Learners with special needs experience myriad problems in general and special education. These problems range from minor academic, social, emotional, and behavioral problems to major disenfranchisements, disadvantages, and disillusionments. In addition, these problems can be very intense. As a result, they call for innovative and creative…

Describing the work of a director of the department of religious education of a national church, this article attempts to show how the work is multi-faceted and intense, meeting the many needs of parishes and their religious education programs. The essay also offers a reflection on the lessons learned from nearly fifteen years in this position.

This research project explores how awareness and participation in Christian spiritual disciplines increased among adults involved in Sunday school revitalization at Temple Baptist Church in Gainesville, Texas. The first two chapters include a biblical and theological basis for the spiritual disciplines and a brief historical sketch of Christian…

This study demonstrates the value of the field of public theology for cathedral studies. Both of these fields are concerned with the continuing role of religion in public life in contemporary societies, and yet those writing within these fields often do not draw from the work of the other. Therefore, in this study I show some findings of my PhD…

The purpose of this project was to create a systematic, spiritual formation plan for Central Christian School that strategically integrates the Bible curriculum into the chapel programming of the school and connects it to the home. The project involved a three-part strategy consisting of statistical testing of surveys, classroom-type observations,…

In 1945, church participation in America started to decline, despite the efforts of many Christian church leaders, the problem continues to escalate (Jones, 2021; Inglehart, 2020). Research reveals that the most dramatic decrease in church participation occurs in Generation Z young adults (born 1995 to 2012; Jones, 2021; Twenge, 2017). This…

The purpose of this project was to develop a training program at Hickory Grove Baptist Church to equip men for leadership. The focus of the training was to help men understand and demonstrate the principles of being a disciple of Christ who can make disciples so they can provide effective leadership within the church and in their homes. Chapter 1…

Literary and linguistic patterns delineate structure and theme in many documents of the ancient Mediterranean world. In this dissertation, I utilize the Aeschylean tragedies of the "Persians" and the "Oresteia", the narratives of Genesis and Judges from the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament narratives of the Gospel of Mark…

Churches must be able to navigate forced changes like those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions related to the pandemic impacted churches' abilities to provide needed support services to the African American community, including African American women, who shoulder tremendous challenges. Few studies report the views of African…

Metaphors were introduced to the science of cathedral studies by Muskett in her book, "Shop window, flagship, common ground." Such metaphors have the power to inform and shape the perception of cathedrals, but lack theological or ecclesial authority. Gary Hall's analysis of "The purpose of cathedrals" offers a different…

In this dissertation, the researcher investigated the level of alignment between the content of required church music courses for the Bachelor of Arts in Church Music (BACM) or its equivalent at institutions of higher education in the conservative holiness movement (CHM) and the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that…

The inclusion of autistic youth within the faith community appears to be a challenge for churches. The problem addresses the lack of inclusion for individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who attend church services, specifically Sunday school. Individuals impacted by this problem are ASD individuals, their parents, and Sunday…

The purpose of this project is to develop a teacher empowering, equipping, and training program for Muslim refugee children. It is essential for teachers to understand the concept of Christian education, realize their calling and identity as a teacher, and know their functional roles, when teaching Muslim refugee children. The project had been…

This study explored the spiritual needs of Christian families by surveying and holding focus groups with parents and congregational leaders. We discovered a disconnect between what congregational leaders think is happening with families and the lived experience of families. Congregational leaders often perceive the lack of church engagement from…

Within the past ten to fifteen years, there has been a trend among churches to downsize staff and eliminate the role of "Minister of Education." With these changes in staff structure, a need has emerged for assistance in evaluating adult educational programming within the church. For this project, a process was developed called the Adult…