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YOUNG ADULT ATTRITION IN THE AMERICAN CHURCH: THE SUSPECTED CAUSES AND SUGGESTED CURES
Get PDFYoung adults in America today are deciding that the Church is no longer relevant, so they are choosing to drop out in increasing numbers. Their disaffiliation from communities of faith is also harming their personal faith. This observation is irrespective of Church denominations; their exodus occurs in most faith groups, including Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and Pentecostal/Charismatic denominations. Consequently, the future vitality of the Church is threatened. Why does this problem exist, and what can be done to intervene and change the downward trajectory? What should Christian parents and ministry leaders do differently to achieve a higher retention rate of children transitioning through adolescence into adulthood? The research of this project seeks to discern the cause of this withdrawal and recommend solutions to reverse this debilitating trend. Young adults were interviewed – those who have remained in the Church and those who have checked out. Parents of young adults and ministry leaders in positions to observe those young adults were also interviewed. Other researchers have conducted extensive qualitative and quantitative analyses on the perspectives of young adults. Reasons for ecclesiastical departure by young adults have been categorized and noted. The uniqueness of this project is the nexus of Christian parents and ministry leaders partnering together with biblical principles as they focus on the spiritual development of children so that they remain in the Church and the faith. As parents focus on improving the spiritual formation of children in the home and as ministry leaders concentrate on improving the discipleship of children in the Church, the divine blessings promised in Scripture about such collaborative efforts will be explored in this study
INTROVERSION VERSUS EXTROVERSION IN DPT STUDENTS’ BURNOUT PREVALENCE
Get PDFThe purpose of this non-experimental study was to determine if Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student personality type, introverts versus extroverts, and student selfreported burnout levels were different and whether DPT students reported burnout during program completion. The participant sample consisted of 54 DPT students enrolled in a flex program at one private DPT program in Northern Florida were surveyed using the MBTI and MBI-SS (G) to determine personality type and whether students felt burnout while completing the program. The results of the study revealed non-statistically significant findings for the levels of burnout reported for both students identified as introvert and extrovert. However, interestingly, the study results did reveal that students identified as introverts reported higher levels of cynicism, while students identified as extroverts reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and professional efficacy. The study results lay the foundation for additional studies to review whether full-time DPT students report burnout levels consistent with flex program DPT students and whether there are differences in burnout levels reported between introvert versus extrovert personality types
EXPANDING THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCOPE OF APOLOGETICS IN EVANGELISM
Get PDFThis paper examines the scope of Apologetics. It argues for the need of a nuanced, holistic form of Apologetics that incorporates a vast array of forms of persuasion that may be used by the Holy Spirit to show a nonbeliever the truth of the Gospel and the necessity to trust in Jesus. It records data from a quantitative study which investigated the personal faith journeys of disciples of Christ and the factors which helped to persuade them of the truth of the Gospel and to submit to the leadership of Jesus. This thesis proposes that the common evangelical understanding of the scope of Apologetics is too narrow and should be expanded to include other forms of valid persuasion. It proposes a nuanced definition of Apologetics: the art and science of offering valid forms of persuasion for the truth of Christianity which the Holy Spirit may use to reveal the truth of the Gospel to unbelievers
Public Service Motivation, Years of Public Service, and Distributed Leadership in Government: A Moderation Analysis
Get PDFThis dissertation was an exploration of the effect that public service motivation (PSM) has on leaders’ distributive leadership style (DLS). Years of service as a leader in government for more than 5 years managing five or more employees was considered as a moderating variable, with the expectation that as years of service increased, the moderating affect it has on the relationship between PSM and DLS would also increase. This was a cross-sectional, quantitative research project employing a moderation model to address the extent to which years of public service moderate the potential statistical relationship between the distributed leadership style and public service motivation. The sample was purposively selected, the method of data collection was an online survey, and the method of data analysis was multiple regression analysis. The research questions were (a) To what extent does PSM covary with the distributed leadership style among public sector managers? and (b) To what extent does years of service moderate the extent to which PSM covaries with the distributed leadership style among public sector managers? The key findings included a statistically significant relationship between PSM and DLS, and years of service having no statistically significant relationship with PSM, directly or indirectly. There was a significant relationship regarding employees with 21 or more years of service, and moderation of PSM and DLS, indicating that employees with 21 or more years with high levels of PSM may prefer DLS. The implications of these findings include that PSM could be an indicator of DLS among employees, these research findings could assist decision-making regarding hiring and promoting public sector employees to managerial positions and as PSM was considered to have a positive and statistically significant relationship with the distributed leadership style, the suggestion that individuals who are highly motivated to serve the public are relatively willing to distribute their leadership authorities—even if just informally—can ensure the efficient and effective provision of public goods and services
Authentic Credible Leadership: An Examination of Jesus’s Leadership in the Farewell Discourses
Get PDFThis is a study of authentic credibility as demonstrated through John’s description of Jesus’ words and actions in the Farewell Discourses (John 13-17). Identifying the need for further research on the relationship between authentic leadership and credibility (Williams et al., 2018) and building from Kouzes and Posner’s (2011) six disciplines of leader credibility—discover yourself, appreciate constituents, affirm shared values, develop capacity, serve a purpose, and sustain hope—and Hemby’s (2007) on leader credibility, we espouse that moral foundations of authentic leadership promote leader credibility while not dimensioning the need for competence. After a thorough literature review on authentic leadership, the study explored how Jesus modeled authentic credibility in the Farewell Discourses of John 13 – 17. Reconfiguring Kouzes and Posner’s six disciples through the biblical narrative, we identified six themes of authentic credibility modeled by Jesus: prioritizing Kingdom identity, balancing criticism and optimism, valuing truth, intentional follower development, purposeful posture, and sustainable, spiritual hope. The study applied a systematic approach to the Farewell Discourses so that each of the five chapters of the discourses were thoroughly reviewed to provide specific instances where Jesus modeled authentic credibility. The study provides a fresh perspective on authentic credibility by viewing the concept through a biblical, Christian worldview
Hospitality and Questions in Classical Christian Education
Get PDFChristian parents continue to have few education options suitable for kingdom children. While textbooks and test scores hold prominent consideration for many Christian parents, neither cultivate a love of learning nor human flourishing. Rather, it is the language used in the learning environment that invites or repels engagement and learning. An expository exploration of sentence purposes and the type of sentence most commonly used by Christ to engage His learners reveals the power of the question. Appropriately asked, questions welcome learners to actively participate as well as to attentively listen. It is the workhorse of humility, for the question is a continual reminder that humans cannot know everything: they are not omniscient. In such an educational setting, neither the student nor the teacher occupies center stage. Practicing the art of the question on the mysteries of creation inspires the imagination and cultivates the wisdom necessary to transcend the inadequacies of a modern education.
Keywords: education, classical, Christian, pedagogy, hospitality, questions, mysteries of creation, wisdo
Kung Fu Panda - A Good Story Well Done
Get PDFStorytelling is incredibly important in the everyday lives of humans. Over the course of history, the methods of storytelling have advanced much in the same way society has advanced. However, the constant components of a good story and classic literature have never changed: enticing plots, courageous heroes, and narrative beauty. One of the most popular, modern methods for storytelling for both young and old alike is the animated motion picture. The Kung Fu Panda movies are a series of animated children’s movies created by Dreamworks Animation studios that have witnessed great success in box offices worldwide. However, the journey of Po, the unlikely kung fu master in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, is not a story commonly associated with classical, timeless literature. This paper discusses whether the Kung Fu Panda movies can be considered a modern, animated interpretation of a story with a classic foundation. The discussion considers several aspects of the story. The first consists of a comparison of Po’s journey as a hero to the traditional steps identified by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The second consists of an analysis of the plot and emotional story arcs. The last aspect explored is the symbolism and depiction of the Asian martial art culture. The paper concludes the Kung Fu Panda movies demonstrate classic storytelling through Po’s traditional journey as a hero, the consistent and cohesive adherence to plot structure and familiar story arcs and beautiful depictions of Asian martial art culture and symbolism
PERCEPTIONS OF CREATIVE LEADERSHIP IN MULTIGENERATIONAL NONPROFIT PRIVATE EDUCATION TEAMS
Get PDFThe challenges that are encountered in private schools are in constant flux. Teachers and administrators are tasked with leading and guiding future generations in tumultuous times. A leader’s creativity has a significant influence on the diverse teams that are engaging school-age children. Creative leadership is lacking in academic research in comparison to more established leadership theories. The lack of research is excessively apparent in the multigenerational nonprofit private education sector. In this qualitative study, two Seventh-Day Adventist private school educational teams in southeastern California were engaged in focus group interviews. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of creative leadership tenets on multigenerational private education teams. There were 16 participants from two focus groups representing two 501(c)(3) nonprofit private education organizations. The data yielded three themes: affiliation endears, experience galvanizes, and public management polarizes. The findings showed that creative leadership endears, galvanizes, and can also polarize multigenerational nonprofit private education teams. The findings further showed that creative leadership is viable leadership theory and style for positively impacting multigenerational teams in private education. Future research could expand the literature pool by investigating creative leadership in additional nonprofit, denominational, and regional locales
HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT FOR PARENT EDUCATORS
Get PDFThe purpose of the present study was to examine the effect parent involvement in homeschool groups has on parent self-efficacy within the domains of content knowledge, required administrative duties, teaching strategies, and social-emotional well-being. The quantitative, non-experimental study utilized a modified survey instrument based on Bandura\u27s (2006) “Guide for Constructing Self-Efficacy Scales.” The 56 study participants were homeschooling parents in the United States of America. The independent variable was involvement in homeschool groups and the dependent variables were the four domains of self-efficacy. The researcher sought to discover if the level of involvement in homeschool groups exerted a statistically significant effect upon the four domains of homeschooling parents’ self-efficacy. The combination of the four domains of the construct of self-efficacy had a significant effect among the levels of the variable of homeschool groups (F (8, 98) = 2.36, p = .02), and the magnitude of effect for involvement in homeschool groups upon the four domains of the construct of self-efficacy was considered large (η2p = 0.16). Follow-up post hoc analyses were conducted with the self-efficacy domain of social-emotional well-being identified as the only dimension reflecting a statistically significant effect on homeschooling parent self-efficacy (F (2, 52) = 6.84, p = .002)