The Development And Implementation Of A Program For The Assimilation Of New Members In The Lexington Seventh-day Adventist Church

Problem At the Lexington Seventh-day Adventist Church evangelism is important to church growth. However, better assimilation is needed to keep new members in the church. In the past, many people were baptized, but did not stay active. Therefore, this dissertation is an attempt to meet the needs of those who were baptized after an evangelistic meeting in October 1997. Method This project is the development and implementation of a program to assimilate new members into the Lexington, Kentucky, Seventh-day Adventist Church. Primary research focuses on the theology, theories, and currently employed methods of assimilating new members. The literature survey includes reflections from Scripture and the writings of Ellen G. White, as well as other principles and practices drawn from a variety of other sources. The study reports on a survey of the new members taken immediately after they were baptized. A second survey was taken six months later to determine if the program helped to assimilate them. Results Nine out of the thirteen people who were baptized were assimilated into the church. Those who attended the assimilation events felt good about the process. Conclusion Special events help assimilate new members. However, more personal effort needs to be done to reach the new members who stop coming to church