Conventional wisdom and antiquated stage development theories have had a negative effect on children's spirituality. This paper looks at an innovative spiritual practice (embodied prayer) that instead promotes children's agency and embodied engagement in multi-layered meaning making. It traces both the ways in which children respond to higher…

The inclusion of autistic youth within the faith community appears to be a challenge for churches. The problem addresses the lack of inclusion for individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who attend church services, specifically Sunday school. Individuals impacted by this problem are ASD individuals, their parents, and Sunday…

This project investigates the effectiveness of the Digital Discipleship Model at Zoe Ministries in enhancing online engagement among its predominantly Black congregation. Prompted by the digital divide seen during COVID-19, particularly among older members, the initiative centered on a six-week digital literacy workshop via Zoom and Zoe's Virtual…

Within the past ten to fifteen years, there has been a trend among churches to downsize staff and eliminate the role of "Minister of Education." With these changes in staff structure, a need has emerged for assistance in evaluating adult educational programming within the church. For this project, a process was developed called the Adult…

There is a lack of published research on adult education programs in religious institutions. While religious institutions encourage their members to attend religious education opportunities, it may often be out of tradition. This study aims to begin the conversation around the tradition of Sunday School, specifically, the learning style…

The purpose of this project was to train the congregation in biblical theology for the purpose of evangelism at River Valley Community Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Chapter 1 summarizes the context of the church, the rationale behind the project, as well as the goals of the project. Chapter 2 explains the biblical basis for the project focusing…

African Americans (AAs) have higher prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension than Whites, which leads to reduced life expectancy. Barriers to achieving blood pressure control in AAs include mistrust of healthcare and poor adherence to medication and dietary recommendations. We conducted a pilot study of a church-based community health worker (CHW)…

The predominant method for ministry formation in the contemporary church consists of a course of study in a Bible college or seminary. While this has been and will continue to be an effective method for theological education, it does not work for everyone called to ministry. Some people for financial or practical reasons cannot follow this path.…

Informed by social and cultural perspectives, this article examines the religious literacies of sixteen Latter-day Saint young adults. Religious literacy for them was a deeply embedded religiosocial experience involving family, friends, and others associated with the faith (people); activities, events, and courses they participated in (programs);…

The purpose of this project is to help LIFE Group teachers at First Baptist Church of O'Fallon, Illinois (FBCO) to be better postured to develop and teach effective lessons by intentionally seeking to impact the head, heart, and hands of learners through learning principles derived from Scripture, Christian education, pedagogy, and educational…

The purpose of this study is to design and test a children worship service that may facilitate active participation and learning with limited resources. This study is focused on finding elements to design a children worship service with and applying them into it in a small church in contrast of large churches with more resources in space, budget,…

This study draws on data provided to the Covid-19 & Church-21 Survey by 2,017 Anglicans (clergy and laity) living in England to explore the experiences of those leading and those accessing online (pre-recorded and live-streamed) and in-church services within the Church of England between January and July 2021. The data demonstrated that for…

Diabetes, a chronic condition that impacts millions, is a complex disease. Understanding the disease can contribute to increasing awareness about this debilitating condition and preventing occurrences. Furthermore, inculcation of physiology knowledge may lead to an increased likelihood of career goals that align with this area of study. In pursuit…

The purpose of this project was to engage Millennial and Generation Z young adults in Abundant Life church by teaching them how to have spiritual conversations before and after the Sunday morning worship services. The project involved young adults from Abundant Life church teaching, mentoring, and being trained how to have spiritual conversations.…

This chapter focuses on the role of religiously based spirituality in cultivating environmental awareness and citizenship by examining an adult environmental education program offered at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, a religious retreat center in Guelph, Canada.