New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

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 Fullinton

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.

Adam Chochran

The purpose of this project was to develop a holistic strategy to enhance religious support for the 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command of the Alabama National Guard. There is a difficulty for National Guard Chaplains to cover units based on monthly schedules, unit locations, and staff requirements. This can serve as a hindrance to religious support to subordinate units. The project director will investigate the needs of religious support down to the company level. This will provide the information needed to assess the religious support needs. The project director will identify resources necessary to enhance the religious support strategy. The project director will identify personnel that will help in the holistic religious support strategy, in accordance with the command master religious plan. The holistic religious support strategy will guide religious support in the 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and its subordinate unit ministry teams.

Randall Cagle Clayton

The purpose of this project was to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenwood, Mississippi, with conversational evangelism skills. The project began with project director researching the field of evangelism for the purpose of identifying essential conversational skills. Next, the project director developed an annotated bibliography based upon the completed research. After conducting research and identifying essential conversational skills, the project director wrote a report that discussed the findings. Expert evaluators evaluated the annotated bibliography.

The next step in the project was to develop a curriculum to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist Church with essential conversational evangelism skills. The project director acquired skills for writing curriculum by completing a self-guided study, Design for Teaching and Training, by LeRoy Ford. The project director wrote the curriculum and an expert evaluator evaluated the curriculum. The project director next conducted a six-session discipleship class to equip selected members of Immanuel Baptist church, Greenwood, Mississippi, in essential conversational evangelism skills. Finally, the project director concluded the project by administering tan devaluating post0test results and evaluating students' role play encounters.

MIchael David Blue

The purpose of this project was to develop a strategy for engaging people in ministries at Woodland Park Baptist Church, Hammond, Louisiana. The project's director researched various engagement strategies and surveyed the church laypeople to determine their value for ministry engagements. Next, the director created a ministry engagement team to develop the best strategy for the church with the obtained research. The ministry leadership team submitted the completed strategy to the church leadership team and obtained their approval. The desired result was to have a clear strategy the church could use to improve church ministry engagement for the current congregation, as well as to create a pathway for ministry involvement of future members.

David Brady Beigle

The project director sought to solve what was a crucial issue for Blue Creek Baptist Church in Perry, Florida, by utilizing the strategy planning model. The leadership structure at Blue Creek Baptist Church was distorted, undefined, and unbiblical. Therefore, Blue Creek Baptist Church found itself at a pivotal moment. Will the church adopt a new leadership structure that works for Blue Creek Baptist Church both now and in the future, or will the church refuse to adopt a new leadership structure and continue in a state of apathy and mediocrity? The purpose of this project was to develop a leadership organizational strategy for Blue Creek Baptist Church, Perry, Florida, by completing research, conducting interviews, and enlisting input from key individuals in the area of leadership structures. The project director believed that implementing this strategy would help Blue Creek Baptist Church establish a new and more effective leadership structure that would serve Blue Creek Baptist Church for years to come. As a result, a new leadership team structure was developed and presented to Blue Creek Baptist Church by the project director and the strategy planning team, but the implementation of the new leadership structure was beyond the scope of this project.

David Delane Baysinger

The purpose of this project was to develop a disciple-making strategy for the student ministry of First Baptist Church (FBCC), Corinth, Texas. The project director conducted assessments to determine the disciple-making potential within the student ministry. Then he researched existing disciple0making methods and strategies to determine best practices. The project director synthesized all assessments and research and presented it to the strategy planning team. The team worked together to develop a final disciple-making strategy, which included a discipleship pathway and small-ratio discipleship groups. The project director presented the final disciple-making strategy to the ministerial staff for feedback affirmation. He also presented the strategy to the deacon body for encouragement and prayer.

Timothy A. Bates

This project was designed to equip parents in their role as the primary disciple makers of their children. The project was completed in the context of Southside Baptist Church in Ozark, Alabama, where the project director serves as the pastor. He used the equipping program model for this project. The project director researched methods of discipleship in regard to parenting and then developed a curriculum in order to teach selected parents of the church with these discipleship practices. He used four select teaching times to equip selected adults of Southside Baptist Church, Ozark, Alabama, with competencies to disciple their children. The intended results were for the parents to be better equipped and more confident in discipling their own children. The project was also intended to strengthen the whole church, inspiring parents and their children to both become more active and grow through the experience.