The goal of this study is to develop a communication plan for Bellwether Community Church. It is argued throughout the paper that this church, located in the Bible Belt, needs a comprehensive program to assist its congregation in living out the gospel through discipleship, apologetics, and evangelism. This program is implemented in Bellwether Community Church over a two–year timeframe.
This program emphasizes preaching as the primary means of communication and the overall plan focuses on the preaching series. However, preaching is only one means of the plan, as it also includes intentional equipping classes, small group curriculum, written devotions, and creative works of writing. All these forms emphasize an increased aptitude for the congregation in apologetics, evangelism, and discipleship. The goals for the church are to have a unity of communication over the course of the program, the congregation to be unified in its participation, individual participants to grow in the areas of apologetics, discipleship, and evangelism, and the church to grow in greater knowledge of Scripture and outreach into its local community.
Prior to the program’s launch, time is given for prayer and planning, engaging staff, leaders, and members in discussion, and preparing small group leaders to facilitate curriculum. Upon its launch, there is a centralized focus on the program’s teaching and consistent encouragement for the church to engage in all its aspects. There are assessments of the program where participants give feedback and church leaders can see its effectiveness. Upon completion, this overarching program can impact discipleship within any church community. It can also be modified for this church in its next season and offered to other churches for use
