Secularist views are a challenge to the field of religious education. Their worldview and influence in society will be discussed. This study evaluates the theocratic model under the apartheid regime, the co–operative model and the religion policy under the new democratic government. The areas that the researcher investigated in this study are centred on the effectiveness of the mission calling of the School of Tomorrow, Accelerated Christian Education. In order to achieve this outcome, the history of ACE Schools in America and South Africa will be discussed, as well as the role of the school, the parent and the teacher in missio Dei. An analysis and evaluation will be done on Christian educators such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox, as well as educational deform under Hitler. A study will be done on how Biblical doctrine was formed in children’s lives in the Old and New Testament. / Thesis (M.A. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Secularist views are a challenge to the field of religious education. Their worldview and influence in society will be discussed. This study evaluates the theocratic model under the apartheid regime, the co–operative model and the religion policy under the new democratic government. The areas that the researcher investigated in this study are centred on the effectiveness of the mission calling of the School of Tomorrow, Accelerated Christian Education. In order to achieve this outcome, the history of ACE Schools in America and South Africa will be discussed, as well as the role of the school, the parent and the teacher in missio Dei. An analysis and evaluation will be done on Christian educators such as Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox, as well as educational deform under Hitler. A study will be done on how Biblical doctrine was formed in children’s lives in the Old and New Testament. / Thesis (M.A. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

In this dissertation an attempt has been made to investigate the means by which God is at work in our world. The researcher has acted on the assumption that God rules in our world, but investigates the content of such a belief. The question whether God acts in our world from a basis of control, or from a motivation of shared interest is currently brought to the surface. Istrumental is the use of Critical Theory to investigate the above mentioned problem. With this instument oppressive perspectives (paternalistic views) are identified and unmasked as well as new perspectives (stewardship) implemented. Biblical stewardship seems to be a perspective on how God wants to use the local church to assist in his plan of salvation for those in need. Authority with others rather over others seems to be the stewardship strategy God wants us to participate in. / In hierdie verhandeling word ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop God in die wereld betrokke is (Missio Dei). Daar word uitgegaan van die veronderstelling dat God in die wereld regeer en wat hierdie navorsing poog om te verstaan hoe God in die wereld regeer. Die problematiek wat deurgaans in hierdie studie hanteer word, hou verband met die vraag of God vanuit 'n beheerstelsel (pantokratiese stelsel) in die wereld betrokke is en of sy werksaamhede eerder vanuit 'n bestuurstelsel (oikonomos) verstaan moet word. In 'n poging om bogenoemde probleem op te los word gebruik gemaak van die Kritiese Teorie. Met hierdie instrument word enersyds gepoog om onderdrukkende perspektiewe (soos God as Pantokrator) te weerle, wat onderdrukkende ideologie instand hou. Andersyds word die Kritiese Teorie as instrument gebruik om alternatiewe te ondersoek (soos God as bestuurder van ons heil) wat nuwe perspektiewe daar kan stel. Bybelse rentmeesterskap hou gevoglik daarmee verband dat God die mens/kerk medeverantwoordelik maak in bogenoemde bestuursproses ten einde God se Missio Dei deelnemend te bestuur. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Individuals and organisations follow a general developmental cycle, that begins with birth, and progresses through growth, maturity, decline and death. While individuals necessarily die after a period of years, organisations may continue through many generations, though they too may die. Once an organisation reaches maturity, it tends toward decline, for sin has corrupted not only men, but all creation (Rms. 8:21-22). Though all things tend toward decay and death, they can be revitalised, for such is the power of God's grace. Like all organisations, the church can become ineffective. Many prefer abandoning the old organisation and starting a new work. Revitalisation may be the better solution, though it is certainly the greater challenge. This project considers the organisational life cycle biblically, historically and contemporarily. It considers how the church grows, and what keeps it from growing. It also considers the merits of creating `new wineskins,' versus revitalising old ones. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Title in English and Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In this dissertation an attempt has been made to investigate the means by which God is at work in our world. The researcher has acted on the assumption that God rules in our world, but investigates the content of such a belief The question whether God acts in our world from a basis of control, or from a motivation of shared interest is currently brought to the surface. Instrumental is the use of Critical Theory to investigate the above mentioned problem. With this instrument oppressive perspectives (paternalistic views) are identified and unmasked as well as new perspectives (stewardship) implemented. Biblical stewardship seems to be a perspective on how God wants to use the local church to assist in his plan of salvation for those in need. Authority with others rather over others seems to be the stewardship strategy God wants us to participate in. / In hierdie verhandeling word ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop God in die wereld betrokke is (Missio Dei). Daar word uitgegaan van die veronderstelling dat God in die wereld regeer en wil hierdie navorsing poog om te verstaan hoe God in die wereld regeer. Die problematiek wat deurgaans in hierdie studie hanteer word, hou verband met die vraag of God vanuit 'n beheerstelsel (pantokratiese stelsel) in die wereld betrokke is en of sy werksaamhede eerder vanuit 'n bestuurstelsel (oikonomos) verstaan moet word. In 'n poging om bogenoemde probleem op te los word gebruik gemaak van die Kritiese Teorie. Met hierdie instrument word enersyds gepoog om onderdrukkende perspektiewe (soos God as Pantokrator) te weerle, wat onderdrukkende ideologie instand hou. Andersyds word die Kritiese Teorie as instrument gebruik om alternatiewe te ondersoek (soos God as bestuurder van ons heil) wat nuwe perspektiewe daar kan stel. Bybelse rentmeesterskap hou gevolglik daarmee verband dat God die mens/kerk medeverantwoordelik maak in bogenoemde bestuursproses ten einde God se Missio Dei deelnemend te bestuur. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th.(Missiology)

Die doelwit met hierdie navorsing is die identifisering van die kernkapasiteite waaroor ʼn predikant as missionale leier binne ʼn hoofstroomgemeente moet beskik ten einde die gemeente suksesvol te kan begelei in die vorming van ʼn missionale gemeentekultuur en bedieningspraktyk. Die navorsing word gedoen binne die konteks van die groot paradigmatiese skuiwe in die missiologie sedert die middel van die vorige eeu, soos dit deur Leslie Newbigin geïnisieer, deur David Bosch aangevul en versterk, en deur die Gospel and Our Culture Network verder gevoer en uitgewerk word. Die missio Dei vorm die vertrekpunt vir ʼn missionale ekklesiologie. Sending is nie ʼn aktiwiteit van die kerk nie, maar die handeling van God Drie-enig. Die funksie van die kerk is deelname aan die missio Dei in die wêreld en ganse skepping. Missionale leierskap setel nie in ʼn individu of amp nie, maar ontvang sy gesag van God en is gegee aan die geloofsgemeenskap. Sodanige leierskap vervul ʼn funksie radikaal verskillend van die tradisionele of kontemporêre definisie van leierskap. Missionale leierskap is in wese geloofsonderskeidend en geloofsvormend van aard en vorm binne die geloofsgemeenskap die kennis, vaardighede, houdinge en gewoontes ten einde die geloofsgemeenskap individueel en korporatief te bemagtig vir die onderskeiding van en deelname aan die missio Dei binne die daaglikse konteks waarbinne God die gemeente roep, vorm en stuur. Vanuit die rol wat histories en ampshalwe aan die predikant in ʼn hoofstroomgemeente toegeken word, vervul die predikant ʼn sleutelfunksie ten einde die gemeente suksesvol te kan begelei in die proses van aanpassende verandering en missionale gemeentevorming. ʼn Kwalitatief empiriese ondersoek by gemeentes binne die Suider-Afrikaanse Vennootskap vir Gestuurde Gemeentes (SAVGG) ondersoek die kernkapasiteite wat vir die predikant as missionale leier nodig is. Die ondersoek onderskei vier verskillende rolle vir die predikant as missionale leier: die predikant as apostel of gestuurde; die predikant as teoloog en taalskepper; die predikant as fasiliteerder en begeleier van die proses van aanpassende kultuurverandering; en die predikant as geestelike begeleier en mentor. Die navorsing onderskei voorts die verskillende kapasiteite (kennis, vaardighede houdinge, en gewoontes) wat kernbelangrik is vir die predikant vir die vervulling van hierdie viervoudige rol op weg na missionale gemeentevorming. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

This thesis explores the missional ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement and its relationship to Evangelicalism. The rise of post-Christendom, post-modernism and the increasing marginalisation of the church in Western Culture has created a situation where it needs to ask the basic missiological questions of its own identity and structures. In contrast to many within traditional Evangelicalism, the Emerging Church Movement views these changes as a positive development and, in a social context much more akin to that of the early church, an opportunity to rediscover the essential nature of its calling as Church. It is in a narrative reading of Scripture and understanding of Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God that the ECM believes the answers are to be found. As a result, the ECM finds itself working through a gradual process of dismantling and reconstructing the faith of their Evangelical heritage as they reflect on the meaning of the gospel as they see it expressed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and His interpretation of the Old Testament narrative. For the ECM, the gospel is much bigger than merely personal salvation and is best understood as God's great and gracious mission in the world of making new all that has been corrupted by sin and evil. Missional churches realise that they have been invited to participate with God in his redemptive mission and formulate their identity, structures and values accordingly. The ECM engages in intentional , subversive ministry from its new place at the margins of society flowing from the realisation that mission is not an activity to be carried out by members of the church in certain contexts, but rather the essential character and calling of the church community wherever it may exist. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

The indispensability of the Church [in Africa] is the primary motive for the writing of this dissertation. Throughout the centuries, we have seen the Church in various contexts, and in many forms. We have borne witness to the good, bad and the ugly throughout the history of the Church. It is my belief that any constructive growth for the future success of the Church in Africa has to come from the bold recognition that if it is to succeed and fully partake in the Missio Dei, 'everything must change' (McLaren 2007). There is need for continuity and discontinuity; however, change is not negotiable!! The Church is called to be both confessional and Missional; the Church should always be forming (ecclesia simper formanda), and reforming (ecclesia simper reformanda)(van Gelder 2007). Therefore, there is a need to rediscover the essence of Jesus‟ intention for the Church; that is God‟s redeemed people, and their view of God‟s Kingdom with its various implications for an African Missiology. There is a need for Missional Churches in Africa, for dialogue, and for unity in action. In this dissertation, I will endeavour to present architecture for a Missional Ecclesiology in dialogue with Bosch; focusing on the emerging renaissance of African Missiology, and the current Pneumatological importance/ emphasis in many African Churches (otherwise known as African independent Churches- AIC). I have used the word architecture to mean overall framework emphasizing relationships between components, orientation and support as well as the innovative response to functional necessity. The focus/ niche of this dissertation will be faith communities in Botswana, because that is my current context of ministry, and there is an obvious research gap in this area of study as nothing has been researched and published in terms of an emerging Missional Ecclesiology amongst faith communities in Botswana. I will seek to collect, analyze and interpret current as well as historical data regarding Church (mission), population and emerging areas of concern for faith communities in Botswana, and, by implication, Southern Africa. / Dissertation (MA(Theol))--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

In this research work the missional receptiveness of the non-churched in eastern Germany is examined qualitatively using the example of the meetings of the “no-name” church. The goal of the study is to find out what motivates the non-churched to attend Christian meetings, and to recognize patterns/indicators behind the motivation. For this the context of the non-churched in eastern Germany is first highlighted and the structure of the missional church described. Based on the empirical-theological practice cycle, both planning and execution as well as the results of qualitative interviews carried out with ten visitors to the meetings of the “no-name” church planting initiative are then presented. As a result of repeated coding using the Grounded Theory, five typologies of the non-churched can be highlighted. On the basis of the research results, hypotheses for the missional reachability of the non-churched are formulated and challenges for the practical application indicated. This study wants to contribute to a better understanding of the problems of the reachability of the non-churched in eastern Germany. It shows the strengths and weaknesses of the missional church model which should be taken into account in this context. / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird qualitativ die missionale Ansprechbarkeit ostdeutscher Konfessionsloser am Beispiel der Treffen der nonamechurch untersucht. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es herauszufinden, was Konfessionslose motiviert zu christlichen Veranstaltungen zu kommen, um Muster/Indikatoren hinter der Motivation zu erkennen. Dazu wird zunächst der Kontext der ostdeutschen Konfessionslosen aufgezeigt und die Struktur der missionalen Gemeinde beschrieben. Anschließend werden anhand des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus sowohl Planung und Durchführung, als auch die Ergebnisse qualitativer Interviews dargestellt, die mit zehn Besuchern der Treffen der Gemeindegründungsinitiative nonamechurch geführt wurden. Als Ergebnis des mehrmaligen Codierens unter Anwendung der Grounded Theory lassen sich fünf Typologien von Konfessionslosen herausarbeiten. Auf der Grundlage der Forschungsergebnisse werden Thesen bezüglich der missionalen Erreichbarkeit von Konfessionslosen formuliert und Herausforderungen für die praktische Umsetzung aufgezeigt. Die vorliegende Studie will einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis der Problematik der Erreichbarkeit ostdeutscher Konfessionsloser leisten. Sie zeigt Stärken und Schwächen des missionalen Gemeindemodells auf, die in diesem Zusammenhang zu beachten sind. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

German text / In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird der Change Management Prozess des gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus in der Evangelischen Gemeinschaft Rechtenbach untersucht. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, herauszufinden, wie dieser navigierte Wandlungsprozess von Gemeindegliedern bewertet, gedeutet und verinnerlicht wurde, um Handlungsstrategien für ähnliche Projekte ableiten zu können. Dazu werden zunächst die theoretischen Grundlagen des missionalen Change Managements und der diesbezügliche Praxisvollzug beschrieben. Anschließend werden anhand des empirisch-theologischen Praxiszyklus sowohl Planung und Durchführung als auch die Ergebnisse qualitativer Interviews dargestellt, die mit zwölf Teilnehmern des oben genannten Prozesses geführt wurden. Als Ergebnis des mehrmaligen Kodierens unter Anwendung der Grounded Theory lassen sich vier Typologien der Akzeptanz des Prozesses herausarbeiten. Auf der Grundlage der Forschungsergebnisse werden Thesen bezüglich der weiteren Umsetzung des gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus und dessen Reproduzierbarkeit aufgezeigt. Die vorliegende Studie will einen Beitrag zur missionalen Diskussion im besonderen Hinblick auf den gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebau und dessen Umsetzung leisten. / This research examines the change management process of community-relevant church building in the Evangelical Community in Rechtenbach. The aim of the study is to ascertain how church members assessed, interpreted and internalized this navigated change process in order to derive strategies for similar projects. Firstly it describes the basis for missional change management and the related practice. Based on the empirical-theological practice cycle, it then presents the planning and execution as well as the results of qualitative interviews that were carried out with twelve participants in the process mentioned above. The study extracted four typologies of acceptance of this process through repeated coding using the Grounded Theory. Based on the research results it puts forward theses regarding further implementation of community-relevant church building and its reproducibility. This study is intended to contribute to the missional discussion, in particular to community-relevant church building and its implementation. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)