PhD Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2796

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Developing Biblical Strategies for Young Adults’ Ministry in the Ghanaian Churches in Sydney, Australia
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Awuku-Gyampoh, Ransford Kwabena 1979; Amenyedzi, Seyram B.
Diasporic congregations within the African communities in Australia experience a decline in attendance and the younger generation dominate the dropout rate. The study aimed to develop biblical strategies for young adult attraction and retention for the Ghanaian churches in Sydney, the most inhabited Australian city. The research further explored the factors responsible for the decline in the young adults' ministry. Twelve research hypotheses emerged from the conceptual framework under three themes on retaining the youth in the church. The study employed a convergent mixed-method approach with Swinton and Mowat's practical theology methodological framework for the qualitative research. The quantitative data were collected from three hundred and forty-five respondents using a five-point Likert scale. Three hundred and forty-one participants responded, and data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 23) and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Fifteen interviewees were interviewed for the qualitative study, and data were analysed using ATLAS.ti. The findings revealed that fifteen factors are responsible for youth church decline among the Ghanaian churches in Sydney. The quantitative study statistically ranked eight causes of youth church decline and found the influence of poor teachings as the first factor, and the eighth factor being poor pastors’ messages (sermons/teachings). The absence of genuine leadership was second. The third was the lack of true discipleship; the fourth was the lack of care from the church. The fifth was a lack of contemporary church activities; the sixth was poor worship style, and the seventh was a lack of parental church commitment. The qualitative data discovered seven extra themes ATLAS.ti grouped as equally potential decline factors, coming up with a total of fifteen causes. The other seven additional findings include unrelated sermon/teachings, language barrier, lack of relationship, and hypocritical/judgmental attitude. The rest are poor time management, lack of unity in the church, migration/economic situation, and societal/ peer influence. The main research question uncovered twenty-one merged outcomes, as biblical young adults' retention, and attraction influences in Sydney. These findings were further grouped based on the hypothesis into four: Human influences (adopting changes, caring, relationship building, leadership skills/youth leadership and appreciating gifts/talents); Educational impact (mentoring, teaching/sermon/language, evangelism, discipleship, cell group, active children service, and faith formation); Peer/friendly Church (youth programs, technology/social media, welcoming church). The final one is parental influences (cultural differences, counselling, motivation, creating opportunities to partake in decision making, loyalty/faithfulness, and strategic youth management). The findings of this study bridge the gap in the theological discipline by developing biblical mechanisms for the retention of young adults. The study has contributed to the diasporic mission bank mobilising migrants for faith formation as they seek economic security outside their home country. The study recommends that pastors/leaders and the congregation should be committed to youth ministry and establish rapport with each family to have direct contact with the children. Above all, there is need for resolute efforts to build an all-inclusive church. Though the study achieved its stipulated objectives, it identified areas for future research. These include adapting only the qualitative research design to unearth all the decline situations and the mechanisms for the retention, and extending the empirical study to other parts of Australia, including other African denominations.
Discipling Migrant Youth in an Informal Settlement in Agbogbloshie, Accra: Strategies for the Accra South Baptist Association
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Annan, Eric Kwasi; Joubert, Callie W. T.
The research in this dissertation took as its point of departure that the local church is called to have a transforming influence on all areas of society. This dissertation is about migrant youth in the informal settlement in Agbogbloshie, Accra. The main question of the dissertation is, “What strategies could the Accra South Baptist Association develop and employ to disciple the migrant youth in the informal settlement in Agbogbloshie, Accra?” The aim of this research is to develop a model that will help with reaching out to the migrant youth in informal settlement as well as discipling them so that there will be lasting transformation in their lives. In order to understand the situation at the informal settlement, a survey was conducted. Additionally, some of them were interviewed. The findings of the survey revealed that the migrant youth had come to Accra from all parts of the country, mainly for economic reasons. Despite their predicament in the informal settlement, it is apparent that some of them were open to Christian programmes; thus, the migrants are receptive to the gospel of Christ. For this reason, the church needs to consider the informal settlement as a mission field, where the gospel must be proclaimed and the migrant youth discipled, counselled, developed into mature Christians and integrated into existing churches, or where new churches in informal settlements must be planted, while their socio-economic needs are considered and met. Consequently, a discipling model or strategy based on the survey and the Bible is developed. The aim of the model is to help the Church with the proclamation of the gospel to the migrant youth and to disciple them to become new persons in Christ Jesus. Furthermore, churches can use the model when working with youth in slums, informal settlements or youth in other communities. This study recommends that similar studies be conducted in another informal settlement and recommends that the economic situations in the rural communities that force the youth to migrate to the urban centres be addressed.
Novos Desafios, Novos Paradigmas: Ministério Com Jovens E Ação Missional No Contexto Urbano—Uma Análise A Partir Da Igreja Evangélica Holiness De Londrina - Brasil
(South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg) Yahiro, Dilma Higa 1967; de Lara Proença, Wander
This thesis presents the importance of contextualizing the message of the gospel in the cities. It analyzes the context and culture, according to concepts presented by Latin American theorists such as Van Engen, Charles E., Jorge Barro, Tito Paredes, René Padilla, in addition to other authors. The Holiness Church of Londrina is delimited as a case study, which, initially, in terms of evangelization, addressed Japanese immigrants in rural contexts. This history reveals the ecclesiastical and doctrinal identity of the community, which is important for the analysis of the generational transition. Bibliographic researches show the challenges for young people in the urban context, such as the issue of consumerism, individualism, new family configurations, demands, pressures and the increase in psychological disorders. And, in order to know this reality, a field research is developed through questionnaires, focus groups and interviews with young people from the Holiness church in Londrina. It was found that the new challenges that the youth ministry must observe in order to be relevant in discipleship with youth and missional action in the context in which they are inserted, imply a rupture in paradigms, a change in habits and ecclesiological traditions.