Ministry Of Church Research Articles

Begeleiding en toerusting tot goeie werke as noodsaaklike deel van gemeentebediening

Leading and equipping people for good deeds as a crucial part of parish ministry. The article examines the role that equipment for good works, as an integral part of church ministry, can play in revitalising and help congregations to grow. The investigation is conducted through an exegetical analysis of Ephesians 2, focusing on verse 10. The results of the study of Ephesians are then compared with other Scriptures where good works are mentioned. From this research, it becomes clear that good works do not play a role in the justification and salvation of believers, because it is solely the work of God’s undeserved grace. However, good works are an integral part of God’s purpose in his redemption of humanity. Humanity is not saved by good works but rather unto good works. According to Ephesians, good works serve to proclaim the greatness of God’s grace towards believers. God prepares the good works for believers. Believers are enabled to do good works through the gifts that Christ and the Spirit give them, and the equipment they receive through the special services. From the Gospels, it is evident that good works were a characteristic of Jesus’ mission, and therefore also the calling of his disciples. In the pastoral letters, good works are described as part of Christ’s purpose for which He acquired a people for Himself. The ultimate goal of equipping from the Word, is the ability to do good works. Therefore, good works testify to maturity in faith, reliability, and dedication. A lack of good works puts a question mark on someone’s faith. The conclusion from the research is that deliberate equipping of members to actively do good works, should be an integral part of church ministry. Each member of the congregation should be held responsible for using the opportunities that God creates for them, to do good works. The lack of a structured ministry of equipping members for distributing God’s grace by good works, can be a leading cause of stagnation and decline in congregations.Contribution: The article contributes to practical theological reflection on ministry in the church through in-depth exegetical analysis and comparison of Scripture with Scripture. The place of equipping for good works, which is often overlooked in reformed circles, is highlighted here.

Ludwig von Wolzogen and his Objections to Meditationes de prima philosophia

The article presents one of the lesser known treatise produced within the Polish Socinian movement, written by Johann Ludwig von Wolzogen (ca. 1599-1661), under the title Breves in Meditationes Metaphysicas Renati Cartesii annotationes [Brief Notes on the Metaphysical Meditations of Rene Descartes]. It appeared in print in 1657 in Amsterdam and was ten years later reprinted in the series Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum. In its entirety, the text is intended as a polemic against Descartes's views and written as a detailed commentary on the Meditationes de prima philosophia. Here I intend to demonstrate that Wolzogen's treatise deserves a close scrutiny. First of all, it considerably contributes to our knowledge on the 17th century disputes around the Meditations on First Philosophy. Second, it represents the first substantive and fairly extensive discussion of Descartes's philosophy to appear in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Third, it is a treatise issued from the milieu of the Polish Socinians (the Polish Brethren) that has been recognized by recent research as having exerted a non-negligible influence upon the development of the progressive European thought of the period, both in the domain of theology and philosophy.

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Disciples and Friends: Investigations in Disability, Dementia, and Mental Health

Faith and Works … Or Works and Faith? A Performative Faith in Samoan Churches

Christianity is the main religion in the Pacific Islands, and what is unique about Christianity in the Pacific is that religion cannot be separated from everyday life experiences. This is because the worship and veneration of a divine source is the foundation of Pacific cultures and worldviews. In the Samoan context, faith in the Christian God is not only a rational activity but a concrete, practical experience embracing the physical and emotional manifestation of one’s faith in God. This essay is a contextual theology paper examining the significance of applying authentic expressions of the gospel from a Samoan cultural worldview while acknowledging Christian traditions passed down by Western missionaries of the 19th century. Faith in God, without good works, is impossible in the Samoan context. This is because service to God and one another is imperative to social cohesion and prosperity. The physical manifestation of one’s faith through active, committed service to the church ministry is a sign of good faith, evident through excessive monetary offerings, responsibility for fulfilling specific roles in the ministry and a commitment to all church programs. The Samoan cultural nuance of community and service helps form an authentic expression of Samoan Christian identity.

Once a job crafter, always a job crafter? Investigating job crafting in organizations as a reciprocal self-concordant process across time

Research depicts job crafting as a desirable, ongoing employee behavior rather than a one-off event. However, insights are lacking into how employees’ active engagement in job crafting may be sustained across time. In this study, we advance a dynamic framework of how changes that follow employees’ periods of job crafting may, in turn, motivate versus impede continued crafting of one’s job role over time. Drawing from self-concordance theorizing, we propose and test a framework on how job crafting and employees’ attainment of self-concordant and organizational work goals are reciprocally related over time. Longitudinal data from a large, three-wave study collected over four years among church ministers support a positive reciprocal relationship between job crafting and self-concordant goal attainment, as well as an indirect positive relationship between job crafting and organizational goal attainment via self-concordant goal attainment. However, in line with our theorizing, organizational goal attainment did not predict subsequent job crafting. Instead, high organizational goal attainment weakened the extent to which job crafting at one time point positively related to job crafting at the next time point. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings for employees’ continued engagement in job crafting in organizations.

Pelayanan PAK di Gereja Bagi Anak Sekolah Minggu

The study aims to find out what the ideal church service is like for Sunday school children. The research method used is the study of libraries, interview approaches and observation of the ministry of several churches for Sunday schoolchildren. Through a number of literacy, observation and interviews with a number of Sunday school teachers, it is known that the problem of ministry to Sunday school largely arises from the church itself where many weaknesses lie in the Pastor and Assembly who are still less serious about improving the ministry of PAK to children in the church. Some suggestions to address the problem are: 1). Priests should facilitate teaching, provide week school curriculum and actively engage in serving Sunday school worship. 2). The Church needs to include a special budget for the increase in Sunday School Teacher’s HR. 3). The Church needs to periodically evaluate the Sunday school service. 4). The Church needs to work on service facilities ranging from child-friendly specialty spaces. 5). The Church needs to engage members of the congregation who have pedagogic and theological competencies to support Sunday school service. 6). Even in limitations, Sunday school teachers need to update their knowledge and skills in varying the teaching methods of week schoolchildren.

A Comparative Study of Pentecostal and Non – Pentecostal Theological Education in South Africa: Spirituality and Academic Theology

South Africa’s theological education is diverse, with both Pentecostal and Non-Pentecostal institutions providing different approaches to spiritual formation and academic theology. Although the majority of people, Christian and non-Christian alike, have a strong understanding of spirituality, Pentecostals are relatively new to the term “spiritual formation.” It is about living a practical Christian life, which consists of intimate existential knowledge of God motivated by a genuine love for God. As a result, commitment to the Lord includes involvement and living in the world around one for the glory of God. Theological education on the other hand, is the training that aims to prepare individuals for professional church ministry. According to Scripture, before regeneration, we were all “dead in trespasses” and sins (Ephesians 2:1). If spirituality and academic theology are necessary components of theological education, then understanding how they are integrated in Pentecostal and Non-Pentecostal institutions is crucial for effective theological education. As a result, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of spiritual practices in shaping students’ theological understanding and to contribute to our understanding of the complex relationship between spirituality, academic theology, and leadership development in South African theological education, in order to establish a more thorough and successful way to forming spiritual/ pastoral leaders in the Pentecostal context.

Bracia polscy a Oświecenie

The paper discusses the philosophical and theological ideas of the Polish Brethren, a nontrinitarian reformed church in 16th Century Poland. Due to religious persecution, the Polish Brethren, also known as Socinians or Polish Arians, were forced to leave the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and seek refuge in other European countries. Their legacy had a significant impact on the development of Enlightenment thought in Europe and inspired legislators both in Europe and America. The ideas developed by the Polish Brethren had a significant impact on the formation of Enlightenment ideas and thought trends, such as rationalism and deism referring to rationalism, as well as tolerance, particularly religious tolerance, and secularism manifesting in the separation of religious and secular institutions. Moreover, the ideas of Polish Arianism, which fascinated Enlightenment thinkers, became part of the cultural mainstream and were reflected in modern Western state institutions.

Peran Gereja Dalam Memepersiapkan Umat Katolik Menuju Pemilihan Umum (Pemilu) 2024

The church essentially does not only refer to a physical structure or an organization but also as a community of Catholic believers. The Church is part of the world so the Church also takes part in the development and progress of the world, including participating in political life. This research aims to understand the extent of the church's role in preparing Catholics for the 2024 General Election, to find out the causes of Catholics' reluctance to participate in politics and the church's efforts to prepare Catholics for the 2023 Election. This research uses library methods by collecting information, analyzing and develop understanding of the information obtained. From the information obtained, it can be seen that the Church's ministry in the field of politics is a calling for the church to carry out its mission in the world as an embodiment of the Kingdom of God which is rooted in the Catholic faith.

BAM Postures Toward Church Ministry: Identifying Four Common Philosophies

Business as mission (BAM) and hybrid organizations with multiple bottom lines have risen in popularity. However, some authors and scholars have noticed a lack of clarity on defining and measuring the multiple bottom lines, especially spiritual bottom lines. This article seeks to spark conversation through the author’s attempt of suggesting four distinct methodological philosophies that arise as authors express their understanding of faithfully pursuing business and mission together. Through a literature review, the author offers a continuum of understanding how a business cooperates with a local church in a missional setting. These postures are described in the article as “platform,” “partner,” “peer,” and “province” with the hope of clarifying the businesses’ philosophical approach to how they conduct business and mission for the purposes of communicating to shareholders, employees, and the marketplace.

Review of "A trail guide for church ministry: A proverbial journey"

Review of "A trail guide for church ministry: A proverbial journey"

Transformasi Media Digital dalam Katekese Kontekstual: Studi Kasus terhadap Pengelolaan Pelayanan Gereja-Gereja Kontemporer

In the ever-evolving digital age, the transformation of digital media affects church ministry management and contextual catechesis. This article explores the ministry management of contemporary churches in facing challenges and opportunities due to advances in digital technology, especially in the context of catechesis. The church faces major changes in the delivery of the gospel message and Christian values to the people, seeing the transformation of digital media as both a challenge and an opportunity to increase the relevance and complexity of the church's outlook in the digital age. The main challenge is to integrate the concept of contextual catechesis with technological developments. Although digital transformation opens up opportunities for online catechesis, churches must ensure that evangelical messages remain relevant and understood by the people. The ministry management strategy of contemporary churches involves improving the accessibility and quality of services through digital technology. Engaging and interactive catechetical content is developed for more effective ministry. This study emphasizes the importance of involving people in decision-making and service delivery as the key to optimizing the potential of digital media transformation. By responding to the changing times, contemporary churches can utilize digital technology to expand the reach of the evangelical message and enhance ministry effectiveness, providing opportunities to respond to the needs of the people in a changing era.

The Church in a Digital Society: An Effort to Transform Church Ministry in Indonesia

The development of technology has had a very significant impact on many aspects of human life, including the religious one. Regarding the effects, how should the Church carry out its tasks and calling in the middle of the rapidly advancing technology in Indonesia? This research applied the descriptive-qualitative method, emphasizing inductive reasoning, in which the researcher tried to develop a hypothesis from observations. The data collection was done with a bibliographical study by taking references from relevant books, academic journals, and online articles. The research suggests the Church should avoid viewing the world’s reality and digital society with a binary opposition lens. The Church must realize her mission to the world (in which digital culture is included), that is, to disciple the people for Christ. As ‘The Word’ has become ‘The Flesh’, the Church must also incarnate itself digitally. With her presence in the middle of the digital society, the Church must digitally carry out her tasks/calling-marturia (witnessing), koinonia (community), and diakonia (service). A digital Church must solidify itself within the digital society in the struggle to wade through the strong current of information and communication technology development for a more effective service to humanity.

Galicyjskie echa mariawickiej kwestii

Reception of the Mariavite question in Galicia The mariavitana, i.e. archive materials and book collections on the Mariavite Church are the focus of interest not only of the researchers of that denomination but also other Christian currents. They are a valuable source of information on the doctrine, history and context of functioning of minority churches in the mosaic of denominations in Poland. Although there are no Mariavite centers in Galicia, we can find mariavitana both in Galician archives and publishing houses. On the other hand, Galician printed works are an integral part of the remains of Mariavite libraries. This paper is a contribution to the research on the links between the Mariavite activity in the then Congress Kingdom of Poland and its reception in Galicia. Another suggestion for further research is the reception by the Mariavites of theological literature published in Galicia.

Menghadirkan Kebahagiaan Melalui Kesejahteraan

The article discusses the concept of true happiness and well-being, emphasizing the importance of bringing happiness through well-being in various aspects of life. It highlights three key elements: the heart, mind, and actions. Individuals are encouraged to keep their hearts clean from negative emotions, maintain a positive and optimistic mindset, and engage in actions that benefit others. The document also introduces the Program Pelatihan Intensif (Progsif) conducted by Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Studi Alkitab untuk Pengembangan Pedesaan Indonesia, which aims to provide holistic knowledge and skills to church activists, ministers, and theology students. The program includes spiritual mentoring sessions focusing on the sermon on the mount from Matthew 5-7. The participants' feedback indicates the effectiveness of the program in achieving its goals. Overall, the document emphasizes the integration of theology and technology in promoting well-being and happiness within individuals and communities. In conclusion, the document highlights the significance of bringing happiness through well-being and provides insights into the Progsif program's objectives, activities, and evaluation. The program aims to equip church activists, ministers, and theology students with holistic knowledge and skills, focusing on the sermon on the mount as a key teaching for bringing about happiness and well-being. The feedback from participants indicates the success of the program in achieving its goals. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of integrating theology and technology in promoting well-being and happiness within individuals and communities.

NOMINA AGENTIS AND NOMINA ACTORIS IN THE ODESSA COPY OF THE “SMALL CATECHISM” BY THEODOR THE STUDITE FROM THE XVIII CENTURY

The purpose of this article is to determine the word-formation and lexico-semantic features of the designations nomina agentis and nomina actoris registered in Theodore Studite’s «Small Catechism» and to consider these linguistic units as a means of archaization or modernization (approximation to colloquial language) of the text. The subject of the study is the word-formation and lexico-semantic features of the nouns nomina agentis and nomina actoris. The Odesa copy of the «Small Catechism» is included in collection No. 1/154, kept in the Odesa National Scientific Library. All recorded nouns of nomina agentis and nomina actoris divide by origin into two groups: native Slavic language units and borrowed ones; indigenous Slavic lexemes in each nominative series distribute into groups according to word-formation types. Within word-formation types, lexico-semantic groups are distinguished. The separation of two lexico-semantic groups — names of individuals by type of activity, nature of occupation, profession, and names of individuals by their characteristic principles of behavior — is possible for each word-formation type. The separation of other lexico-semantic groups is optional. It has been established that for Slavic designations of nomina agentis, the most productive wordformation formants are -тел, -ник, -ец, unproductive ones are -ица, *-jь, and singular -ач; for the formation of designations of nomina actoris the affix -ник is most often used, very rarely -ар. The known stylistic differentiation between the literary affix -тел and the affixes -ник, -ец, which could participate in the creation of both literary and colloquial elements, does not implement in the «Small Catechism». The results of the study allow us to conclude about a number of factors that could cause this phenomenon. The main of them are features of the content of sermons, individual perception of the language norm by the scribe working on the text, his approach to the selection of vocabulary, and orientation to the specificity of the audience — well-prepared and educated church ministers, monks. Borrowings are represented only by Hellenisms, most of which were assimilated in ancient times. Prospects for further research we see in specifying the role of the Church Slavonic language of the Eastern edition in the productivity of these word-formation types.

Ecumenism in St Andrews: A fact and a mandate

In a three-way conversation, ministers from Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches in St Andrews, Fife reflect on their experience of ecumenical theology and local church practice. As they wrestle with the reality of the Church’s disunity, they seek to draw out some specific biblical, theological, and practical resources which have been especially helpful in their own ecumenical practice as local church ministers. What clearly emerges as a central feature is the gift which denominational differences and diversities can bring out of ecumenical efforts. Encountering sisters and brothers in other ecclesial communities can play a crucial role in enriching our own ecclesial identities, but, as these authors emphasise, it requires pushing against the consumerist competition which can easily creep up on us in a shrinking church ‘market’. Remaining open to the gift of another – in this case, another Christian communal expression – is at the heart of anything that can be called genuine ecumenism.

Being a Digital Church in the Transition to post Covid-19 pandemic era

This article has two objectives. The first objective is to analyse the literature on being a digital church as expressed from the pessimistic and optimistic use of digital platforms for the ministry of the church. The second and last objective is to motivate and recommend actions that can be conducted towards doing digital church. The research issue of this article is that Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing growth in internet usage and mobile phone availability. Various African governments have realised the benefits of advanced technological development hence they made plans to develop relevant infrastructures. This move towards embracing advanced technological development in Africa should be an inspiration for the churches in Africa to grasp the opportunity to do digital church and use technology to enhance the church ministry. This article discusses the future of advanced technological development in Africa, the challenges and significance of doing digital church, and the role of the pastors towards doing digital church and concludes with recommendations for doing digital church. The researchers used a literature review methodology and the main guiding theory is the hermeneutical theory of research.

The Influence of Collective Leadership on Pastoral Ministry Effectiveness and Congregation Growth

Shepherding has been an ongoing task throughout the history of the Church of God on Earth. From the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) until the rapture of the Church (1 Thess. 4: 13-18), the Church of the Lord will continue to exist on Earth, necessitating the shepherding of the church's ministers. This study seeks to assess the extent of the influence of collective leadership on the effectiveness of pastoral Ministry and church growth. In this research, the independent variable is "collective leadership" as studies often focus on single leadership. This quantitative study aims to provide empirical insights into the impact of applying collective leadership, as outlined in Ephesians 4:11-16, on the effectiveness of pastoral care and church growth. The variables examined in this study include collective leadership in Gereja Kristen Perjanjian Baru 'Masa Depan Cerah' Surabaya as variable X, the effectiveness of pastoral care as variable Y1, and congregation growth as variable Y2. The author adopts quantitative research methods and statistical calculations to draw conclusions. The direct impact of collective leadership (X) on congregation growth (Y2) is evident from the significant p2 value of 0.717, as indicated by a t count of 11.072 with a significance level of 0.000 (p < 0.05). This suggests that collective leadership (X) has a direct and significant effect on congregation growth (Y2). The total influence includes both direct and indirect influences (p1 + (p2 + p3). The total influence of collective leadership (X) on congregation growth (Y2) when mediated through pastoral care (Y1) amounts to 0.662 + 0.825, resulting in a total influence of 1.487.