New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

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.

Adam Cochran

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.

Jeffrey M. Luchun

The purpose of this project in ministry report was to develop a strategic plan for St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (SAUMC) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to reach millennials in their surroundings community through the implementation of these methodologies and the developed strategic plan. During the past decade, at SAUMC, the need to reach the next generation has reached a critical point. The community around the church holds multiple mosaic identities which identifies which were utilized in developing the strategy to reach this narrowed demographic. Current literature on the topic and strategic planning assist in identifying key methodologies St. Andrew's can implement. The millennial generation desires a church that reflects ancient aspects while blending contemporary distinctiveness. This change in ministry thinking, style, and context provides the church with the perfect opportunity to evolve. This project identifies strategies utilized by churches that are successfully reaching the largest and most unchurched population in the United States. These strategies inform the future planning of SAUMC as it seeks to reach millennials in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

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.

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.