Marks of a Healthy Church Essay Example for Free

Marks of a Healthy Church Essay Introduction In the New Testament, the church can be referred to as the â€Å"local† church or the â€Å"universal† church. The local church is a place where assemblies of believers come together at a particular location and time. The universal church refers to the body of Christ. Many churches believe that they are healthy because they have a certain number of people on their membership roll. Healthy churches measure their spirituality according to God’s Word. This paper seeks to convey that healthy churches are measured in spiritual terms versus numerical terms; follow biblical instead of cultural patterns of ministry; are based on theological instead of sociological foundations; focus on ministry not a marketing model; and adopt scriptural not secular models of leadership. This will be done by examining Kenneth Gangel’s discussion on the different marks that can be used to gauge a healthy church in his article â€Å"The Marks of a Healthy Church.† Brief Summary According to Kenneth Gangel, in his article â€Å"The Marks of a Healthy Church,† he seeks to â€Å"explain the characteristics of a healthy church using the measurements of the spiritual, biblical, theological, ministry model, and scriptural model of leadership.† To accomplish this Gangel cautions spiritual leaders not to get caught up in measuring church growth in numerical terms. They should accentuate the holiness and sovereignty of God through Bible study, worship, prayer, praise, and fellowship. In following biblical instead of cultural patterns, churches do not feel compelled to stay â€Å"up with the times† or get hooked on religious fads and slogans. Churches should not push alot of programs and believe that they are right just because they are successful. They would do well to check them and their success against the Word of God. Gangel also wanted spiritual leaders to ensure that they are paying attention to the true vigor or teachings of biblical theology and not get caught up in sociological perceptions of what the church should be. They should seek God’s plans for the church and tune out outside influences. A healthy church seeks to remain spiritually effective by following the ministry model of the â€Å"Great Commission† according to God’s grace, authority, and resources. Churches must never use the marketing or worldly model of seeking resources to accomplish their goals. Spiritual leaders will have trials and be scrutinized; but they should never take on a secular form of leadership in order to deal with these trials. They must pay attention to the essential functions of guiding and leading a healthy church. Critical Interaction Gangel has taken an in depth approach to explaining what constitutes a healthy church. He seeks to make clear that spiritual leaders have to use a biblical approach to assessing church growth or a healthy church. Some of the theological issues that I have found to be at stake in the article are the beliefs that church growth is an indication that the church is growing according to what God has mandated for the church. Church growth should always be evaluated to ensure that the growth is occurring for the right or biblical reasons. The other theological issue is making sure that the spiritual leader and the church are not conforming to the world and its way of doing things. The Bible is the road map that has been given to the spiritual leaders and the church to ensure that they do not go wrong or spiritually off course. Gangel’s opinion that the church should not get caught up on spiritual fads and slogans is backed by John F. MacArthur’s warning that the abandonment of the scriptures as a regulatory principle has opened the church to some of the most detestable of abuses. These abuses include bringing in secular artist into worship services, a sideshow with a carnival theme, and wrestling shows. Gangel is prompted to write about this subject because he was noticed and read about churches hinging their spiritual health on numerical terms of growth instead of biblical terms. His goal is to enlighten and warn the church to make sure they are using biblical measurements in determining the spiritual health of the church. The author has done an exceptional job in proving his thesis, that there are biblical marks or measurements of a healthy church. Gangel’s key strengths in this article are the five biblical marks that he has used to compare to the secular tenants that society likes to use. As he was explaining the five biblical marks of a healthy church, I wish he would have addressed what happens to a church that follows the tenets of society. Conclusion This paper has critiqued the article â€Å"Marks of a Healthy Church.† The author’s discussion in this article clearly lets us know that church should use caution when it comes to evaluating its growth. The marks that should be used to assess the health of the church are spiritual, biblical, theological, ministry model, and scriptural model of leadership. Everything that the church does should be checked by the Word of God. After reading this article, someone may make the claim that the church should do what it has to in order to reach the unbeliever. In my opinion, we as believers are not to let down our beliefs in what God has commanded us to do in order to reach an unbeliever. By all means, we can use Godly tools to witness to them where they are. Selected Bibliography Enns, Paul.The Moody Handbook of Theology.Revised and Expanded. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008. Gangel, Kenneth O. 2001. â€Å"Marks of a Healthy Church.†Bibliotheca Sacra,no.158 vol.632 (October December). http://galaxie.com/article/5724 (accessed October 15, 2012). MacArthur, John F., â€Å"How Shall We Then Worship?† in The Coming Evangelical Crisis,ed. David Wells (Chicago: Moody, 1996), 181 [ 2 ]. Paul Enns, The Moody handbook of Theology, Revised and Expanded (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 257 [ 3 ]. Gangel, Kenneth O. 2001. Marks of a Healthy Church. Bibliotheca Sacra 9, no.28 vol. 632 (October December). http://www.galaxie.com/article/5724 (accessed October 15, 2012). [ 4 ]. Ibid., 468. [ 5 ]. Ibid., 469. [ 6 ]. Gangel, 470. [ 7 ]. Ibid., 474 [ 8 ]. Ibid. [ 9 ]. Enns, 359-360. [ 10 ]. MacArthur, John F., â€Å"How Shall We Then Worship?† in The Coming Evangelical Crisis, ed. David Wells (Chicago: Moody, 1996), 181 [ 11 ]. Gangel, 467-468. [ 12 ]. Ibid.

Pride in Homers Iliad :: Iliad essays

Pride in The Iliad      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The period in which the events in The Iliad took place were different than the times of today. Back then, the most important aspect of life for a person was to be a hero and to be   remembered.   One's pride would come before everything else. In the present day, this concept would be thought of as illogical or foolish. This is certainly true. But, that is how life was in that time- peoples' beliefs were to be the death of them. Pride was the downfall of all characters in Homer's epic poem, The Iliad.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hectors fatal mistake was that he chose pride over his own well being in the battle with Achilles. He could have taken safety within the walls of Troy, or disappeared into a mass of his comrades, but Hector chose to stand his ground and confront Achilles.  Ã‚   "Ah for a young man all looks fine and noble if he goes down in war...he lies there dead...but whatever death lays bare, all wounds are marks of glory."   If   Hector had salvaged his pride and retreated to safety, he would have lived to defend Troy. Therefore, the possibility arises that he could have stopped the onslaught of the Acheans altogether, and won the war for the Trojans. The result of Hectors pride was his death and the betrayment of his fellow warriors and friends.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another person within the Iliad whose pride was the downfall of his character, was Patrocleus. Patrocleus was a great warrior, friend, and asset to the Achiens. But, he made foolish choices on account of his pride. For instance he chose to wear Achille's armor into battle when Achilles refused to fight. This was only for his self-glorification. "...Once you have beaten off the lethal fire, quick, come back to the ships-you must not battle Hector!"   After going into battle brandishing the armor, Patrocleus becomes overzealous and places himself at the enemy's disposal. If Patrocleus would have thought logically, and not acted on pride, he would of remained alive.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to Hector and Patrocleus, the main character in The Iliad - Achilles, was also brought to ruin by his pride.   For example, he was too proud to fight in the war when Agamemnon took his woman.

Music Therapy

Professor Yankee 11/19/12 Music Therapy Why do people use this type of therapy exactly? Well music has been used as medicine for thousands of years and there's a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy find benefits in using it to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to improve communication, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring.A lot of people don't understand what kind of therapy this is, people have different assumptions about it but it is a real profession that takes a bachelor music degree. Music therapists work with a variety of physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms. It is often used in cancer treatment to help reduce pain, anxiety, and nausea caused by chemotherapy. Some people believe music therapy may be beneficial to the health care of children with cancer by promoting social interaction and cooperation.There is evidence that music therapy can reduce high blood pressure, rapid heart beat, depression, and sleeplessness. There are no claims music therapy can cure cancer or other diseases, but medical experts do believe it can reduce some symptoms, aid healing, improve physical movement, and enrich a patient’s quality of life. Ancient Greek philosophers believed music could heal both body and mind, Native Americans used singing and chants to heal millennia. More formal approaches begin in World War two when hospitals started using music to help soldiers with shell shock.In 1944, Michigan State University established the first music therapy degree program in the world. Music therapists design music sessions for individuals and groups based on their needs and tastes. Some aspects of music therapy include making music, listening to music, writing songs , and talking about lyrics. Music therapy may also involve imagery and learning through music. It can be done in different places such as hospitals, cancer centers, at home, or anywhere people can benefit from its calming or stimulating effects. The patient does ot need to have any musical ability to benefit from music therapy. Most peoples reaction to music is a burst of energy upon hearing an upbeat song or a sense of calm during a soothing classical piece. Music therapy uses this connection between music and mood. It has also been shown to lower amounts of the hormone cortisol, which becomes elevated under stress, and to increase the release of endorphins, the body’s natural â€Å"feel-good† hormones. Researchers have found that music therapy, when used with anti-nausea drugs for patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy, can help ease nausea and vomiting.A number of clinical trials have shown the benefit of music therapy for short-term pain, including pain from can cer. Music therapy works by stimulating parts of the brain that are associated with music in a person with Alzheimer’s disease, the section of the brain that allows direct recall of memories is damaged. Musical memories, however, are associated not only with the music itself but also with the circumstances surrounding the musical experience. Listening to music can indirectly stimulate the recall of memory fragments that otherwise could not be retrieved.The ability to retrieve some memories can be comforting to people with dementia. In a different manner, music therapy can assist those with Parkinson’s disease. In a person with Parkinson’s, the part of the brain that organizes thoughts and movements into action is damaged. Music with a strong, rhythmic beat can stimulate motor control, movement and coordination. Studies show that gait training that uses music improves walking speed and coordination for people with Parkinson’s.In general, music therapy done under the care of a professionally trained therapist has a helpful effect and is considered safe when used with standard treatment. Musical intervention by untrained people can be ineffective or can even cause increased stress and discomfort. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences. Besides that there are no real risks or dangers to using music to heal. But how far can music heal you?There was a study that examined 200-300 patients with diabetes participants in a three year study starting this April. Although we do know that music can help vasculature, mental states and mood, there is little to no evidence to suggest that music therapy will help the outcome of diabetes. Perhaps there will be some miraculous benefit for patients suffering from diabetes to engage in extreme music therapy, however previous research indicates that it is not the music itself that determines the benefits, b ut the emotional responses to the music that is the key.Even though there is little evidence to support that music will help diabetes. Scientific studies have shown the value of music therapy on the body, mind, and spirit of children and adults. Researchers have found that music therapy, when used with anti-nausea drugs for patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy, can help ease nausea and vomiting. A number of clinical trials have shown the benefit of music therapy for short-term pain, including pain from cancer.Some studies have suggested that music may help decrease the overall intensity of the patient’s experience of pain when used with pain-relieving drugs. Music therapy can also result in a decreased need for pain medicine in some patients, although studies on this topic have shown mixed results. Studies have shown that students who take music lessons have improved IQ levels, and show improvement in nonmusical abilities as well. Other studies have shown that listening to music composed by Mozart produces a short-term improvement in tasks that use spatial abilities.Studies of brain circulation have shown that people listening to Mozart have more activity in certain areas of the brain. This has been called the â€Å"Mozart effect. † Although the reasons for this effect are not completely clear, this kind of information supports the idea that music can be used in many helpful ways. What can be improved ? Verbal & nonverbal communication, Gross and fine motor movement,Range of motion, Relaxation techniques, Anger management skills, Expression of emotion, Sensory integration, Academic skills, and Leisure skills. We use music to make your life better.Whether you need help socially, cognitively, physically, emotionally, or developmentally, music can help you get better and music therapists trained on how to do that. What’s more interesting, though, is why it works. When used properly, music can be an incredibly powerful treatment tool. And not just because it’s fun, relaxing, and motivating, but because music has a profound impact on our brains and our bodies. First off music is the core function of our brains, we have physiologic responses to music,Our brain is primed early on to respond to and process music.Every time your breathing quickens, your heart-rate increases, or you feel a shiver down your spine, that’s your body responding physiologically to music. Qualified music therapists can use this to help stimulate a person in a coma or use music to effectively help someone relax. Music often has a predictable steady beat, organized phrases, and a structured form. Most country/folk/pop/rock songs, they’re often organized with a verse-chorus structure. They’re organized in a way that we like and enjoy listening to over and over again.Even sound waves that make up a single tone or an entire chord are organized in mathematical ratios–and our brains really like this predictability an d structure. Music is in our everyday lives, we hear it in the store, at school, church, music is part of our thoughts, how we speak, even when there's none around we can still it in our heads. With all these benefits that music can carry, it's no surprise that music therapy is growing in popularity. Many hospitals are using music therapists for pain management and other uses. Music therapists help with several other issues as well, including stress.While music therapy is an important discipline, you can also achieve many benefits from music on your own. Music can be used in daily life for relaxation, to gain energy when feeling drained, for catharsis when dealing with emotional stress, and in other ways as well. Music therapy has been proven to be an effective form of therapy in a variety of areas for a multitude of ailments. However, there is still much more theorizing, discussion, and research that needs to be done in this area, and that fact makes it all the more interesting.Thr ough technological advances and constantly evolving musical styles as well as cross-cultural influences, this is one form of therapy that will never cease to be innovative and topical. Hopefully, researchers will continue to treat this topic as a serious area of psychology and one that deserves to be molded into a more scientific pedagogy through advancement and refinement of research and therapeutic techniques. I believe there is much more to be discovered about music and its effect on humanity.

The New Deal Essay - 660 Words

The New Deal When the great depression hit America, the country was left in devastation. Due to the Hoover Administrations slow reaction in responding to the depression, many had lost their hope for the future. Then Franklin Roosevelt came up during 1932 elections. During his campaign, Roosevelt found his slogan: The New Deal, a name that would become a symbol of one of his greatest achievements. Many people had asked, what caused the Great Depression? Some blamed on the Great Crash. Economists say that the Great Crash did damage the economic system in some ways, but it did not necessarily cause the depression. It was the weak economic structure at the time that may have triggered the tumbling†¦show more content†¦Despite of these programs, however, the people protested against Hoover. They argued that Hoover was too slow in response to the problems. The country was in a total mess when Franklin Roosevelt stepped into office. The new president took action quickly within the first Hundred Days. He created and have the Congress passed over 15 major laws. These 15 legislation would later be the foundation of the New Deal programs. The first step was to save the banks. On March 9, President Roosevelt banks an emergency back legislation to repair the banking system: stable banks would reopen immediately after the bank holiday with government support. Weak banks would be closed and put into further investigations. Roosevelts second step was to reduce the unemployment and helping the needy and poor persons. To help people from having their homes foreclosed, FDR proposed the Home Owners Loan Act, which refinanced their mortgages. Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) was next, to feed the poor. To employ the unemployed, Civil Works Administration (CWA) was created, which reduced the number of the unemployed by 4 million and his other programs like CCC, TVA, etc. In June 1933, the Public Works Administration (PWA) and the National Recovery Administration (NRA) came to light. The PWA was created to stimulate industry and create employment in public works. The NRA worked to establishShow MoreRelated The New Deal1585 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica’s 32nd president. This democrat, inaugurated on March 4, 1933, won the 1932 election against Hoover by a landslide. The new president made a promise to his citizens, â€Å"I pledge you, I pledge myself, a new deal for the American people.† He reassured Americans that he would change their lives. He promised to get people back to work and back in their homes (â€Å"New Deal Timeline 1). For the hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers, FDR’s promise was helpful and true. For example, the WorksRead MoreThe New Deal997 Words   |  4 Pagesmade by nature. They are made by human beings. The New Deal was a plan that was consecrated during the mid-20th Century by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to ordain financial reform, direct relief and economic provision. These dispositions were able to constitute our modern foundation of our true economic stability and financial reformation, despite our nation’s current financial status due to our later United States presidents. The New Deal has been depicted as a vital approach to the nation’sRead MoreThe New Deal1023 Words   |  5 Pagesstate of affairs and a desire for a new approach on â€Å"fixing the national economic crisis† (Hurley). The new president would not let down the nation. During his first two terms in office, FDR â€Å"enforced legislation through Congress that set a n ew standard for government intervention in the economy† (wm.edu). The change he made for the nation was radical, the plan would create a lasting impact that benefitted the country for years to come. Although the New Deal did not end the Great Depression, itRead MoreProgressivism, The New Deal, And The Fair Deal1267 Words   |  6 PagesAn Overview of Progressivism, the New Deal, and the Fair Deal in the US Nameï ¼Å¡Xuan Wang Course: HIST 13C Date: 2017-08-26 The 20th century is one of the influential periods in the history of the United States. The period was characterized by the introduction of a wide range of policy frameworks with the purpose of bringing about necessary social and economic change. The government based interventions relied on the premise of ensuring that the country development was sustainable andRead MoreA New Deal A New America891 Words   |  4 Pagescommonly referred to as FDR, is without a doubt one of these leaders. FDR made new laws, put forth many ideas, and raised the public’s morale before, during, and after WWII. He affected America in such a way that he brought us out of the slum of Great Depression. Even though Franklin D. Roosevelt put America in debt, his new deal policy gave millions of Americans jobs, stimulated the economy, raised public moral, and introduced new big government tactics. He was truly the people’s president. It is trueRead MoreThe Big Deal About The New Deal916 Words   |  4 PagesThe big deal about the new deal When looking at the new deal in the 1930’s it is hard to say anything with conviction. From the start of the great depression to the war little was black and white. The reasoning you gave to the situation would probably give a clue as to where you fit in the status quo. However, this paper is about bringing to light if I think the new deal was successful or not. In my opinion yes the new deal was a success, though not entirely in the way intended. To start off IRead MoreThe New Deal Essay1253 Words   |  6 PagesThe New Deal The New Deal had three aims Relief, which was to help with unemployment, Recovery to rebuild the economy and to return USA to the 1920s economic boom. The New Deal was not a complete success, but it did prevent things from getting worse, it dealt with unemployment in a way. One of the aims of the New Deal was to provide Relief; I am going to assess the successes and failures of this aim. The role of the FERA, they were kind of a success because theyRead MoreThe Legacy Of The New Deal Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagesthe program the New Deal, came to presidency. It was a series of social liberal programs applied in the United States in 1933-1938 in response to the Great Depression. The New Deal was focused on three main principles: relief, recovery, and reform.[footnoteRef:1] They promised to bring the country to prosperity and economically stable future. However, the Conservatives criticized the New Deal during the whole period of the reforms. It was expressed by Herbert Hoover in Anti-New Deal Campaign SpeechRead MoreThe New Deal: DBQ1337 Words   |  6 Pagescrashed, heralding the tumble into world-wide depression. President Hoover tried to pacify the people by telling them it was temporary and would pass over. But a new figure rose out of the people, promising he would do anything and everything he could to restore their lives. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to the presi dency, and his new policies would soon sweep over the country. Roosevelts responses to the problems of the Great Depression were successful in strengthening the power of the federalRead MoreOutline Of A New Deal872 Words   |  4 PagesI will introduce the New Deal. I will identify it, discuss the important background circumstances for it, and assess the historical significance. The  New Deal  was a series of  social and economic programs enacted in the United States to fix the depression When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933. The New Deal had two period that was the First New Deal which was from1933 to 1934 and the Second New Deal which was from 1935 to 1938. Moreover, the New Deal had three main cores: Relief, Recovery