| dc.description.abstract | In recent years the Seventh-day Adventist denomination leadership has
increasingly used a strategy for Total Member Involvement as its core mission
initiative. However, there has been a scarcity of studies dealing with the issue.
This project was to develop and train church members at Nyegezi SDA
Church, on the importance of being supportive to being fully involved in mission
activities which essentially goes beyond supporting the church through tithe and
offering. A theological undergirding for this project was developed from the six
biblical and one non-biblical character on how they lived Total-Member Involvement
(TMI). TMI is the modern term that is used to explain the special approach to involve
every church member in a special experience of serving God practically. The Biblecharacters studied in the context of TMI included Moses on family and possessions
(Exod 10:7-10, 21-24), Jethro on Delegation (Exod 18:18-24);
Nehemiah on Opposition (Nehemiah 4:1-6); Jesus on missionary report (Mark
6:30-31); Apostles on Holy Spirit Outpouring (Acts 2:1-3) and Paul on Unity (1 Cor.
1:10). The non-biblical character featured is Ellen G. White through an online search
in the Ellen G. White Estate portal.
The field research drew a sample of 260 respondents across various age
cohorts using stratified sampling. The empirical data was collected in the pre-test
phase to identify the problem. Thereafter intervention was done after post-test data
collection was done to provide the final evaluation. The finding showed four souls
joined the church, one soul was baptized; various areas of the church ministry were
improved. These were frequency of church attendance; personal devotion, reading
bible study guide, witnessing, church satisfaction, and sense of being empowered for
Total Member Involvement. However, two aspects did not show improvement; these
are reading the bible and reading Ellen G. White's books.
It is recommended Nyegezi SDA Church Members continue sustaining the
revival of the Total Member Involvement approach that has started. More emphasis
should be put on reading the bible and Ellen G. White Books as they are the
foundation in strengthening the witness of the church. Moreover, South Nyanza
Conference (SNC) leadership ought to employ the strategy used in this study as it will
help to make more church members join by witnessing and not depending on
biological growth only. Lastly, the North Tanzania Union Conference leadership is
advised to use the strategy implemented in this study to roll out afresh the Total
Member Involvement in all churches using an intervention approach. | en_US |
