No description available.

This dissertation examines the spiritual growth of individuals: what growth is; why growth is necessary; and how it can be nurtured. An individual's spiritual growth needs to happen in relationship with others, so that Christ's commandments to love God and neighbour are fulfilled. Thus the dynamics, goals and effects of community life are examined. Spiritual growth and community raises implications for the Christian Church. These are examined, in particular the need for transformed leadership and models of ministry, transforming communities that will enable the church to fulfil its mission to the world. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

This dissertation examines the spiritual growth of individuals: what growth is; why growth is necessary; and how it can be nurtured. An individual's spiritual growth needs to happen in relationship with others, so that Christ's commandments to love God and neighbour are fulfilled. Thus the dynamics, goals and effects of community life are examined. Spiritual growth and community raises implications for the Christian Church. These are examined, in particular the need for transformed leadership and models of ministry, transforming communities that will enable the church to fulfil its mission to the world. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

No description available.

Through his personal spiritual growth process and Jesus’ teachings and life, Paul became acutely aware of the vast differences between Prophetic Judaism and the Mystical Traditions in relation to the Temple Cult and Temple-ism in general. Paul’s own “history of religion” centred on Abraham’s Covenant as the first and preferred, unmediated, spiritual and universal model, against Moses’ priestly mediated cultic system designed basically for Jews. Therefore, Paul follows Jesus teachings and mission to “rip the dividing curtain” of the Jerusalem Temple (Heb 6:19, 20); so that all nations can be reconciled to God (Eph 2:11-18). Jesus re-negotiated “a new and better covenant” of God’s mercy through repentance to all. Cultic “regulations” and Jewishness as being a special “religious”, covenantal “qualification” is now outdated and rather were now dangerous myths in Paul’s new religion. Paul knew that bridging concepts and new interpretations of metaphors will have to be part of the transition. God did not need a final special blood cultic sacrifice; to the contrary, only some people needed one so that they can make the mental transition from a cultic religion to a spiritual and personal religion.To Paul, God was the unknown Father and the Essence of all creation and Jesus-Christ was their leader and master or lord. In the mystical sense however, “Christ” represented the real Spiritual essence of mankind; the image of God in mankind. The core of Paul’s soteriology is his growth and participational aspects which constitutes the salvation process and are closely linked. The salvific process starts in the first phase with conversion from cultic Temple-ism and weaning from cultic and ethnic “laws” through the teaching of, and participation in, the spiritual growth process of the “physical” Jesus while the Spirit within us is awakening. The latter heralds the start of the “second” mature spiritual phase of the resurrected and vindicated Christ; sensitising our conscience as our moral identity and source of internal motivation from the real Self; one lives intuitively from loving-kindness; you honour this Gift in your earthly vessel with a fitting response to life. The behavioural element is central and an absolute necessity in the salvific process and he never views it as being secondary. Christianity will have to revise simplistic “faith” to salvation dogmas and broaden its functional scope by again honouring the second personal and authentic spiritual growth phase to be able to manifest a better Kingdom with the aid of Human Beings. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D.Th. (Systematic Theology)

The Church lives in times of change. In times of change Christ builds and equips his Church, through the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the gospel to the world and to make disciples. As part of the congregation, it is important to ask what the role of the youth and youth ministry plays in the building and equipment of the church, which Christ is busy doing. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the possibility that discipleship can be used as a model for ministry for congregation–building to the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The following working method was used in order to reach this particular aim: * Firstly, a basis–theoretical investigation was conducted ascertaining the subject, object, aim and nature of congregation–building. * Secondly, a basis–theoretical investigation focused on discipleship was done. In this investigation the aim was to find a workable definition for 'disciple' and 'discipleship' as well as the aim and nature of discipleship. This investigation concluded by showing the relation between congregation–building and discipleship. * Thirdly, an empirical study was launched to determine the situation in the Reformed Churches in South Africa pertaining to youth and youth ministry. In this study the first priority was to determine the aim for youth ministry as determined by the Deputies for Catechesis and Youth nurture of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The second priority is to determine the present tendencies under the youth in classis KwaZulu–Natal–North of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The findings of this study were then weighed against the perception of the teachers of Catechesis in this particular classis. * Lastly, the findings of the basis–theoretical investigation and the empirical study was synthesised into a practical theory for discipleship as `n ministry model for church–building for the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The finding of this study is that discipleship can indeed be applied as a ministry model for church–building for the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. Through this ministry model the baptized member can be equipped in a contextual–relevant manner to bring the gospel to the world, through his or her love for God to his or her neighbour, as a member of the faith community of the church. / Thesis (M. Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The Church lives in times of change. In times of change Christ builds and equips his Church, through the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the gospel to the world and to make disciples. As part of the congregation, it is important to ask what the role of the youth and youth ministry plays in the building and equipment of the church, which Christ is busy doing. The aim of this dissertation is to examine the possibility that discipleship can be used as a model for ministry for congregation–building to the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The following working method was used in order to reach this particular aim: * Firstly, a basis–theoretical investigation was conducted ascertaining the subject, object, aim and nature of congregation–building. * Secondly, a basis–theoretical investigation focused on discipleship was done. In this investigation the aim was to find a workable definition for 'disciple' and 'discipleship' as well as the aim and nature of discipleship. This investigation concluded by showing the relation between congregation–building and discipleship. * Thirdly, an empirical study was launched to determine the situation in the Reformed Churches in South Africa pertaining to youth and youth ministry. In this study the first priority was to determine the aim for youth ministry as determined by the Deputies for Catechesis and Youth nurture of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The second priority is to determine the present tendencies under the youth in classis KwaZulu–Natal–North of the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The findings of this study were then weighed against the perception of the teachers of Catechesis in this particular classis. * Lastly, the findings of the basis–theoretical investigation and the empirical study was synthesised into a practical theory for discipleship as `n ministry model for church–building for the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The finding of this study is that discipleship can indeed be applied as a ministry model for church–building for the baptized members (13 to 18 years of age) in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. Through this ministry model the baptized member can be equipped in a contextual–relevant manner to bring the gospel to the world, through his or her love for God to his or her neighbour, as a member of the faith community of the church. / Thesis (M. Th. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Through his personal spiritual growth process and Jesus’ teachings and life, Paul became acutely aware of the vast differences between Prophetic Judaism and the Mystical Traditions in relation to the Temple Cult and Temple-ism in general. Paul’s own “history of religion” centred on Abraham’s Covenant as the first and preferred, unmediated, spiritual and universal model, against Moses’ priestly mediated cultic system designed basically for Jews. Therefore, Paul follows Jesus teachings and mission to “rip the dividing curtain” of the Jerusalem Temple (Heb 6:19, 20); so that all nations can be reconciled to God (Eph 2:11-18). Jesus re-negotiated “a new and better covenant” of God’s mercy through repentance to all. Cultic “regulations” and Jewishness as being a special “religious”, covenantal “qualification” is now outdated and rather were now dangerous myths in Paul’s new religion. Paul knew that bridging concepts and new interpretations of metaphors will have to be part of the transition. God did not need a final special blood cultic sacrifice; to the contrary, only some people needed one so that they can make the mental transition from a cultic religion to a spiritual and personal religion.To Paul, God was the unknown Father and the Essence of all creation and Jesus-Christ was their leader and master or lord. In the mystical sense however, “Christ” represented the real Spiritual essence of mankind; the image of God in mankind. The core of Paul’s soteriology is his growth and participational aspects which constitutes the salvation process and are closely linked. The salvific process starts in the first phase with conversion from cultic Temple-ism and weaning from cultic and ethnic “laws” through the teaching of, and participation in, the spiritual growth process of the “physical” Jesus while the Spirit within us is awakening. The latter heralds the start of the “second” mature spiritual phase of the resurrected and vindicated Christ; sensitising our conscience as our moral identity and source of internal motivation from the real Self; one lives intuitively from loving-kindness; you honour this Gift in your earthly vessel with a fitting response to life. The behavioural element is central and an absolute necessity in the salvific process and he never views it as being secondary. Christianity will have to revise simplistic “faith” to salvation dogmas and broaden its functional scope by again honouring the second personal and authentic spiritual growth phase to be able to manifest a better Kingdom with the aid of Human Beings. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D.Th. (Systematic Theology)

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D. Th. (Christian Spirituality)