From Our Missions Director….
Pastor Matt Johnson and the good folks at Mt. Zion Baptist Church are planning a great meeting for our Mid Year meeting on May 15-16. We will start off Friday evening (6:00 PM) with our annual Mission Symposium. This year we will have two special guests in Pastor Todd West of the Oasis Church in Maumelle, AR and Dr. Scott Atteberry, the Executive Director of the BMAA DiscipleGuide Ministries. In a recent news announcement from DiscipleGuide, we were informed of a new ministry to be offered to the churches of the BMA of America. The following is a quote from that news release:
Todd West, Director of Church Solutions
According to DiscipleGuide Executive Director Scott Attebery, “Todd’s experience and track record as a pastor, church planter, and consultant have prepared him to serve in this role.” West’s role as Director of Church Solutions is a new position focused on DiscipleGuide’s new emphasis on getting personally involved with local churches.
Already, DiscipleGuide is working with several churches through the new Activate initiative, a coach-driven approach to helping hurting churches experience revitalization. Also on the horizon for the new Church Solutions division are much-needed resources such as an Intentional Interim program and a confidential Pastor’s Helpline.
According to West, “It will be an honor to serve pastors and churches who are seeking solutions to the challenges we face today.”
It seems that all churches begin with an upward incline as a mission church. Soon there is a church organization, a building program, and the addition of staff as the church growths. Yet within a few years, the church tends to slow down and assumes a “reclining position”. This reclining action soon turns to “declining” movement, where people, resources, and ministry comes to a crawl or standstill. Unless it is turned around, the church may soon come to believe that its best days are behind her.
We have a lot of hurting churches within our state work and many of them can be described as “declining churches”. On this Friday evening of the Symposium, these two men will help us to understand that there is both hope and help for churches who are experience a “decline” in their attendance, ministry, and overall, church health.
I hope that you will make a serious effort to attend the mission symposium at 6:00 PM on Friday evening. Pastors, please bring some of your lay people so they, too, can hear what is available to help them to stop the decline and once again dream of better days ahead! I look forward to seeing you in Poplar Bluff May 15th at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday May 16th!
