A lay training program for personal evangelism conducted by the personal ministry department Jakarta Conference of Seventh-day Adventists January 1997 - June 1999 : an evaluation

Abstract

The church will not grow nor even survive without lay members actively involved in ministry and evangelism. Since most lay members are not professionally trained as ministers and evangelists, lay training programs are necessary in every church. However lay training programs should be fruitful and effective.

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the lay training programs for personal evangelism conducted by the Personal Ministry Department of the Jakarta Conference (JC) of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA) during the period, January 1997 to June 1999. The significance of the study is based on the fact that it provides recommendations for future lay training programs in JC and a model for other Conferences or Missions in the West Indonesia Union Mission of SDA who may undertake similar lay training programs.

The study begins with an analysis of selected records of Christ's and Paul's ministry found in the New Testament. This was done to determine basic principles by which a lay trainlng program courd be evaluated. This portion of the study reveals that the effectiveness of a training proqram should be judged based on biblical theological principles of: (1) recruitment procedures, (2) curriculum content, (3) process and methods of teaching, and (4) organizational structure.

The study also reports the result of a survey conducted among randomly selected participants of the aforementioned lay training proqram. The areas evaluated are the effectiveness of recruitment in motivating involvement in personal evangelism, curriculum content, training teaching procedures, and in the structure.

The study concludes that the program was generally effective. The concluding chapter also presents suggestions or recommendations for those who plan to conduct lay training programs in Indonesia and elsewhere.