Inspired by Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path."
P356 TOUR
The P356 TOUR is an ambitious, dynamic 100 day initiative designed to enhance the presence and impact of Louisiana Christian University (LCU) across Pineville, Louisiana, and surrounding communities, while fostering deeper engagement with alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students, and the local population. Through a series of 100 strategically planned events, this tour will underscore the university’s mission of trust, leadership, and community building. The 100 events will take place across June, July, and August, with the goal of strengthening relationships, raising visibility, and raising funds for LCU’s future development.
Key Objectives
- Raise Awareness: Promote LCU’s values of faith, education, and community through diverse programming that engages various stakeholders.
- Alumni & Donor Engagement: Deepen relationships with alumni and donors, seeking their support for LCU’s long-term growth and vision.
- Community Connection: Strengthen the university’s role within the Pineville and surrounding communities through outreach, education, and spiritual engagement.
- Fundraising: Directly support LCU’s fundraising initiatives, with an emphasis on increasing scholarship funding and enhancing campus facilities.
Rooted in Proverbs 3:5-6, the P356 TOUR will emphasize four key pillars:
Worship
Trusting in the Lord through communal worship and spiritual engagement, as we lean on His understanding to guide the path of the university and its community.
Scholarship
Fostering academic excellence and intellectual growth while promoting the pursuit of knowledge and the impact of Christian education at LCU.
Stewardship
Being faithful stewards of the resources entrusted to us by God, including the careful management of funds, programs, and relationships to ensure LCU's long-term sustainability.
Leadership
Encouraging servant leadership across all sectors of LCU, empowering students, faculty, staff, and alumni to lead with integrity, vision, and faith.
Leadership Meetings
Goal: Engage with key stakeholders, faculty, and department heads to further the university’s strategic vision.
Potential:
Meetings will include opportunities for donors to meet with leadership, discuss priorities, and explore ways to contribute to the university’s future.
Preaching & Teaching Events
Goal: Showcase LCU’s faculty and leadership as thought leaders in Christian education and ministry.
Potential:
Public lectures and preaching events can be used to highlight the importance of educational programs and the need for ongoing support for LCU’s academic initiatives.
Worship Services & Spiritual Events
Goal: Engage students, faculty, staff, and the community through worship and Bible study.
Potential:
These events offer a platform for highlighting the importance of faith in the university's mission, leading to potential donations tied to specific spiritual initiatives or programs.
Alumni & Donor Engagement
Goal: Strengthen connections with alumni, current donors, and prospective contributors.
Potential:
Host intimate receptions and donor meetings designed to encourage giving. These events will feature impactful testimonies of LCU’s impact and long-term goals for expansion.
Community Outreach & Engagement
Goal: Strengthen ties with local churches, schools, and businesses, creating goodwill and broadening LCU’s influence.
Potential:
Service projects and town hall events will feature opportunities to promote LCU’s community-focused initiatives, encouraging local donations for scholarships, service programs, and general funds.
Travel for School Visits
Goal: Engage with local schools and communities to raise awareness of LCU and recruit new students.
Potential:
Establishing partnerships with local schools could encourage local community members to become involved with LCU through financial support or student enrollment.
Fun & Engagement Activities
Goal: Create moments of joy and connection among students, alumni, and the community through recreational and social events.
Potential:
These events provide unique opportunities for alumni and donors to engage with the LCU family in relaxed settings, making them more likely to contribute financially.
Special Events & Tours
Goal: Special tours and national engagements will highlight LCU’s unique role in Christian higher education.
Potential:
High-profile special events will attract national attention and create exciting opportunities for major donors to engage, learn more, and give generously.
Fund Raising Strategy
Objective
Raise financial support for LCU's scholarships, faculty initiatives, campus development, and overall growth.
Key Approaches
- Donor Recognition: Recognizing donors at specific events and creating opportunities for them to see the impact of their support.
- Targeted Campaigns: Each event category will focus on a specific fundraising need (scholarships, campus renovations, service initiatives, etc.).
- Alumni Giving: Personalized outreach and event follow-up to encourage one-time gifts or recurring donations.
- Corporate Partnerships: Engage local businesses and corporations through sponsorships and joint ventures for community-focused events.
- Online Engagement: Utilize social media and LCU’s website for publicity, event highlights, and donation opportunities during key events.
Impact & Outcome
- Engagement: The P356 TOUR will deepen LCU’s relationship with the Pineville community and beyond, expanding its reach to alumni and potential donors.
- Fundraising Goals: Raise significant funds towards the university’s ongoing needs with a simple target of 100 new donors giving $100 for 100 days target aimed at campus reconnecting.
- Student Impact: Increased recruitment through engagement at local schools and alumni outreach.
- Community Growth: Strengthened ties with Pineville and surrounding areas, fostering goodwill and partnership.
About The Johnson Family
Johnson earned a Doctor of Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with his project titled Racial Reconciliation in the Southern Baptist Convention, focusing on the themes of repentance, reconciliation, and restoration. His debut book, Black Church White Convention: A Pastor’s Story of Hope, set for release in spring 2025, chronicles his experience leading an African American church into the Southern Baptist Convention.
In 2019, Johnson and his family relocated to New Orleans to pursue a Ph.D. in Evangelism, Pastoral Ministries, and Christian Leadership. After guiding Edgewater Baptist Church of New Orleans through the COVID-19 pandemic as senior pastor, he joined the faculty at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as assistant professor of evangelism and pastoral ministries and director of the Doctor of Ministry Division.
He and his wife, Heather Williams Johnson, a former LCU Board of Trustees member, have been married for 29 years. They have four children.
Johnson now serves as a trustee of Washington and Jefferson College, previously as chairman of the Development and Alumni Relations Committee, and currently as chairman of the Student Success Committee, as well as a member of the Enrollment/Admissions Committee, and the Campaign Steering Committee advising on a $200-million campaign.
Johnson is a third-generation Baptist minister. He graduated with his B.A. from Washington and Jefferson College in 1994, becoming the first African American senior class commencement speaker in the college’s 243-year history.
After a professional basketball career in Europe and South America, he earned his Master of Divinity in 2004 and Master of Theology in 2005, both from Princeton Theological Seminary.
As a student at Princeton, Johnson was named executive director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the 7,000-member Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. He was honored as one of the “100 Positive Men of New Jersey” for his impactful work with at-risk youth. Johnson transitioned to the nonprofit sector as the National Best Men Program director for the Best Friends Youth Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he presented character-based curricula on Capitol Hill for U.S. school districts.
In 2009, Johnson was elected the eighth pastor of Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, where he led significant church and community growth. He established national partnerships with churches, businesses, and organizations, including Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures, and annually mobilized more than 1,000 missionaries to revitalize Cleveland. His work also attracted the attention of Baseball Chapel, leading to his appointment as chaplain for the then Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in 2016-18, where he served alongside his wife to provide spiritual and family support for the organization.
Follow the Journey