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The following goals for the next five years were voted in at the Carolina Conference session in August.
GOAL 1: Develop Measurable Goals for Discipleship
Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus by spending time with Him. This ongoing and sustained personal relationship between a follower of Christ and Jesus as our master teacher is the heart of discipleship. It reflects the core message of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV), “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
True discipleship requires more than removing that which is sinful from our lives. It must also include adding that which is spiritual, in harmony with Colossians 3:2 (NKJV), “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Practical Application
The Discipleship Handbook, published by the General Conference in 2018, outlines eight spiritual habits that are essential for a disciple of Christ:
Daily personal prayer
Daily personal study of the Bible
Daily morning and evening family worship
Weekly Sabbath School attendance
Weekly church attendance
Weekly prayer meeting or midweek small-group Bible study attendance
Regular personal witnessing
Regular involvement in local church ministry
Our Goals
Encourage and support every Carolina congregation in the reading and small group study of the Discipleship Handbook. [2022-2023]
Encourage our pastors and their leadership teams to identify seasoned members who will serve as Nurturing Companions (NCs) for every new believer for at least one year. [Ongoing]
Provide pastors and churches with the book Deep Calling: On Being and Growing Disciples by Tara J. Vincross as a second resource for training and equipping NCs. [2024]
Provide pastors and churches with the book Schools in Discipleship: A Field Manual by Don MacLafferty as a third training tool for NCs. [2025]
Provide pastors and churches with the book Discipling the New Generations by Don MacLafferty and Julie MacLafferty as a fourth resource for training NCs. [2026]
Encourage NCs to make a minimum of one contact per week — in person or by phone — with their designated new believer for at least one year.
Encourage NCs to regularly pray for and with their designated new believer.
Encourage all churches to involve every disciple in witnessing and evangelist outreach.
GOAL 2: Engage, Empower, and Enable Young Adults in the Mission of the Church
Conference administration, in partnership with the youth and young adult ministries department, is making a determined effort to connect with and engage our young adult members (ages 18-35). Last year, the four officers of the Conference, along with our young adult director, Hector Gonzalez, began scheduling at least four Young Adult Summits per year in locations across the Carolinas with the goal of listening and gleaning from our young adults the ways they see themselves as a vital force in finishing God’s work, and how the church can better minister to them.
Our Goals
Continue holding four Young Adult Summit (YAS) meetings every year.
Encourage our churches to give young adults a seat on our church boards and leadership roles in the church.
Add young adult pastors to our fields of service who will guide the ministry of Christ’s churches in the Carolinas.
Add young adults on the executive committee of the conference.
Hold young adult retreats like Awaken (in 2022) to continue the dialogue, inspire leadership development, and equip young adults for the next step in their journey of personal spiritual revival, worship and outreach.
Reignite the Project Refresh media ministry as a partnership between the communication department and the youth and young adult department. www.theprojectrefresh.org
Focus our ShareHim ministry on utilizing young adults in the proclamation of the gospel, providing international evangelistic opportunities which help them embrace the global outreach of the church and lead them towards domestic evangelism.
Employ a full-time associate to the youth and young adult ministries department, primarily to:
Plan and implement conference-wide events for young adults.
Attend and support youth department programs.
Implement the Growing Young Initiative in the Carolina Conference.
Advance the public campus ministry program for Adventist students currently attending non-Adventist colleges in our conference.
Attend and develop programming as a result of our Young Adult Summit (YAS) meetings.
Our Hope
These plans will require our earnest prayers, research, focus teams, and a variety of resources. We will see the tide of retention turn when we place a determined emphasis on this holy goal to engage, empower, and enable the young adults of our church.
“The greatest want of the world is the want of young adults who will not be bought or sold, those who in their inmost souls are true and honest, those who do not fear to call sin by its right name, those whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, those who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” — Adapted by Elder Leslie Louis from the
words of Ellen White in Messages to Young People.
GOAL 3: Enhance the Ministry of Mount Pisgah Academy to Maintain a Sustainable Enrollment of 125-150 Students.
Mount Pisgah Academy is the boarding high school owned and operated by the Carolina Conference. It exists to love, educate, and disciple students for God’s service.
In 2021, the leadership team of the Carolina Conference asked 5 by 5, a research team based in Nashville,T.N., to conduct a market research to guide in key, ongoing decisions for Mount Pisgah Academy (MPA). The goal is to expand the ministry of MPA to its constituent members through an increase in student enrollment, which is currently well below the optimal number of around 150 students.
Based on the in-depth study and recommendations of 5 by 5, the Carolina Conference has partnered with the services of The School Growth Network to provide ongoing review and follow-up. Their annual report will provide the administration of MPA and the Carolina Conference oversight of nine recommended initiatives as expressed below.
Our Goals
Sharpen the spiritual focus at MPA. Parents clearly value the teaching of Seventh-day Adventist doctrine and practices that are components of our campus. At the same time, there is a desire by parents to see practical, spiritual engagement which impacts the student’s service in local churches.
Review programs. Some families desire to see the school improve in the area of fine arts, music and sports.
Tell the boarding school story in a compelling way for today’s parents and students. Other than cost/ability, a primary choice factor for parents is to monitor habits and shape the values of their adolescent children. Greater effectiveness is needed in communicating how the beautiful serene mountain environment of MPA contributes to spiritual growth and the development of responsibility and independence.
Continue to build messaging which highlights the caring relationships students will experience at MPA.
Continue making ongoing improvements, upgrades and repairs to the campus where needed. Current and prospective families notice issues, and it shapes their perceptions for the campus and its facilities.
Be more proactive and relational in marketing. Building relationships with prospective students and their families is an area where MPA needs to improve, especially as there are other Adventist schools competing for the same students both locally and in the Southern Union Conference.
Review survey ratings and feedback for academic-related attributes that impact reputation, including quality/subject-area expertise of the faculty. It is important that MPA offer a solid college-preparatory education to ensure they are delivering the best possible academic experience.
Engage the alumni to help grow the school through better communication and listening to their feedback. Continue letting alumni know how much we care and how we desire their involvement as partners moving forward.
Maintain a harmonious relationship within the MPA family and with local schools, allowing all to see that Jesus lives at MPA. It is vital to:
Assess and address specific issues that are causing challenges.
Develop talking points in how to respond to questions and issues in the right way rather than being reactionary.
Strive to focus on the positive and not be drawn into rivalry or any destructive banter, treating others as we would like to be treated.
The primary purpose in focusing on these strategic goals during this quinquennial period of 2022-2026 is to help MPA identify and address the components of an admissions and growth strategy. We pray for God’s direction and blessing as we move forward in faith to continue honoring the foundational theme of our campus: Jesus Lives at MPA. He Lives Within Our Hearts.
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