Suchergebnisse

Problem The future of retirement is an issue that has attracted the attention of governments and private entities worldwide. The period for retirement requires preparation during active professional life so that the resources or assets accrued and added to the Instituto Naacional do Seguro Social and Instituto Adventista de Jubilação e Assistência can be sufficient to meet the costs of living in the period of retirement. The objective of this work is to awaken the interest in this issue, bring enlightenment and information for those who wish to prepare for retirement and encourage choice a balanced financial position or strengthen the preparation of those who have this advance purpose. Method The method used in this action research was quantitative in the 77 questions selected Ministerial Adventist Church Seventh-day Census - South American Division 2012 prepared by sociologist Dr. Thadeu J. Silva Filho at the request of SAD - South American Division. In the second survey questions applied to the shepherds that make up the Mission Para Amapá (MPA), the same quantitative method was used. The selected data from the first survey provided information that charted an overview of the financial profile of the Adventist pastor and served as the basis for the identification of questions that this work intends to bring clarification. The data from the second survey showed interest, by the pastor, to put in practical financial measures that have been suggested in the seminar "Finance & Balanced Quiet retirement." Results Through action research were identified aspects of unpreparedness for retirement for a share of SAD pastors group such as lack of knowledge in finance and own financial profile, the need for external support and tools that facilitate the changing habits. Through research actions it became clear that supplying these aspects can the auxiliary group of pastors prepare quiet mode and satisfactory for retirement. Conclusion The final results suggest the possibility of improving the financial literacy of the Adventist pastor, assimilating new habits such as participatory planning the family budget, reshaping the way to spend their resources and restructuring the way to save. Through these measures the financial health of the pastoral family is a tangible reality and expectations for the most promising future. Note: Thesis in Portuguese language.

Problem Two important aspects in the life and work of teachers are their values and leadership styles. The values they hold affect the influence they exert and the knowledge they impart, and the leadership styles they practise determine in part their effectiveness in transmitting their knowledge and values to the students. Moreover, teachers' values are often considered to be closely related to their leadership styles. The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationships between the values and leadership styles of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) academy teachers in Michigan. The study also aimed to provide a description of both the values and leadership characteristics of the teachers and to determine if there were any significant differences in their values and leadership styles as related to such selected independent variables as major area of teaching, sex, age, highest academic degree held, years of teaching experience, and years of schooling in SDA institutions. Method Two instruments were used to collect data on the values and leadership styles of teachers for this study. The Allport-Vernon- Lindzey Study of Values (SOV) was employed to assess the dominance of six value interests: theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political, and religious. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) was used to investigate two independent dimensions of leadership behavior: consideration and initiating structure. It was hypothesized that teachers' self-expressed values would correlate with their leadership styles as perceived by their students. It was also hypothesized that significant differences exist among teachers classified according to the six selected independent variables mentioned above. The study involved 72 teachers and 694 students of six SDA academies in Michigan. These teachers and students were administered with the SOV and the LBDQ, respectively. To analyze the data collected, three major statistical methods were used. One-way multivariate and one-way univariate analysis of variance were employed to treat the data on the teachers' values and leadership styles, respectively. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was applied to examine the relationships between the values and leadership styles of teachers. Results Significant differences were found on the six value scores of teachers classified according to their major area of teaching, sex, and years of schooling in SDA institutions. However, no significant differences were obtained on the two dimensions of leadership behavior of teachers except for comparisons on the consideration scale in relation to two independent variables: highest academic degree held and years of schooling in SDA institutions. The major findings suggested that no significant relationships existed between teachers' self-expressed values and their leadership styles as perceived by their students. Conclusions On the basis of the findings in this study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. The combination of the six value scores is not effective in predicting the consideration and initiating structure leadership behavior. Thus teachers' self-expressed values do not correlate significantly with their leadership styles as perceived by their students. 2. Bible, humanities, science, and vocational teachers exhibit significant differences in their values. Science teachers hold higher theoretical but lower aesthetic values than the other teachers. 3. Female teachers express significantly higher aesthetic and social but lower theoretical and political values than male teachers. 4. The values of teachers are significantly related to the length of time they spent in SDA institutions for their formal education. Teachers with six years or less of schooling in SDA institutions express higher political and social but lower religious values than those teachers with seven years or more of SDA education. 5. Teachers with Bachelor's degrees and teachers with six years or less of schooling in SDA institutions have higher consideration mean scores than those teachers with Master's degrees and teachers with seven years or more of SDA education.

Topic The task of this project dissertation is to develop a leadership model for initiating and effecting change in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia. Purpose The purpose of this project dissertation is to develop a leadership model for the successful initiation and effecting of change in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zambia. Strategies will be developed that will help pastors and lay leaders facilitate the successful initiation of change. Sources The research method I chose to use in this dissertation is theoretical. Extracting information from what other scholars have written on change and the change process will be presented in the Zambian context. This method considers current and relevant information from books, articles, journals, online data, and available data from the Zambia Union Conference. The process will include the following: 1. A theological reflection on initiating change will center on three biblical themes including (a) the Joseph and Moses methods of initiating change; (b) Jesus, Peter, and Paul initiating change across racial barriers; and (c) initiating change as understood in the writings of Ellen G. White. 2. A current review of literature contributes to a successful initiation of change. This will include anthropological literature on Zambian culture, which will help pastors and elders when initiating change. 3.1 will discuss an analysis of leadership and church growth in Zambia. I will discuss the development of intervention tools and strategies for initiating change. Conclusions Both the Old and New Testaments provide leaders who exemplified leadership qualities that help pastors and lay leaders when initiating change. Change is inevitable because communities, governments, and businesses are changing. The church is not static but changes over time. Culture plays a critical role when initiating change. Formulating of strategies and skills to enable the twenty-first century pastor and lay leader to initiate successful change.

Problem The Seventh- day Adventist church in Botswana, although being among the fastest growing churches in the country, has not been able to reach the Basarwa tribe since 1921. This is in spite of the church's best effort. Among the contributing factors is the apparent failure by the church to develop a culturally relevant approach that considers the Basarwa unique lifestyle and a lack of Basarwa church leaders. Methodology Surveys were administered among the Basarwa in four districts to establish their awareness of the church and factors that hinder them from joining the church. Training on church leadership for the Basarwa was conducted. Literature was reviewed on the lifestyle of the Basarwa, the work of other Christian organizations among the Basarwa, and lessons were drawn from the government's approaches on implementing change among the Basarwa. Finally a proposal for church leadership recruitment and training program will be submitted to the Union and the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division as a contribution on how to reach unique peoples of the world. Results The project revealed a concern for the spiritual condition of the Basarwa, and raised awareness about the need for Basarwa leaders in the Basarwa communities. It also indentified some possible future Basarwa leaders who could be recruited and trained for church leadership. Conclusions On the basis of these findings and proposal, the Church should be deliberate in the recruitment and training for the Basarwa during the period 2010-2015.

"That the group is the primary social reality is the unyielding contention of the sociologist - and of Scripture, too. It thus seems reasonable to con clude that, if only for its espoused unit of analysis - the group - sociology ought to find some place of importance in the Christian`s scholarly inquiry. But sociology must be studied through the eyes of Christian understanding."

The Seventh-day Adventist Church emerged from the Millerite movement of the 1840s. After the Disappointment of 1844 the unique features of Sabbatarian Adventism emerged--in particular, the seventh-day Sabbath and the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary--and were consolidated among scattered groups of believers by the end of1848. This study describes the development of Seventh-day Adventist organization between 1844 and 1881, examines its theological and biblical foundations, and evaluates the influence of James White, the leading figure in promoting church order. Chapter I presents the aims and purposes of the work, the methodology followed, the sources considered, and a biographical sketch of White. Chapter II examines the socio-political and religious milieu of North America in which Sabbatarian Adventism developed, especially the influence Millerite separatism might have had on Seventh-day Adventist attitudes. Chapter III covers the post-Disappointment splintering of the Millerites into several bodies. Sabbatarian Adventist concerns (1844-1849) centered on the consolidation of doctrine and emergence of a sense of mission, both prerequisites for organizational development. Chapter IV describes the emergence of centralized church government (1849-1863), culminating in the establishment of the General Conference. Concern for proper discipline, coping with false teachers, owning church property, and efficient execution of the church's mission gave rise to considerable debate before agreement was reached. After 1863, interest centered on the role and authority of church leaders. Chapter V discusses the theological foundations of Seventh-day Adventist polity; namely, the sense of unique mission and concern for doctrinal unity. Other factors in organizational development included the use of biblical precedent by Seventh-day Adventist pioneers in laying the foundations of church order, the influence of the organizational systems of other Protestant churches on the framers of Seventh-day Adventist polity, and the impact of White's experience and personality on church government. In conclusion, the implications of the decisions taken between 1844 and 1881 for contemporary organizational issues are examined. Centralized government remains essential for coordinating the mission of a world-wide church, maintaining unity, and lending weight to its sense of identity. Flexibility is also needed within these underlying considerations in order to meet changing social and cultural circumstances.

This analysis examines the effects of spouse abuse among a group of conservative Christians, specifically Seventh-day Adventists. The results highlight four broad types of effects associated with abusive behaviors in this sample: emotional disturbance, parental abuse or neglect, suicidal ideation, and spiritual disengagement. The analysis investigates risk factors associated with these effects and finds two primary risk factors – experiencing recent intimate partner violence and having a difficult economic situation. By identifying spiritual disengagement and its related factors, this analysis adds a significant dimension to the literature on the effects of intimate partner violence among religiously affiliated people.

Problem Over the past fifty years, there has been an increase in the number of students with special needs in the U.S., from 1.8% of students in 1977 to 5.7% of students in 2006 and 13.0% of students in 2015. Federal legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act support equal education for this growing population of students, and special-needs educators have responded by implementing full-inclusion strategies. Public schools continue to make advances in implementing inclusion practices since they are legally bound to do so. The Seventh-day Adventist community is one of the largest private school systems in the United States. However, inclusion has yet to become a priority among Seventh-day Adventist schools in the City of New York. Since the number of students with special needs continues to increase, Seventh-day Adventist schools might benefit from prioritizing the implementation of inclusion programs. This exploratory study sought to elicit from Seventh-day Adventist administrators, teachers, and parents of children both with and without special needs, their perception of inclusion initiatives and programs. Method The research methodology adopted is a qualitative two-part design that examined the Inclusion of Special Education in Seventh-day Adventist Schools in New York City. Data were obtained by means of focus groups and in-depth interviews of administrators, teachers, parents of children with special needs, and parents of children without special needs, drawn from four Seventh-day Adventist Schools located in two Conferences; Greater New York (n=2) and Northeastern Conference (n=2) schools. Results As a result of the views expressed by the participants of this study, five themes emerged: (1) Effectiveness, (2) Lack of Confidence in Inclusion, (3) Segregation, (4) Social Benefits/Belongingness, and (5) Importance of Integration. Overall, the results of this study were in keeping with the work of Boroson as there was support for inclusion in Seventh-day Adventist schools within the New York City area, providing that teachers were adequately trained and given the requisite tools to do the job. However, concerns as to whether social benefits will accrue to the children with special needs, and that of bullying were quite prominent in inclusion programs. Conclusions For too long, children with special needs were denied the privilege of obtaining a Christian education. Going forward therefore, educators in the Seventh-day Adventist schools of New York City should focus on the needs that are necessary for the effective educational performance of "children with special needs."