Timely or Timeless

Years ago, I remember a “western” that ended with two cowboys lamenting the loss of the old west. One scruffy old chuck wagon cook said, “The times, they are a changin’.” I’ve met more than one scruffy old Baptist that has lamented with the same thoughts. Unfortunately, all that many want to do is LAMENT. I think it’s time for some “sons of Issachar” to arise in our day and give a clarion call to our Southern Baptist Churches about the times we now face and what we need to do! This is a prime time for Associations/DOMs to step up.

As a young pastor (back when I still knew it all), I saw little or no need for the association. That may have been my arrogance or it may have been the expression of associationalism I saw in that day. As I’ve matured and allowed Christ to crucify my pride, I’ve found the great value of my mission partner that the present day association can be.

Being timely is a huge challenge to a tradition driven denomination like ours. We have many fears, not the least of which is theological liberalism. Let me lay that to rest immediately! I believe we must never abandon the timeless truths of God’s infallible word. When we used to believe and practice the great commission, Southern Baptist enjoyed our best days. Well, if we desire to have God’s blessing again, we must reinstate evangelism and missions as our top priorities. Without these, we’ll continue down the same failed path that other denominations have followed to oblivion. Having said that, how we do evangelism and missions is the timely part.

As an associational leader, director or missionary, this is our opportunity to help people understand the times and know what to do. Business as usual will never reignite anyone’s passion but Biblical obedience will. I think we need to realize that the days of automatic participation in associational work is behind us and the future of our work is providing entry points for participation according to Biblical passion. Therefore, the missionary or director needs to embrace the role of strategist. A strategist accesses the situation then presents a process of change. In the business book entitled “Judgment” by Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bemis, they identify four areas of critical decision-making.

They are:

• Self Knowledge
• Social Networking
• Contextual Understanding
• Organizational Structure

While nothing but the scriptures carries divine authority, we need to see what Jesus said in Luke 16:8 that sometimes the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. I think that happens because they are paying attention to the current situation. I love to see what God can do with principles gained from many realms when filtered through Scripture.

When we know who we are in Christ, we know how to use the gifts and experiences God has invested in us. When we see our context, it should become obvious what kind of ministry is needed, and what resources are available to us.

Our social networking is finding the right people to lead in the ministries we identify. Finally, the organizational structure is the process whereby we can move to application.

1 Peter 3:15 instructs us to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks your reason of the hope that in is you. I believe this presupposes that we are doing something that causes them to ask the question. If we have an effective strategy in place, we should be actively causing some questions. In our setting, disaster relief, mission partnerships and church planting are some of the chosen tools we’ve used. As the churches have embraced a missions and evangelism strategy, I find that my job is a greater joy than ever before!

Steve Patterson. Director of Missions
Spring River Baptist Association
Joplin, MO
http://www.springriverbaptist.com/

Associational Impulse

In his book Theology for the Community of God the late Stanley Grenz, Professor of Theology and Ethics at Regent College, Vancouver, wrote that there are two New Testament principles which are basics of the present-day community of God. They are:

1. The principle of congregational autonomy; whereby individual congregations make their own decisions apart from external control; and
2. The principle of associational impulse; whereby this Biblical principle of autonomy of the local church never degenerates into congregational individualism.

As he describes it, Interdependency functions as a counterbalancing norm for these principles. In their autonomy, each church has three defining powers; membership, mandate and organization that make them unique but also identifiable as a church.

Simply put, each congregation establishes how one may become a member and how those members relate to the body and what responsibility the body may have to its members. A congregation is mandated to demonstrate certain basic functions or purposes such as worship outreach and edification. Finally they organize with officers, leaders and a functional polity that meets the needs of their fellowship.

Even though they are autonomous and possess church powers, no congregation is an end to itself. Each is a participating partner with other congregations in a larger whole. Each has a particular local function in life and ministry, and each local body is crucial for the life and ministry of the whole people of God in the world.

To fulfill that associational impulse, each congregation should find a way to express its responsibility to the larger whole by voluntarily joining with sister churches in an associational framework. Associations of various types complete us as we look for ways to fulfill the Lord's will for his bride. They also promote a wider experience of community. Through associations, congregations are able to join their resources in order to unite in fulfilling the commission shared by the entire people of God.

In addition to very practical advantages, the uniting of local congregations into a larger association is theologically significant. Associations of churches demonstrate the importance of wider Christian fellowship, unity, and reciprocal dependence. We surely want to protect congregational autonomy, but have we considered cooperation with others in a larger context than our local field as a measure of church health?

So, how's your Associational Impulse?

Bill Rains, Associate Director of Missions
Tulsa Metro Association of Baptist Churches
Tulsa, OK

What Kind of Church are you Building Today

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 3:10-11 NKJV

It has been said that the "day of the institutional church is over!" I totally agree. The un-churched are not coming to our churches today. Attractional ministry is no longer effective. If we are going to be the people of God we must take the church out to the community where the people are! Where is the focus in the churches of your association? A missional church is focused outside of itself on mission, rather than on itself in a maintenance mode. I've found that maintenance focused churches are declining churches whereas missional churches are growing, vibrant congregations. A brief look at the New Testament church confirms that the early disciples were focused on being and doing. Today's society reflects the same challenges of the first century when Christianity was first introduced to the world in the person of Jesus Christ. New Testament churches today must direct their attention to changing the culture of our age rather than conforming to the culture around us. I would encourage any church to ask themselves, "What kind of church are we building today?" What kind of churches do you have in your Association? What does God want to do in you and your association? Consider the following contrast:

Mission Minded Church vs. Missional Church

• Religious ceremonies vs. Relationships
• Go to church vs. See themselves "as the church"
• Isolated from the world vs. Engaged in the world'
• Focus on maintenance vs. Focused on missions
• Activities vs. Accomplishing God's mission
• Sending and supporting vs. Being and doing
• Representative vs. Participative
• Mission is one expression of its ministry vs. Missions in the essence of our existence
• Teach people to know vs. Teach people to obey
• Explaining vs. Experiencing
• Worship is to entertain people vs. Worship is to exalt God
• Connecting people to the church vs. Changing the culture of our world
• Spend time at the church vs. Spend time getting to know lost
• Holding on vs. Forging ahead
• Design events for members vs. Design activities to connect
• Enlargement vs. Extension
• Retaining members vs. Releasing members to replace them with people outside the church
• Size vs. Sending and serving
• Mega Church vs. Multiplying church
• Compete vs. Cooperate
• Survive vs. Thrive
• Faithful team vs. Flexible team
• Not content to know about God vs. They hunger to know God

References:

• Milfred Minatrea, Shaped by God's Heart The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches
• David Putman & Ed Stetzer, Breaking the Missional Code Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community

Dr. Larry Cheek, Associational Missionary
Stone Mountain Baptist Association
Conyers, GA * 770-483-2776
lcheek@stonemountainbaptistassociation.org

The DOM as Visionary

The visionary DOM always has a portion of the people of his association upset with him.

In a “vote of confidence” he would get several “no” votes.

Why is that?

The reason is because the futurist has his or her foot not only firmly planted in the present but also grounded in the future. If things are currently going well in the association many folk do not see the need of change. Yet the visionary tries to understand the needs of five and ten years away and is constantly tweaking and altering the work in order to be ready for the future needed changes .

Henry Ford thought that the Model T would serve the needs of families forever. He had to be coerced into approving the development of the Model A.

The time to make changes is before decline sets in which, ironically, is when people see the need for change the least.

Rick Robbins, DoM
Northern KY Association