Retention in The Local Church Organization: Nurturing People through Education, Connection and Service
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Faith Baptist Church is a ministry and religious organization in Sydney, Australia, that has operated for more than forty-seven years with a mission to nurture people in their relationship with Jesus Christ and others. The purpose of this Dissertation-in-Praxis project was to examine a structured process of education, connection, and ministry service designed to strengthen engagement and retention within the church community. The project included a leadership training workshop with 10 ministry leaders and implementation of a nine-step flow process with 11 participants from EPIC Youth and Elevate Young Adults during May and June 2026. Quantitative findings showed a 21.2% increase in EPIC Youth attendance, a 7.9% increase in Elevate Young Adults attendance, and a 40% increase in discipleship completions compared with the selected baseline period. Ministry-service participation could not be assessed because the relevant data were not yet available. Qualitative observations documented participant engagement in education, connection, and follow-up activities. The findings provide preliminary support for continued refinement and longer-term evaluation of the process, but the shortened implementation period did not establish long-term retention or causation.
Author: Haddad, Raymond
Institution: Liberty University
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222379522
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: