A Game Plan for Planting New Churches

A Game Plan for Planting New Churches Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’† (NIV Mat 28:16-20). The Great Commission is Jesus’ command for all Christians to spread the news of the Kingdom of God and disciple to unbelievers. But just how are Christians supposed to do this? There are several obstacles a church planter must overcome in order to establish a new church in rural America in the twenty-first century. In order for the church planter to fulfill his/her vision in following Jesus’ instruction to plant this new church a game plan must be drawn up, followed through on, and carried out. Church planting is a team effort of several people and organizations, and just as Jesus instructed the eleven disciples to work together, so must the church planter work with his or her team. According to Aubrey Malphurs book, Planting Growing Churches for the Twenty First Century, â€Å"Church planting is a long drawn out, yet very exciting leap of faith that includes the preparation and growing of new local churches by believing Jesus’ promise and obeying His Great Commission to further His kingdom† (21). â€Å"Make disciples of all nations† is the most important and stressed command given by Jesus in the Great Commission. Faith, discipleship, and obedience are required to fulfill this command, not just for the disciple, but for the listener as well (Hesselgrave 23). What’s the Game Plan? Every church planter must have a game plan to have a successful ministry. This plan is a well written schedule of short and long term goals to be accomplished, tasks that need to be completed for each goal, and the people or items needed to fulfill each task. The plan of conceiving the new church to opening the doors for that first Sunday service may be several months apart, but without organization, the team can never fulfill Jesus’ command (Heron). Malphurs also states in his book, â€Å"It is critical to the ultimate success of the new church that it has a single, clear vision. The church must know where it is going!† (119). One’s theology of ministry will have a powerful impact on the developed game plan. If a person is too professionalized in his or her idea of the new church to be planted, his or her strategy of the church and its growth will be radically different from the person who believes in a more contemporary ministry for every new believer (Brock 19). Recruiting your team No one person can successfully plant a new church. A Christian can simply look at Jesus to see that our Lord and Savior needed twelve people to help Him start the greatest church of all time! Finding the right people for the team of church planters is a tough, yet rewarding challenge in the game plan. Further, take a look at Paul. He did not try to carry out the Great Commission alone, but instead used his team of Barnabas, Timothy, Luke and several others to makes disciples of all nations (Malphurs 285). The church planter cannot simply place an ad in the newspaper for a support team. He/she must go out and canvas to find the right people God has in mind for the new church. The church planter must meet with each individual on a one to one basis and be able to articulate the vision and core values of the church, market the church benefits and its opportunities of ministering to seekers and new believers, and build a positive relationship with the new team from that first impression (Ritchey 56). There are several ways to recruit the future members of a church planting team. School and seminaries often are good places to find other people who share your vision of church planting. These people will have different spiritual gifts and skills than a church planter that can be utilized to add to the strength of your team in fulfilling the Great Commission (Back 37). Located in the back yard of the new church are a plethora of people looking to become part of a new church team. They may have skills never tapped by other churches, or they may be looking for that little bit of encouragement, nurturing, and training to discover the talents God has given them (Swauger 27). Networking with other churches in the area is another great source for locating a support team. These churches may loan out their staff to help assist the new church in its growth by having one of the pastors lead a series of sermons, having the worship team perform one Sunday a month, or even have a team of teachers help with the children’s ministry in the new church (Ritchey 59). Making contact with the churches in the area and developing relationships will lead to nothing but rewards for everyone involved. Some benefits to having a core team in place right away is that the team already makes up a church. It may be a small church, but it is a church nonetheless. A team working together in good and bad times shows the new congregation just how tight knit and powerful the glory of God is working through them. As the new members see the core team working together in love and harmony, they will perceive the Gospel as not empty words, but as reality (Shenk 44). Another reason for having a strong core team is that it allows the power of leadership to be divided among others, thereby alleviating the stress and burden off the shoulders from the church planter. By sharing the responsibilities of building and planting the new church, it allows the congregation to see and accept leadership in the various church communities (Wagner 142). Affiliation Another aspect of church planting must be decided is whether the church planter is going to be adopted by a mother church and choose to affiliate with the mother church’s denomination, or whether will the new church be an independent entity. A mother church, is a larger, more established church in the area which gives financial and spiritual support, and is the denomination the new church wishes to follow. There are several pros and cons associated with making this critical decision. The easiest reason for a new church to be adopted by a mother church is the support given by the mother church. After the honeymoon phase of planting a new church is over, isolation from other churches tends to set in. Some independent churches do tend to form alliances and support groups with other independents to overcome the struggles they face on their own (Schaller 47). From these independent support groups, the churches usually find they are able to survive the early growing pains of a new church life until they are able to become more established. Another reason to be adopted by a mother church is to receive the denominational resources provided by the regional or divisional headquarters. These resources can be discounts on educational materials for Bible classes, low interest construction loans, and receiving the services of staff specialists or counselors in times of need (Schaller 47). A tremendous benefit and boost to planting the new church is to be sponsored by a mother church. This is also known as creating a multi site congregation. There have been times when a larger congregation has out grown its current location. Instead of building a new church and moving the entire congregation to this new facility, they may in turn purchase a new church and run both churches as one legal corporation. In this case, there would be one senior pastor for each church, but one leadership board, one staff, one budget. Each church would live on its own with its own services, events, and Bible classes, but would have the support and strength of the mother church. Eventually, the daughter church would splinter off on its own and become its own legal corporation (Miller 62).  ¬Location Location of the new church is another obstacle faced by the church planter. So many options come into play that most planters need the help of their support staff to keep from being overwhelmed. Does the new church rent a facility in the beginning? If so, where and for how long do they lease? If and when the new church decides to buy its first piece of real estate, the church planter and his/her team are inundated with needing to choose how big of a piece of land, the geographic location, the size of the building, and deciding if they wish to have extra land to expand upon at a later date. Most new churches do not have the financial means to spend on a parcel of land, the architects and contractors to build the church, or the furniture needed to fill the church. They have to start small and the best locations tend to be middle or high school classrooms or auditoriums. Schools tend to be in well settled areas and are easy to find. The rent charged by schools tends to be cheaper than leasing from a banquet hall and furniture is generally provided. The schools do offer ample parking, and, as the church grows, the space is generally available to expand in the auditorium or cafeteria of the school (Swauger 33). Another perk with using a school to start the new church is the church planter already has classrooms available for Sunday school or Bible classes. This may add a small additional cost to the lease and the core team may be held responsible for following through on clean up afterwards, but anything to help the church body to grow is a blessing. Other temporary locations that have worked for new churches are at local shopping malls. This allows young and old shoppers alike to see and â€Å"window shop† the church while conducting their normal shopping needs. The church can also offer special programs during the week to help boost the visibility by offering Christian daycare, counseling programs, or a neighborhood crime watch (Malphurs 332). Once the church body out grows the initial facility, looking to purchase a tract of land to build the permanent church home is required. If the town has new housing or growth in a particular area, then focusing in that area may be the smartest move. In this case, large areas of land can be purchased to allow the church to grow as it needs, whether it is by adding new buildings, more parking, or even recreational areas for the children and adult members (Swauger 33). If there are no growth spurts in the town or no large tracts available in adequate areas, then the church planter and his/her team should look into buying an older church. Over the years, several churches have lost members and struggle with the current economic conditions (Chaney 14). These churches may allow another church to move in and share the facilities and expenses while still completing the Great Commission (Malphurs 331). Church Facilities Along with the location of the new church, the church planter and the core team need to consider several other factors concerning where the new church family is going to meet. People don’t like going to a dark restaurant or walking two blocks to go to their favorite store, so why should the place they worship God be any different? Appearance is the most important factor when choosing the location of the new church. The appearance of the new church is going to affect the core team’s attitude dramatically. The core team will be working at the new church quite extensively and people tend to see their environment as a reflection of themselves. Also, seekers are looking to find a church that meets their high standards caused by today’s society. If they cannot find a church because it is hard to find or located in a troubled neighborhood, the seekers are going to stay away. If the building is in disrepair they will not come. If they do come, the seekers may reject the message given because of the repairs needed (Malphurs 325). The location must be visible from the street and have access for all types of vehicles and be handicap friendly. People with special needs may require the assistance of a ramp, automatic doors, or wider aisles between the pews. To not accommodate the needs of the challenged is to fail in the Great Commission (Malphurs 325). There is an old saying that cleanliness is next to godliness. In a new church, cleanliness is godliness! When people come to a church, they generally look at two things in particular for dirt: the women’s bathroom and the children’s ministry. Parents want to make sure their children are in safe conditions and with infants, generally the mother will handle the babies in the women’s restroom for changing dirty diapers. Malphurs states in his book, â€Å"Pastor Bill Hybel’s of Willow Creek Community Church believes this is so important that not only are the facilities cleaned once per week, but nicks and scratches are cleaned and repaired as well† (326). Who, Why, and How Do We Gather a Following? For the church planter to decide who the new church is going to minister to can be a tough choice. It can be compared to choosing which sport you wish to play as a child. Do you wish to have the new church focus on single adults looking for a more contemporary foundation? Or does the new church want to appeal to families with younger children interested in youth ministries? Choosing the type of people you want to disciple to is like choosing your favorite sport. You can actively participate in two or three successfully. But just as you can’t excel in every sport you try, the church planter cannot appeal to every type of person in the world. Once the church planter and the core team have decided on a target group or groups to minister to, a plan has to be developed that reaches the people. Several low cost methods are available that have proven to be effective. These include direct mailings, email blitzes, billboard advertisements, and simple network marketing with local churches and support groups. Telemarketing and door to door canvassing have proven to not be as effective as they once were in the 1980’s and 1990’s (Schaller 90, 98 and Ritchey 55-58). In 1990, there were 80 million people in the United States who did not claim to be affiliated with any church or other religious body (Church). This represents almost one third of the population in the United States. In Churches PlantingChurches, nonbelievers were asked in a survey why they didn’t attend church, the following answers were given: 27% did not feel comfortable with the old fashion traditions 18% felt ostracized for their past life experiences 16% could not find a church that was conducive to their work schedules 12% said their children would not understand it 8% didn’t want to make a commitment or feel pressured to join a Bible group or ministry. (Church) No one church planter can reach every person, but it is clear that an effective approach communicating the vision of the church clearly and articulately to the population will show there is a growing need and desire among people to find a church home. The church planter and the core team should pool their resources and find other believers with talents and gifts and use them to help build the ministry. As a congregation grows, it can expand the realms of its ministry to cater to the needs of the target groups in the area. Finances Of all the obstacles faced by the church planter and the core team, finances are at the top of the list. So many people avoid the ministry of church planting because of the issue of finances. Too many times, the spouse of the church planter supports the family until the church officially opens it doors and is self-sufficient (Malphurs 47). If the new church is adopted by a mother church, then there may be a salary or a budget to help cover expenses and living costs for the church planter, the church, and maybe the core team. This may be a gift from the mother church, or a budget may be established through the missions ministry, or a call may be made to individual congregation members to help support the church through special tithes and offerings (Church). Quite often, the church planter and the core team will have to work a second job to help pay their family bills. This often makes the church planting process longer to fulfill as valuable time is spent at the salaried position and not accomplishing the goals of the new church (Wagner 84). There are several important, practical financial avenues that will help church planters in their efforts to raise money for the new church. Three of the principles listed are negative and focus on what drives people from not being as forthcoming with their tithing gifts. The last two are positive and aid the church planter in knowing what potential contributors are looking for in the church (Schaller 137). People do not want to feel the church will be or become dependant on their financial contribution. Contributors do not want to feel they are satisfying a church’s â€Å"wants† (i.e. salaries, utility bills, or mortgages). The contributors may feel their money is being used to help the church minister to others by buying Bibles, donating to a church library, or a specific ministry in need (Miller 126). People, in general, do not like being made to feel guilty by not helping the church. Too many times, church leadership will announce that the church needs money to pay for this or pay for that. Contributors who feel guilty about helping the church with their donations will stop making those donations after a period of time and may look for a new church that will not give them such a negative feeling (Church). According to Lyle Schaller, â€Å"People do not want to have to feel their donation is going to cover the needs of the church.† (139) Church members like to hear good news about what is taking place in the church and to be constantly told the church is running short of keeping itself afloat tends to discourage them from contributing. Givers will respond positively to visions. The key to this principle is for the church planter and the core team to always remember the vision that brought the congregation through the doors initially. If people see the visions of the church are being accomplished, even if it is one small step at a time, the people will jump on the band wagon and continue to support the vision, both financially and in prayer (Malphurs 54). Finally, the church congregation responds to BIG visions. Church planters and the core team need to think big and have big visions because there is a big God who has big plans for all Christians. The church planter, the core team, and the congregation need to continually update and expand on the original vision that started the church family (Malphurs 310). The First Sunday There are a tremendous number of obstacles the church planter faces with the core team as they accomplish the commands of Jesus with the Great Commission. Planting new churches is not an easy task as taught in the Bible with Jesus and His disciples and Paul with his team. Through faith, prayer, obedience, hard work, and following the structured game plan, the church planter can effectively plant a new church and watch the church grow from a simple vision into flourishing and fruitful tree in God’s kingdom that can continue on and provide support for new churches it develops later on. Back, Jerry. Church Planting Responsibilities and Ministry. Diss. Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1983. Brock, Charles. The Principles and Practice of Indigenous Church Planting, Nashville: Broadman Press, 1981. Chaney, Charles L. Church Planting at the End of the Twentieth Century, Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1984. Church Planting Churches. Dirs. Logan, Robert E. and Ogne, Steven L. 1995. Videocassette. CRM Publishing. Heron, Pastor. Personal Interview. 5 April 2007. Hesselgrave, David J. Planting Churches Cross-Culturally, Grand Rapids: The Baker Book House, 1980. Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. Malphurs, Aubrey. Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998. Miller, Bernard K. A Theological and Intercultural Examination of Descriptors of the Local Church the Goal of a Church Planting Ministry. Diss. Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1988. Ritchey, Blair Alan. Wesleyan Church Planting in the 1990’s, Diss. Fuller Theological Seminary, 1992 Schaller, Lyle E. 44 Questions for Church Planters, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991. Shenk, David W. and Ervin R. Stutzman. Creating Communities of the Kingdom, Scottsdale: Herald Press, 1988. Swauger, Paul L. Plan to Plant: a 10-Step Guide for Planting New Churches, Indianapolis: The Wesleyan Church, 1990. Wagner, C. Peter. Strategies for Church Growth, Ventura: Regal Books, 1987. Research Papers on A Game Plan for Planting New ChurchesComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Hockey GameAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaDefinition of Export QuotasRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Project Managment Office SystemTrailblazing by Eric AndersonQuebec and Canada

An Introduction to Socioeconomic Status

An Introduction to Socioeconomic Status Socioeconomic status (SES) is a term used by sociologists, economists, and other social scientists to describe the class standing of an individual  or group. It is measured by a number of factors, including income, occupation, and education, and it can have either a positive or negative impact on a persons life.   Who Uses SES? Socioeconomic data is gathered and analyzed by a wide range of organizations and institutions. Federal, state, and local governments all use such data to determine everything from tax rates to political representation. The U.S. Census is one of the best-known means of collecting SES data. Nongovernmental organizations and institutions like the Pew Research Center also collect and analyze such data, as do private companies like Google. But in general, when SES is discussed, its in the context of social science. Primary Factors There are three main factors that social scientists use to calculate socioeconomic status: Income: This is how much a person earns, including wages and salaries, as well as other forms of income such as investments and savings. The definition of income is sometimes expanded to include inherited wealth and intangible assets as well.Education: A persons level of education has a direct impact on their earning ability, with higher earning power leading to more educational opportunities that in turn increase future income potential.Occupation: This factor is more difficult to assess because of its subjective nature. White-collar professions that require a high degree of skilled training, such as physicians or lawyers, tend to require more education and thus return more income than many blue-collar jobs. This data is used to determine the level of ones SES, usually classified as low, middle, and high. But a persons true socioeconomic status doesnt necessarily reflect how a person sees him or herself. Although most Americans would describe themselves as middle class, regardless of their actual income, data from the Pew Research Center shows that only about half of all Americans are truly middle class. Impact The SES of an individual or group can have a profound influence on peoples lives. Researchers have pinpointed several factors that can be affected, including: Physical health: Communities with low socioeconomic status in the U.S. have higher rates of infant mortality, obesity, and cardiovascular health issues.  Mental health: Along with poor physical health, communities with low SES report more cases of depression, suicide, drug abuse, behavioral and developmental issues.General health and welfare: Along with the impact on an individuals well being, socioeconomic status can also have an impact on communities, including rates of crime and poverty. Oftentimes, communities of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. feel the effects of low socioeconomic status most directly. People who have physical or mental disabilities, as well as the elderly, are also particularly vulnerable populations. Resources and Further Reading Children, Youth, Families and Socioeconomic Status.  American Psychological Association. Accessed 22 Nov. 2017. Fry, Richard, and Kochhar, Rakesh. Are You in the American Middle Class? Find Out with Our Income Calculator. PewResearch.org. 11 May 2016. Tepper, Fabien. What is Your Social Class? Take Our Quiz to Find Out! The Christian Science Monitor. 17 Oct. 2013.

Major Topic in Juvenile Delinquency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Major Topic in Juvenile Delinquency - Essay Example However, it can be said that the system has been fairy effective in controlling juvenile crimes and rehabilitating youths. The juvenile justice system comprises of formal and informal institutions, while the juvenile justice process consists of the procedures that are followed in processing juvenile cases. This paper discusses the history of juvenile justice, the juvenile justice system, which collaborates with the juvenile justice process to administer justice to juveniles, and the juvenile justice process. Keywords: Juvenile, Youth, Child, Justice, Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Justice System, Juvenile Justice Process Introduction Youth crime is a very serious problem to the society. Early youth crimes included runaways, loitering, bullying, and other minor offenses. This has however changed with youths turning violent and committing crimes as serious as assault, robbery, murder, rape, and drug trafficking. In recent years, youth crime has been on the rise affecting many nations world wide. In the United States, millions of juvenile arrests are conducted each year for crimes ranging from violence to minor crimes. According to Cole and Smith, â€Å"in a nation with 74 million people younger than age 18, about 1.6 million arrests of juveniles occur each year , 74,000 of which (just over 4.5 percent) are for violent crimes† (2010, p. 604). ... Institutions and procedures were thus established, in order to conduct justice for juveniles with focus on their welfare. The institutions and procedures established are referred to as the juvenile justice system and the juvenile justice process respectively. The juvenile justice process is therefore a philosophy that underlies the juvenile justice system. From this, it is clear that both institutions and procedures collaborate to administer juvenile justice, and no entity can exist on its own. Martin points out that â€Å"the juvenile justice system is composed of institutions that have been organized to manage established procedures as a way to achieve justice for all juveniles† (2005, p. 4). The institutions are divided into formal and informal organizations, and constitute of community-based programs and agencies, juvenile corrections, juvenile courts, and the police. The juvenile justice process on the other hand, â€Å"refers to distinct procedures established to assure the fair administration of youths under the law† (Martin, 2005, p. 4). These procedures have to conform to the institutions established to administer juvenile justice. The juvenile justice process in conducted in a friendly way, with the primary aims of identifying the youth’s problem and seeking a treatment plan to control and ultimately eliminate the problem. The juvenile justice process involves the police interface, intake and screening at the court, pretrial procedures, transfer to adult court, adjudication, disposition, and corrections (Cole & Smith, 2010). History of Juvenile Justice The issue of juvenile justice has been around for many

Leadership and management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership and management - Assignment Example I will measure the productivity of the skills that I will have acquired on communication and relationship building. A – Attainable literature search can be done through the internet library and am able to appraise websites to find credible sources of information. Peter, Psychiatrist officer, has agreed to meet with me next week. I have the support of Peter, to practice my skills and obtain the feedback. R – Relevant I am currently working as a nurse and would like to become a manager within my organization or another organization after I have completed my BSN. I believe that the in building my communication and relationship skills in the position of a nurse will aid me to be more comfortable and competent in a manager position because I will have learned how to relate with everyone in the organization. I will resolve any conflict that might arise, leader of change, communicating freely with the patient , employing all types of communications in the organization and coming up with a culture. T – Time bound literature search through the library and the internet are in progress and will be completed by week three. The interview with an expert is scheduled on the second week. Practice of the skills will occur during weeks 3-5, evaluation during week six, and later complete my development (Rossiter, 2004). S – Specific I will identify patient care management skills by undertaking a search in libraries and also conducting experts in the skill. I will practice patient care management skill in order to better my skills. A – Attainable learning from my fellow colleagues is the simplest way of grasping full ideas that will be required of me. I will be able to delegate duties, my deliveries should be directed to the patient, communicate effectively with other departments within the organization. S –Specific I will identify the strategic planning skills after working in the

Football essay Essay Example for Free

Football essay Essay It’s easy to see that Football is the most fun sport ever invented. To be a promising football player you have to poses physical, mental talent. Above all the qualifications of becoming a football player, I think respect on the field is a necessity. Respecting players and plays will most certainly bring you closer to a career as a football player. The game of football has been proven to be more of a mental than physical but physical abilities are also important. It’s good to work out for physical ability, but a rest is essential to achieve the goal. Each football team has an offense and defense. The referee calls all the decisions on the field. Recently, a player was tackled by the neck, so the referee called unnecessary roughness penalty. It’s good to be physical but referees are trained to watch out for the safety of players. I played football as a wide receiver at Burlington High School. I loved every second I was on the field playing offense. Of all the receivers that have ever played in the National Football League, Randy Moss is my favorite. In his prime time, he made amazing catches to give his team a chance to win the game. Thinking who far he had come, Randy Moss made every moment count. Running down the sidelines of the defense, he was able to out run any defender trying to tackle him. Holding the ball in his hands, he was fierce as teams needed more than one defender to tackle him. To me Randy Moss is more than a player, he is a mentor and inspirational to all the football fans. To accomplish the success that he had, he had to put in extra practice work and mental awareness of the opponent. I always wanted to be like him and able to play football like him. Football is that kind of a sport where by the harder you practice, the better you get. Now that he has retired, Calvin Johnson is the only other active receiver that I can compare him to. Before the super bowl each year, fans all over the nation gather around and get ready for the game. It is the most watched championship game each year in all sports. Because the game is viewed by millions of people, companies get the opportunity to advertise their products to people. Just as companies want to advertise their products, they are also required to show off their creativity in the commercials. Each super bowl game, there is a commercial that wins peoples favorite vote for most creativity. In High School the coach always told the players if you forget what you supposed to do on the field; I will be glad explain. Football is a team sport; the success of the team is determined by how much work each member puts in. I will want some day help build football fields for kids to play; that is a promise I make.

Agent Orange Essay -- essays research papers fc

Agent Orange: The Pesticide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agent orange was a mixture of herbicides that the U.S. forces sprayed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Through many studies, scientists found that any exposure to Agent Orange may cause cancer. Hamilton Jordan feels that he may have been exposed to Agent Orange while he was in Vietnam. He developed cancer, and felt that Agent Orange contributed to this cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agent orange was the chemical that was dropped over Vietnam in the late 1960’s. It was not until the 1970’s that the use of Agent Orange finally ceased. These chemicals were used for two general purposes; one of these was to kill the plants and trees in the jungle to uncover the North Vietnamese armies. The jungles of Vietnam were very thick, so the armies could not be seen from an aerial view. The Americans tried to eliminate this element of surprise attack by destroying the jungles. Another reason Agent Orange was used, was to destroy the enemy’s food supplies. Agent orange was potent enough to contaminate all the farmland of the North Vietnamese. The Americans figured that if they could destroy the enemy’s food supply, then the war would not last very long. Agent orange was a dangerous chemical mixed together to create a different kind of weapon and means of attack for the Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamilton Jordan was the author of the book, No Such Thing as a Bad Day. In his book he tells of his experiences in...

Family issues becoming social problems Essay

Family, as what sociologists address, is a social institution. Families are shaped by the family members’ personality. Individual members affect their relationship that is greatly influenced by experience. Families are also affected with the other social institution in the society like law, religion and education. Thus, families are subject to changes whether these changes gave advantages and disadvantages, the family has to cope up and make adjustments. Failure to do so will affect society and social problems might arise. This twist and turns have been quite evident as the time passes by. Single parents, careerist mothers, absent fathers, and live-in partners are blamed as the root cause of many of society’s problems that could lead to persistent poverty, drug abuse, academic failure or out-of-school youths, and juvenile crime. This can be traced back to the early society that calls for historical perspective(Steven Mintz, 2003). History of the American Family In 1920, majority of American families are the traditional type; the father is the breadwinner, the wife is the home-maker and the children attend the school. Unwanted pregnancies happened between 1940 and 1958. Families of the 1950s are characterized by increase in birth rate, a stable divorce rate, and the age of marriage decline. During the early and at the middle of the nineteenth century, divorce rate began to rise because of its legislative order to be legalized. Spousal and child abuse gave rise and this can be reflected with the increase in assaults and murders committed against relatives and family members. Highest divorce cases happened at the beginning of the twentieth century. Single parenting, children in orphanage, infant mortality and early widowhood are the other changes happened in the past years(Steven Mintz, 2003). Family issues becoming social problem Divorce and single parenting From the point of view of some, divorce is an indication of failure of American family. But for others, it is viewed as a sign of freedom from men that women do enjoy. After World War II, it is documented that the rate of divorce increased and these may be an indication of the changing views and role of women in the society and their need to be free from social and financial dependence upon men. However, the dramatic increase of divorce rate has greatly affect the economical and social stability experienced by most of the divorced women that caused social problem for the economic well-being of the divorced women and the children are highly compromised. On average, women earn less income than men, households that headed by the divorced women are further disadvantaged, also, the lack of adequate and consistent child support added to the economic dilemma of divorced women (Dennis L. Peck). Spousal Abuse  Among the cause of violence between couples are: incompatibility between them which they discovered after the marriage and such difference arises when there is great disagreement and animosity between them, the couple is under stress and frustration therefore burst it out to one another and lastly, if the wife is a masochist or very awkward or very provocative(Rudi Dallos). Child abuse and neglect A child that is not properly taken cared of, not properly fed, deprived of basic necessities, proper medical care and treatment, and too much physical abuse is a violation to the child’s welfare and is considered as a criminal behavior. Juvenile Delinquency According to a study, broken homes are associated with juvenile delinquency. Levels of juvenile delinquency were much higher in teenagers living with single fathers and lowest among teenagers living with both parents and one of the suggestive reasons for this is due to inadequate parental involvement in the life of the child. The lack of guidance and the absence of close relationships between the child and parents contributed to the causes of the delinquency(Crystal L. Murry). Financial stress Financial stress can directly and indirectly affect children because it increases parental mental and emotional distress, which limits a parent’s capability to respond sensitively and consistently to their children’s needs. More specifically, parents that are more commonly observed among low-income populations have behaviors of parental harshness, non-responsiveness, and inconsistency and are assumed to arise in part from the high levels of parental stress that accompany poverty. Parents having low income have the tendency to fail to express their affection and fail to respond to their child’s needs. (H. Abigail Raikes). Gay and Lesbian Families Sigmund Freud viewed homosexuality as a disturbed psychosexual development wherein the social orientation of the child is due to its relationship with his or her parents. Psychologists, as well as other professionals form other disciplines such as endocrinology and genetics have studied and discovered other possible causes of homosexuality (Dennis L. Peck). Before, same-sex families were inconceivable. However, in 1980s, the situation began to change and have changed the views of family life for gays and lesbians. Due to socioeconomic independence of women of lesbian families, the medical advances of in-vitro fertilization and sex transplant, acceptance of gays and lesbians by adoption agencies and courts, planned gay and lesbian parenting had increased tremendously but during the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was argument about same-sex families, particularly child-rearing by gays and lesbians. Solutions to Problems Having time for the family will be helpful in strengthening the family and businesses providing flexible working schedule will be of great help. The power of media has great influence on the youth; therefore, they should make effort on portraying positive views on marriage and valuing education. The parents should be attentive to their child’s learning in and out of school. No-fault divorce legislation establishes conjugal property that should be divided by both parties, assigning the child’s custody, and awarding alimony. Open communication is important so that problems and conflicts can be addressed within the members of the family. Nowadays, it is acceptable that both parents are working to support the financial needs of the family but make sure that there is still time for relaxation and bonding of the family members especially during special occasions. There are also government agencies, insurance company, law firms and consultants that provide legal and financial support for the child, spouse and elder that are victims of domestic violence.

How to measure Poverty In Ireland

What is Poverty? Poverty is when a person or a family does not have enough money to meet basic needs such as clothes, food and shelter. People may experience debt, social exclusion, and be unable to afford education, housing and even medical bills of any kind. Consequences of poverty can affect both the physical and mental health of those experiencing it, as well as, having high economic costs, and can result in a rise in crime and drug culture. There is a number of ways to measure poverty; the first one I am going to discuss is Measuring Relative Poverty.Relative Poverty means having an income below 60% of he median income for an adult per week. For example, if the median income is Ð ²?200 per adult per week and the said adult earns Just Ð ²?180 per week they are said to be experiencing relative poverty. To put it simply relative poverty is a measure of income inequality. This method is quite useful in measuring poverty in 1st World Countries (Developed Countries). Its works parti cularly well and can be quite accurate in developed countries because they tend to have all employed and unemployed people on record and know exactly how much people are earning.Whereas, in developing Mounties the information they have (if any) on their population can be inaccurate and definitely less trust worthy. I think that this is definitely a good way to measure poverty once you can be sure that the information supplied to you is accurate. The only discrepancy I see in this method is that it is not thorough enough and does not look at the daily struggles people face like measuring consistent poverty does. Measuring relative Poverty changes with a nations view on what a decent standard of living is. Another way to measure poverty is Measuring Consistent Poverty.Like measuring relative poverty, measuring consistent poverty also means having an income below 60% of the median income per adult per week, but also â€Å"experiencing enforced deprivation†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. It means that a person is earning below 60% of the median income and is unable to afford fundamental commodities like new clothes, â€Å"not being able to afford food such as meats or fish†ii, being unable to heat your home, or having to go into debt in order to pay your bills. Measuring consistent poverty is more appropriate for developing nations where people are faced with starvation and death daily.Measuring Relative Poverty would not work here because most people would have no income at all and those who earn over 60% of the median may still be facing starvation or death too. I definitely feel that measuring consistent poverty is a more accurate measure of poverty because it does not measure poverty in terms of how a nation decides what a decent standard of living is but in fact measures it in terms of how people are coping with what they earn. The final way to measure poverty which I am going to discuss is the United Nations Poverty Index.The United Nations Poverty Index is based on 3 key factors; survival, knowledge and a decent standard of living. Is does not measure poverty with respect to income. It is â€Å"derived separately for developing countries and a group of select high-income countries to better reflect socio-economic differences and also the widely different measures of deprivation in the two groups†iii. The first factor in which they take into account is survival; they look at what the probability is of what the average age the average person will live to.In developing countries they usually set the age at 40 years of age whereas in high-income (developed countries) they use 60 years of age and then compare the results. The second factor in which they use to measure poverty is knowledge (or literacy). They accumulate the percentile of adults that are able to both read and write. The UN (United Nations) believes that being excluded from the â€Å"world of reading and communication† is definitely an indication of poverty.The third (an d final) aspect they use to measure poverty is the overall standard of standard of living. They look at the countries â€Å"overall economic provisioning†iv and then make a Judgment on the situation. I believe that this is quite a useful way to measure poverty but only for extremely poor countries (developing Mounties). With such a big body like the UN they need a general system like this in place in order to measure poverty in multiple countries and then compare them with one another.Personally I think that measuring relative poverty is the best and most efficient way to measure poverty in Ireland. Ireland is a first world country and, before the recession, had a low percentage of unemployment. The issues I have with this method are that I think it should take into account the daily disadvantages people may or may not face. This would increase accuracy and give the country more knowledge on how poor people facing poverty really are.It is also based on what the government bel ieves is a decent standard of living, which I think is very hard to Judge and could cause for discrepancies in the resulting statistic. In respect to the other two measures (measuring consistent poverty and the United Nations poverty index), I feel that they would not be Justified in Ireland because the poverty in Ireland is not anywhere near as serve as it is in developing countries, but I do think that we could do with implementing some of the characteristics from these measures in order to increase the accuracy of our measure.

The American Dream essays

The American Dream essays Many residents of America as well as newly introduced immigrants first believed that America would be the land of the free. Most never dreamed it would be the land free of morals values, and integrity. However, during the last thirty-five years of the nineteenth century, that is exactly what it became. Some inhabitants of America thought it to be such a ring of the morally corrupt and dishonest politics that they were compelled to write literature based on the deceptions and misgivings of the time period. Upton Sinclair and Frank Norris, authors of The Jungle and The Octopus respectively, reflected the political manipulations and economic injustices during the period of 1865 to 1900. These authors used a manner of writing that depicted political corruption as harsh, cruel, and even tragic. Corruption ranged from the president and vice president to everyday people, including immigrants as well as Americans. Even Mr. President Ulysses S. Grant complied with requests from Jubilee Jim Fisk and Jay Gould to make the federal treasury refrain from selling gold. The president received $25,000 for his complicity and Fisk and Gould cornered the gold market. Not only accepting bribery, the presidents cabinet was full of favor seekers as well as incompetent. Then, in 1872, The Credit Mobilier scandal was made public. Insiders of the Union Pacific Railroad formed the Credit Mobilier Construction Company, hired themselves at inflated prices, and distributed shares of the company to a few key congressmen. It was also discovered that the vice president had accepted a sums of money from this corrupt company. The Whiskey Ring cheated the Treasury out of millions in excise-tax revenues, and the Secretary of War William Belknap pocketed bribes from suppliers to the Indian Reservations. President Grant may have been a fine general, however he was not an honest president when it came to the punishmen t o...

Top Pointers For Writing Proper Diagnostic Essays

Top Pointers For Writing Proper Diagnostic Essays Diagnostic Essay: Pointers for a Successful Essay A diagnostic essay aims at enlightening the strengths and weaknesses of the student to the teachers so that they can be assisted accordingly, and shape the curriculum altogether. They are mostly administered at the beginning of a term or a semester. For a diagnostic essay, the students are not expected to excel, but rather express the skills and knowledge they have currently, and how they can use them accordingly. This test follows the standard five-paragraph essay format; the introduction, three body paragraphs, and the conclusion.   All the students are given the same topic to write about, although at given instances, you are provided with two or three topics to choose from. Since diagnostic essays are time-bound, you are required to have a well-thought plan in your mind regarding what you are about to tackle. This involved awarding enough time to brainstorm your topic, think it over, write the essay to your best knowledge, and finally proofread your work before submitting it. Writing the introduction The introduction is an integral part of your essay as it highlights ideas that the reader expects as he or she reads through your work from the start to the end. You should begin working on your introduction, only if you have completely understood your topic of discussion, brainstormed it, and you have substantial ideas that are to be presented in your main body paragraphs. In simple terms, make an effort of being conversant with what you are introducing. It is a creative approach to first paraphrase the topic of discussion given to write about. After this, you need to come up with three essential points that will be expounded on and supported with relevant information in your body paragraphs. You are to introduce them in your introductory paragraph briefly. For instance, if you were to write about the hardest encounters you have had in your life, do not place your focus on only one decision. You can present three variables and accord them a scope. So, each paragraph of your main body will be associated with each alternative you have come up with. The end of your introduction should be made of the thesis statement, which is the main idea of your diagnostic essay. Writing the main body As mentioned earlier, the main body of your diagnostic essay should be made up of three paragraphs. Each paragraph should represent one of the three key ideas you mentioned in the introductory paragraph. At this stage, you are to expound on them and back each with its related information to give it credibility. The first body paragraph should be the sturdiest of them all.   For example, using the topic on the hardest encounter of your life, the first paragraph should talk about which was your hardest encounter, as per your point of view. Use the elements that support your point of consideration from your thesis statement to give the reader reason as to why you consider that particular encounter as the hardest. The second body paragraph should talk about the second hardest encounter of your life.   Use the information that supports your point of consideration from your thesis statement, to give the reader your reason for considering this particular encounter as your second hardest. The third paragraph is the least hard of the three encounters. You should convince the reader why you still considered this encounter as one of your hardest, bearing in mind it is the third on your list. As required, apply the information that supports your point of consideration from your thesis statement, and explain to the reader your reason for putting that particular encounter as your third hardest encounter. Writing the conclusion A good essay requires a well-articulated conclusion. You should, however, remember that your essay is under limited time and you need to end your essay with a captivating overview. This is the reason why a diagnostic essay should be brief.   The main idea here is to give the reader an impression the whole topic has been fully addressed. If your question was from a prompt, make sure that you have answered the provided question.   Keep in mind that you are not allowed to introduce new information in your conclusion paragraph. Your conclusion should consist of your restated thesis statement, and an outline of the main points that you have provided an argument for in your body paragraph. For instance; relating to our example, list your three hardest encounters, list the supporting reasons describing why you think some encounters are harder than the others and conclude a statement that describes why a particular encounter was the hardest. The outline for a diagnostic essay To summarize what we have learned, below is a brief outline for a diagnostic essay: Introduction Restated topic or prompt The main points Thesis statement The most important point of discussion The second most important point of discussion The third most important point of discussion Conclusion: a list of the main points discussed and the solution to the prompt provided. Proofread your essay With the limit in time for writing the essay, you will probably write your work hastily. This will make your work vulnerable to mistakes such as those in grammar, punctuation, and spellings. Even though your diagnostic essay will not be graded, you still need to ensure that your work can be read and interpreted as you intended. For this reason, ensure that you spare some time to go through your essay and do the necessary corrections before submitting it. Be sure to follow the structural outline required or provided to ensure your work has a logical flow of ideas. Also, avoid padding your work (filling it up with unnecessary words).

Immigration Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Immigration Law - Essay Example Descent is another mode of becoming a British citizen if the applicant was born outside the UK and if the applicant’s parents were British. Citizenship can also be obtained through naturalisation which is subject to the discretionary powers of the Home Secretary. At the present instance, the rights of citizens are under critical review and legislation has been enacted in order to prohibit any manner of discrimination. The central idea behind this review is to create an equal and vibrant society (Citizenship 1906-2003). The composite citizenship of the UK and its Colonies provided by the British Nationality Act of 1948 has been replaced by the British Nationality Act of 1981, which had been effective from 1983. Under this act, British citizenship can be attained only by birth in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands to a parent who was a British citizen, or a settled resident there, by descent, by registration or by naturalization. In the year 1999 the Government restored full citizenship to UK Overseas Territories and Overseas citizens. Further, Commonwealth citizenship includes all sorts of British citizenship besides citizenship of any country of the Commonwealth. Citizens of the UK automatically become citizens of the EU (British citizenship, 2003). Naturalization is a legal process through which a non – citizen of a nation, by taking an oath of allegiance, attains the citizenship and the rights of a natural – born citizen of a nation. The British Nationality Act of 1981 stipulates the requirements for naturalization in the UK. These conditions include a definite period of residence or service for the Crown abroad, good character, considerable proficiency in English, and an intention to reside in the UK (Naturalization, 2003 ). The British Nationality Act 1981 restricts the acquisition of the status of a British subject to persons on whom the British Nationality Act 1948 bestows this status. Persons who had been citizens of the UK and its Colonies under the 1948 Act, but failed to become citizens of the country where they lived, would continue to enjoy their status as British subjects.