Doctoral Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology) by browse.metadata.advisor "Grobbelaar, Jan"

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    The ministry strategy of the church of pentecost in ACCRA with specific focus on children : a exploratory study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-03) Mans, Philippus Rudolph; Cloete, Anita Louisa; Grobbelaar, Jan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. Practical Theology and Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Children represent more than half of the total African population and therefore form a significant and strategic part of the church in Africa. Visits to churches and children’s ministries in Africa raised questions on the being of the church and children’s inclusion into church life. My personal exposures to the Church of Pentecost (COP) lead to this reflection on the children’s ministry of the Church. I was in particular interested to learn what ministry strategies and related theological underpinnings support their children’s ministry. It appears from literature that children does not enjoy the same attention from systematic theologians when central theological themes such as the human condition, nature of faith, language about God, the church and the nature of religion, is discussed. The apparent absence of clearly defined theological positions on children by the COP and limited African theological discussions and academic works on children matters, contributed further to conclude the following problem statement: The church needs children’s ministry strategies that includes children as integral part of church life. In support of such strategies, the Church needs theological underpinnings for a Christian theological approach to children and the role and responsibilities of families and faith communities. My choice for an African church relates to my exposures to and relationships with churches in Africa. The COP is viewed as a significant church in Ghana, provided an ideal opportunity to explore an African church within the framework of the broader Christian landscape in Ghana. The research question is: What was the ministry strategy focusing on children of the Church of Pentecost between 1970 and 2010? Chapter 1 deals with the motivation, objectives, research question and strategies of enquiry. Chapter 2 describes the genesis history of the COP as to explore possible strategic children’s ministry elements. Chapter 3 focuses on theological underpinnings for a church as a particular ministry environment where children could be integrated into church life. The study worked with a key meta theoretical assumption that God is dynamically working in the church and society. Theological themes and characteristics raised in the study of the Old Testament people of God suggested a possibility that the New Testament church might be a continuation of the Old Testament people of God’s way of living. This theological exploration of the church contributed to inform the proposed ministry practices in chapter 6. Chapter 4 dealt with the design and operationalisation of the empirical research strategies to explore church members’ perceptions of church, based on their childhood experiences. The empirical data were analysed and interpreted in chapter 5 to serve the study in the conclusions in the last chapter. Chapter 6 concluded with the finding that the COP did have a number of non-intentional elements interpreted as possible ministry strategies for the children’s ministry as well as an intentional strategy. The findings concluded that the COP seriously needs theological underpinnings for an intergenerational approach to children’s ministry. The last part proposes children’s ministry processes that could assist the COP to become an intergenerational church.