Luther Rice Journal of Christian Studies
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What Makes a Church Inviting? By Jeff Parker1 and Ann Kerlin2 Introduction What do visitors to a new church notice? What factors lead to a return visit, and ultimately to new church membership? These are the questions that the elders of Webster Baptist Church (WBC) in Sylva, NC were asking themselves. The church was growing, but only a few of the people visiting each week would return and even fewer would ultimately desire membership. The elders were concerned that WBC was not doing enough to make visitors feel welcomed, loved, and ministered to during their first visit. These and similar questions ultimately led to this research project, which was part of a college assignment and a practical exercise meant to inform leadership at WBC. Literature Review According to Pew Research Center’s telephone research studies conducted in 2018 and 2019, only 65% of Americans identify as Christians while 26% describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular.”3 The influence of the global pande
mic on church
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Jeff Parker, BAR, Luther Rice College & Seminary, 2021. The current investigation began as a research project submitted to Dr. Ann Kerlin in partial fulfillment of the requirements of PY 2703: Principles of Psychology. 2
Ann Kerlin, PhD, Liberty University, 2013. Dr. Kerlin has an M.Div. from Luther Rice College & Seminary, and an MA in Human Services from Liberty University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor who also enjoys research on trauma and addictions. She is the coordinator of the MABC program at LRCS. 3
Gregory A. Smith, Alan Cooperman, Besheer Mohamed, Elizabeth Podrebarac Sciupac, Becka A. Alper, Kiana Cox, and Claire Gecewicz, “U.S. Decline of Christianity Continues at
