{"response":{"docs":[{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T20:09:22Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-05-22T03:03:22Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"62d8e3a7-7400-4d80-877e-b29399038266","accessControl_ssim":["9b896d6b-05be-4416-851c-455571fe33f1"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["A Strategy for Revitalizing Calvary Christian Church through the Baptist Resource Network's Three Key Behaviors"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T20:09:21Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T01:01:46Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["df92000e-f66c-4304-8370-3335da1f1bd9"],"hasLease_ssim":["94049e56-01af-4d0f-a65f-6241a1020b19"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Missio Seminary"],"year_tesim":["2022"],"resource_type_tesim":["Dissertation"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Robert James Fontell Jr."],"subject_tesim":["Baptist Church","Church renewal","Congregational Church","Mission of the church","African American churches"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["Statistics indicate that thousands of churches have experienced decline to such an extent that without intervention, these churches will reach the death stage in the life cycle of the church. However, churches do not have to experience the final stages of the life cycle of the church because they possess the potential for renewed growth. Pastors can learn the skill of leading a church through revitalization.This project will examine principles that bring life and transformation to the local church through biblical research on church health, the study of the life cycle of a church, common biblical behaviors of healthy churches, and their impact on declining churches. It will seek to explain the evangelistic efforts that addressed the decline experienced by Calvary Christian Church (CCC), Northeast Philadelphia, PA, and brought the beginnings of revitalization. The biblical research describes the development of an evangelism strategy that will change the culture of the church to rediscover its mission and foster a healthy state."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"related_url_tesim":["https://www.tren.com/e-docs/search.cfm?p022-0193"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1799720275479101440,"timestamp":"2024-05-22T03:03:23.440Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:29:30Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-05-22T02:08:43Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"2f871b94-734c-4191-8a81-81fc46924c56","accessControl_ssim":["4d46bab1-3fd7-4066-8817-7cdb4c1f1bd8"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["The Loss of Baptist Identity: How the Loss of the Baptist Name Impacts Theological Identity"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:29:29Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-16T23:30:52Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["be932baa-d687-4dc8-9967-b3d0fd0a39b0"],"hasLease_ssim":["779a4efe-ea76-40b4-ade0-ed8dd5c64f94"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Bethel Seminary"],"advisor_tesim":["Ken Geis"],"year_tesim":["2021"],"location_tesim":["Minnesota"],"resource_type_tesim":["Dissertation"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Josiah Hoagland"],"subject_tesim":["Rural churches","Baptist Church","Congregational Church","Congregations"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["Throughout the United States, many Baptist churches have been following a recent trend of dropping “Baptist” from the church title. Research has shown that with the rise of post-denominationalism, there is a loss of identity in Baptist churches. This study explores the effects of dropping the name Baptist from a church’s title and its perceived impact on the theological identity of the church. This study includes a literature review analyzing the current body of literature on Baptist identity. Six Converge North Central Baptist churches were studied, three with a Baptist name and three without, using church surveys and interviews with church leaders to determine what theological differences exist between the two categories. The results of the study showed theological differences between the two categories; however, further research, including a quantitative analysis of Baptist churches spanning a broader region of the United States, would be helpful in determining catalysts for Baptist churches dropping the Baptist name."],"license_tesim":["https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/"],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"related_url_tesim":["https://spark.bethel.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1295\u0026context=etd"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1799716837428035584,"timestamp":"2024-05-22T02:08:44.659Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:14:53Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T06:45:47Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"8bb6a4b8-24f8-4de4-bedb-8cacd2bf663a","accessControl_ssim":["554284dd-e087-49c1-ba42-e969346782fc"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["Love to Tell the Story: The Benefits of Engaging with a Church's History to Strengthen Its Identity for the Present and Future"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:14:52Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T02:13:49Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["81559638-d641-428f-9897-6ac55248aa56"],"hasLease_ssim":["8c691f43-ff0f-4ce7-9b09-e857ded7d448"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Campbell University Divinity School"],"advisor_tesim":["Barry Jones Ph.D."],"year_tesim":["2020"],"location_tesim":["United States","North Carolina"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Lamkin, Stuart Micah"],"subject_tesim":["Bible. Genesis","System theory","Church history","Congregational Church","Congregations--Internal conflict","Baptist Church","Pastoral theology"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["It is easy to be distraught over the current state of churches in America—less money, less people, and more closures. It is a crisis of survival and also identity. So this project helps a congregation see a bigger picture. By helping a church discover, engage with, and celebrate its history, it strengthens a sense of identity in the present, and better positions the church to walk into its future. Through proven techniques of narrative therapy and Family Systems Theory, this project leads a congregation to increase in self-awareness, emotional maturity, and a knowledge of its own story. By knowing its past, it can better plan its future."],"license_tesim":["https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1791127558926893056,"timestamp":"2024-02-17T06:45:50.356Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:14:53Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-05-22T03:04:36Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"656af596-8f09-4017-9305-f7c3f6948f07","accessControl_ssim":["2417bcff-57c6-431b-9996-da843ca1e2bf"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["Discernment in the Life of the Church"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:14:52Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T01:05:56Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["36ec818f-9e24-46ee-be3e-ad22572c8ee8"],"hasLease_ssim":["22975a98-8a2a-42b6-a8c8-f1a10484e5be"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Campbell University Divinity School"],"advisor_tesim":["Derek Hogan Ph.D."],"year_tesim":["2020"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Riggsbee, Matt"],"keyword_tesim":["Church and community"],"subject_tesim":["Prayer","Decision making","Clergy--Religious life","Christian education","Clergy and laity","Congregations","Organizational change","Spiritual direction","Christian life","Religious change","Church planning","Christian education--Teaching methods","Gifts, Spiritual","Baptist Church","Church work","Church renewal","Congregational Church","Mission of the church"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["To discern is to commune with God. Communion with God occurs through faith in God’s Son Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ brings the Holy Spirit’s presence into one’s life. This allows the created to supernaturally experience its existence from the Creator’s perspective. Discernment is concerned with acknowledging, contemplating, processing, understanding and responding as one realizes God’s existence in their life and existence throughout all creation. This project focuses on how the body of Christ can discern God’s will so that individually and collectively followers of Jesus can best live into the realities of Jesus’ mission and ministry."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["public","work_editor"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1799720352186630144,"timestamp":"2024-05-22T03:04:36.594Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:12:45Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-05-22T03:10:02Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"74c7bd2c-2da0-4e2b-8fce-10c8f1f995d6","accessControl_ssim":["664c25a9-4a0d-4603-ae45-81e6043afdc9"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["Giving It Away: A Workshop On A Biblical Model Of Succession Inthe Congregational African American Church"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:12:44Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T01:33:27Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["30e9c70b-bc90-4c08-8eb9-7124e13c9000"],"hasLease_ssim":["8516fdef-e386-4be8-89b1-0821f7ef74e7"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Missio Seminary"],"advisor_tesim":["Kyuboem Lee D.Min."],"year_tesim":["2021"],"location_tesim":["United States"],"resource_type_tesim":["Dissertation"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["James L.  Betner"],"subject_tesim":["Clergy--Appointment, call, and election","Baptist Church","Congregational Church","African American churches","Church planning"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["Nothing stays the same. This inevitability of change and transition should promptevery active lead pastor to understand that the place you stand in today may in fact be theplace another stands in tomorrow. To be fully cognizant of that reality aids in the pastor’sability to be able to see beyond the present and to begin thinking about and perhaps evenpreparing for the unavoidable future of the present ministry. Pastoral enmeshment and theimproper views of competition in ministry must be countered with a clear understandingof the pastor as a steward who is called to build the Lord’s kingdom, not a personal one.Succession planning, then, must include a theology of leadership development and a clearunderstanding of what a healthy pastorate looks like. There must be a mutual synergy ofpastor and people who can appreciate yesterday and today and yet still anticipate withgreater affection the possibility of tomorrow. This work identifies biblical models forsuccession and offers practical methods to prepare the pastor and people for eventualtransitions.Without attention to succession planning, a church and its pastor succumbs tobeing reactive at best, and negligent at worst, by waiting for a crisis to unfold as a resultof inevitable changes in leadership. However, when a proper perspective of succession isdeveloped for the church and the pastor, it adds stability to the mission of the church andfrees the pastor to willingly give it away at the right time.At the core of this project is the process of the development of a succession planfor the Delaware Valley Baptist Church of Willingboro, NJ in particular, and successionin the Protestant congregational church in general."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"related_url_tesim":["https://missio.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1252970108"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1799720694737534976,"timestamp":"2024-05-22T03:10:03.276Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:06:33Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T06:38:53Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"7ca826ca-8497-43d5-841b-c0a9429289ce","accessControl_ssim":["5584bc33-4777-47b9-97f3-da5937dd046f"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["Truth by Surprise: Subverting Expectations of the Kingdom of God through Homiletical Humor"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:06:32Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T01:48:47Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["38beb94f-df2d-4075-9004-2bb9c9fd3fe7"],"hasLease_ssim":["662a6dd5-1c26-446b-bade-c6a808502828"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Mercer University, McAfee School of Theology"],"advisor_tesim":["Brett Younger Ph.D."],"year_tesim":["2018"],"location_tesim":["Tennessee","United States"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Naeve, Rory"],"subject_tesim":["Kingdom of God","Sermons","Congregational Church","Bible--Homiletic use","Baptist Church","Preaching","Bible. Matthew"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["The congregants of First Baptist Church, Oak Ridge, Tennessee are like people in many churches around the United States. They are long-time church-goers who have attended Sunday school lessons and heard sermons on biblical texts enough to breed a familiarity that can prevent further insight. The preacher must find a way to bypass familiarity, allowing hearers to experience the text anew. This study measures how six sermons employing humor subvert expectations to give a renewed experience of Jesus’ descriptions of the Kingdom of God in the parables in Matthew’s Gospel.Twelve participants were interviewed in three sessions over six weeks to measure how effective humor is in communicating the complex and counter-cultural Kingdom of God that Jesus expresses in the parables. The group was interviewed together in three semi-structured sessions to allow participants to give their insights and experiences with limited researcher prompting.Participant responses indicate that humor indeed aided in experiencing familiar parables with a new perspective, a sense of personal interaction, and a desire to act upon the principles of the Kingdom as presented in the sermons. Humor can provide a fresh experience for preachers and congregations alike. Further study should be conducted in utilizing humor to preach texts of other biblical genres, such as the Hebrew prophets, proverbs, psalms, and epistles. Humor is a broad category, and some research into the congregation’s varied responses to specific types of humor (wit, anecdote, or satire) could be illuminating."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"related_url_tesim":["http://hdl.handle.net/10898/5099"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1791127125105836032,"timestamp":"2024-02-17T06:38:56.632Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:06:33Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T06:27:51Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"66ddac49-9956-4080-964e-acb8645e870a","accessControl_ssim":["178c98d6-14c6-469a-89c1-1bf433307b34"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["The incarnation of blessing: How do worshipers at First Baptist Church of West Jefferson, NC experience blessing in the confluence of the sermon and liturgical response?"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:06:32Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-17T01:08:08Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["fe1e047a-af55-4211-bf6b-b1e44d6879f9"],"hasLease_ssim":["2759ae1c-62b9-4d91-b77f-30ef714a71bb"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Mercer University, McAfee School of Theology"],"advisor_tesim":["Peter Rhea Jones Ph.D."],"year_tesim":["2017"],"location_tesim":["United States","North Carolina"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. Project"],"types_tesim":["Text"],"creator_tesim":["Lea, Michael Shane"],"subject_tesim":["Sermons","Congregational Church","Baptist Church","Preaching","Theology, Contextual","Liturgics"],"language_tesim":["English"],"abstract_tesim":["The dialogical and incarnational nature of Christian worship provides opportunities for personal encounters with the Triune God. God speaks to people through the “liturgical language” of worship— the literal and figurative words used and the material signs and symbols of worship practices. Worshipers often respond by describing their experience in theological language (theology literally means “words about God”). Implementing the methodological approach of pastoral ethnography, this  project sought to understand the relationship between the liturgical language of certain worship practices and the theology of worshipers at First Baptist of West Jefferson, NC. In particular, how do worshipers at First Baptist experience what they had previously described as the “blessing” of God’s presence and love through sermons with concurrent liturgical responses?The researcher utilized the speech-act theory of J. L. Austin’s work How to Do Things with Words as an interpretive tool of the performative nature of six sermons with concurrent liturgical responses. The performative impact of these sermons and responses was explored for six consecutive weeks in the Sunday morning worship service at First Baptist. Through data collected from weekly surveys and a handful of focus groups, participants revealed the performative nature of the sermons and concurrent liturgical responses, and how they experienced the blessing of God’s presence and love through the liturgical language of the sermons and concurrent practices.The project revealed important lessons about the performative nature of liturgical language, particularly how members of First Baptist experience the blessing of God’s love and presence through sermons and concurrent liturgical responses. 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If the gospel is going to spread in a post-Christian culture, then the church must learn to use variegated language to speak about how God is to be found in the world.This thesis uses the Five Theological Worlds from W. Paul Jones as a launching point to offer a better way to connect the lived-experience of Millennials to the way they understand how God works in the world. Six Millennials were chosen to participate in this project, which began with each individual taking the Theological Worlds Inventory. After completing the Inventory, participants took part in one-hour long experiences of each of the five Theological Worlds. After the completion of the experiences, they were invited to take the Theological Worlds Inventory for the second time, with the hope that any change in Theological World could be measured by their responses. Follow up interviews were done with each of the six participants with questions geared to measure how each of the experiences impacted their lived-experience and their theological understanding of how God is at work in their lives. 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The structure of the prayer time invited participants to encounter God through drawing and coloring in an open-ended and receptive way.Each of four forty-five minute sessions utilized a schedule that (1) gave a theological and historical background for contemplative practice and the use of art in the church, (2) gave instruction on the practice of prayer drawing, (3) set a meditative tone, (4) allowed time for the practice itself (about 17 minutes), and (5) allowed time for detailed responses to reflection questions. The primary research instrument was a questionnaire that sought to ascertain the following: (1) to what degree is prayer drawing a new practice to Baptist participants and to what degree was the practice helpful, (2) in what ways did this prayer operate as a contemplative practice, (3) to what degree did this prayer modality assist in facilitating a connection with God, and what was the resultant communication, (4) in what ways did prayer drawing operate as a vehicle for God’s grace in moving participants beyond the self to glimpse a more truthful and deeper reality. The researcher compared the resulting data to themes found in literature about contemplative prayer.The data revealed an increased sensitivity and awareness of God’s movement and presence, and also indicated participants prayed in ways that were worshipful, grace-filled, transformative, and transcendent. Implications for further research include using a different population sample, artistic media, and a closed-covenant group, among others."],"rights_statement_tesim":["https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"related_url_tesim":["http://hdl.handle.net/10898/12354"],"thumbnail_path_ss":"/assets/work-a3b75da7abded620ab321410c80d102e5e2417b71c54de7ba7d4b0363da904f7.png","suppressed_bsi":false,"actionable_workflow_roles_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-approving","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-depositing","f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8-default-managing"],"workflow_state_name_ssim":["deposited"],"member_of_collections_ssim":["Miscellaneous"],"member_of_collection_ids_ssim":["4f3e9d5f-fc19-4d44-a264-44b56604eb9a"],"visibility_ssi":"open","admin_set_tesim":["Metadata Only"],"account_cname_tesim":["rim.ir.atla.com"],"human_readable_type_tesim":["Etd"],"read_access_group_ssim":["work_editor","public"],"edit_access_group_ssim":["admin"],"edit_access_person_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"_version_":1791128984468062208,"timestamp":"2024-02-17T07:08:29.858Z","score":1.0},{"system_create_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:06:01Z","system_modified_dtsi":"2024-05-22T02:44:54Z","has_model_ssim":["Etd"],"id":"2e6d3857-0830-412a-a48b-3b0e849ac09e","accessControl_ssim":["baa2e2b7-8bf6-483b-a3b9-48f3bd23e13e"],"depositor_ssim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"depositor_tesim":["ckarpinski@atla.com"],"title_tesim":["Increasing the Understanding of Grief and Addressing the Needs of the Grieving in Ministry"],"date_uploaded_dtsi":"2023-10-12T19:05:58Z","date_modified_dtsi":"2024-02-16T23:29:01Z","isPartOf_ssim":["f6c99b2a-5c91-4444-8946-01a1837f1fd8"],"hasEmbargo_ssim":["b6487c7e-0c12-4100-829c-a567e2b67da4"],"hasLease_ssim":["b5942fde-ecc6-4d2b-b5ac-343394199c30"],"show_pdf_viewer_tesim":["1"],"show_pdf_download_button_tesim":["1"],"institution_tesim":["Atla RIM"],"degree_tesim":["Doctor of Ministry"],"degree_granting_institution_tesim":["Mercer University, McAfee School of Theology"],"advisor_tesim":["Jeffrey Willetts Ph.D.","Larry  McSwain Ph.D."],"year_tesim":["2020"],"location_tesim":["North Carolina","United States"],"resource_type_tesim":["D.Min. 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On each Wednesday night following the Sunday morning sermon, the congregation was invited to ask questions or request clarification of the concepts presented in the sermon. This also allowed me to provide additional information about the scripture. At the conclusion of the series, they were given the opportunity to take part in a six-week focus group. The group would explore the topics further as well as identify any needs that may exist in Trinity’s approach to the grieving.The focus group met for six consecutive Sunday afternoons. They spent two weeks exploring the topics further. The following two weeks enabled participants to tell their story about grief and the support they did or did not receive. The final two weeks were spent uncovering ways that Trinity could provide additional support to the grieving. During this final two weeks, the group came up with two solid conclusions. Trinity could provide a monthly grief support group and could enhance the grief support through an existing committee at the church. 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