Religious surveys

Akintoye Jeremiah Akintunde Rev. D.Ed.Min.

HELPING CHURCH MEMBERS UNDERSTAND AND BIBLICALLY RESPOND TO DEPRESSION
People often disregard the fact that the spiritual state of mind is greatly affected by what is happening in the physical. At times, depression results from exhaustion, anxiety, worry, and many bottled-up issues in people’s lives. People are depressed because they are unfulfilled in their careers, marital life, education, and plans. Unconfessed sin and wickedness of hearts can be the root cause of some depressive moods. When daily challenges become overwhelming and frustrating, people are spiritually drained and discouraged. What is needed for any individual struggling with a depressive mood is the Word of God through biblical counseling. Biblical counselors offer a compassionate heart and practical help through the biblical principles applied to the counselee’s life and situation.
Christians (church members) are not immune from depression because it is real and can be overcome and conquered through reliance on the Holy Spirit and appropriate biblical principles. Biblical counselors should always keep in mind a holistic perspective of human nature. God created human beings holistically – body, spirit, and soul. When one part suffers, every other part suffers with it. Psychology, philosophy, and psychoanalysis (or psychotherapy) are human theories and philosophies that can only last for a short time. The Word of God (Scripture) is authentic, inspired, inerrant, sufficient, and authoritative for counseling tasks and is superior to anything the world’s wisdom offers. The Scripture has the power to change life and turn around situations.
Regardless of the latest scientific discovery, research, and methodology, medical professionals still believe, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), that ‘mental disorders’ including depression fall into such “diagnostic criteria” with a collection of symptoms known as syndromes. A syndrome is simply a collection of symptoms that a person is experiencing.

Dianthia Gilmore

The author completed a resource on the historical, biblical, theoretical, and contemporary review of spiritual disciplines. The assessment tool (Survey Monkey) was comprised of twenty-one quantitative and four qualitative statements. Seven goals directed the resource: demonstrates God's desire for intimacy, readers' desire for intimacy, indicates relationship between engaging in the disciplines and spiritual growth, provides a flexible guide, contains helpful strategies, contains practical discuss on the disciplines; and integrates scripture. The overall rating of the resource be twelve distinguish Christian experts was 5.4 on the six-point Likert Scale.

Paul McCullough

The purpose of this project was to impact Bellpoint Church's lay leaders' commitment to true biblical community through a short-term class. The project design included the administration of pre and post-test questionnaires. Results indicated the participants grew in their understanding of the components of true biblical community: faith development, worship, missions/service, fellowship, and evangelism. Their expressed commitment to practice these components rose, as did their willingness to advocate for them. Most significantly, the participants came to demonstrate an increased willingness to help others understand the basics of true biblical community, not through formal means but through personal interaction and modeling.

Mark D Henzler

Esta disertación examina los cinco elementos críticos para la relevancia en la predicación: el mensaje del texto, el poder de Dios, relación a la necesidad de los oyentes, un propósito concreto y la implementación de la buena técnica retórica. Investiga lo que dicen los autores notables en cuanto a los elementos, analiza una encuesta de más de 50 pastores respeto al tema y además provee sugerencias para la enseñanza de la homilética en institutos y seminarios. Finaliza con sugerencias específicas para el predicador de la Palabra de Dios para que sus sermones tengan mayor relevancia para sus oyentes.

Kristen N Caldwell

The purpose of this project was to discover the primary hindrances that women face in fulfilling their call to ministry. This was done by constructing a survey that was bases primarily off of 11 themes that surfaced in the contemporary literature. A total of 75 surveys completed by women clergy (senior pastors, assistant pastors, ministries of youth and children, professors, chaplains) in 18 different denominations were analyzed. Out of all 24 statements, all 11 themes were hindrances for at least 15 women. For 19 statements, at least 1 in every 3 women dealt with the hindrance presented.

Daniel J Schleuter

The understanding of spiritual formation in the West has been shaped by historical influences and cultural overtones and thought patterns. The author considers the question: Is the Western understanding of spiritual formation appropriate to the majority world? Three cultural differences are compared: individualism/communalism, time/events and literate/sensate learning styles. After discussing the specific context of a theological college in India, the theological implications, other literature on spiritual formation, and a research survey given to the students at the college, the author concludes that the majority world would be better served by developing its own culturally appropriate understanding of spiritual formation.

Corey A Nelson

Given the enormous number of options facing a congregation seeking to choose mission partners for outreach and service, how does the local church decide where to invest its resources (time, talent, treasure)? Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest will be surveyed through an online questionnaire and focus groups regarding their own values and practices in philanthropy and where they believe their local church should be involved in mission. The research demonstrates that through an exploration of philanthropic best practices, theological study, and awareness-raising dialogue among its members, the local church can enrich discipleship, compel greater charitable generosity and service and make a bigger impact on its community through strategic mission partnerships.

Cristen L Campbell

This qualitative research analyzed the impediments to a biblical model of discipleship among women in Cameroon, Africa through an examination of four hypotheses. The first hypothesis relates to a lack of literacy. The second hypothesis concerns a lack of available resources, both financial and material. The third hypothesis pertains to a lack of education. The fourth hypothesis considers the influence of other socio-cultural conditions that bear upon the process of discipleship. The research was accomplished through the use of case study interviews, utilizing a questionnaire developed by the author.

Philip George Robinson

This project examines a paradigm shift in societal values in the English-speaking Caribbean and implications for Church mission and ministry among youth and young adults. The methodology includes a questionnaire and focus group involving tertiary level Caribbean students, as well as interviews. The research detects a paradigm shift in core values, a technology-led change in morality and apparent breakdown in responsiveness and leadership in key social institutions, and determines that family, school, and church are still vital in transmitting wholesome values and restoring a society's moral equilibrium. It proposes intergenerational intervention strategies at every level.

Daniel Dean Rasmussen

The purpose of this project was to discover the Christological beliefs held by the laity of Center United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, concerning Jesus Christ from his person to his work. The goals were measured in a survey including eighteen statements ranked on a seven-point Likert Scale and six open-ended statements giving respondents their own voice. The results show a fairly high regard for orthodoxy with some anomalies indicating postmodern cultural influences. Also indicated is an ease with creedal type statements which express faith with orthodox overtones and challenges when deeper meaning of those statements were sought.