New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

The purpose of this project was to equip selected convocational pastors in Northeast Alabama with essential text-driven preaching skills. In the first stage of the project the project director researched material related to the field of text-driven preaching to determine the essential skills of text-driven preaching. In the second stage, he used this research to develop a curriculum for equipping selected convocational pastors (i.e. those pastors who derive their primary income from secular employment) with essential text-driven preaching skills. In the final stage of the project, the project director. presented the developed curriculum to the selected pastor through a seminar consisting of six sessions in order to equip them with essential skills necessary to develop and deliver text-driven sermons.

The purpose of this project was to develop an assimilation strategy for First Baptist Church of Atmore, Alabama. The internal demographics of newcomers, attenders, and new members were explored in order to identify common characteristics. It investigated best practices in assimilation and developed an assimilation strategy which was approved by the deacons of the church.

There had been no strategy in place at First Baptist Church, therefore, the church had no current expectation of assimilation. After years of decline and a recent period of initial revitalization, an assimilation strategy was needed to provide a clear pathway for newcomers, attenders, and new members of the church. The assimilation strategy was designed to lead these groups of people into becoming fully engaged members of the church.

The purpose of this project was to develop an integrated disciple-making strategy for Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The project director surveyed faculty, staff, and students of Oklahoma Baptist University in order to determine existing disciple-making proficiencies. The project director explored current disciple-making models in literature, churches, and sister institutions in order to discover best practices. He then developed an integrated disciple-making strategy for Oklahoma Baptist University incorporating the selection of a strategy planning process, the recruitment and training of a strategy development team, chosen resources, and strategy evaluation. The resulting integrated disciple-making strategy was presented to members of the executive cabinet at Oklahoma Baptist University for review and consideration for adoption.

The purpose of this project was to enhance the project director's invitational skills in preaching expository sermons to increase congregational response at Anniston's First Baptist Church at McClellan. Using the Preaching Skills Enhancement Model, the project director researched the literature of expository and evangelistic preaching to identify essential invitational skills of biblically based sermons and invitations favorable for a response. The project director then assembled a select evaluation team from the congregation to complete a pre-test of his present set of invitational skills during four routine weekly messages.

After this, the project director wrote and delivered a series of expository sermons and accompanying invitations intentionally utilizing the skills he discovered. Then the project director used the same evaluation team as well as an expert evaluator to complete a post-test of the development and extension of the invitations that follow the expository sermons. Finally, the project director used the resulting feedback to look for evidence of enhancement of his invitational skills in developing and delivering expository sermons and invitations by comparing the pre-test and post-test scores.

The purpose of this project was to develop an alumni relations strategy for Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee. Welch College is a small private Christian college affiliated with the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc. The alumni relations strategy process involved several steps. The project director surveyed the alumni and developed an alumni profile. He explored literature on alumni relations and investigated selected colleges with alumni relations offices, determining alumni relations best practices. Applying the discovered best practices and survey data, the project director led a strategy team through planning sessions and developed an alumni relations strategy for Welch College. The final strategy included 1) a rationale for an alumni relations office, 2) office function, 3) office funding, 4) accountability, 5) budget proposal, and 6) a recommendation for the administration to adopt the strategy. The project culminated with a multimedia presentation of the alumni relations strategy to the president of Welch College, J. Matthew Pinson, and his leadership team.

The purpose of this project was to develop a discipleship strategy for Pine Terrace Baptist Church in Milton, Florida, to equip median adult leaders. The project director explored the external demographics of Milton, Florida, as well as internal demographics of Pine Terrace Baptist Church, to determine the median adult profile of the church and the surrounding community. Then, he researched existing discipleship methods to determine best practices and used a variety of strategic planning models to develop a discipleship strategy for Pine Terrace Baptist Church. Finally, the project director presented that discipleship strategy to the deacon body of Pine Terrace Baptist Church for approval.

The purpose of this project was to equip selected college students at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, Tennessee, with church revitalization skills. The project included three primary goals. First, the project director researched the field of church revitalization and developed an annotated bibliography. He determined contextually relevant church revitalization skills needed by college students and reported his findings.

Second, the project director developed a contextually relevant church revitalization skills curriculum. In order to develop the curriculum, the project director researched curriculum writing and wrote a curriculum on church revitalization skills beneficial to college students. Third, within a training event, the project director equipped selected college students at the University of Tennessee Martin, Martin, Tennessee, with contextually relevant church revitalization skills.

The purpose of this project was to develop a mobilization strategy for Nehemiah Teams, Inc., Mentone, Alabama. The project director sought to address the growing organization's need for greater stakeholder engagement through the development of a comprehensive mobilization strategy. During the first phase of the project, the project director examined literature in the fields of mobilization and strategy development to determine best practices. He then conducted an internal audit to assess the existing mobilization processes of Nehemiah Teams. During the third phase of the project, the project director developed a mobilization strategy for Nehemiah Teams, with the intent of the strategy to guide Nehemiah Teams' organizational mobilization initiatives. Upon completion of the mobilization strategy, the project director presented the strategy to the Nehemiah Teams Board of Directors for approval and adoption.

The purpose of this project was to equip selected church leaders of Seale Baptist Church, Seale, Alabama, with personal evangelism skills. The project included in-depth research in the field of personal evangelism. The project director utilized the synthesized research to develop an annotated bibliography and report of essential skills, which provided the resources for development of the curriculum. The director presented the curriculum in a series of one-hour training sessions in a setting conducive to learning on the campus of Seale Baptist Church. A pre-test, post-test, role-play, home visits, a completed commitment card, and a plan presented and explained before the project director before the actual home visit informed the project director of the individual's comprehension and application of personal evangelism skills.

Gertrude Taylor

The purpose of the project was to meet the need of Christian education for Westide MIssionary Baptist Association, (WMBA) constituents and those in neighboring communities. The pressing need was to equip selected Christian education instructors of WMBA with transformational teaching skills. The project director began the process with research in the field of Christian education, specifically transformational teaching skills.

From the assortment of researched materials, an annotated bibliography was compiled from which an engaging curriculum designed to equip the selected instructors of WMBA with transformational teaching skills was developed. The project director facilitated implementation of the developed curriculum and thereby engaged and equipped the selected instructors with transformational teaching skills. The process extended an three-week period comprising three sessions each.