Equipping the Members of Anna Heights Baptist Church, Anna, Illinois, in the Assimilation of Visitors to the Discipleship Process of the Church

Abstract

This project seeks to equip the members of Anna Heights Baptist Church in the assimilation of visitors to the discipleship process of the church. The equipping will accomplish the church’s mission of “making followers of Christ.” Chapter 1 describes the context of AHBC, the weaknesses and strengths of the church, and the goals of the project. Chapter 2 details the exegesis of five passages of Scripture (Matt 28:16-20; 2 Tim 2:1-2; Col 4:2-6; 1 Cor 10:31-11:1; Phil 3:13-21), which demonstrate the use of relational discipleship in the early church. Chapter 3 provides a historical example of how the Puritans discipled one another to Christian maturity. Further, it contains examples of relational discipleship used in the modern church. Chapter 4 details the project itself, with the curriculum used in the equipping of members. Chapter 5 is an evaluation of the project’s success, including the completion of the stated goals. This project seeks to demonstrate that discipleship is effective in the local church when members, outside of the pastorate, are themselves discipled, equipped, and active in engaging visitors that come to church services.