Together: Teams asked to provide bold vision_32204

Posted: 3/19/04

TOGETHER;
Teams asked to provide bold vision

Revisioning and restructuring have captured a lot of attention lately in Baptist General Convention of Texas life. What God wants from churches and what role this convention should play in helping congregations become all God dreams them to be are the questions being considered.

Four teams are seeking God's direction regarding his vision for Texas Baptists. They are praying, sharing ideas and visualizing what our work would look like if we could be gripped by God's passion for us. Laity, ministers–older and younger–and BGCT staff comprise the teams. Additionally, I am working with associational directors of missions, CEOs of our institutions, seminary students and others to get their ideas and concerns on the table.

Undergirding this deliberation and dreaming is a prayer team, quietly working behind the scenes to lift these work groups to the Lord. I have asked them to pray specifically for three things–that we will know the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5), that we will have wisdom beyond our own (James 1:5) and that we will have courage to move forward as God directs (Joshua 1:9). Please join them in praying.

I share with you the charge I gave to the Executive Board and to each of the four teams as they began their work:

“You and I seek from God a new and passionate vision for Texas Baptists, a vision born in prayer and compelling enough that we will give our lives to see it accomplished unto the glory of God.

“The vision will be bold enough that without God's blessing it cannot be done; but with God's help, every Texas Baptist can find a place to make a lasting difference in the world.

“The vision will be inspired by the mind of Christ as made known to us in Holy Scripture and in the working of the Holy Spirit illuminating our understanding and empowering our souls.

“We acknowledge that churches are the key component in helping any vision come to pass. We celebrate what God is doing in the churches and recognize the deep hunger of many congregations to become all that God dreams for them. We call on the convention, associations, institutions and related ministries to stand with the churches in fulfilling the vision God has given them.

“We want to be a convention fully committed to historic biblical truths and Baptist principles, positioning ourselves to be a convention for the future. We must embrace change both for the short term and long term in order to meet the great challenges and opportunities we have to do evangelism, start missional churches and develop faithful disciples who will change Texas and the world.

“To this end, with input from many of you, I am asking several groups of people to help Texas Baptists see the vision God has in his heart for us. We will bring these groups together and ask God to breathe into us a new vision full of hope that compels us forward.

“Then we will work together to organize our people, processes and resources to achieve the proposed vision. I will bring a progress report to you in our next Executive Board meeting.

“In the meanwhile, our BGCT Executive Board staff will work collaboratively and creatively to serve churches and to be a catalyst to help associations, institutions and related ministries work together to strengthen churches and encourage the achievement of our current vision.”

We are loved.