Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Bruce L. Bauer

Second Advisor

Rudi Maier

Abstract

Problem

In the average Seventh-day Adventist church in the South England Conference the pastor is often not equipped with the time and the resources to conduct an adequate training and education program for the uninvolved member. Spiritual Gifts seminars, outreach, and witnessing seminars are often conducted away from the local church and are largely supported only by those who are already deeply committed, but the shy, introverted, and uninformed member is increasingly uninvolved in the work of soul winning and the local ministries, and is not involved in the training activities of the church.

Method

A church involvement survey was conducted in three churches to measure the level of involvement and to gather data necessary for the completion of the project. Literature review on the subject of lay involvement was conducted, and a strategy of conducting a series of seminars to increase knowledge of personality types and spiritual gifts was developed. A seminar in understanding God’s values and personal values was conducted for the purpose of a positive change of attitude toward involvement in local ministry. Training seminars will be conducted to prepare local leaders to mentor uninvolved members into more involvement in local ministries.

Results

Despite time and budgetary restraints three seminars were completed with an average of twenty persons attending each seminar. Evaluations of seminars indicate positive results in the change of attitude of the participants. The project is ongoing and the local church board is supportive of the project.

Conclusions

Uninvolved church members generally need personal invitations to participate in training events. However, the vast majority of members are keen to be trained to become more involved in local church ministries. The success of this project is dependent on other factors relating to the general health of the local church and its ministry structures.

Subject Area

Gloucester Seventh-day Adventist Church (Gloucester, England); Motivation (Psychology)--Religious aspects--Seventh-day Adventists; Seventh-day Adventists--England--Membership

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/695

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