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Perceived Support, Positive Well-Being and Performance: The Role of Self-Regulatory Capacities of a Diverse Sample of Adolescent Athletes
No full textYouth sports provide access to multiple sources of support and connection that hold potential for impacting adolescents’ well-being and athletic performance. Yet little is known on how these developmental relationships shape youth outcomes. With this study, I aimed to fill some of the gaps in research by examining the role of emotion regulation and self-control in explaining the link between sources of support (e.g., perceived non-parental sport support, parental support, and group connection) and indicators of positive well-being (e.g., life satisfaction and positive affect) and athletic performance among adolescent athletes. Participants were from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds in Southern California that identified as high school athletes (N = 436). A path analysis was conducted controlling for gender, age, and ethnicity, which revealed that all three sources of support were related to youth outcomes but in different ways. Parental support was directly and indirectly related to both positive well-being and athletic performance. Sport-specific emotional support was directly related to positive well-being but indirectly related to athletic performance through self-control. Team cohesion was only directly related to positive well-being and athletic performance
New Paradigm for Chinese Verbal List-Learning: Visually-Presented Orthographical Versus Phonological Information
No full textClinical neuropsychology is a rapidly developing discipline in and outside of the United States, and one of the major future directions is increased cultural competence in providing neuropsychological services in areas besides West Europe and North America and with languages besides English. Moreover, a cultural psychology approach is warranted in cultures that are fundamentally different from the North American mainstream one where neuropsychology has seen the most development in the past century. An example of such is China, where the language with most native speakers is spoken. Given the drastic and qualitative differences between Chinese and alphabetical languages, it is important to consider appropriate paradigms of neuropsychological assessment involving language. In the current study, I took verbal list-learning, a common neuropsychological assessment, as an example, and examined whether a new paradigm of verbal list-learning, with the addition of visual presentation of orthographical information, changed how Chinese-speaking subjects performed in their verbal learning and memory functioning
Social Skills and Internalizing Symptoms in Children With Sluggish Cognitive Tempo
No full textThere is a paucity of research into the degree to which children with sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) engage in internalizing behaviors and display social skills deficits. SCT symptoms can exacerbate the symptoms of comorbid disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety, and poor school performance is associated with symptoms of ADHD and SCT. Constructs of SCT, internalizing behaviors, and social impairment were extracted from a battery of neuropsychological tests for 50 children who were struggling academically. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) test determined if students with high levels of SCT had greater social difficulty and endorsed more internalizing symptoms. Additionally, inattentive ADHD was factored out of the results in order to remove ADHD as a potential confounding variable.
Support was found for the first hypothesis: The high SCT group displayed worse social functioning. Specifically, teachers reported greater social difficulty for their students with high SCT in a classroom setting. Support was also found for the second hypothesis: Students with high SCT scored higher on an internalizing measure indicating that they are more withdrawn and depressed. These results are distinct from children with ADHD and this knowledge may allow for applications in creating differing treatment plans for children with SCT. Students with SCT who are withdrawn and depressed in school display social difficulties different than children with inattentive ADHD. Future research should determine appropriate specialized treatment plans for children with SCT that address their social difficulty as well as social withdrawal and depression in school
Home, Host, and Guest: A Practical Inquiry into the Aesthetics of Hospitality
Full text linkThe goal of this study is to explore the cultivation of new imagination for hospitality so that the congregation of Coast Vineyard Christian Fellowship is able to share life with its neighbors and to discover what the Spirit of God is doing in the neighborhoods of San Diego, California. It is argued that cultural narratives framing hospitality as providing comfort and framing the church as the host have accumulated to shape the habitus of the church. As a result, often preconscious assumptions with bodily rooting undermine the ability of the congregation to play the role of the guest and thus to share life with neighbors.
A research process of action and reflection identified the centrality of bodily practices to the formation of imagination for home, host, and guest. In order to challenge the habits and assumptions around hospitality that undermine relationships with neighbors, a missional action team was formed with commitments to table fellowship, dwelling in scripture, reciprocal hospitality, and team discernment. A team of church members was led through six months of formation in these practices to investigate whether new imagination would emerge that would facilitate reciprocal relationships with neighbors.
The study suggested that deeply held habits and preconscious assumptions around hospitality are not easily transformed. An important finding of the research was that the congregation’s understanding of and language for time seemed to be significantly inhibiting the practice of hospitality, thereby undermining relationships with neighbors. Because the language house for time is so deeply implicated in the practice of hospitality, the concluding recommendations suggest a group of practices designed to problematize the habitus of the church both with respect to imagination for hospitality and to the conceptualization of time. It is hoped that experimentation in this direction will lead to rediscovery of the gospel of Jesus
Dios en el Graffiti: El Arte del Graffiti Como expresión de Transformación Misional Desde la Iglesia Metodista Unida La Plaza
No full textEl graffiti como expresión artística se usa para compartir un mensaje. Partiendo de esa premisa, el arte del graffiti será usado en este documento para dar un mensaje de transformación misional. Será un proyecto de la Iglesia Metodista Unida La Plaza que servirá a su membresía y a otras iglesias a valorar el arte del graffiti con un enfoque integral.
Cuando la iglesia Metodista Unida La Plaza tenía 115 años, decidió ampliar su ministerio e interactuar con la comunidad al crear en 2013 Los Angeles United Methodist Museum of Social Justice (Museo de Justicia Social de la Iglesia Metodista Los Ángeles). En 2014 y en este ambiente, surge la idea del proyecto llamado Dios en el graffiti (God in the graffiti). Con él se desea establecer un lazo misional con la comunidad artística del área.
En la primera parte de este estudio se recopilarán los datos históricos generales de la Plaza Olvera y de la Iglesia Metodista Unida La Plaza. Aquí también se incluirá un esbozo histórico del arte del graffiti que nace del movimiento Hip—Hop. En la segunda parte, se hará un estudio teológico de dos expresiones graffiti en las imágenes bíblicas encontradas en el Antiguo Testamento. Además, se hará una breve mención de lo que hicieron los primeros cristianos perseguidos y cómo usaron imágenes para comunicarse. Seguido de una perspectiva teológica metodista explicando el cuadrilátero wesleyano para tal efecto. En la tercera parte se establecerá la metodología que se llevará a cabo para este estudio, la cual consistirá en escuchar, reflexionar y pintar. Escuchar conversaciones estilo panel de discusión, reflexionar individualmente sobre los temas planteados y finalmente pintar sus impresiones. En la parte final se presentarán los resultados de las actividades realizadas en la iglesia local y con los artistas. Así mismo, se presentarán sugerencias al proyecto
Memoirs of Resistance and Change within a Shared Pastorate
Full text linkThis project is a case study of resistance within the adaptive change process of the first shared pastorate between two long established declining sibling churches: Pioneer Presbyterian Church of Marinette, Wisconsin and First Presbyterian Church of Menominee, Michigan. It examines the differences in their responses to their decline, the changing world around them and lessons that can be learned about how early organizational culture imprints with the capacity or the lack of capacity to change.
The first section examines the context of the ministry and the pastor. The community and congregational context of these congregations provides insight into their differing responses towards the shared pastorate and adaptive change. Furthermore, the pastor’s history, knowledge, and adaptive capacity further influences a congregation’s ability to navigate decline and change. The second section examines death, loss, and the grieving process within the context of a shared pastorate. As a congregation approaches organizational death, can the grieving process help it to find acceptance and a new pathway forward? Finally, the third section provides a narrative of change and resistance over the eight years of the shared pastorate.
Adaptive change requires a leader to pivot and reframe in response to resistance. A shared pastorate between declining sibling congregations brings unique challenges for a pastor leading adaptive change. This paper is a reflection upon the journey to assist two congregations despite resistance to find acceptance in the midst of the grief and loss to their changing situation
A Soteriology from God\u27s Perspective: Stumbling into God\u27s Righteousness for a Pentecostal Mission Strategy for Japan
Full text linkBuilding upon theology; scriptural principles; and religious, cultural, and social studies, this doctoral project aims to implement a discipleship process utilizing the modified Twelve Steps concept (N12) for Niihama Gospel Christ Church (NGCC) and Japanese Christians. In mutually caring closed groups and in God’s presence where participants encounter the Scriptures and their need to live a witnessing life, N12 aims for eventual habit change, ministry empowerment, and development of Christlikeness translated into culturally-relevant witnessing.
Part One will begin by describing the general trend of decline in both the community and church contexts. It will also form the introductory portion of the N12 group agenda. It addresses the obstacles for growth and the needs for theological, foundational, and leadership changes.
Part Two will engage the relevant resources for a theological foundation in light of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the world—His sanctifying and empowering works in the church for ministry partnership. It includes an exegesis on biblical righteousness for a holistic view of God, of His image-bearers, and of the world He is passionate about. It is hopeful that this corrective view by itself will liberate and transform the N12 participants.
Part Three will explore the applications of the above theological findings and decipher them in the N12 group. The structure and content for the pilot project will be elaborated; the roles of facilitators and the participating community explained; the timeline, the various group dynamics and the use of testimonials briefed. Assessment for modification, enhancement, and future recruitment will also be discussed
A Strategy for Equipping Pastoral Leaders of Nepali Reformed Churches
Full text linkThe purpose of this paper is to develop an appropriate curriculum for pastoral formation for Nepali churches. Through the study of Sixty-seven years of historical development, and practices currently available for training pastors, a new strategy is being prepared to equip the pastoral leaders of Nepali Reformed Churches (NRC). Pastors will learn to adopt healthy and excellent ministry practices by learning and mentoring towards formation.
The paper argues that pastors, since the beginning of the church in Nepal, have practiced leadership heavily influenced by the culture, politics, and religion around them. This has led to faulty ecclesiology, apparent in the churches. Church leaders need to reframe contextual frameworks for spirituality and leadership, shifting from traditional models of person and power-based to a more biblical model of shepherding that enables others. Intentional learning, practicing, and mentoring must become the backbone of pastoral training.
The first part of the paper presents the historical church and the context of leadership development, as well as the ministry challenges of the NRC churches. The second part presents theological reflections by way of relevant literature reviews and biblical studies on the topics addressed. The third part of the paper presents the methodology of new ministry initiatives, including a sample manual on Mentoring for Pastoral Formation. To test these principles, the project ran two sets of training with pastors and church planters, and a group of seminary faculty in Nepal.
Through an examination of Scripture and relevant resources, the project concludes that Jesus’s model of shepherding leadership seeks to serve the community in practice. The project unearths the principle that transformational leadership formation is best achieved through mentoring
Sustainable Mission: A Handbook for Mainline Churches Moving From Decline to Mission and Sustainability
Full text linkThe purpose of this doctoral project is to help mainline pastors and declining congregations in the United States understand practices that will move them from decline focused ministry to a model of shared gospel mission and sustainable ministry.
In 2011 I was the pastor of a declining mainline church that had lost connection to the missional needs of their neighborhood while distracted by an overwhelming building debt and accompanying years of conflict. I searched frantically for books, practitioners, and conferences that might help. What I found was limited writing from a more fundamentalist or evangelical perspective that I had to work to translate to my theological setting and often did not sync up. Slowly I discovered a disconnected network of pastors doing similar work with fascinating and unheard stories of transformation. These brave pastors and congregations were a breath of fresh air from God’s Spirit amidst the constant barrage of bad news about mainline congregations. They helped carry me and my church forward and served as a constant resource.
This project provides a handbook for pastors to lead congregations in conversations that address institutional health, defining resources and partners, the work of evangelism, and mimicking the mission of Jesus’ disciples described in Matthew 25. This project tells stories of transformation in which a U.S. mainline church moved from a time of decline to a renewed understanding of missio dei in its own context and a model of ministry that is sustainable and financially responsible. Major commonalities of these turnaround churches are highlighted so they may be a running thread throughout this tapestry of transformation
Toward Native Tentmaking: The Impact of Social, Economic, Business, and Ministry Factors on Indigenous Tentmakers
No full textThis study examines tentmaking as it applies to indigenous Christian workers. It examines several tentmaking models and considers the place of native tentmakers as distinct from traditional cross-cultural tentmaking. In addition, this study addresses the practice of tentmaking from biblical and historical perspectives. It studies the strategic business elements which impact native tentmakers from social, economic, business, and ministry perspectives. A key element of focus is the support systems that tentmakers need as entrepreneurs and business people.
This study uses interviews, mini focus groups, and participant observation to collect field data from twenty-six undergraduate-level master trainers and ten grassroots-level Christian workers trained at the Training in Evangelism Needs and Technology (TENT) ministry. It evaluates the factors that affect the TENT trainees in the state of Odisha, India as they work as native tentmakers.
TENT trainees are primarily called to ministry, however, the need to support their families, provide for their children’s education, and other expenses motivate Christian workers to take up microbusinesses. Families, community members, and other ministry leaders provide needed moral support, as well as critical resources such as financial capital, labor, and sometimes technical expertise. The financial capital needed to start and sustain a business was not found in banks, but came from families and self-help groups. To achieve a sustainable business, a tentmaker needs to have both a vison and business plan, but most tentmakers lack training in market research and business planning. Tentmaking provides a channel of opportunities for ministry and community engagement which increase the tentmakers credible witness for the gospel. Though most tentmakers struggle to keep a balance between ministry and business, this is addressed through the help of family members, participation in self-help groups, and community business partners.
This study evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in TENT’s training programs. It proposes changes in the curriculum for TENT training and describes a process of change. These changes will enhance the quality of training and strengthen the TENT trainees to be effective native tentmakers