Baptist Churches/Congregational Churches

David T. Um

The goal of this project was to develop a unified strategy for Antioch Baptist Church to make disciples from among college students in Boston, Massachusetts. The project director used the strategy planning model. The project director investigated existing disciple-making strategies popularized by Southern Baptist and non-Southern Baptist evangelical organizations as well as lesser-known programs in discipleship. The project director completed a systems audit by examining case studies of church members whose lives have changed significantly through discipleship. The project director studied the disciple-making strategies already used and currently in use at Antioch Baptist Church to reach college students in Boston, resulting in an organizational profile. The program director enlisted a team and held sessions to analyze the various discipleship programs and synthesize the most effective elements into a single unified strategy for disciplemaking. The project director presented the resulting strategy to the leadership of Antioch Baptist Church for official approval.

Seth Robert Stiles

The first part of the project consisted of the construction and distribution of a church-wide survey about Christian witness in the workplace. A survey was helpful in developing an accurate approach to helping Northshore Bible Church members practice Christian witness in the workplace more effectively. The second part of the project consisted of constructing and teaching an essential “theology of the workplace” in a seminar based on key expositional and theological teachings from the Bible. In the third part of the project, the project director constructed and distributed two reproducible worksheets to seminar attendees. The first “self-assessment” worksheet enabled seminar attendees to gauge present engagement in Christian witness in the workplace. The second worksheet assisted seminar attendees in developing a personalized plan for improving Christian witness engagement in the workplace. The final part of the project consisted of establishing a way for seminar attendees to stay in touch with the instructor for encouragement. The project director documented the most popular issues, questions, successes, and failures from seminar attendees to discern trends for bettering future seminars.

Robert Kevin Mims

The project’s purpose addressed text-driven preaching as one of the methods available to pastors and church leaders searching for a remedy or program to help revive the local church. Church revitalization has become critical as pastors eagerly search for ways and means to church renewal. Opportunities to reach congregations concerning church revitalization during the most populous gatherings, those occurring on Sunday morning, are missed. This project enhanced the project director's skill in text-driven preaching in conveying and convicting the congregation at Ridgeview Baptist Church in Danville, Illinois, of the understanding and need for church revitalization and, most importantly, participating in the church’s renewal.

Jeffery Dale Holeman

The purpose of this project was to equip selected leaders of the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi, with church conflict management skills. This project began with research in the field of conflict management and identified skills that are applicable to a local Southern Baptist Church. The project director developed a workshop to train selected leaders with the skills needed to manage church conflict. The selected leaders included deacon officers, committee chairpersons, and full-time church staff from the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi. This workshop included skill presentations and opportunities for case study applications. The project terminated with the workshop that equipped the selected leaders of First Baptist Church of Oxford, Mississippi, with church conflict management skills.

Wes Anthony Hinote

The purpose of this project was to develop a strategy for implementing covenant membership at Old River Baptist Church, Old River-Winfree, Texas. The project director identified the dominant understanding of Old River Baptist Church members to determine the current membership profile. The project director researched existing models and methods of churches utilizing covenant membership to understand best practices of implementation. To construct an applicable strategy, the project director explored the local demographics to determine the area profile. The project director developed a covenant membership implementation strategy for Old River Baptist Church in Old River-Winfree, Texas, with the community demographic in mind. Finally, the project director presented the covenant membership implementation strategy to a group of selected leaders of Old River Baptist Church for approval.

Joan Prentice D.Min.

This paper presents a theological premise for understanding of the Church as it exists in Christ and its participation within the perichoretic relationship of the Triune God. The model is drawn from the interrelatedness and interpenetration of the three divine persons of the Godhead and the Church’s reality within that relationship. It sets forth a theology that is relational, and allows for a Christology, pneumatology and ecclesiology that is expressed in praxis. It is relational and missional in its outcome and situates a primordial understanding of the Church as an ontological and organic reality.

The Church’s behavior, that is, its work, worship, and mission is influenced by its own perception of self. In other words, the way we perceive ourselves as the church will be reflected in the way we do church and the way we are the church in the world, not just as institution, but as being; having its life, essential nature and personality inherent in the triune God of grace.

Robert Bradley Gowing

The purpose of this project is to develop a new member assimilation strategy for Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama. the project director formed a strategy planning team made up of church staff. He conducted surveys and analyzed membership data of the last ten years to evaluate the current assimilation and membership process, membership and, and trends in growth and retention. He researched new member assimilation strategies at selected churches, as well as literature about new members assimilation to determine best practices. Based on the surveys, analysis and research, the project director developed a new member assimilation strategy for Dawson Memorial Baptist Church with guidance from the strategy planning team. The project director presented the strategy to the staff coordinating team for approval and implementation.

Jeffrey Dodd Garrett

The purpose of the project is to develop an emergency response strategy for Smiths Station Baptist Church, Smiths Station, Alabama. The project includes detailed research in the field of emergency response. The project director used internal demographics of the church and a special needs survey to identify needs pertinent to emergency response. Ge researched and ranked the area's available resources to produce a resource for a risk management assessment. The project director then explored the field of emergency response to develop an annotated bibliography and produce a report on best practices. A combination of individual and group pre-test, post-test, case studies, and role-plays directed the project director to the proper instruments for the emergency response strategy. Finally, he created and presented the finished strategy for feedback and implementation.

Anson Frances Fullington

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Griffith Memorial Baptist Church (GMBC), Jackson, Mississippi, for ministry to widowed members. The project had three phases. First, the project director researched, gathered information, and organized an annotated bibliography that provided knowledge and resources for understanding widowed member ministry. Second, the project director wrote curriculum to equip selected members of GMBC for ministry to widowed members. Third, the project director equipped selected members of GMBC with the understanding of the importance of spiritual gifts in ministry to widowed members, with a concern for the needs of widowed members, and the skills to minister to widowed members.

A pre-test was given to each member before the first session, and a post-test was given after the last session to measure the increased knowledge of participants who minister to widowed members. Six one-hour equipping sessions were conducted on Sunday evenings. After each session, the participants divided into small groups for twenty minutes, to discuss any questions, have time for prayer, and interject roleplay exercises. After the final session the director gave a post-test to the participants to measure what they had learned during the sessions. The director distributed commitment cards to challenge participants to minister to the needs of widowed with their giftedness.

Thomas Allen Dawson

The purpose of this project is to develop a senior adult ministry revitalization strategy for First Baptist Church O'Fallon, (FBCO) in O'Fallon, Illinois, using the strategy planning model. Project development began by appointing a Senior Adult Ministry Strategy Team (SAMST) of twelve seniors from FBCO. The process of strategy development employed multiple steps using the SAMST. The project's first step explored senior adult demographic data of the church and the surrounding community.

The findings from the demographic studies, extensive research of current literature, and exploration of best practices in selected churches, the planning team helped the director evaluate the overall health and effectiveness of FBCO's present ministry to senior adults. Using the findings of this evaluation the director, along with the SAMST, formulated a three-year strategic plan for ministry with older adults at FBCO. Finally, the director presented the plan to FBCO's senior pastor and associate pastor for their feedback and approval.