Danise Taylor was already a veteran of evangelism and outreach efforts in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, but after studying with Southern’s Summer SALT program, she discovered there was still much left to learn.

“Like the lady at the well, I ran back home saying, ‘Hey! You guys have got to hear this—this is some great information!’” Taylor said.

Taylor was one of the 63 people on campus June 17-21 for Summer SALT, Southern’s week-long evangelistic training event. Enrollment at Summer SALT (Soul-winning And Leadership Training) was the highest since it began in 2012. Part of this increase was due to “Impact Chattanooga,” an upcoming evangelistic series organized by It Is Written. The citywide series, meant to commemorate It Is Written’s move from California to Chattanooga, is set for October and local churches utilized SALT to prepare members for taking part in the mission.

“Things are happening here in Chattanooga, and SALT got a chance to be in the middle of that,” said Greg Wilson, SALT program coordinator.

SALT (Soul-winning And Leadership Training) equips lay people with the tools necessary for ministry through intensive training on personal, health, and corporate evangelism. Participants in June were coached by Southern professors and treated to guest lectures from a variety of backgrounds, including staff at It Is Written and Wildwood Lifestyle Center. Trainees also got an opportunity to practice their evangelistic skills through outreach. Armed with the lessons they learned, they knocked on doors, conducted health assessments, and offered Bible studies.

“This way, when you leave, it’s not just head knowledge; you’ve done the work as well,” Wilson said. “People went back home on fire for Christ. It only takes a spark to get a fire going, so we hope we’re sending back a thousand sparks with bright ideas.”

For more information about SALT—both the week-long summer program and the full semester program held each fall—call (423) 236-2034 or visit www.southern.edu/salt.