Tag Archives: Conferences

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July 30, 2015

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Christian Life, Congregrational Ministries, General Baptists, Leadership, Pastoring

Life in Those Old Denominations: 5 Ways to Participate

Having just completed our annual Mission & Ministry Summit I have been reminded not only of the history of our own denomination but also the value of belonging and participating in a denominational network. Nevertheless, while hundreds of General Baptist leaders gathered in Collinsville, Illinois for Powerful Worship, Practical Training and Personal Missionary Connections, (you can read about the event here) hundreds of others chose not to participate. As I reflected on participation in denominational enterprises it struck me that there are at least five ways I can participate.

  1. Participating through shared theology. The heart of our General Baptist movement, network, denomination is a commitment to our core theology of a General Atonement. This seems old-hat to those of us who have always held such a simple belief. As stated in the Scripture, Jesus Christ by the grace of God tasted death for every man so that whosoever will may be saved. It seems strange to think that this concept was considered heresy in most Baptist circles in the 1820’s when our movement was born. It also seems strange to think that many evangelicals today avoid that simple truth without realizing that they then portray a view of God as capricious, arbitrary and unreasoning.

When I served as pastor, I regularly met new people in our community who came from a church background that was non-General Baptist. They were delighted to learn that we believed as they did that God offers equal opportunity to all who would by faith accept Jesus as a personal savior.

Whenever I espouse belief in a General Atonement rather than a Limited Atonement, then I am participating in our General Baptist denomination by sharing a mutual theology.

  1. Participating through shared mission. The natural outgrowth of belief in a General Atonement is taking the Great Commission seriously. Thus when I pray for, support or participate in the denominational mission, then I am participating in the General Baptist cause. Shared mission involves missionary activity throughout the world, church planting within the United States, and various initiatives to teach and train as we make disciples in obedience to the Great Commission.
  2. Participating by personal networking. Shared theology and shared mission puts me in connection with others and while I cannot be connected personally with every adherent of the General Baptist cause, I can and do make connections with some others. Many times these connections are framed within my local church or regional association. On other occasions they cross regional boundaries as I find personal connection with like-missioned people across the nation or around the world.
  3. Participating by officially belonging. While shared theology, mission and network are excellent starting points, officially belonging is an important and meaningful way to participate in the life of our denomination. This official connection generally occurs through participation in a regional association that in turn is connected to the General Association of General Baptists. Churches that are not part of a denomination may become direct affiliates of the General Association to establish an official connection. Help is always available from denominational officers and denominational offices to assist any church who shares our core theology, mission and network to make official connections.
  4. Participating by showing up. Attending the first time is always a bit awkward whether it is a pastor’s conference, The Summit, or a Council of Associations meeting. Repeated attendance, however, means that soon we learn the expectations and nature of the gatherings. Repeated attendance also means that soon we learn not only how to navigate the denominational circuit but also that we anticipate seeing, greeting and catching up with folks who have become partners in the gospel. After 40 years of attending the General Association and after directly working with The Summit for 10 seasons now, I still look forward to showing up and checking up on folks I may only see once in a while.

 

 

 

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March 17, 2015

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Christian Life, Congregrational Ministries, Leadership, Pastoring

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4 Areas Where Church Leaders Need Continuing Education Pt 1

By Franklin Dumond

The world of the church and the world at large continue to change at an ever increasing rate.  The 21st century provides greater challenges than ever to the church leader who desires to remain relevant and current.  There are four areas where church leaders need continuing education to meet these challenges.

1.  Communication Skills These come in a variety of packages including

a. grammar and usage. Doug Lawrence put it well in a recent blog:

“Check your grammar with people in whom you have great trust, and do it often! The first time you say, ‘She and me went to the meeting,’ you will lose a significant part of your audience. There are people who still care about proper use of language. Your sloppy English skills can undo whatever positive impact you are trying to have. It’s as though you are wearing a cloak of indifference when you don’t care about how you’re coming across in language use.”

Three especially destructive grammar errors are:stack of books

  • Improper use of I and me
  • Incorrect tense usage
  • Confusion when two similar sounding words are used incorrectly (further/farther and effect/affect) or when one word is used with two meanings in the same sentence or paragraph

b. social media savvy. Learn to keep private what should be private. Let social media connect broadly but never forget the power of one-on-one communication and face-to-face meetings.

c. people skills demonstrating genuine care rather than artificial friendliness need constant refinement.

2.  Personal Evangelism Too many churches report zero conversions in a year because too few church leaders engage in personal evangelism.

3.  Making Disciples in a Non-Christian Culture In order to accomplish this, we must realize that we cannot rely on the culture at large to teach basic Christian beliefs. For example, many folks in my generation learned the Lord’s Prayer at school along with the Pledge of Allegiance. This doesn’t happen these days, so church leaders must be more intentional and comprehensive in their disciple-making enterprises.

4.  Maintaining an appropriate work/life balance This is especially difficult now that the 24/7 on-call world of ministry has expanded to the 24/7 digitally-connected world of ministry. Many church leaders manage to appear very busy without being very productive. Pilots are reminded as they prepare for solo flight “Don’t forget to fly the plane!” In their case it is tempting to focus so much on the dials and indicators that the essential task of flying becomes secondary.  Frantic, last minute preparations are sometimes necessary because of unexpected interruptions and emergency ministry needs. More often, however, they are the result of poor time usage early in the week that produces frantic effort at the end of the week because Sunday is about to arrive!  Even in the 24/7 world of connections pastors still need some regularity of schedule to accomplish the routine ministries of worship, witness, and service.

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September 9, 2014

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Congregrational Ministries, General Baptists, Leadership, Pastoring

5 Reasons You Should Attend Leverage 2014

By Tyler Feller

For only the second time, young leaders from across different platforms and regions of our country will convene together in Evansville, Indiana to talk about Jesus, life, and ministry at the 2014 Leverage Conference.

leverageLast year, I was able to bring several young adults from our church who serve in high capacity areas as volunteers.  We left with a greater sense of purpose and passion for the work God has called us to do.  The relationships we built with other General Baptist leaders from across the nation were invaluable, and we even met with many of them again throughout the year.

As a young person, it is easy to feel like you are one of very few kingdom builders.  I personally felt deeply inspired and encouraged last year by meeting other young people living for Jesus just like me.

It’s simple. . . attending Leverage 2014 will not leave you disappointed!

Here are 5 Reasons to Attend Leverage 2014 

1.  Develop a  network you can grow with and rely on

Thinking about a problem by ourselves just brings us back to what we already know.  None of us can observe our self in action.  We need outside advice to stimulate thinking.  Having a group of people that are going through some of the same challenges you are can be invaluable.  My most valued leadership moves always come after seeking counsel from trusted friends.  The Leverage Conference connects some of the brightest young leaders from across the nation to enhance a network of support.  Attending this conference will help you get connected with other young Christians experiencing success in the same areas you are, whether it is in ministry, the public school system, or business.

2.  Inspiration

The speakers and breakout leaders lined up for Leverage 2014 have been through the fire and will leave you feeling more passionate about using your influence to impact those around you.  After hearing from and meeting with people living out a Christ honoring life, you will feel inspired in a new way to carry out your mission even stronger than before.

3.  Increased leadership skills

By choosing to attend Leverage 2014, you will sharpen your skills and gain new ones.  You will hear thoughts and ideas from leading experts in leadership and from you specific industry (ministry, public schools, business, etc).  You will gain relevant and practical advice you can implement into your own leadership approach.  The result is that you will become a better person and a better leader.

4. Future employment opportunities

You may or may not be looking for a new job at the moment, but you never know when you or someone you know might be.  The more connections we have, the better positioned we are to make a move when God leads us that way.  I’m not looking for a job myself, as I am happily employed, but I did meet Pastor Dustin Thompson at a GB conference a few years ago, which led to my current employment.  You never know who you might meet, or who they might know, who is looking for just your skill set.

5. Go to the next level

Leverage 2014 is designed with the end in mind: stronger leaders mean stronger churches.  The heart of this conference is to equip young people to reach their God-given potential.  The general sessions, breakouts, and networking time is all designed with intentionality, to increase the capacity of the attendees.

This investment will be well worth your money and time, and will use very little of either! Be sure to come say ‘hey!’ when you see me at Leverage 2014. . .

Tyler Feller is currently serving as the Student Pastor at Genesis Church in West Plains, Missouri, and is very active in the General Baptist movement.