The Vibrant Community of Church Youth




Introduction
Church youth groups play a crucial role in cultivating faith, community, and service among young people within the church community. These groups provide a space for young individuals to come together, build relationships, and grow in their spiritual walks as they navigate the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood.


The youth of the church are often seen as the future of the church, and these groups provide a platform for them to develop their faith in a supportive and encouraging environment. Through weekly meetings, retreats, outreach events, and service projects, church youth are able to deepen their understanding of their faith, connect with their peers, and make a positive impact in their communities.


Furthermore, church youth groups offer a sense of belonging and camaraderie that is essential…...

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References

1. Smith, Christian, and Melinda Lundquist Denton. \"Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.\" Oxford University Press, 2005.

2. King, Pamela E., and James L. Furrow. \"Religion and Positive Youth Development: Identity, Meaning, and Prosocial Concerns.\" Applied Developmental Science, vol. 7, no. 1, 2003, pp. 17-25.

3. Regnerus, Mark D., Christian Smith, and David Sikkink. \"Who gives to the poor? The influence of religious tradition and political location on the personal generosity of Americans toward the poor.\" Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 37, no. 3, 1998, pp. 481-493.

4. Priest, Robert J., et al. \"They Served Us Eucharist: Teens and Short-Term Missions.\" Missiology, vol. 40, no. 3, 2012, pp. 289-306.

5. Pazmiño, Robert W. \"Foundational Issues in Christian Education: An Introduction in Evangelical Perspective.\" Baker Academic, 2008.

6. Smith, Christian, and Patricia Snell. \"Soul Searching: The Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.\" Oxford University Press, 2009.

7. Cunningham, Philip, and Richard R. Lischer. \"Christian Youth Leadership in a World of Growing Complexity.\" Journal of Youth and Theology, vol. 8, no. 1, 2009, pp. 11-28.

Shepherd: Pastor, Elder, Overseer
The Shepherd

The words elder, overseer, and pastor all describe the same authority of leadership within the universal church. However, since different denominations use these terms as though there are separate entities, the three offices are thought to have distinct meanings. Within the ultimate authority of the ible and the Scripture, the terms elder, overseer, and pastor overlap in meaning. Indeed, Apostles Paul and Peter continuously interchange the offices of elder and overseer with the gift of pastor or shepherd. From this, it is clear that -- for the people they minister to, for, and with -- pastors are intended to have oversight. Thus, it is possible to say with confidence that those who have the gift to pastor also hold the office of elder and overseer.

Table of Contents

Thesis

Introduction

Historical Definitions.

Two Parallel Directions.

The Human Overseer.

Fitness to Lead.

Conclusion

"Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead…...

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Bibliography

Constable, T.L. (2010). Notes on Acts. Plano, TX: Sonic Light. Retrieved  http://www.soniclight.com/ 

Cox, D.R. (2003). Pastor, bishop, and elder: What's the difference? [Web]. Retrieved http://davidcox.com.mx/usa/our_promo/pastorelderbishop_whats_the_difference.htm

Duffield, Guy P., and Nathaniel M. Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Los Angeles, CA: L.I.F.E. Bible College, 1983.

Elliott, John Hall. "Elders as leaders in 1 Peter and the early church." Currents In Theology And Mission 28, no. 6 (December 1, 2001): 549-559.

Religion and Theology: Church GrowthProblem StatementIt has been observed that good pastoring is often absent in The Apostolic Church of West African diaspora in the United States. Without proper leadership, which is missing in the form of good pastoring, young people do not find a connection with the church, hence are hard to retain. The membership of young adults is witnessed to reduce hurting the church and the Church ministers.The PurposeThe research purpose would be to create awareness about good pastoring and its importance for retaining young church members, specifically The Apostolic Church of the West African diaspora. It would also teach moving the ministers to change themselves and bring good pastoring practices that infuse motivation in the youth during congregations. The purpose is also to test my assumptions about whether good pastoring is missing in the selected church and among its ministers or not.Research QuestionsKeeping the project aims in…...

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BibliographyReading list: These references could be used in the dissertation.Gesler, M.E. (2013). “You is the Church”: Identity and identification in Church leadership [Partial degree fulfillment, University of Montana]. Scholar Works at University of Montana.   J. M., Phillips-Caesar, E. G., Winston, G. J., Charlson, M. E., & Peterson, J. C. (2013). Recruitment and retention techniques for developing faith-based research partnerships, New York City, 2009-2012. Preventing Chronic Disease, 10.  https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd10.120142 McIntosh, R. & Curry, K. (2020). The role of a Black Church-school partnership in supporting the educational achievement of African American students. School Community Journal, 30(1), 161-189. Moser, K.A. & Nel, M. (2019). The connection between youth ministry’s division of evangelism and discipleship, and the lack of retention of youth in North American churches. Verbum et Ecclesia, 40(1), 1-8.  https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v40i1.2020 Williams, C.M.O. (2019). Active engagement of young adults in the church and a sense of belonging [Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University]. Digital Commons Concordia University.  https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1360&context=cup_commons_grad_edd  ReferencesAbraham, L. (2016, May 2). The importance of Christian youth ministry in today’s church. Grand Canyon University.  https://www.gcu.edu/blog/theology-ministry/importance-christian-youth-ministry-todays-church  Alexander, S.L. (2017). Examining the retention of African American young adults in their childhood church [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. Walden University Scholar Works.  https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=4756&context=dissertations Goeke-Morey, M. C., Taylor, L. K., Merrilees, C. E., Shirlow, P., & Cummings, E. M. (2014). Adolescents’ relationship with God and internalizing adjustment over time: The moderating role of maternal religious coping. Journal of Family Psychology: JFP: Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 28(6), 749–758.  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037170 Pahl, J. (2019, July 7). Recreating America: Youth ministry and social change, 1930-1999. The encyclopedia of Informal Education.  https://infed.org/mobi/re-creating-america-youth-ministry-and-social-change-1930-1999/ The Presbyterian Outlook. (2012, July 24). Author says theology should play a deeper role in youth ministry.  https://pres-outlook.org/2012/07/author-says-theology-should-play-a-deeper-role-in-youth-ministry/https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=etd Hippolyte,

Their primary duty is that of guiding the spiritual and religious aspects of the lives of their community members. They should give the highest priority to their duties towards the community including church service, counseling and other ceremonial functions required by their profession. As part of their professional and ethical duties, pastors are also required to show an interest in community development and increase their participation in community activities. This has become a necessity in modern culture because people expect institutions to take an interest and an active role in the community development efforts. Institutions cannot expect to benefit from the resources of the society and not give back. This is why business organizations, universities and even political parties make community development a part of their organization's commitment to the society and the people they serve. eligious institutions like the church are also expected to follow this example. The…...

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References

Arnold, W.V. (1982). Introduction to Pastoral Care. Westminster John Knox Press.

Bush, J.E. (2006). Gentle Shepherding: Pastoral Ethics and Leadership. Chalice Press.

Gula, R.M. (1996). Ethics in Pastoral Ministry. Paulist Press.

Hewart-Mills, D. (2011). Pastoral Ministry. Xulon Press.

However, Henry VIII was still insistent at that time on Catholicism in everything except loyalty to the Pope. The Pope had named Henry VIII a Defender of the Faith for the opposition that Henry had to Martin Luther, and Henry's theology did not change any because of his rejection of the authority of the Pope.
Thomas Cranmer and some or the other leaders of the Church, however, decided that there was a need to reform what they considered to be the heresies that had developed. Especially important to them were a liturgy and a ible that was printed in English. In addition to this, they also wanted to do away with some of the beliefs and practices that the Catholic Church had and that they believed did not fit in with Scripture, such as veneration of saints, celibacy for the clergy, and Purgatory. Their desire by accomplishing these things was…...

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Bibliography

Becker, Carl Lotus. Beginnings of the American People. (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1915).

De Molen, Richard, L. ed., Leaders of the Reformation (Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 1984)

King, John N. English Reformation Literature. The Tudor Origins of the Protestant Tradition (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1982)

Luther, Martin. Ninety-Five Theses (Internet: www.bartleby.com,1517)

In 1846, Young led the church to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, where they established Salt Lake City, yet tensions continued between the settlers and the Federal Government (Church Pp). The Edmunds Act of 1882 countered the Mormon's practice of polygamy, a practice that had prevented Utah being recognized as a state (Church Pp). In 1890 a revelation from God changed church beliefs and practices when the fourth Church president, ilford oodruff, issued the Great Accommodation, which basically banned plural marriages and in 1896, Utah became a state (Church Pp).
During the 20th century, the Church maintained a dominant role in Utah and as of mid-2001, the Governor and all Federal senators, representatives and members of the Supreme Court are all Mormon (Church Pp). During the 1970's the Church received political and economic pressure concerning its institutionalized racism, which prevented males of black ancestry from ordination, thus, the Church…...

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Works Cited

The History of the Church.  http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/history 

Church History.  http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_hist.htm 

Latter-day Saints, Church of Jesus Christ of. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition;

4/22/2004; pp.

Johnson (1992) lists four theological themes present in the book of Acts: the Holy Spirit, the life of the church, the discernment of god’s activity, and universality. The same four themes are present in the life and ministry of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. Moreover, these are the four main themes that would become the bedrock of the early church itself. According to Johnson (1992), being able to recognize these themes not only enrich the reader’s understanding of the gospel, but also reveals the “consistent religious preoccupations that might not be obvious on the surface of his storytelling,” (p. 14). These consistent religious preoccupations remain the cornerstones of Christianity.
The first theme is the Holy Spirit. So crucial is this theme Johnson claims that the book of Acts can even be considered the “Book of the Holy Spirit,” (p. 14). Luke refers to the “dramatic outpouring” of God, of course in Jesus…...

Congregational Care in West African Churches in the U.S.IntroductionCongregational Care can be referred to Church\\\'s initiatives in addressing the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the sick, older adults, the physically challenged, and people experiencing stress or loss in their lives, among other challenges (Young et al. 2003). They may include activities like visiting communion, hospital calls, funeral ministry, and prayer ministry, to mention a few. At the same time, most African American churches believe in psychological healing problems that mainly occur during liturgical rituals (Obazee, 2018). A process where the church members identify psychological challenges that are replaced by positive feelings.As a result, in several cases, the African American clergy have to undertake pastoral counseling to help people with psychological challenges that may require counseling (Wango, 2010). As a church leader, the clergies should care for the Church as Jesus did. This is supported by John 21:17, where Jesus…...

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ReferencesBidwell, D. R. (2004). Short term spiritual guidance. Fortress Press.Brock, R. N. (2020). Moral conscience, moral injury, and rituals for recovery. In Moral Injury and Beyond (pp. 37-52). Routledge.Kujawa-Holbrook, S. A., & Montagno, K. B. (2009). Injustice and the care of souls: Taking oppression seriously in pastoral care (pp. 13-27). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.Lebacqz, K., & Driskill, J. (2010). Ethics and spiritual care: A guide for pastors and spiritual directors. Abingdon Press.Obazee, A. (2018). Congregational Health Promotion by African American Female Pastors in the Christian Faith.Wango, G. M. (2010). Pastoral Counselling and Care: The Role of the Clergy in Helping Services. Limuru: St. Paul’s University.Young, J. L., Griffith, E. E., & Williams, D. R. (2003). The integral role of pastoral counseling by African-American clergy in community mental health. Psychiatric Services, 54(5), 688-692.

4Pastoral Care in Immigrant CongregationA wide range of African, Spanish-speaking, and Filipino churches have emerged all across the United States and Europe. According to Eriksen, the emergence of immigrant churches in the United States and all across Western cities is a common phenomenon.[footnoteRef:1] The emergence of these churches in the United States and Europe is a reflection of a wide range of ethnic-linguistic, theological, and denominational diversity. While these churches challenge the established landscapes of Western churches, they face their own unique challenges. As the numbers of these churches continue to increase in the US diaspora, there are numerous issues relating to pastoral care in these congregations. There are concerns regarding what constitutes proper pastoring in an ethnic-linguistic and theological diverse congregation. This paper seeks to address the problem of proper pastoral care in immigrant congregations in Western cities, particularly in the United States. [1: Stian Sorlie Eriksen, Immigrant-Majority Church…...

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BibliographyCommission for Evangelization and Pastoral Care of the Migrants. “Church Teachings on Pastoral Care of the Migrants.” SMCIM, 2015,   S.S. “Immigrant-Majority Church Relations in the West.” Lausanne Global Analysis, July 2019,  https://lausanne.org/content/lga/2019-07/immigrant-majority-church-relations-west Kim, S.J. & Villace, T. “Development of Pastoral Administrative Leadership Scale Based on the Theories of Educational Leadership.” Cogent Business and Management 6(2019): 1-10.Magezi, V. “Pastoral Care to Migrants as Care at the ‘in-between’ and ‘liminal’ Home Away from Home: Towards Public Pastoral Care to Migrants.” Verbum et Ecclesia 40(2019): 1-8.Magezi, V. “Pastoral Care to Migrants as Care at the ‘In-Between’: Reflections on Pastoral Care within Congregational Ministry.” Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, 2019,  https://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs/index.php/rpfs/article/download/595/571 Paul II, J.P. “The Pastoral Care of Migrants: A Way of Accomplishing the Mission of the Church Today.” Eternal World Television Network, 2001,  https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/pastoral-care-of-migrants-a-way-of-accomplishing-the-mission-of-the-church-today-8312 Salvatierra, A. “Equipping Hispanic Immigrant Pastors for Holistic Mission.” Fuller Theological Seminary, 2018,  https://www.proquest.com/openview/4d38e2a1ed2fde0fc09c6d02f8fecb41/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=yhttp://www.cepcm.org/home/inner/28 Eriksen,

It will use historical evidence to examine the role of the church is a spiritual entity. It will examine the role of the church as a political entity throughout changing political landscapes. It will explore the role of the church as a social service provider with regards to the importance of this role in helping black people to redeem themselves in light of historical cultural atrocities that they have faced.
esearch Questions

In order to examine that topics of interest un this research study the following research questions be addressed.

1. How has the black church served as redemptive force in helping the black people to heal?

2. What factors served as a redemptive force in helping the image of black people in the black church to improve?

3. How has a black church helped black communities to regain and maintain their self-sufficiency?

4. How has the black church served as a means to identify…...

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References

Primary Sources

Aaron. (1845), the Light and Truth of Slavery. Aaron's History: Electronic Edition. Retrieved June 19, 2010 from  http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/aaron/aaron.html#p6 

Adams, John Quincy. (1872). Narrative of the Life of John Quincy Adams. Retrieved June 19,

2010 from  http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/adams/adams.html#adams6

Recruitment and Training of Religious Ministry
Theology, a definition. What does it take to recruit and train qualified members of the ministry today?

Description of Message: A hands-on approach that encourages growth of mind and spirit will provide lay people with a well-rounded vision and the knowledge absolutely necessary to be successful in the church. No two-year or four-year academic program alone can provide lay people with the insight they need to be successful ministers.

Academic Learning

Professional Learning

Interpretation of Results

Modern Day Society: Statistics Related to Religious Affinity

How to spot prospective church leaders

Criticism: How valid are such studies as mentioned above that measure the religious affiliation of the nation? It certainly seems a valid notion that the religious identity of the nation is certainly scattered, perhaps as scattered as the non-homogenous population. However, throughout time people were faced with cultural variety and managed to find truth in the spirit.

Need for Theology to be interpreted…...

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Bibliography

Capps, Walter H. (1972). "The Ways of Understanding Religion." New York: Macmillan.

Hexham, Irving. (2003). "Concise Dictionary of Religion." Vancouver: Regent Press.

Kosmin, Barry. Egon, Mayer. (2003). "American Religious Identification Survey." Accessed February 25, 2003 at  http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/aris_index.htm 

Melton, Gordon. Lewis, James R. (2003). "Religious Requirements and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains."

Emotionally Healthy Church is a book about the importance of emotionally intelligent church leadership. A healthy Church depends on strong leaders who can introduce the congregation to Biblical principles and serve as role models in the community. Being disconnected with the emotional side of life is an unfortunate by-product of the modern world. Genuine discipleship involves a recognition and appreciation of the emotional components of spirituality. Emotional intelligence involves more than just empathy. It involves self-awareness as a pastor or church leader, with the express goal of eliminating sin and enhancing the power of prayer.
In The Emotionally Healthy Church, Scazzero (2010) provides an overview of why emotional health is important in a church, its leadership, and in a Christian community. The author also offers an emotional and spiritual inventory that can be used for church leaders to assess their current state, which can be useful in recognizing weaknesses and…...

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Reference

Scazzero, P. (2010). The Emotionally Healthy Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Evangelization is the mission of the Church. How is this expressed in your current parish/church community? Evangelizing is the primary goal of the church: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19). “God’s salvific will is universal,” but it is also expressed through the Church (Galvin). The Church is the necessary human vehicle that transports and transmits the Word of God.
My current community is diverse but faithful. While there are differing opinions on the shape of evangelism, most believers would firmly agree that evangelism is one of the core functions of the Church. After all, we are entrusted with the duty of inspiring others to find Jesus, to retain their faith during times of spiritual crisis or doubt, and to deliver wayward souls to the peace they may find in Christ. If…...

Antioch Church: ecommendations for Change
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." This is a common adage in the world today. Nonetheless, it should also be recognized that change, in itself, is one of the most common business paradigms today. Businesses need to change in response to the environment and their customers. As soon as it becomes clear that a customer need or complaint is not addressed, change is required for such a business regardless of the nature of the goods or services offered at its premises. This is also, or perhaps most particularly, true of the church today. In an age where many are abandoning their faith in favor of more rational and scientific ideas, the church needs to revisit the way in which it provides its members and potential members with information and the opportunity to interact. Here, specific attention will be given to the Antioch…...

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References

Antioch Baptist Church (n.d.). Retrieved from:  http://www.dontforgethim.org/ 

Gould, T.H.P. (2012). The Church and peer review: Was "peer" review fairer, more honest then than now? Retrieved from  http://krex.ksu.edu 

MKay, K., Kuntz, J.R.C. And Naswall, K. (2013). The effect of affective commitment: Communication and partiipatio on Resistence to Change: The role of Change Readiness.

Quast, L. (2013). Overcome the 5 main reasons People resist change. Retrieved from:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/11/26/overcome-the-5-main-reasons-people-resist-change/

Essay Topic Examples 1. Exploring the sychological Dynamics of Small Church Syndrome: A Study on Dr. Glenn Mollette's Contributions:
     This essay would delve into the intricate psychological components that contribute to the small church syndrome as discussed by Dr. Glenn Mollette. It would analyze how factors such as fear of change, scarcity mindset, and leadership dynamics can deeply impact the vitality of a small congregation.

2. The Sociological Implications of Small Church Syndrome on Declining Religious Institutions:
     This topic focuses on the broader sociological trends that are associated with small church syndrome. The essay would cover the role of societal shifts, changing demographics, and community disengagement in perpetuating the challenges that Dr. Glenn Mollette has identified in small churches.

3. Small Church Syndrome and the Rural-Urban Divide: Insights from Dr. Glenn Mollette's Research:
     This essay would investigate how small church syndrome manifests in rural versus urban settings as observed by Dr. Glenn Mollette.…...

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Primary Sources

Mollette, Glenn. \"Small Church Syndrome.\" Newburgh Seminary Research. Newburgh Theological Seminary & College Of The Bible, n.d. Print.

Mollette, Glenn. Uncommon Sense: A Common Citizen\'s Guide to Rebuilding America. IN: Liberty Torch USA, 2012. Print.

Mollette, Glenn. \"The Plight of the Small Church in America.\" The Christian Post, n.d. Web.

Mollette, Glenn. Interview on \"Small Church Syndrome.\" Religion in Everyday Life. Blogger.com, n.d. Web.

Mollette, Glenn. Silent Struggler: A Caretaker\'s Personal Story. IN: Liberty Torch USA, 2014. Print.

A surprising number of factors contribute to church leadership.  While many people think that either knowledge of religion or adherence to religious principles are the two most important characteristics in a church leader, they are often secondary to actual leadership characteristics.  Servant leadership has served as a model for the ideal Christian leader, both in and out of the church, but on its own is not enough to be an effective leader for the church.  Leaders have to incorporate some other management principles to be truly effective. 

Church Leadership Essay Topics and Essay....