Posted: 7/08/05
TOGETHER:
When we work together, we please God
The mission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas is to encourage, facilitate and connect churches in their work to fulfill God's mission of reconciling the world to himself.
That means churches are the front line of evangelism, ministry and missions in the world. The convention and its Executive Board staff exist to serve churches as they fulfill their calling in their communities and to the ends of the earth.
We know from Scripture and from experience that when we work together, we please God and we get more accomplished.
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| Executive Director BGCT Executive Board |
The other day, I received a letter from a search committee charged with finding a minister to children for their church. They had written to Diane Lane, preschool/children's consultant for the BGCT, and copied it to me. They thanked her for her affirmation of their ministry and for helping them “understand issues we had not even considered.”
Then this: “You have helped us see the BGCT as a strong ally of Baptist congregations concerned with spiritual formation. In addition, … you informed us of a consultation on facilities and programming available through the BGCT. … The minister to children we select will be better fitted to this position, and we will be more intentional in being church family to that minister once she or he is located.”
Another ministry of our convention is the intentional interim program. Churches across Texas are discovering the intentional interim process is extremely valuable in helping them face forward into God's calling for their congregation. One of our healthy congregations called a wonderful pastor this past week after more than a year of an intentional interim pastorate. The church previously had one of our finest ministers serving them for more than 20 years, and now they are ready to move forward with their new pastor, and he will not have to be an “unintentional interim.”
Churches that have gone through difficulty and division also find the intentional interim process meaningful. One deacon called me to thank us for the efforts of our intentional interim in their church and said, “If we could have gone through this process with our previous pastor, he probably wouldn't have had to leave.”
It is my prayer that every church that needs this ministry will have opportunity to take advantage of it. We have more than 300 ministers who now are trained to be intentional interims. You can make contact through Jan Daehnert's office at (888) 446-1453.
One of our newest developments is the launching of LifeCall Missions. This ministry helps churches enlist, empower and engage members in ministry. We know the strength of a church is unleashed when the laity step forward to offer their giftedness and passion in service to God, their church and the people who live all around them.
Some examples of how volunteers are serving through their churches are: visitation evangelism, teaching English as a second language, tutoring children and youth, literacy efforts with adults, discipleship efforts with prisoners and church-based medical/dental ministries.
Our staff offers to your church a way to work cooperatively in training volunteers for a variety of mission ministries. These ministries may be in connection with mission activities on your church field or they may be ministries that connect your church to a mission passion anywhere in the world. Cecil Deadman can work with you on this. Contact him at (214) 828-5293.
This is why I like to say, “Together we can do more than we can alone.”
We are loved.
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
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