Date

6-16-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Chair

Robert Greer

Keywords

Assimilation, Church Systems, Hospitality, Onboarding

Disciplines

Religion

Abstract

The American church continues to lack a theoretical framework to guide newcomers through the process of becoming members. The problem is that First Mt. Carmel MBC lacks an onboarding system to guide visitors and guests through the process from attendees to members. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to design, teach, and implement a 12-week onboarding system to integrate visitors into the congregation. To connect visitors to the congregation in the process of becoming a new creation in Christ, strategic steps are predetermined to assimilate them into the congregation. This problem was addressed by developing and implementing eight-weeks of training ministry leaders on hospitality, followed by a four-week training program for new members. The strategy aims to retain visitors and convert them into active, committed members. Qualitative questionnaires were conducted before and after the intervention for comparison, and interviews with new member participants. Six ministry leaders and ten new members participated in the study. The workshop training and small-group materials provided in these workshops should be helpful in other local church contexts, and some practical ideas that could be implemented. Through this study findings, churches may be able to organize and train greeting and welcoming ministries that will benefit their congregations. A church may also benefit by incorporating teaching and training programs on hospitality to promote a sense of belonging and welcome. The research process offered valuable insights into the nature of the problem presented, indicating a successful intervention in promoting a hospitality culture at FMCMBC.

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