Thesis (D. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 349-364).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Logos Evangelical Seminary, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-225).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1993. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-92).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-69).

The world is experiencing rapid change, and with this change the expectations of people are changing as does their way of thinking. In its turn this is influencing the society we are living in. This change is experienced in the church and also by the volunteers doing ministry in the church. Hence, new questions come to the fore, new answers are given and new challenges are posed. However, not all pastors have the knowledge to be able to cope with these changes in church and society. Part of these changes in church and society is the fact that the new young generation is volunteering to do ministry in the church and a growing number of leaders in the church are coming from this generation. One of the main tasks of pastors in Stellenbosch Gemeente is to accompany volunteers. This is a significant challenge because the new generation thinks and reacts differently from the previous generation. The younger generation also has different needs and expectations when it comes to church life, leadership structures and their relationship to leaders in the church. The purpose of this study is to do research with regard to the experience of volunteers in Stellenbosch Gemeente in order to present guidelines for ministers in the accompaniment of volunteers in the present world. Semi-structured, phenomological interviews have been conducted with various volunteers in Stellenbosch Gemeente. With the consent of the interviewees these interviews have been recorded on audio tape. To each of the interviewees the following question was posed: What is your experience in doing voluntory ministry in Stellenbosch Gemeente? The research identified various themes and sub-themes which can serve as guidelines for ministers in the accompaniment of volunteers and they are the following: • Relationships are very important in the experience of volunteers in ministry • Volunteers have a desire to identify with the DNS of Stellenbosch Gemeente which includes the following aspects: o Adaptability and openness for a new way of thinking and new challenges o Missional disposition o Support of diversity • The new generation’s approach towards leadership structures is nonhierarchical – instead it is a network of relationships • They prefer permission-giving over control • Volunteers in the new generation are reluctant to be leaders in the old paradigm of leadership and are also reluctant to make long-term commitments • In the experience of ministry leaders they express the need to spend more time with pastors and get help with administration and support services / Dr. L. Mare Prof. J. Du Rand

Analysis of current pastoral care practice, particularly of Christian pastoral care providers and chaplains, reveals a contemporary lacuna in Christian theological frameworks which contributes to North American Christians’ inability to connect a theological understanding of death with the experience of their human finitude despite the presence of considerable literature on death and dying. This gap deprives many Christians of the possibility of finding a unique and specific source of hope and strength within their own faith tradition for facing crisis. This thesis provides a methodology and theological foundation for a uniquely Christian contribution for facilitating hope, resilience--even transformation--throughout the various stages of life until the time of death. Extensive analysis of Christian views of death, as contrasted with non- Christian views, examined through early Christian writings, late Medieval and early Reformation texts, and the late twentieth century work of Moltmann contributed insights into theological frameworks to remedy the gap and also uncovered themes, metaphors, and language that could be important as Christians interpret life experience and dying. The thesis then utilized three contemporary fields of study to apply the insights into a practical ministry model: (1) research in resilience; (2) Narrative Therapy as developed by White and Epston and utilized by Christian therapists; and (3) hermeneutic theory from Capps, Browning, and Gerkin. Insights from these sources were critically evaluated for application in pastoral counselling, support, and education to help people, both in crisis and when facing death, find a substantial hope that transcends the reality of what they are experiencing. This thesis proposes a distinctively Christian response to death that enables people to retain a sense of their own worth and dignity in order to live meaningful lives until they die. Many people find 21st Century healthcare impersonal and non-empathetic; the work of this theses is intended to be important for helping people regain their sense of self and identity, thereby supporting healing and resilience. In addition, the thesis proposes pedagogic and theological reflection methods that would enhance the practice of chaplains in a rapidly changing healthcare environment that will increasingly require them to demonstrate how their practice enhances the wellbeing of those they serve and provides a contribution that is unique and has value to the healthcare system.

No abstract available. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

<p>This thesis is concerned with a new generation of churches in Canada trying to respond to the significant changes being felt in communities across the country as a result of the federal government policies over the last 30 years dealing with immigration, refugees and multiculturalism.</p> <p>There is a growing awareness that churches will need to become more intentionally multicultural to accommodate the emerging generation. Many pastors are not equipped to minister cross-culturally and churches are often unwillingly to change to adjust to the changing communities in which they are located.</p> <p>A number of sociological and theological influences will be reviewed to determine their impact on Canadian churches. There will be a response to the issues raised by those who advocate an emerging postmodern worldview in search of genuine community. Theological observations on the possibilities of the diversity of a heterogeneous multicultural church model being a valid response to the pluralism of contemporary Canadian life will be developed.</p> <p>The research presented will be dealing with three emerging multicultural Canadian churches. These three churches are located in either Vancouver or Toronto and are representative of many other churches in Canada today. There will be a discussion on the current ministries and plans of these three churches and some common characteristics identified. An integration of the models presented, and the research observations will lead to a proposal for moving towards becoming a more intentional healthy multicultural church to meet the needs of the next generation.</p> / Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

No

The first part of this thesis is an examination of the condition of the contemporary church and a study of two specific congregations engaged in programs of renewal and outreach within a modern metropolitan area. In the light of this, the latter part deals with our need for action in the world outside the walls of the institutional church. / Thesis / Bachelor of Divinity (BD)