Typescript.

Thesis University of South Africa 1997.

This thesis has these specific goals: to determine the extent to which the relational factors of conversational dialogue and a caring relationship are presently perceived by the recipients of the CWT (Continuing Witness Training) presentation and by the pastoral visitors themselves; and, in this context, to assess the initial evangelistic effectiveness of CWT as it is employed in the practice of a Southern Baptist Church in South Carolina.

Chapter 1: The Theological Research Problem and Research Goal: Identifying Deficiencies in Evangelistic Praxis

The Theological Research Problem Potential Problem in the Theories Behind the CWT Model Potential Problem in the Application of Theories Inadequate Evangelistic Outreach to General Population Inadequate Retention of Church Members The Challenge of the Societal Context Potential Problem in Both Theory and Application Content-Based Evangelism Manipulation-based Evangelism Relationship-based Evangelism Effects of Different Types of Evangelism The Purpose of This Research Study The Specific Goal of This Study.

Chapter 2: A Theological Approach and Methodological Model: Addressing the Neglect of Evangelism in Contemporary Theologies

The Neglect of Evangelism in Contemporary Theologies Neglect Related to Shifts in Soteriology Neglect Related to Modernity and Post Modernity Object of Theology The Faith Relationship of Humans with God Theory of Praxis Promoting Initial Encounter with God Methodological Model for This Study The Monodisciplinarity of "Applied Theology" ; Multidisciplinarity, Interdisciplinary, and Intradisciplinary Models Model Selected for the Present Study The Type of Empirical Theology Adopted Empirical Research in Practical Theology The Object of Empirical Theology Practical Theology as a Theological Operational Science Deployment of the Zerfass Model to Study Theory and Current Praxis of Evangelism.

Chapter 3: The Theology of Evangelism Underlying Praxis 1: A Southern Baptist Theory of Evangelism

Questions Pertaining to the Practical Theological Theory Underlying Southern Baptist Evangelism The Prevailing Southern Baptist Theology of Evangelism Baptist Faith and Message Hobb's Interpretation of the Baptist Faith and Message Drummond's Contemporary Theology of Evangelism.

Chapter 4: Descriptive Theology Toward a Situational Analysis of Current Evangelistic Praxis: Study Variables Selected

Descriptive Theology for Praxis 1 Encountering the Presence of God Through Pastoral Care or Counseling Dimensions of Evangelistic Visitation Counselee's Perception of "Care-concern" by the Pastoral Counselor Counselee's Satisfaction with the Pastoral Visit Counselee's Positive Mood After a Pastoral Visit Sense of God's Presence in the Pastoral Visit Prayer to Establish a Relationship with God Church Involvement by Counselee Conversational Dialogue in the Effective Communication of the Gospel Proportion of CWT Model Presentation Given Length of Home Visit Reasons for Omission of CWT Model Presentation Summary.

Chapter 5: Theological Methods for a Situational Analysis: Sampling, Measures, and Hypotheses

Participants Procedures Independent Variables Assesssed Dependent Variables Assessed Instruments Care-Conern Scale (CCS) of the Therapist Rating Questionnaire Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (CSQ-S) ; Positivity Index of the Session Evaluation Questionnaire, Form 3 (SEQ-3) ; Questions on Perception of God's Presence in Session Counselee's Prayer to Establish a Relationship with Christ Lenski's Religious Involvement Scale (Rhode IslandS) ; Conversational Dialogue Questions Percentage of the CWT Presentation Given Length of CWT Visit Follow-up Equipper/Apprentice Questionnaire Care Intuitively Ruled Out Hesitant or Unprepared No Opportunity Descriptive Statistics Regarding Current Praxis Study Hypotheses Central Study Hypotheses Complete Versus Partial Presentation of the CWT Model Interview Visit Length Interaction of [a] the Variable of Complete Versus Partial Presentation of the CWT Model Interview and [b] the Length of the Home Visit Church Involvement Interaction of [a] the Variable of Complete Versus Partial Presentation of the CWT Model Interview and [b] the Church Involvement Variable Conversational Dialogue Variable Interaction of [a] the Variable of Substantial Versus Partical Presentation of the CWT Model Interview and [b] the Conversational Dialogue Variable Interaction of [a] the Variable of Complete Versus Partial Presentation of the CWT Model Interview and [b] the Conversational Dialogue Variable Summary.

Chapter 6: Results of the Situational Analysis of Current Praxis: Description, Correlations, and Hypothesis Testing

Participants Reliability of New Measures Validity of New Measure Situational Analysis of Current Praxis Descriptive Statistics Church Involvement Amount of CWT Model Presentation Given Length of CWT Home Visit Counseling Session Satisfaction Positivity Index Care-Conern Perception of God's Presence Summary of Dependent Measures on Counselee Reaction to Home Visitation Session Conversion Prayer Intercorrelations Association of Variables Hypothesis Testing.

Chapter 7: A Multi-Modal Theology of Evangelism as Primary Initiation Into the Kingdom of God: A Revised Theory for Visitation Praxis 2

The Task of Revising Practical Theology Theory for Praxis 2 Summary of Empirical Findings on Praxis 1 Needing Theological Reflection Description of CWT in Praxis 1 Amount of CWT Model Presentation Given Visit Length Interaction Between Amount of CWT Presentation Given and Visit Length Previously Low Religious Involvement Interaction Between Amount of CWT Presentation Given and Previously Low Religious Involvement Praxis Problems Identified in Situational Analysis Praxis Problem #1-Inconsistent Use of the CWT Model Presentation with Those with Unknown Relationship with God Praxis Problem #2-One-Fourth Visited Dissatisfied Praxis Problem #3-One-Fourth Visited Doubt God's Presence in the Visitation Praxis Problem #4-31% Visited Already Evidenced Relationship with Christ A Theological Model of Pastoral Role-Fulfillment as an Agogic Situation of Primary Initiation of a Person into the Kingdom of God Evangelism as Primary Initiation Into the Kingdom of God Evangelism as God's Transforming Action Through the Intermediary of Pastoral Role-Fulfillment The Hermeneutic Moment and the Agogic Moment in Evangelism Moving Beyond Limitations of Proclamation Alone to Agogic Evangelism The Three Modes of Pastoral Role-Fulfillment Necessary for Evangelism The Mode of Kerygma Announcing the Active Rule of God Through Jesus Christ CWT Should Connect the Hearer's Situation with the Saving Work of Jesus Christ The Mode of Didache Initiating Individuals into a Discipleship of Living "the Way" ; Teaching the Truth of God's Actions Through Jesus Christ CWT Should Initiate New Converts into the Life of Discipleship The Mode of Paraklesis Encouraging Transformation of Thoughts and Lifestyle Addressing Individuals in Their Contingent Situation CWT Should Address Individuals' Contingent Situations with Encouraging Care The Action of God in Evangelistic Pastoral Role-Fulillment The Action of God to Bring Individuals into His Kingdom Through These Three Modes of Ministry God's Revelation of Himself and Pastoral Care/Concern in CWT Praxis Evangelistic Pastoral Role-Fulfillment as an Agogic Situation God Draws Near to Actualize Salvation Need to Communicate the Depth of Human Predicament in CWT A Radical Reorientation in Spiritual-Mental Functioning Should Be the Goal in CWT Prais Summary.

Chapter 8: A Theology of Pastoral Care for Evangelistic Visitation: Revised Theology for Praxis 2

Pastoral Care, Pneumatology, and Ecclesiology The Early Church Empowered for Evangelism by the Holy Spirit Ecclesiological Models The Church as Institution The Church as Mystical Communion The Church as Sacrament The Church as Herald The Church as Servant Adopting Features of Various Ecclesiological Models The Community of Faith as an "Ecology of Care" ; Fowler's Incorporation of an "Ecology of Care" and "Ecology of Vocation" in His Practical Theology Gill-Austern's Community Theory for Pastoral Care A Community of Caring and Evangelism Origins of a Practical Theology of Care for Evangelism in the Church's Encounter with the Needs of Others What is the Gospel? ; Evangelism and the Gospel Verbal Proclamation of the Gospel Eschatology, Caring Action, and Verbal Witness Revision of the Conceptualization of Evangelism Survey Data on the "De-Churched" Population The Christian Community and Evangelism as Christian Initiation Contemporary Definitions of Evangelism The Parkletic Dimension of Care in Evangelism Pastoral Home Visitation and Evangelism Attracting the "De-Churched" ; Interests of "Nonchurched" Individuals Reported Factors That Would Draw "Nonchurched" Individuals to the Church Expectations of "Unchurched" Individuals in the US and the Model of Jesus Examples of Personal Needs Requiring Care Communicating the Care of God to the Unchurched Individual Pastoral Theology of Care and Counseling Hiltner's Pastoral Theology as Study of Shepherding Wise's Interpretation of the Meaning of Pastoral Care - Patton's Pastoral Theology of Care in Community Oates' Pastoral Distinctives of Counseling Related to Evangelism Distinctives of Pastoral Counseling Related to CWT Tensions in Pastoral Counseling Related to CWT Pastoral Evangelistic Outreach Clinebell's Model of Pastoral Counseling Gerkin's View of Pastoral Counseling in a Hermeneutical Mode Elements of a Helping Relationship Empathy Unconditional Accepting Love Genuineness The Need for a Caring Relationship for Effective Evangelism The Relationship Between Evangelism and the Care for Personal Needs A New Self A New Relationship A New Potential Evidence on the Relationship Between Sanctification and Well-Being A Theory and Practice of Lay Christian Counselor Training CWT Ministry as Lay Christian Caregiving or Counseling Training or Lay Christian Caregiving and Counseling Summary.

Chapter 9: Constructive Change in Ecclesiastical Practice of Evangelism: Theory Based Recommendations for Praxis 2

Recommendations Regarding Praxis Problem#1-Inconsistent Use of the CWT Model Presentation with Those with Unknown Relationship with God Incomplete Implementation of the CWT Model Presentation Is Neglect to Deliver the Model CWT Presentation a Problem of Praxis? ; Recommendations for Praxis 2 Formulated from the Theological Theory on Pastoral Role-Fulfillment Exploratory Questions and Pastoral Diagnosis Necessity of the Active Involvement of the Person Visited and Pastoral Response as Intermediary Recommended Training in Pastoral Care of Unbelievers for CWT Apprentices Three Relational Dimensions for Evangelistic Pastoral Visitation Unhindered Receptivity in Witnessing Relationships Pure Discernment in Witnessing Relationships Creativity in Witnessing Relationships Recommendations for Visits to Promote Initiation into the Kingdom of God Refocusing CWT on Initiation into the Kingdom of God Rather Than Only Seeking a Conversion Prayer Reconceptualizing the CWT Pastoral Visitor as Intermediary Change Agent Recommendation to Communicate the Care of God in CWT-related Church Groups Recommendations Regarding Praxis Problem #2-One-Fourth Visited Dissatisfied Recommendations to Equip CWT Visitors to Increase Proportion of Those Visited Being Satisfied with the Visit Initial Perception of Care-Conern Should be Preserved Additional Opportunities for Caring for the Unchurched Recommended Addition of a Caring Relationship Training Component on the Counseling Relationship Recommended Revision of CWT's Implicit Eccleisology Recommended Revision of CWT to Combine Pastoral Care with Evangelism to Address the Unchurched Person's Contingent Situation Recommendation to Revise CWT to Use Contemporary Language to Enhance Satisfaction of Those Visited Recommendations Regarding Praxis Problem #3-One-Fourth Visited Doubt God's Presence in the Visitation --- Need to Remove Barriers to Perception of God's Presence through Pastoral Roles of Didache and Paraklesis Recommended Development of the Theology of Elenctics in Continuing Witness Training Recommendation Regarding Praxis Problem #4-31% Visited Already Evidenced Relationship with Christ Recommended Prescreening of Prospects for Visitation Areas for Further Research How Much Caring Do the Visited Individuals Perceive Over Time After CWT Visits? ; Do Integrated Care Groups with CWT Visitation Help Initiate Seekers and New Converts? ; How Do Individuals Successfully Initiated into God's Kingdom Differ from Those Who Drop Out of Church Contact? ; Summary.

Appendix

Continuing Witness Training Presentation Outline Questionnaire for CWT Visitation Counselor Questionnaire Items for CWT Counselee CWT Equipper and Apprentice Questionnaire Letter to Barna Research Group, Lt.d

COPYRIGHT NOT covered - Click this link to request copyright permission: