Introduction To TRBA's Strategy To Assisting Member Churches Become The Church God Would Have Them To Become In Him
If you choose to read through this introduction, please read through prayerfully and with a willingness to lead your church be all that it can be in Christ.
Introduction To TRBA's Strategy To Assisting Member Churches Become The Church God Would Have Them To Become In Him
If you choose to read through this introduction, please read through prayerfully and with a willingness to lead your church be all that it can be in Christ.
TRBA stands ready to assist every church as we begin our exits from the COVID-19 PANDEMIC and enter into the "new normal." The news pundents - as well as the church "experts"- keep telling us what we can expect post-COVID. Truthfully, these men and women are in no position to speak with any higher level of authority about what will come along next than you and I. They are speculating on "recovery" from something that no one has experienced before . They've been trained to look knowlegeable and speak with confidence - even when they know little of what they're talking about. I am sure you've seen the pundents be caught without their talking points in front of them and the segment has not ended. The transitions are difficult to follow.
During the pandemic we became more fragmented and held fast to whatever we believed and who was the cause of particular issues. For the first time it seemed as if a national (indeed worldwide) crisis divided us unlike previous times when crisis brought us together to be of help to one another. Those in positions to lead, circled their wagons to gain personal advantage. Instead of cooperating towards a solution with some "give and take;" some dialogue about what might and might not work between all of us. Each of us brought something to the table to help soften the hurt. Instead, we saw them "finger pointing" and casting blame - or, worse yet - refusing to work together for political gain. The 24/7 news media, along with the culture that "a win is a win" even if we have to sacrifice equity, fairness, and destroy others in the process. Even in the church - an unwillingness to work through the crisis together instead of lashing out/leaving the church over the doctrine of "masks or no masks."
Who wants to return to something that is divisive. Perhaps the pandemic was sent to demonstrate to us that the "old normal" has been lost to us. Our nation is not what our Pledge of Allegiance declares - "one nation under God." No - it hasn't just occurred over the past 10 months, but the culture has definitely demonstrated who we are becoming. And Jesus prayed in John 17 for the church to become "one" as He and the Father were one. Pray that His New Normal will be the one the churches of TRBA choose so that we can better impact the culture that surrounds us.
I have written this introduction in this fashion for one reason -- the only way that the church of 2021 can bring Honor and Glory to Christ and His church, is for us to radically embrace HIS NEW NORMAL.
I end with this - the plan is INDEED simple. It all hinges on our personal commitment to Jesus as Lord. We MUST take these steps! We MUST ask the correct questions!! We have to address each question in the correct order!! We have to be honest in our responses/willing to throw away our idols and become His church.
Below is the simple outline we stand ready to assist the churches with in the days ahead. Our failure to engage in something over the next 4-6 months will dictate whether TRBA churches will be closed, existing, surviving, or THRIVE!!! If you are willing to commit, contact us!
TRBA's Post-COVID Strategy for Becoming His Church and Advancing His Kingdom
During the pandemic we became more fragmented and held fast to whatever we believed and who was the cause of particular issues. For the first time it seemed as if a national (indeed worldwide) crisis divided us unlike previous times when crisis brought us together to be of help to one another. Those in positions to lead, circled their wagons to gain personal advantage. Instead of cooperating towards a solution with some "give and take;" some dialogue about what might and might not work between all of us. Each of us brought something to the table to help soften the hurt. Instead, we saw them "finger pointing" and casting blame - or, worse yet - refusing to work together for political gain. The 24/7 news media, along with the culture that "a win is a win" even if we have to sacrifice equity, fairness, and destroy others in the process. Even in the church - an unwillingness to work through the crisis together instead of lashing out/leaving the church over the doctrine of "masks or no masks."
Who wants to return to something that is divisive. Perhaps the pandemic was sent to demonstrate to us that the "old normal" has been lost to us. Our nation is not what our Pledge of Allegiance declares - "one nation under God." No - it hasn't just occurred over the past 10 months, but the culture has definitely demonstrated who we are becoming. And Jesus prayed in John 17 for the church to become "one" as He and the Father were one. Pray that His New Normal will be the one the churches of TRBA choose so that we can better impact the culture that surrounds us.
I have written this introduction in this fashion for one reason -- the only way that the church of 2021 can bring Honor and Glory to Christ and His church, is for us to radically embrace HIS NEW NORMAL.
- For us to truly go forward as His Church to impact THIS generation and impact the culture of our nation (world) is for us to take seriously the command of Christ to become His church! Anything less is disobedience to our Lord and supports my reasoning for the decline of 70-90% of the churches in North America.
- Plain and simple - we KNOW the commands of His Word towards what we are to be in Him to the communities where God has placed us. With all the resources readilly available to you as a Baptist church, there is NO EXCUSE for churches to be in decline.
- The REASON the church of North America is in decline is that we have willfully and intentionally chosen to be disobedient to the mandates Christ has clearly detailed to us from the very beginning.
- The church experts tell us that 800+ Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina will close their doors as a result of the pandemic lockdown; more pastors will leave the ministry in the next 12-18 months than ever before; and, that 20-40% of the active members of our churches in December 2019 will NEVER be active in church again.
- The above projections - if true - are further verification that the "old normal" has not led the church of 2021 to be all that we should be in Christ. If a virus so easilly "changes" our CORE VALUES as Christ-followers, I question if we truly hold those core values. Core values are what we live out day-to-day - and that doesn't change!!
- If we come back the same way we were (pre-pandemic), we may survive for a season - but we are called to THRIVE! We have to take our commitment to Christ and His church much more seriously.
- TRBA is proposing a simple platform whereby churches - that truly want to thrive - can. It is simple - but difficult.
- The plan is simple -- but carrying out the plan as a church depends on the individual church members' personal relationship with the Lord. And if we choose - as we often do - to NOT walk wholly committed to the cause of Christ, we need to stop talking about wanting to see revitalization of the church and healing in our Land!!
I end with this - the plan is INDEED simple. It all hinges on our personal commitment to Jesus as Lord. We MUST take these steps! We MUST ask the correct questions!! We have to address each question in the correct order!! We have to be honest in our responses/willing to throw away our idols and become His church.
Below is the simple outline we stand ready to assist the churches with in the days ahead. Our failure to engage in something over the next 4-6 months will dictate whether TRBA churches will be closed, existing, surviving, or THRIVE!!! If you are willing to commit, contact us!
TRBA's Post-COVID Strategy for Becoming His Church and Advancing His Kingdom
- Prayer: The strategy is NOT as simple as 1...2...3... Instead, at some point, you will be engaged in every part of the strategy. However, if you begin without prayer (fervent prayer) you should just determine not to start the other steps. Personal prayer and corporate prayer are both required. If we respond to the call to corporate prayer as we did pre-pandemic, there will NOT be revival in the church. In other words, if you are not joining in church prayer services now - you need to get involved.
- Embrace the Biblical Mandates for the church: The purpose of our prayer is to discern God's Will for the church in the new normal. We must fully understand the mandates, how we live it out in the context of where God has positioned us as a church and our willingness to minister to the needs of those communities. The mandates we will look at first are (1) love God more than anything/anyone; (2) love people as Christ loves people and be willing to sacrifice in order to minister to them at the point of their need, (3) be found faithful in your personal witness, (4) work together with other Christ-followers in making disciples, and (5) impact the culture around you.
- What is the TRUE Motivation for what we do: This is where we MUST be 1000% honest with why we determine to do certain ministries, the scope of those ministries, and where is our heart truly is in our doing of these ministries.
- How willing are we to do all that is needed to effectively minister to the needs of our community: Are we willing to give up everything (change) to be the church to the communities where we are located.
- Is the church's current leadership (including the pastors and ministerial staff) capable of leading the church to reach the goals for the future: I have a friend that works with Kentucky Baptists that has stated, "no current leader in the church should "re-take" their leadership position without being trained for the "new normal."
- What can the church do now (this year) to insure the church will become the church God is calling it to become in 2023: Most of our churches think they are ready to go back inside and start "doing." There is a LOT to do to prepare before we think about reaching goals of the new normal. I state this simpy to remind people - it will take a LONG time to become the church we must be to impact the culture.