Transcript Chapter 12
Many Members – Many Methods – One Message C. Thomas Wright, Associational Missionary www.Mobilebaptists.org Where Are We Heading? Dr. Harold Urey, Nobel prize winner was walking one day when he met another professor. They chatted for a few minutes, then, as they parted, Dr. Urey asked the other: "John, which way was I going when I met you?" "That way," said the other, pointing. "Oh, good. That means I've already had my lunch," muttered the professor as he walked away. Many Members – Many Methods – One Message C. Thomas Wright, Associational Missionary www.Mobilebaptists.org Many Members 86 of our 109 churches have turned in their ACP so far. 69,535 Members 1, 205 Baptisms 1:58 Baptism Ratio (1:69 in 05) 410,000: County Population 208,000: Lost people in Mobile County Many Methods Contextual Evangelism Communicating the uncompromised gospel of Jesus in the social, cultural, and linguistic context of the hearer so he or she may respond and disciple others through a local church Moving Toward Sanity The definition of insanity is trying to get different results from doing the same thing over again. We have to discover and implement effective outreach and ministry Visiting the Buddhist temple Five Emphases to help MBA Churches make an Eternal Difference in Mobile County Biblical Prayer Luke 18:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-4 Evangelistic Ministry Luke 4:18-19; 19:10 Church Development Acts 16:5; Rev. 7:9 Church Planting Acts 2:46-47; Eph. 5:25-27 Partnership Missions Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 13:2-4 Biblical Prayer A primary emphases for churches that want to grow is to enlist and train a Biblical Prayer Committee. Contact Vincent Turner for help and training times and dates. A year ago we had 5 known prayer ministries, now there are 42 Pray for believers, unbelievers and personal needs Evangelistic Ministries Committee goal: To Pray for and Share Jesus with Every Person in Mobile County by 2012. Encouraging churches to enlist and train an evangelistic ministries committee Challenging churches to plan for and work for a 1:10 baptism ratio With 109 churches we should have an evangelistic event in Mobile County every weekend. That means that half of our churches are doing one event a year! More than 210 people from 51 churches have been trained to use the MBA’s two Evangelistic Party Trailers. The trailers have been used 53 times in the past year with over 550 conversions. EVANGELISTIC PARTY TRAILER Church Development A third major emphases for churches that want to grow is participation in a wide range of church development approaches. We will help any church grow that wants to grow. Good preaching alone will not result in church growth! This includes our Media and Technology, Sunday School, Discipleship training, Men’s ministries/Disaster Relief, Student Ministry, Women’s Ministries/WMU, and Senior adult ministry. Partnership Missions Our fourth emphasis goal is to encourage every MBA church to involve at least one person (or one more than ever before) in local, state, national and international partnership missions MBA Partnerships exist with Guatemala, Ukraine, Maine MBA churches have many trips to other priority need areas The Raceway is coming and will need a partnership response for evangelistic ministry to drivers and guests Church Planting With about 350 evangelical churches in Mobile County, We need every church to have 1,171 people in order for us to be a churched county. Church Planting Coalitions We need primary sponsors for Chinese Congregation – Central Mobile Arabic congregation – Central Mobile Deaf Congregation – Central Mobile We need additional sponsors for The Refuge – Citronelle/Turnerville Hispanic – West Mobile area Anglo – Airport and Newman One Message Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 (HCSB) Why do we need Associations? Help us inform your members Why do we need Associations? Because Serving Together is Biblical. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says that “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion, but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” (NKJV). In the New Testament we see the early churches cooperating in many ways including Acts 11:1-18, Acts 15:1-35, Gal. 2:110, 1 Cor. 16:1-4, and 2 Cor. 9:1-5 Why do we need Associations? Because Serving Together Is Historically Proven. The first cooperative entities for Baptists were local associations of churches. The earliest Baptist associations began in Europe by the mid 1600’s and Associations were the only form of denominational life for more than 100 years. Churches realized that associations could be helpful with doctrine, direction, encouragement, and greater impact. Why do we need Associations? Because Mobile County Has More Than 208,000 Lost People. Research indicates that 33 percent (133,000) of the 410,000 people living in Mobile are not affiliated with any church, cult or denomination. We know that the number of lost people in denominations and false religions [in Mobile] easily can reach another 85,000 people. We must work together to respond to that huge challenge. Supporting Missions Thank you to those of you who sacrificially give to support missions here and globally Many churches tithe to missions as an example for the membership Please consider giving at least 3% of Undesignated Church Receipts for MBA financial support and 7% to CP We are working very hard to be excellent stewards of your gifts Conclusion The Times-Reporter in Ohio, reported a celebration at a New Orleans city pool to celebrate the first summer in memory where no one drowned there. 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards. As the party was ending, the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool. They found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but he had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.