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The purpose of this study is to seek a consensus definition of family ministry, including the aspects of desired outcome, necessary activities, and perceived locus of responsibility. The three-round Delphi study utilized input from 13 expert panelists to describe items of consensus across in each of the above four categories. Results from the study describe four consensus definitional components: strong biblical foundation, clear equipping for biblical parenting and community, and addressing healthy interpersonal relationships. Four categories of desired outcomes included multigenerational faith formation, authentic biblical community, rigorously biblical programming, and the advancement of God’s kingdom. Categories of essential practices were the equipping of households for evangelism and discipleship, missional family life and authentic and accountable leadership. The responsibility for the activities of family ministry lies with particular church leadership in partnership with the home, according to study participants. KEYWORDS: Definitional consensus, desired outcomes, activities of family ministry, responsible parties for family ministry, Delphi methodology.

Practical Theology / (M. Th. (Practical Theology))

Abstract THE INFLUENCE OF IN-HOME FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP AND YOUTH MINISTRY ON YOUNG ADULT DISCIPLE MAKING Daniel Wayne Hinton, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. Brian C. Richardson The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a student’s youth ministry involvement, their in-home discipleship experience and their participation in disciple making as a young adult. The researcher used quantitative methods to measure young adults’ participation in disciple making and their childhood spiritual development at home and in youth ministry. He utilized qualitative methods using open ended questions to explore the best practices of parents, youth ministry programs, and other influential factors. Chapter 2 reviews the pertinent literature to this study. The issues of the spiritual development of children, the biblical foundations for disciple making, and the observable current performance of parents and churches in disciple making are explored. Chapter 3 describes the process by which the data for this study was gathered. Approximately 400 young adults, ages 18-29 who were enrolled in one of 8 discipleship or leadership programs were invited to participate in the survey adapted from three existing validated tools developed by Brad Waggoner, Brandon Shields, and Timothy Paul Jones. The participants also responded to three open ended questions written to reveal specific influential practices. Chapter 4 reports the analysis of the data from the completed survey. The quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The project revealed there was no significant correlation between a young adult’s quality of in-home family discipleship experience and their later participation in making disciples as a young adult. Similarly, the study revealed there was no significant correlation between a young adult’s level of involvement in youth ministry and their later participation in making disciples as a young adult. Analysis of the qualitative responses revealed several repetitive influential forces on a young adult becoming a disciple maker. There are implications here for in-home family discipleship practices, youth ministry, and those interested in discipleship training. The final chapter presents the conclusions based on the findings of this study. Any variances in the data and the reasons for their existence are also explored. Based on the results of the research, applications are made for Christian parents, church and youth ministry leaders, as well as other practitioners interested in the spiritual development of children toward spiritual maturity, leadership, or disciple making.

Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / (M. Th. (Practical Theology))

Assignment (M. Div.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africans are confronted with the heartbreaking realities of society on a daily base. The question is, “How do we begin to bring about actual change concerning the distortion in the lives of people in our communities and who needs to take responsibility for this challenge? As a Christian, I approach the issue of social transformation from an understanding of God’s revelation of salvation to humankind, the church as ambassador of that message and the Christian family as the most basic entity of God’s body. It seems as if there is a definite need for virtuous living and nurturing in modern society as people relating to other people necessitate a specific understanding of how they will deal with one another. An exploration of morality and ethics –that which pertain to the character, custom and conduct of people within a community or society –moves us, however, from an initial autonomous What to do? to intimately following the question Who are we? The latter, in turn, cannot be answered unless it is preceded by asking “In what or whom should we hope?” The concern is that Christians indeed live by their conviction that God –as the “unifier of the entire creation” –has given us an order for living and that our direction for “who we are” and “how we ought to live” is found in the God of our hope –for times present and for times to come. Moral transformation of society is, thus, not about good people doing good things, but about human beings being formed into the form of Christ. The need for such a people –one that is morally transformed into the character of Christ –is especially of need in South Africa where communities and individuals are succumbed to the challenges of modern and postmodern times in unique ways. The dilemma for social transformation, however, seems to be in essence a concern for local forms of identities within which moral life can be sustained. It seems, therefore, that the most urgent and crucial task of society is the renewal of the family. Not only is the family the “the basic school of humanity” where children learn about life, but it is also the place where they learn about belief, faith and trust. Parents, who take seriously their task of commitment to raising their children according to the will of God, simultaneously serve as a sign of God’s hope and grace to other family members and their community. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrikaners word daagliks gekonfronteer met hartverskeurende realiteite binne gemeenskappe. Die vraag is, “Hoe begin ons om daadwerklik verandering aan te bring met betrekking tot die verwronging van menselewens en wie is veronderstel om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir hierdie uitdaging? As Christen benader ek die aangeleentheid vanuit die perspektief van God se verlossings-openbaring aan die mens, die kerk as ambassadeur van daardie boodskap en die Christen-familie as die basiese entiteit van God se liggaam. Dit skyn asof daar ‘n definitiewe behoefte vir ‘n deugsame lewe en versorging binne die moderne samelewing is na aanleiding van die noodsaaklikheid van ‘n spesifieke verstaan van omgang tussen mense wat in verhouding tot ander mense staan. ‘n Studie van moraliteit en etiek –dit wat verband hou met die karakter, gewoontes en gedrag van mense binne ‘n gemeenskap –dui egter daarop dat ‘n aanvanklike outonome “Wat om te doen?” vooraf gegaan word deur “Wie is ons?”. Laasgenoemde kan egter nie beantwoord word indien dit nie deur “In wat of in wie moet ons hoop?” vooraf gegaan word nie. Die besorgheid lê daarin opgesluit dat Christene inderdaad volgens die oortuiging leef dat God –wie die hele skepping verenig –‘n lewensorde aan ons toevertrou het. Ons vind gevolglik die aanwysing vir “wie ons is” en “hoe ons veronderstel is om te leef” in God wie ons hoop is vir die hede en die toekoms. ‘n Morele transformasie van die samelewing handel dus nie oor goeie mense wat goeie dinge doen nie, maar handel oor mense wat na die beeld van Christus gevorm word. Die behoefte aan so ‘n geslag mense –mense wat moreel na die karakter van Christus getransformeer word –is veral noodsaaklik in Suid-Afrika waar gemeenskappe en individue op unieke wyse aan moderne en postmoderne uitdagings beswyk. Die dilemma met sosiale transformasie skyn hoofsaaklik ‘n besorgheid te wees vir plaaslike vorme van identiteit waarbinne ‘n morele lewe onderhou kan word. Dit blyk dus dat die vernuwing van die familie die dringendste en noodsaaklikste taak van die gemeenskap is. Die familie is nie alleen die “basiese menslike skool” waar kinders aangaande die lewe onderrig word nie, maar dit is ook die ruimte waar hulle oor geloof en vertroue geleer word. Ouers wat hul toewydingstaak om kinders volgens die wil van God groot te maak ernstig opneem, dien gelykertyd as ‘n teken van God se hoop en genade aan ander familielede en hulle gemeenskap.

The Gumuz society in Ethiopia has been neglected and almost forgotten by the previous rulers of Ethiopia. It is not surprising therefore to see that the majority of the population of Ethiopia have no knowledge about the Gumuz society. This society was not exposed to education until the arrival of the missionaries at the end of 1950's. When Christianity was introduced, the Church did not do enough in helping Christians to distinguish between the Gumuz traditional and the Christian marriage practices, the former which denies some male members of the community the possibility of getting married. Marriage is contracted by exchanging girls. Thus, unless a man has a sister to exchange he is not going to get married. There is an assumption that a man may get a girl from one of his extended families, but that is not always possible. He may or may not get a girl. Therefore the man will end up without getting married. The introduction of Christianity made it possible for every member of the Gumuz people to get married by allowing them to marry from the neighbouring tribes. However, it introduced another side effect. Christians were not able to differentiate between the Gumuz traditional and Christian marriage practices. This dissertation studies the traditional and the Christian marriage practices of the Gumuz society and of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (the EECMY). According to the Gumuz society, marriage is believed to be (Okka) God given. To get married is to obey okka, to accept what God has given, and to have as many children as possible in order to increase the population of the Gumuz tribe. Failure to get married is a crime against traditional beliefs and practices. Furthermore, this dissertation provides the way the Gumuz society understands divorce. Among the Gumuz society divorce does not concern only one family. Both family members and extended families are affected. Since marriage is performed as indicated earlier on by exchanging girls, if a person divorces his wife he has to expect that his sister will divorce her husband which will disturb the whole extended family relationships. Realizing the risk, every married persons in the Gumuz society is conscious about divorce. This attitude brings the rate of divorce to a low level. This dissertation sees the need for counselling and appeals for a therapeutic approach by putting emphasis on contextual family therapy, a therapeutic process which is constructed with maximal concern for its relevance to the cultural context in which it occurs. For example, the problems related to exchanging girls, marriage between the Gumuz and the neighbouring tribes, the issue of divorce, and so forth, are not problems which can be discussed only with individuals or a family member, it needs the inclusion of extended families as well as multigenerational processes. This therapeutic process is capable of providing a contextual approach by looking at the system of the family. I recommend the therapists to have a grounding in the general principle of family life and to get familiar with the way families operate as a social system. The dissertation hopes to create awareness among therapists with basic theories of family systems which enable them to get knowledge of a causes for dysfunctional behaviour within the families, and to equip them with therapeutic skill. This is paramount. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

Grace Gospel Church (GGC) is a small congregation that has met in various venues in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal since 2003. It is a partner church of the Mauritian-based organisation, Church Team Ministries International (CTMI), led by Miki Hardy. Hardy is a pastor who claims to have received a unique revelation from God, and he is considered to be an apostle by his followers. Grace Gospel Church and Church Team Ministries International have gained international attention due to claims that they exert a controversial influence over their members. This influence appears to induce a radical commitment to the partner church and CTMI, leading to behavioural, career and study changes, arranged marriages and estrangement between members and their families. Grace Gospel Church has been accused of being a cult, and this exploratory research questions whether this accusation has justification by comparing the group’s theology and practices against theological, psychological and sociological research on cults. Cult researcher Janja Lalich’s theory of “bounded choice” is described and used to evaluate the commitment witnessed in GGC. Bounded choice exists when, as a result of psycho-social group dynamics, a personal fusion occurs between the individual and the ideology and mores of the group. Out of this fusion, a charismatically committed “true believer” emerges who may appear to have personal freedom, but whose palette of choices is severely curtailed by the beliefs and practices of the group. “Bounded” decision making results which might appear irrational or repugnant to those outside the group, but to true believers represent their highest aspirations. This research indicates that GGC shares many characteristic features of typical cults and also promotes the conditions necessary for bounded choice to occur. It is thus concluded that GGC could legitimately be termed a cult, and that bounded choice is a valid explanation for the controversial choices made by its members. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

The stated purpose of this research project was: 1. to provide a consensus definition of "religious orientation" as the term is currently being used by Marriage and Family therapists familiar with religious families. 2. to identify and prioritize clinicians' perceptions regarding the effects of religious orientation on "Well Family" functioning, both positively and negatively. 3. to develop descriptions of clinicians’ perceptions of dimensions of behavior which can be employed beneficially in marriage and family therapy with religiously-oriented families. In order to address those areas of inquiry, a Delphi methodology was employed, polling marriage and family therapists familiar with Religious Orientation in clinical practice, research and supervisory contexts. This research design is one which is useful in exploratory studies, following the data rather than attempting evaluate a preconceived hypothesis. Open-ended questions generated the initial data base which was subsequently refined and clarified through recursive re-evaluation of each suggested characteristic by the participant-panelists. The final profiles included only those characteristics identified as important or very important by at least 80% of the participants when describing the attributes under consideration. This study suggests that Religious Orientation can be a healthy, stabilizing, life-enhancing perspective about which many individuals and families organize their lives and experience. This study has identified and distinguished between many specific characteristics of both healthy and unhealthy Religious Orientation for individuals and families. Assets of Religious Orientation to the therapeutic process and well-family functioning were also specifically identified. The general omission of Religious Orientation from marriage and family therapy training, supervision and research was addressed from historical and epistemological perspectives. Recommendations for inclusion of Religious Orientation as a significant paradigm were offered, as were recommendations for further research. / Ph. D.

Questionnaire responses of 244 active church members regarding the church's role in providing programs and services for family life needs and issues were analyzed. The sample were members of Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, 16 years old and older who attended at least one church service per month. The major predictors of a church member's general attitude concerning the church providing programs/services for family life are age and feelings of general needs of families in America. The younger members tend to be more interested in a wider variety of church sponsored programs/services while older members are less supportive of a broad spectrum of family life programs. The greater the church member's feeling of needs of families in general the more positive their expressed attitude about the church offering programs/services. There is also a systematic relationship between gender of the church member and their attitude toward the church providing family programs/services. Females tend to hold the stronger feelings, both positive and negative, while males tend to express the more moderate attitudes. A relatively strong positive correlation was found between the church member's awareness of the availability of a specific program or service and their perception of the appropriateness of the church offering the program or service. Counseling is perceived as a priority for the church to offer, with the exceptions of pregnancy counseling and financial counseling. Programs and services dealing with aging issues and for the elderly tend to be ranked low in priority for the church to offer, as well as programs and services in connection with community services. Systematic relationships between specific programs/services and various demographic measures or church involvement measures are also discussed. / Master of Science