Abstract
This paper discusses how church planting can be successful in Siberia. The paper begins by discussing Siberian culture and the challenges that it would present to missionaries. The paper then discusses the steps laid out by the Pauline Church Planting Cycle. The paper concludes by discussing why the author has always had a particular interest in Siberia.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Siberian Culture
The Missionaries Commissioned
The Audience Contacted
The Gospel Communicated
The Hearers Converted
The Believers Congregated
My Siberia
Conclusion

From the Paper
"If a missionary carefully involves themselves within the community and gains the trust of the people, they should have little trouble presenting the Gospel to an audience that is willing to listen. They will have to combats things like social illness (such as the overabundance of drug and alcohol use) and a general unwillingness to change. They will have to completely convince the Siberians that God is worth the effort needed to make a change. Of course, seeing as how God is worth the effort necessary to truly believe, missionaries should find that Siberia is just another part of the planet where the harvest is plentiful, the workers are just few."

Tags:gospel, missionary, culture, belief

Abstract
Many years ago, America was known as a Christian nation. The paper argues, however, that in modern society, America is in a religious era in which individuals create their own belief and value systems instead of listening to God's teachings. The amount of churchgoers in America today is rapidly decreasing as churches fail and close every day. This paper examines the process of church planting whereby new churches are built and established churches that need to be helped are revitalized. The paper looks at church planting strategies, steps involved in church planting and the move of the baby-boomer generation away from the church movement.

From the Paper
"Church planters should give converts small tasks to do, preparing them and training them to function in the new church and develop their spiritual gifts. The process grows as they are entrusted with greater responsibility. Training becomes more extensive as they continue to grow and possibly even take leadership roles. Next, the church planter should prepare to publicly launch the church. Signs, maps, order of service, special events specifications, sign up cards, and more must all be prepared before the launching date."

Tags:congregation, Baptist, Jesus

Abstract
The paper discusses how the metaphor infusing the book "Planting Growing Churches" by Aubrey Malphurs is one showing the church to be organic and Christians in the role of putative horticulturists. The paper notes that this is not merely a metaphor created for this book but one that is used in the church to describe the creation of new churches and the nurturing of the church to cause the population of followers to increase in number. The book considers the state of this process at the time the book was written and how the process could be improved so as to increase the size of the Christian community.

From the Paper
"The metaphor infusing the book "Planting Growing Churches" by Aubrey Malphurs is one showing the church to be organic and Christians in the role of putative horticulturists. This is not merely a metaphor created for this book but one that is used in the church to describe the creation of new churches and the nurturing of the church to cause the population of followers to increase in number. The book considers the state of this process at the time the book was written and how the process could be improved so as to increase the size of the Christian community. Aubrey Malphurs has written some eighteen books and many articles on church-related matters, especially on church management and specifically..."

Tags:malphus, planting, churches

Abstract
This paper explains that the metaphor infusing the book "Planting Growing Churches" by Aubrey Malphurs is one showing the church to be organic and Christians in the role of putative horticulturists. The author points out that this organic metaphor is in keeping with the millennia-old view of the church and of God as creating the natural world and then asking His followers to tend it. The paper states that the argument offered by Malphurs applies most directly to evangelicals, as might be assumed given the emphasis they place on spreading the Word and creating new churches.

From the Paper
"The process of planting a church does not end with that one church but then extends to evangelizing further to grow more churches. In analyzing this process, Malphurs begins with definitions and a general view of the process and then considers the personnel needed to plant a church, and those involved in the process have to understand themselves and their relationship to God and to the tenets of the faith. Not everyone can be as church planter, and Malphurs offers a way to measure who is able to carry out this task effectively."

Tags:horticulturists, organic, evangelizing, individuals, value

Abstract
The paper argues briefly that the Roman Catholic Church played a profound role in shaping French Canada, from the initial settlers right up to the period immediately following Confederation. The paper discusses how the early Church took the reformist zeal of Post-Council of Trent Europe to the New World and established a foothold upon the North American continent that would see education, civil administration, and social services monopolized by the Church. The paper argues that even when the British took over New France, the Church would retain many privileges and prove itself a worthwhile ally to the British. Finally, the paper asserts that the Church, by the mid-point of the nineteenth century, would reach the zenith of its power and would come to dominate most every aspect of French-Canadian life - though whether this was a good thing or not is certainly open to debate. The paper opines that one cannot understand the province of Quebec without understanding the central place of the Church in its evolution.

From the Paper
"The following paper will argue, briefly, that the Roman Catholic Church played a profound role in shaping French Canada, from the initial settlers right up to the period immediately following Confederation. Specifically, the early Church took the reformist zeal of Post-Council of Trent Europe to the New World and established a foot-hold upon the North American continent that would see education, civil administration, and social services monopolized by the Church. As well, even when the British took over New France (or Quebec as it would be known in the aftermath of the Royal Proclamation of 1763), the Church would retain many privileges and..."

Tags:catholic, church, quebec

Abstract
The author of this paper examines religious intolerance in the late middle ages and specifically, as practiced by the Church. The author gives a number of examples where religious intolerance and even persecution were not only countenanced by the Church but were even a part of Church law. The writer gives two examples of the church's intolerance of other religious viewpoints: the Crusades when established Church doctrine said that only Christians had the right to rule in the Holy Land, and the persecution and stigmatization of the Jews. The paper uses MLA style footnotes but doesn't include a works cited page.

From the Paper
"Anti-Semitism in the later Middle Ages was rather prevalent throughout most of Western Europe. There are at least three canons alone of the Fourth Lateran Council that are concerned with the proper ways to deal with or treat Jews. One of these canons states that it is unacceptable for a "blasphemer of Christ to be in a position of authority over Christians" because "such authority [is] very hostile to Christians." In the "hagiography" of William of Norwich it is said that the Jews of Norwich preformed the blood libel sacrifice of William during Passover. This account is the first instance that the myth of the blood libel. The entire idea of Jews taking a young Christian boy (William is 12 in the story and thus not yet a man by Christian or Jewish standards) and reenacting the crucifixion upon him speaks very clearly that Christian society of the time had a very deep distrust of other faiths, especially that of Judaism; this distrust running so deep that the Church accommodates it into law."

Tags:christianity judaism church persecution crusades, middle ages anti-semitism pope canon

Abstract
This paper discusses Martin Luther's ideas and beliefs. It portrays Luther as one who planted the seeds for revolution in the concept of the church and Christianity, but who acted on his own conservative beliefs. It raises pertinent issues as to whether Luther actually was who the public perceived him to be.

From the Paper
"The European world of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century was one ensconced in the assumption of Christian values and, moreover, the authority of the Catholic Church. Likewise, it was a world of great injustice, misappropriation of power and perversion of morality. Such was most apparently epitomized by the vast disparity between classes of suffocating poverty and ever-growing wealth. And the necessary correlation between wealth and power was quite explicit in a Church that, to many ways of thinking, was a fat and corrupt entity whose most driving priority had become the exploitation of the weak. Martin Luther was born into this world in 1483, and not of a particular familial disposition to protest the circumstances."

Tags:church, christianity, catholicism, religion

Abstract
This paper discusses the religion of the Mennonites who became the first German colony in America when, in 1683, they planted their settlement in Pennsylvania, called Germantown. It describes the history and the background of the Mennonites and focuses on their religious and cultural practices. The paper also describes the current practices of the Mennonites living in the United States.

From the Paper
"Prior to World War II, members of the Historic Peace Churches--Mennonites, Brethren in Christ and the Quakers--sent a letter to President Roosevelt outlining their peace position and requesting special provisions before any war ensued. The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 granted that those opposed to war because of religious beliefs should be given "work of national importance under civilian direction," such as forestry, soil conservation, public health, and agriculture and instrumental in the mental health system. The Mennonites embraced this Civilian Public Service (CPS) system not only as a substitute for armed services but, more importantly, as an expression of biblical faith and dedication to their society. Over 4,600 Mennonites served in the CPS program and about 3,900 served as noncombatants conscientious objectors in the military ((Towes, 1930, p.141). Similarly, in the Vietnam War, they aided both sides with food, money, and relief work around the world, and they will continue to pursue this outlet in the future."

Tags:denomination, peacemaking, church

Abstract
Copsa Mica is a small town in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvanian central Romania. Originally a small Lutheran hamlet built in 1402 and known for its Saxon churches, it descended into hell under the communists; a hell comprised of poorly built concrete housing caked black with the leaden fumes of a nearby smelting plant. The paper shows that Copsa Mica gained international notoriety in 1990, following the downfall of the Ceausescu regime, for being one of the most heavily polluted cities in Eastern Europe. According to a CNN report, two out of every three children suffered from a form of mental retardation due to the devastating effects of the town's carbon plant and metal works. The paper shows that this real tragedy reflects the legacy of Transylvania, an area of Romania known to the West for the Dracula legend. Since the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, this area has been a point of conflict between empires, ethnicities, religions and ideologies.

From the Paper
"The aftermath of the First World War also gave rise to Communism. Communist agitators had first arrived from Germany to destabilize Romania. Russian communists, who wished to expand communist influence after 1917, complimented their numbers. Romanian communism was originally small and limited to academic circles, but agitators were backed by the powerful Soviet regime and managed to blow up the Senate building in Bucharest. Their efforts served but to cauterize Romanians against Communist influence. However, the Russians seized Bessarabia in 1940, compelling Romania under Marshal Ion Antonescu to join the Germans. The Germans, in turn, allowed Hungary to re-annex part of Transylvania including Copsa Mica. Romania regained this territory after the Soviet Union invaded Hungary, causing Romania to switch sides and ally with the United Nations."

Tags:Ottoman, Counter-Reformation

Abstract
This paper relates that the importance of communicating the Gospel in missionary work cannot be overstated. The paper also points out that, without an effective way of communicating the Gospel, the targeted audience will never be converted. The paper then discusses the ways in which the Gospel can be communicated and the importance of selecting a method that suits the community that the missionary is in. The paper further describes the ways that media selection play a key role in the presentation of the Gospel and discusses the impact that globalization has had on missionary work.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Philosophy of Communication
Initial Considerations
Message Contextualization
Method Determination
Media Selection
Measurement Implementation
Globalization
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Globalization is a current trend throughout the world that is having a large impact on missions. Where a missionary used to struggle to find things to relate to, a missionary can now enter remote areas of China and chat with teenage boys about the latest episode of The Simpsons thanks to the television. While globalization has many more negative impacts than positive ones, it seems, there are a few bright spots that can aide a missionary in his attempt to contextualize the Gospel or the media that he'll use to present it. In China, little kids swap Christmas cards without even realizing the meaning behind them; this presents an open door for a missionary to relate the Gospel to the child. Muslims, who are from a very exclusionary culture, are provided with access to pluralistic ideas through the television and the internet that might challenge their thinking enough to open them up to the Gospel ."

Tags:globalization missionary mission, church planting