In the same manner that the first-century church had to shift from traditional Judaism to a radical spiritual imagination that included Gentiles, the contemporary American church must shift from paradigms of church rooted in medieval and modern forms of Christendom to new ideals that are appropriate for the postmodern context in which we now live. This happens, at least in part, by accepting the challenge of reimagining church theology and practices in order to reach more people. The loss of Christianity’s cultural prominence is coupled with the rapid decline in church attendance, leading many churches to face institutional maintenance crises and even impending demise. These phenomena indicate that North America is a ripe mission field for the gospel and that fresh approaches led by the Spirit must be employed to best reap a present-day harvest. The missional imagination provides insight into these approaches by focusing on God’s ultimate mission of world redemption and the church’s role in that process. Missional ecclesiology places discipleship at the center of church ministry. Within a missional orientation, discipleship is understood as the process by which people are introduced to Christ; engaged in perpetual spiritual formation, and grow into faithful, redeemed members of God’s community. In order to be a facilitator of this process, the contemporary church must embrace a missional ideology. Unfortunately, church leaders are not typically trained in the missional imagination. A mission-driven leadership development program is necessary because, in the absence of such a tool, leaders may instinctively default to practices that put the mission of the church at risk. Without missional training, there is an insufficient understanding of the correlation between worship experiences as spiritual formation and the realized mission of the church among team members. I serve as the Worship Pastor at the Luke Church of Humble, Texas. This is the focal site of this project. The hurdles facing the Luke Church are emblematic of the critique that others in the missional church movement have levied against the old, Christian models of church that still pervade many American congregations across the denominational and theological spectrum. For this project, I define worship as more than the fifteen minutes of singing couched within a service, but rather the conglomerate of our efforts to give God full honor, attention, and reverence as we endeavor to live faithfully into God’s redemption of the world. With this understanding, our worship leaders have the opportunity to shape people’s worship life through the intentional and excellent execution of their different roles. I will conduct a three-month leadership boot camp with the liturgical, ministry, and hospitality teams. This training will include general sessions as well as breakouts. Between meetings, participants will participate in readings, guided observation, and discussion groups. At the conclusion of the boot camp, leaders will have gained the necessary tools to reimagine practices within their domain. This leadership intensive will be largely based on the Missional Change Model with pedagogical grounding in Jack Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory and Nancy Ammerman’s work on congregational study.

Chapter 9, interpreted in terms of its macro-micro structure, fits into the overall literary and theological framework of the Book of Signs. The controversy between Jesus and the Jewish leaders depicted in chapters 7-10 is taken up by Chapter 9 in a particular manner. This study employs the socio-rhetorical perspective to critically investigate the notion of discipleship. It differs from previous studies as they were undertaken from the historical, socio-scientific and narrative perspectives, and Robbins' sociorhetorical methodology is applied to the Chapter 9 in order to dissect the notion of discipleship as a theological problem. In Chapter 9, the blind man emerges as the paradigm of the disciple as he exemplifies the principle of John 8.12. The `Jews', concerned with their need both for self-definition and the survival of Judaism, attempt to contain the growth of Christianity. The conflict is conceived as a `conflict between darkness and light' and the healed man emerges as a hero of the community. His triumph over darkness contrasts him with the Pharisees who misguidedly follow the way of darkness and reject God's self-revelation. To summarize, by applying for the first time a multidimensional and comprehensive approach to John 9, three important characteristics of discipleship in the Fourth Gospel emerge: (1) it is not just simple enthusiasm and zeal, but rather a firm commitment, and strong and courageous determination to bear witness based upon an experience of the divine. Disciples are required to maintain their readiness for struggles, even death, for the sake of their faith; (2) discipleship is conceived as redefining the believer's covenant relationship with God which takes place through Jesus' identity and work. Therefore, the notion of `disciples of Moses' is no longer defensible; (3) discipleship is nothing less than a `discipleship into light' since it implies a duty to plead everywhere and always the cause of the Light in the sphere of darkness and in the world dominated by many kinds of ideologies (religious, cultural, political, etc.). The disciple must be prepared to be marginalized, not only by the dominant society, but also by his/her own family and familiar world. / NEW TESTAMENT / DTH (NEW TESTAMENT)

ABSTRACT THE ROLE OF "PERFECTING" IN DONALD MCGAVRAN'S CHURCH GROWTH THOUGHT Matthew Donald Spradlin, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012 Chairperson: Dr. Charles E. Lawless, Jr. This dissertation examines the role of "perfecting" in Donald McGavran's church growth thought. Chapter 1 introduces McGavran and the need for a study of his "perfecting" concept. Chapter 2 briefly gives McGavran's background and describes his discovery and definition of "church growth." This chapter also explores the experiences in McGavran's own life which shaped his understanding of the perfecting task and motivated its incorporation into his church growth thought. Chapter 3 theologically defines the terms "discipling" and "perfecting" as McGavran understood and used them. McGavran's rationale for using the term "perfecting" is examined, as well as why he chose the term perfecting as opposed to other terms. The chapter includes an analysis of McGavran's understanding of the relationship between discipling and perfecting. Chapter 3 concludes with a critique of the helpfulness of McGavran's choice and use of the term "perfecting." Chapter 4 is an analysis of the church growth thinking that distinctively comprised McGavran's understanding and approach to perfecting. McGavran's belief that missions is to be evangelistic and ecclesiocentric is outlined and analyzed, and how it affected his understanding of the perfecting task. Chapter 5 examines McGavran's methodology in relation to perfecting. The role of worship, Bible study, prayer, and evangelism in relation to perfecting and church growth is described. Chapter five focuses upon the role of perfecting in the training of workers, and how McGavran's methodological approach to perfecting differed from the missiology of his day. Chapter 6 evaluates the role of perfecting in Donald McGavran's church growth thought, determining that it was shaped by his conviction that biblical perfecting teaches and produces church growth. Chapter 6 concludes that McGavran's understanding of the role of biblical perfecting in church growth is helpful in developing a perfecting strategy for effective missions and ministry.

ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISCIPLESHIP STRATEGY OF ROBERT EMERSON COLEMAN John Thomas Green IV, Ph. D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012 Chair: Dr. Charles E. Lawless, Jr. This dissertation examines the discipleship strategy of Robert Emerson Coleman. Chapter 1 introduces the ministry and work of Robert Coleman. The chapter also discusses the call to discipleship given by Jesus Christ in the Great Commission and the need for the local church to effectively disciple its members. Chapter 2 presents a biography of Coleman. This chapter highlights his conversion and call to ministry. It also includes details of his ministry as a pastor, professor, and author. Chapter 3 provides an historical analysis of Coleman's discipleship strategy. This chapter notes influences upon Coleman's strategy, including the work of John Wesley. It also describes the historical context in which Coleman's strategy was developed, particularly the states of the evangelical church and the Methodist church. Chapter 4 addresses Coleman's practice of discipleship in his ministry. The chapter includes insight into Coleman's personal discipleship, as well as, his discipleship of his family, churches that he has pastored, and students that he led while teaching. Chapter 5 offers a biblical analysis of Coleman's discipleship strategy, dissecting Scripture used by Coleman to support his principles of discipleship outlined in The Master Plan of Evangelism. The chapter also notes several other works by Coleman to show how he consistently communicated his discipleship strategy. The conclusion offers application of Coleman's strategy in the North American church. Positive contributions of Coleman's work for discipleship in the local church are enumerated. Challenges to implementing his strategy are also shared. This work contends that Coleman has provided a biblical and effective model for discipleship in The Master Plan of Evangelism. His strategy is faithful to the model of Christ with His disciples. Coleman's work provides helpful contributions to discipleship in the local church though it has its challenges in implementation. Although Coleman's discipleship ministry has been conducted largely outside of the local church, his strategy can and should be used in the local church for discipleship.

Thesis (D.Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2008. / Includes abstract. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 290-292).

Thesis (D.Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-107).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-153).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-153).

This thesis looks at the role of Peter and Judas in the four canonical gospels, seeking to answer the question of why two such dramatic examples of failure in discipleship became, from so early on, an established and central part of the gospel narrative. The first chapter discusses the literary context of the gospels, considering issues such as the oral medium, the gospel communities, and the genre of the gospels. The second chapter examines the historical Peter and Judas, discussing the evidence in the rest of the New Testament and elsewhere in Christian tradition, followed by a range of parallel disciple figures in ancient literature, from the followers and debate partners of Plato’s Socrates to the students of the neo-Platonic philosopher Plotinus, making the case that a literary archetype for a disciple exists and is made use of in all of these texts. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters look at each of the gospels in turn, discussing the way in which Peter and Judas correspond to the literary archetype and the ways that this archetype interacts both with the actual events of Jesus’ career and arrest, and potentially ongoing or recent events in each evangelist’s own community.

Chapter 9, interpreted in terms of its macro-micro structure, fits into the overall literary and theological framework of the Book of Signs. The controversy between Jesus and the Jewish leaders depicted in chapters 7-10 is taken up by Chapter 9 in a particular manner. This study employs the socio-rhetorical perspective to critically investigate the notion of discipleship. It differs from previous studies as they were undertaken from the historical, socio-scientific and narrative perspectives, and Robbins' sociorhetorical methodology is applied to the Chapter 9 in order to dissect the notion of discipleship as a theological problem. In Chapter 9, the blind man emerges as the paradigm of the disciple as he exemplifies the principle of John 8.12. The `Jews', concerned with their need both for self-definition and the survival of Judaism, attempt to contain the growth of Christianity. The conflict is conceived as a `conflict between darkness and light' and the healed man emerges as a hero of the community. His triumph over darkness contrasts him with the Pharisees who misguidedly follow the way of darkness and reject God's self-revelation. To summarize, by applying for the first time a multidimensional and comprehensive approach to John 9, three important characteristics of discipleship in the Fourth Gospel emerge: (1) it is not just simple enthusiasm and zeal, but rather a firm commitment, and strong and courageous determination to bear witness based upon an experience of the divine. Disciples are required to maintain their readiness for struggles, even death, for the sake of their faith; (2) discipleship is conceived as redefining the believer's covenant relationship with God which takes place through Jesus' identity and work. Therefore, the notion of `disciples of Moses' is no longer defensible; (3) discipleship is nothing less than a `discipleship into light' since it implies a duty to plead everywhere and always the cause of the Light in the sphere of darkness and in the world dominated by many kinds of ideologies (religious, cultural, political, etc.). The disciple must be prepared to be marginalized, not only by the dominant society, but also by his/her own family and familiar world. / NEW TESTAMENT / DTH (NEW TESTAMENT)