Training Members of Grace Fellowship a Church for All Nations to Be Effective Christian Apologists in West Palm Beach, Florida

Abstract

This doctoral project focuses on empowering members of Grace Fellowship in West Palm Beach, Florida, to become proficient Classical Christian apologists. The initiative involves the development of a comprehensive eight-week apologetic curriculum, enabling participants to articulate logical arguments for the existence of God and the evidence supporting the triune God of the Bible. Chapter 1 provides a thorough exposition of the project’s context and rationale. Chapters 2 and 3 offer exegetical, cultural, and methodological justification for the undertaking. The analysis of Matthew 28:16-20 and 1 Peter 3:15 in chapter 2 underscores the biblical support for integrating apologetic training into discipleship, drawing on apologetic examples from God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New. Chapter 3 underscores the importance of using the Classical Apologetic method in addressing the growing secularization in Southeastern Florida. Chapter 4 outlines the implementation of the apologetic curriculum, while chapter 5 conducts a data analysis based on the weeks of implementation. During the eight-week course, an average attendance of fifty-six participants was maintained, with forty-eight post-surveys collected. A significant increase in confidence levels across all statements was observed.