” etc.) is primarily …
Leadership Transfer Awakens Dormant Dilemmas In A Multi Ethnic Church: Correctives From Church Planting, Elizabeth Childs Drury
Leadership Transfer Awakens Dormant Dilemmas In A Multi Ethnic Church: Correctives From Church Planting, Elizabeth Childs Drury
Great Commission Research Journal
This case study examines the six-month transition to a new pastor for a multiethnic, multicongregational church near Washington, DC. It describes four dilemmas that emerged and proposes correctives from church-planting literature, particularly the facilitative approach of Tom Steffen (and principles from Donald McGavran and David Garrison). First, the ownership dilemma asks how a multiethnic church can achieve genuine mutuality among varied cultural groups and suggests the need for chronological Bible teaching. Second, the identity dilemma asks how deeply individual pastors and congregations need to agree on matters of governance and doctrine, and how non-negotiables can best be communicated. It insists …
Book Review: When The Church Was A Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision For Authentic Christian Community By Joseph H. Hellerman, James A. Borland
Book Review: When The Church Was A Family: Recapturing Jesus’ Vision For Authentic Christian Community By Joseph H. Hellerman, James A. Borland
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
An Unromantic Yet Strategic Side Of Missions, Ivan Chung
An Unromantic Yet Strategic Side Of Missions, Ivan Chung
Great Commission Research Journal
International students represent an often-forgotten group in diaspora missions, but have an incredible potential for global and local impact, as well as ministries among international students. This article introduces the cultural, social, and spiritual potential of international students and ministries among them, and suggests strategies as to why and how they can impact the world on many different levels.
Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh
Dissertations And Theses Notices, Gary L. Mcintosh
Great Commission Research Journal
No abstract provided.
Donald Mcgavran’S Theological Foundations For “Effective Evangelism”, Jeff K. Walters
Donald Mcgavran’S Theological Foundations For “Effective Evangelism”, Jeff K. Walters
Great Commission Research Journal
From its inception, the Church Growth Movement, as espoused by its “father,” Donald A. McGavran, was focused on “effective evangelism.” The purpose of this article is to identify McGavran’s theology of evangelism as revealed in his published writings. While he may never have delineated a precise theology of evangelism, one can find in McGavran’s writings an orthodox, if sometimes incomplete, system regarding the working of God in the salvation of men and women. The article investigates McGavran’s views on Scripture, the content and proclamation of the gospel, and on key soteriological issues.