Training a New Membership Team to Lead in Assimilating Newcomers into Victory Baptist Church, Dekalb, Illinois

Abstract

ABSTRACT

TRAINING A NEW MEMBERSHIP TEAM TO LEAD IN ASSIMILATING NEWCOMERS INTO VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH, DEKALB, ILLINOIS

Eric Mangek Ngum, D.Ed.Min.

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Faculty Supervisor: Dr. John David Trentham

The ministry project identified and trained a membership leadership team to lead Victory Baptist Church DeKalb, Illinois, in effectively assimilating newcomers into membership. The ministry purpose was presented and goals set to facilitate the accomplishment of the ministry purpose were put in place. Chapter 1 delineates the goals of the ministry project as well as the context of the ministry, the rationale, defined terms, limitations, delimitations, and outlined the research methodology.

Chapter 2 examines the theological and biblical foundation of the project utilizing four texts taken from the Old and New Testament. Two texts are taken from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. The exegeses of these texts provides a solid theological and biblical base for assimilating newcomers into membership.

Chapter 3 of the ministry project examines the theoretical and practical issues of church membership. It wrestles with the current discourse of regenerate church membership traceable from the pages of the Scripture. It further stresses the benefits of church membership to the individual members and the entire church body, insisting that regenerate church membership should be given the seriousness it deserved in the local church.

Chapter 4 builds on the strong theological and biblical evidence of regenerate church membership to put in place a workable plan to proactively transition newcomers into active members. This was accomplished through the training of a new membership

leadership team that was dedicated and tasked with the assimilation of newcomers into the membership of the church.

Chapter 5 draws conclusions on the strengths, weaknesses, lessons learned, and what could have been done differently.