This study examined how incivility is expressed in an informal church organization and the impact relationships among those in the organization have on incivility. The researcher had staff members of the church complete journals. The researcher also observed the staff for one week and then conducted interviews based on the observations and journals. The researcher then coded data and grouped it into overarching themes. Themes that emerged about displays of incivility included: interrupting or not respecting another's ideas and yelling and gossiping behind each other's backs. The researcher examined these themes in terms of the relationships that exist among these coworkers. Results demonstrated that the staff did not frequently escalate incivility because they valued relationships and were aware of external causes of uncivil behavior. Reasons for not escalating incivility were then explored and connected to existing incivility research. Finally, suggestions for further study and practical applications are offered.

with John L. Allen, Rome correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter / Gasson Hall 100

with Garret FitzGerald / McGuinn Hall 121

"This writer in considering types of special libraries in the United States discovered that a large new movement was taking place--one that in the last ten years had resulted in the organization of thousands of new libraries. Curiosity resulting from this discovery has led to the preparation of this paper. In it is given, first, a cursory background summary of the movement which indicates that the church library movement is not a new one, but had its beginnings in colonial times; and, second, an analysis of how the movement of date has been reflected in the program of the churches of the writer's home community"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1952." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." / Advisor: Robert G. Clapp, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-49).

No description available.

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This dissertation examines the relationship between church planting model employment, conversion growth and the rate of new church starts, and the various contexts in which churches are planted. The desired outcome is a more thorough understanding of which church planting models are more effective in certain contexts. The dissertation opens by identifying the research concern for the need to determine which models of church ministry best fit the various cultural contexts which now exist on the North American continent. A review of the precedent literature is also included which covers the biblical and theological foundations of church planting, as well as missiological foundations which guide church planting. A thorough description of each of the models examined in this study is also given in light of the literature base. The precedent literature review is followed by a description of the methodological design for this study, which describes the two phases of the research. A survey instrument was developed by the researcher based on the research questions guiding the current study. Data from the instrument obtained the necessary information to determine if relationships exist between conversion growth, convert retention, and model selection. A description of the research findings follows. The data confirmed much of what the precedent literature had claimed. Yet the data also revealed an inverted relationship between the size of the churches and the rate of conversion growth. An evaluation of the research design described the strengths and weaknesses of the study in detail. The study concludes by suggesting that the demographics of individuals reached by the church planting models examined largely coincide with the contentions of the precedent literature. The study also suggests that Southern Baptists are still effective at reaching the demographic typical of their present makeup. Yet much improvement is needed, most notably among ethnic groups and emerging generations. The study also applies the findings to church planting praxis, principally by suggesting that slower growth will be the norm in churches that actively seek the lost. It is also suggested that more attention should be given to emerging models of church planting. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

ABSTRACT THE PEOPLE OF GOD: TOWARD AN EVANGELICAL ECCLESIOLOGY Juan Ramon Sanchez, Jr., Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Chair: Dr. Gregg R. Allison This dissertation argues that in a day of ecclesiological confusion among evangelicals over who belongs to the church and what the mission of the church is, the biblical concept of the image of God interpreted in its textual, redemptive-historical, and canonical contexts reveals a common pattern for the people of God that serves as an interpretive key to understanding the identity, nature, and mission of the church. Chapter 1 recounts much of the confusion over the doctrine of the church within evangelicalism and exposes the need for such a proposal. Chapter 2 proposes that the creation of man as God’s image reveals God’s purpose to create (1) a people with whom he will relate in a father/son relationship (sonship) under his rule and care (covenant), (2) a people who will dwell in his presence to serve him as priests (priesthood) and (3) a people who will represent his sovereign rule on the earth (kingship) by exercising dominion over creation by extending the borders of the sacred space and reproducing the divine image through godly offspring until the entire earth is filled with the glory of God (mission). Thus, it establishes the foundation for the thesis that the concept of the image of God communicates sonship, kingship, and priesthood within a covenant relationship in which God’s people serve as God’s instruments by which he establishes his kingdom on the earth. Chapter 3 shows how the pattern for the people of God established in the garden continues in Abraham and Israel. It also shows that king David is a prototypical image bearer who points to a future messianic Adam who will ultimately establish God’s kingdom on the earth. While Israel failed to keep covenant and image God faithfully, judgment is not the final word. Instead, the biblical storyline looks forward to a new covenant yet to be established by a faithful Davidic messiah. Chapter 4, then, investigates the new covenant passages in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel by utilizing Isaiah 54-56 as a structure for understanding what the new covenant entails. Chapter 5 addresses the New Testament data related to Jesus as the last Adam. The chapter shows that Jesus is the Son of God from David’s line who came to restore Israel on the basis of a new covenant. This messianic mission reveals that Jesus is the true and faithful image of God who inaugurates the kingdom of God on the earth and begins populating it with the divine image by gathering a people through the gospel. Chapter 6 shows that the pattern of the people of God established in Genesis 1 and 2 is also found in the church: sonship, kingship, priesthood, and mission within a covenant relationship. This chapter argues that the New Testament applies the language of Israel (Exod 19:4-6) to the church (1 Pet 2:9) because it is the new Israel constituted on the basis of the promised new covenant, created to serve as a corporate Adam for the purpose of mission. As a corporate Adam, the church is called to image God on the earth and fulfill the mission of eschatological ingatheing until the return of Christ. Chapter 7 provides theological conclusions from the biblical data in the previous chapters and proposes a definition of the church that helps to clarify the identity and mission of the people of God under the new covenant. And finally, it proposes a path toward constructing an ecclesiology that is biblically faithful and culturally appropriate.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-72).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity International University, 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-105).