Transcript What is Unlimited Partnerships?

Unlimited Partnerships
Partnering Together to Accomplish More
• Phase 1: Food, Water, Ice
and Showers
• Phase 2: Mudding Out and
Clean Up
• Phase 3: Rebuilding Church
Buildings and Homes
• Phase 4: Rebuilding Church
Congregations Through
Discipleship, Evangelism
and Church Planting
Katrina Births Long Needed Ministry
of Discipleship in New Orleans
• Bill Taylor and team of Christian educators
visit pastors in New Orleans April 2006
• Taylor met with Dr. Kelley, president of
NOBTS, and decides to launch a pilot
program of U.P. Fall 2006
• First Generation begins work March 2007
• Second Generation is added on September
2007
• Mississippi Baptist Convention joins on
September 2007
What is Unlimited
Partnerships?
• NOBTS and
• Unlimited
representatives from
Partnerships is a
the state and
partnership between
association select
numerous Southern
students and place
them in these local
Baptist agencies to
churches. Each
help local churches.
student and local
• The local states and
church is then
assigned a
associations select
sponsoring church
churches in their
to provide funds,
area that need the
prayer support, and
help of Christian
to mentor the
students.
educators to
assist them in
their ministry.
Unlimited Partnerships
Purpose
Partnering with theological
institutions, seminaries,
colleges and churches,
Unlimited Partnerships equips
students to be more effective in
ministry by providing
opportunities to serve in local
churches, while being
mentored in classes designed
for practical application and
networking with proven
Christian leaders.
First Generation
Unlimited Partnership
NOBTS Students,
Pastors and Leadership
Guests
UP Executive Summary
Bill Taylor
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Unlimited Partnerships was birthed because I was sent by NAMB to the
Gulf Coast to see how Christian Educators might encourage pastors
and churches after the Katrina disaster.
After meeting with the pastors in the Baptist Association of Greater
New Orleans, I realized that help was needed on a 24/7 basis.
The only leaders available were NOBTS students and yet the churches
were so devastated, they did not have the resources to fund the
students.
Sponsoring churches were enlisted to provide these funds.
I was concerned about young leaders not having proper guidance and
the NOBTS UP class was developed out of that concept.
Because of my experience at LifeWay during the time I directed the
work for ministers of education, I knew that networking was vital to
effective ministry. Out of that understanding, I engaged proven SBC
leaders to assist in this ministry: pastors; CEs; and Baptist business
leaders.
I made a mistake during the development of FAITH at LifeWay. The
work was developed before partners were enlisted. It did not work. As
UP started, I made sure that all partners were at the table of
development from Day One: NAMB; BAGNO; LBC; NOBTS;
Sponsoring Churches; Local Churches and Pastors
UP has proven to be a “win-win” for everyone. The pastors have been
helped; the churches have been encouraged; the students have grown
in ministry effectiveness; sponsoring churches have experienced joy
because of what they have made happen; the association has been
engaged; the state conventions have been uplifted; and NAMB has
blessed all because of their support.
A bridge has been established between UP and the faculty at NOBTS.
The professors have not seen this work as competition, but rather true
co-laborers.
UP Executive Summary Pg 2
Bill Taylor
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Results:
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A spark of excitement has been generated by UP among the churches of the
BAGNO association. See comments of Joe McKeever and Freddie Arnold
related to the value of the ministry.
The spirit of pastors in BAGNO has been lifted and encouraged by the
association with these young leaders. See comments of Jay Adkins, pastor of
the FBC of Westwego.
Burdens have been lifted off of pastors because for the first time, they have
educational assistance which they could never afford previous to Katrina.
See comments of Dr. Marc Daniels, Bi-vocational pastor of FBC Avondale
and professor of medicine at the William Carey School of Medicine in New
Orleans
The students have been indoctrinated with a new look at SBC life:
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Visit to the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio
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Visit to denominational headquarters
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NAMB
LBC and MBC
LifeWay
SBC Building in Nashville
Attended denominations meetings
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Participated in SBC Executive Committee Meeting
Sat on platform during SBC Convention meeting
LBC State Meeting
Ridgecrest on the River
LBC State Sunday School Meeting Lafayette, LA
The churches have been invigorated with new life:
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Several churches have doubled in attendance
Many new units have been started
A new Sunday School organization was birthed in one of the churches
Almost one hundred professions of faith.
41 Baptisms
Hundreds of projects such as Sports Camps; VBS; Backyard Bible studies; Block
Parties, etc.
One church reached over 40 women in Bible study. For the most part, most of these
women had never studied the Bible before.
Outreach events were planned with the result of hundreds of new people encountered
for the first time
One new church start has developed out of UP ministry
Early Success
First Nine Months
Unlimited Partnerships
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Hours Worked: 6611
Ministry projects: 189
Gospel presentations: 347
Professions of faith: 97
Baptisms:41
New Units started: 38
1 New Sunday School Created
Leadership meetings: 137
Training conferences facilitated: 35
Staff meetings attended: 154
Denominational meetings:
118
From the Desk of Dr.
Jimmy Draper:
Let me share with you an absolutely amazing story.
Following hurricane Katrina, the focus of many efforts
was New Orleans. Teams by the hundreds have been
there to help rebuild houses and remove debris, etc. All
of these have furnished an incredible blessing to the
people of New Orleans. Without these teams, the
progress that has been made would not be possible.
Many teams continue to come and are most needed and
greatly appreciated. There is more you can do and one
ministry that will specifically bear fruit for years to come.
Dr. Bill Taylor has developed a ministry which places a
seminary student in a local New Orleans area church to
help the pastor in building Bible Studies, evangelism
outreach, leadership development, etc.
You can be part of this great effort. Your church could
provide the funds needed to sponsor a seminary student,
or even share with other churches to make that possible.
“Christian Educators Support UP”
(The following letter was sent by Allan Taylor to over 250 Christian Educators.)
I writing you today because I wanted you to be aware of a great, Godblessed ministry called Unlimited Partnerships. I want to make you aware of
Unlimited Partnerships, but I also want to ask you to prayerfully consider
supporting this great work. As a Christian Educator, I believe, like you, that our
ministry is vital to the health, growth, and effectiveness of the local church.
Unlimited Partnerships unite seminary students with local churches to provide the
much needed ministry of Christian Education in churches that cannot afford a
Christian Educator on staff. The lost and unchurched people in America now make
up the world’s third largest unreached people groups, behind only China and India.
What is the answer in reaching these lost souls? Equipping the saints and then
mobilizing the saints for vital ministry. And who does that in the local church?
The Christian Educator! Can we afford to sit idly by?
I believe Christian Educators must exert our influence to impact our
communities and the world. After all, this is our Acts 1:8 mandate. I would simply
ask that you consider doing three things.
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Pray for this Cause.
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Lead your church to contribute to this Cause.
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Personally contribute to this Cause.
Together we CAN make a difference! Our church is sponsoring a student
from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary who is doing an outstanding job
at Gentilly Baptist Church in New Orleans – a church devastated by Katrina. Will
your church join in? Linda and I have are personally making a monthly
contribution to this Cause. Will you consider joining us? I am convinced that all
of us doing something can make a difference for the Kingdom of God.
Allan Taylor
Minister of Education
First Baptist Church Woodstock, GA
“Integrating Theological Education
with Ministry Involvement
NAMB’s decision to hire Bill Taylor turned into a
transforming program that may be one of the greatest success stories
ever at our seminary. The problem we face is how to gradually move
our churches back to a more balanced program, particularly in light of
how many church leaders have been lost.
Bill Taylor came up with the idea of the Unlimited
Partnerships scholarship program, and its results have been
phenomenal. He went across the country and found partnership
churches who would fund a seminary student to work in a church in the
areas of evangelism and discipleship. He involved the state convention
and association as partners in the program. The partnering churches are
sending staff to the city regularly to mentor the students and encourage
progress in the churches they are serving. In addition he has been able
to introduce the students to key SBC leaders and get them a free trip to
the SBC. These are younger leaders who have become immersed in
their Baptist identity and observed first hand how things work in a local
church, association, state convention and the SBC.
He has raised $24,000 per student, making it the biggest
scholarship program in the history of the school. The program has been
so successful we are moving into helping the battered churches on the
Mississippi Coast as well as this area. Bill is uncovering even more
willing partners, and it looks like the program has great potential to
expand. We are learning some great lessons on integrating theological
education with ministry involvement, and the further it goes, the more
this looks like a potential watershed program, getting parties working
together closely and effectively who have never worked together before.
We have a long road ahead in our recovery, but the thrilling
part of looking at that road now, is knowing that it is not a road back to
where we were. It is a road ahead to a deeper impact on New Orleans
than Southern Baptists have ever had.
Chuck Kelley: President
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
“The Result is a New Vision”
In the 18 months between the time I became director of
missions for New Orleans and the arrival of Hurricane Katrina,
there were a few bright spots, but they were rare.
When Katrina hit and our people were dispersed for a month
or more, many of these struggling congregations were put out of
business forever. As we returned and began the work of
reassembling congregations and rebuilding church plants, we
hoped that something drastic had happened and our leaders
would be infused with a new vision for their communities. For the
most part, that did not happen.
Then the Lord sent Bill Taylor our way. He brought in a fresh
can-do spirit. Now, everyone thinks the genius to Unlimited
Partnerships is the way he is teaching these young seminarians
and they are moving into our churches and providing new vision
and vigor to the pastors and churches. That is important, but it
may well turn out that the best part of U.P. is the contact of our
local small congregations with outstanding churches in other
areas of the denomination. Imagine the impact when a pastor of a
church running 50 sits down with the education minister or even
the pastor of a congregation of 5,000. The result is a new vision.
Bill has worked long and hard on Unlimited Partnership that
it's hard to believe it's still less than a year old. Already we are
seeing pockets of new life and evidence of solid vision among
some of our U.P. churches, and the others are also responding
well. Thus far, I have seen nothing negative and plenty positive. I
can't wait to see what a full two or three years' effect on each of
these congregations will produce.
We are grateful for his friendship.
Joe McKeever, D.O.M.
Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans
“You Have Helped BAGNO”.
I want to express my personal appreciation and the
appreciation of BAGNO to NAMB for their provision of Dr. Bill
Taylor to work with us in rebuilding the Christian Education
programs in the churches since Hurricane Katrina. The pastors of
the churches that were in position to take the next step in growth
and development were so tired, frustrated and overworked that
they could never have successfully led their churches to
successful growth that the Unlimited Partnership has provided.
Dr. Taylor, through his circles of influence and
leadership abilities has helped develop support and training for
these churches, pastors and students that has changed the lives
of everyone involved. We have experienced an enthusiastic group
of seminary students getting involved in the lives the church
people and communities like never before. The association
leadership has been provided support in helping our churches
grow that could never have happened without Bill’s assistance
and influence.
The association staff appreciates this helping hand, our
churches appreciate this helping hand and God has blessed the
work. The seventeen churches that are involved in the Unlimited
Partnership have experienced more professions of faith during
this short time of their lives. They have started more new units
than they could have without this help. Numerous leaders have
been enlisted and trained without the pastor having to do it. Many
more outreach efforts have been organized and implemente
Seventeen seminary students have gained the confidence
and confirmation that they are doing what God has called them to
do and that someone cares enough to get them off to a
successful start. This effort is “Home Missions at it best” thanks
for your support. You have helped us experience the ultimate
experience in Winning, Reaching and Teaching people for Jesus.
Freddie Arnold
BAGNO Church Planter Missionary
“Our Church is Thriving.”
(The following email is from the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Westwego,
LA. This church lost most of its congregation after Katrina. Bobby Wood was placed by
Unlimited Partnerships in this church in April, 2007.)
I can't tell you how well things are going. Our church
is thriving. We are having new folks join us weekly and it is
partly due to an intentional "personal evangelism"
mentoring group that Bobby Wood has started. I'll tell you
more later, just know that he is paying off in ways that
cannot really be expressed.
WegoWild (which was an evangelistic outreach that
Bobby developed and organized) was THE MOST
successful event in the history of FBC Westwego in two
ways. First, we have the greatest percentage of people
involved in this event that WE HAVE EVER HAD at any
event. And second, we had the most people attend this
event than had ever attended an event sponsored by our
church. (This is not just from my perspective but from the
perspective of some members who have been here 40
years). I could write a book about this one, Bill. We chose
not to have it at our facilities, because that would not be
true "OUTreach," so we had it at our city park and it was
HUGE!!! God bless. We need you out here!
Pastor Jay Adkins
FBC Westwego, LA
“Please continue to get the word
out about Unlimited Partnerships.
It is literally a Godsend for our church, FBC Avondale!”
Testimony from the Bi-vocational Pastor of the FBC of Avondale,
LA concerning Unlimited Partnerships student, Jessica Archer
Hey Bill, I asked Jess Archer to write down all she has been
doing at the church so that she could keep it all focused in her
mind. We've had her doing a bit of just about everything around
here to give her a good taste of what small-church ministry is like
and also get her immersed in every area of the church. Now,
we're beginning to carve out specific areas for her to concentrate
on and the writing assignment was designed to help her see
where her passions lie.
Bill, I'm very impressed with Jess and I'm sending this to you
because I wanted you to see what she thinks of her work at FBC
Avondale. In the short time she's been here, she's already
brought a lot of the administrative stability we've been seriously in
need of. I can’t ever remember a better planned and organized
Fall Fest, and I have not heard of one problem from our Nursery
or Children's Church departments since she took over the
coordinating responsibilities. Usually, I have fires to put out in
both of those areas almost weekly. Her work in SS has been
slowly gaining momentum (it's going to take a lot of work to
change the habits and dysfunctional approach of our SS) and I
cannot wait to see this next year unfold.Please continue to get the
word out about Unlimited Partnerships. It is literally a Godsend
for our church, FBC Avondale!
Marc Daniels,
PhDAssistant Professor of Biology
William Carey University