Mentoring and Discipling the Early Adolescents of the Kitchener-Waterloo Seventh-day Adventist ...

205 Pages·2016·1.73 MB·English

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Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research
2014
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Jiwan S. Moon
Andrews University
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Moon, Jiwan S., "Mentoring and Discipling the Early Adolescents of the Kitchener-Waterloo Seventh-day
Adventist Church" (2014). Dissertation Projects DMin. 87.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/87
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ABSTRACT
MENTORING AND DISCIPLING THE EARLY ADOLESCENTS OF THE
KITCHENER-WATERLOO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
by
Jiwan Stefan Moon
Adviser: Barry Gane
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Project Document
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
Title: MENTORING AND DISCIPLING THE EARLY ADOLESCENTS OF THE
KITCHENER-WATERLOO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
Name of researcher: Jiwan Stefan Moon
Name and degree of adviser: Alva Barry Gane, PhD
Date Completed: April 2014
Problem
From 1951 to 2001, at the Kitchener-Waterloo Seventh-day Adventist Church,
only one family from the founding generation has its children and grandchildren
attending and active in the church. Most of the second and third generation members of
the church who once attended, no longer practice their inherited Adventist religious
beliefs. As the church membership was aging, the church was dying and membership
continued to decrease, especially the number of young people. It was becoming evident
that the church needed intervention to prevent continuous loss of members. In order to
prevent a repeat of history, there was a need for an intentional mentoring and discipleship
program/process for young people in the church, especially the early adolescents.
Method
After four years of intentional ministry for the young people of the church from
September 2002 to December 2005 in laying the foundation for successful children’s
ministries and youth and young adult ministry, both long-term (7 years) and short-term (7
months) mentoring and discipleship program/process were introduced and implemented
from 2006 to 2012 and from March to September 2013. The mentoring and discipleship
program/process involved the early adolescents in service and mission projects and
church events, in the regular presence of a mentor (the researcher) who, modeled the
Christian identity, living Christ’s self-renouncing and self-sacrificing love by teaching
them the missionary spirit of selfless Christian service for God and others.
Results
The overall retention rate of the young people of the church since the mentoring
program/process began is 90%, and the retention rate of the young people who were
involved and participated in at least three of the six mission trips of the last 6 years and
who have gone through over 3 years of a seven-year intentional mentoring and
discipleship program/process during their adolescence is 100%. These adolescents are all
attending the church faithfully and are actively serving in different ministries of the
church.
Conclusion
The influence of a Christian mentor who teaches and exhibits true Christ-like
character is essential in an early adolescent’s faith development.
Mentoring and discipleship of early adolescents is necessary to keep young people in the
church and to help them become proactive in their Christian faith, living a life of self-
renouncing and self-sacrificing love, resulting in selfless Christian service.
Andrews University
Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary
MENTORING AND DISCIPLING THE EARLY ADOLESCENTS OF THE
KITCHENER-WATERLOO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
A Project Document
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry
by
Jiwan S. Moon
April 2014
© Copyright by Jiwan S. Moon 2014
All Rights Reserved
MENTORING AND DISCIPLING THE EARLY ADOLESCENTS OF THE
KITCHENER-WATERLOO SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
A project document
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Ministry
by
Jiwan S. Moon
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:
/Adviser,
Barry Gane
) iM Al
Steve Case Dean, $DA Theological Seminary
Jiri Moskala
ApfUL, Z-O./V
Date Approved
DEDICATION
Dedicated to
father Dr. Young Suk Moon for being the mentor of my life/ministry;
to my mother Chul Joo Moon for praying for me without ceasing;
to Dr. Barry Gane for his 15 years of mentoring;
to my most precious daughters
Hannah Moon,
Rebecca Anna Moon,
and Isabella Jinah Moon;
to my beloved wife Jessica Moon
who fills all that I lack and completes me.
Without you, I would not have been able to finish
this journey that helped me to realize even more the
importance of mentoring and discipling young people for Christ.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS................... xi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................... xii
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................?........................................... 1
Description of the Ministry Context .............................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem.............................................................................. 1
Statement of the Task..................................................................................... 2
Expectations From the Project....................................................................... 3
Significance of the Project............................................................................. 3
Description of the Project Process ........................ 4
Definition of Terms........................................................................................ 5
2. A THEOLOGICAL BASIS FOR EARLY ADOLESCENT
MENTORING AND DISCIPLESHIP.................................................................7
Introduction.................................................................................................... 7
Early Adolescents in the Bible.........................................................................7
A Scriptural View of Childhood and Adolescence.................................. 8
Samuel................................................. 9
Jesus !...................................................................................................... 10
Theological Foundation for Mentoring and Discipleship............................’ll
Mentoring............................................................................................... 11
Definitions of Mentor and Mentoring........................................ 11
A Biblical Definition........................................................................ 12
Discipleship............................................................................................ 13
“Come, Follow Me”—Jesus’ Model of Mentoring and Discipleship.... 14
Historical and Cultural Background ................................................ 14
Torah.......................................................................................... 14
Bet Sefer and Bet Talmud.......................................................... 15
Bet Midrash................................................................................ 16
Rabbi Jesus—Jesus the Teacher ...................................................... 17
Adolescent Identity ............................................................... 19
The Biblical Mentor and Discipler .................................................. 21
Jesus the Mentor and the Discipler of Adolescents ......................... 23
IV