A Vision for the Future.
Tar River Baptist Association is an association of like-minded Baptist churches in the Tar River region who cooperate to pursue the spiritual vitality of churches and pastors for the sake of reaching the community for Jesus. The TRBA focuses on three priorities to support God’s church to fulfill her mission:
Church Health, Outreach, and Pastoral Investment.
Tar River Baptist Association is an association of like-minded Baptist churches in the Tar River region who cooperate to pursue the spiritual vitality of churches and pastors for the sake of reaching the community for Jesus. The TRBA focuses on three priorities to support God’s church to fulfill her mission:
Church Health, Outreach, and Pastoral Investment.
Why do we associate?
Jesus established his church and gave us a mission. When God’s people make Jesus preeminent and cooperate with one another to fulfill His plan, God uses his people mightily.
We associate first because we are united by shared convictions and a common mission.
We are connected by geographic proximity.
Why focus on Church Health, Outreach and Pastoral Investment?
An association can be and do many things. But based on our prayer and Spirit-led conversations with one another and others in the association, we believe we should focus on these three priorities to support the work our member churches are doing.
Here is a summary of the vision of these three areas of focus:
Church Health
We work together for church vitality.
Outreach
We resource and connect churches so they can reach their community.
Pastoral Investment
We’re aiming for mutual investment between pastors and the association.
Jesus established his church and gave us a mission. When God’s people make Jesus preeminent and cooperate with one another to fulfill His plan, God uses his people mightily.
We associate first because we are united by shared convictions and a common mission.
- We unite around the newly updated statement of faith, allowing it to be our guardrails for cooperation.
- We unite around a shared mission, which is reflected in the three priorities we associate around.
We are connected by geographic proximity.
- We are at the table together because we serve the same communities in the broader Tar River region.
Why focus on Church Health, Outreach and Pastoral Investment?
An association can be and do many things. But based on our prayer and Spirit-led conversations with one another and others in the association, we believe we should focus on these three priorities to support the work our member churches are doing.
Here is a summary of the vision of these three areas of focus:
Church Health
We work together for church vitality.
- Our member churches are much like individual people — they often have gifts and skills at which they excel, and they also have areas that can improve. By bringing together areas of strength among those churches that are willing to cooperate, Jesus will be proclaimed and glorified, his Kingdom will be strengthened in the Tar River region.
- We want to help our churches identify their plan for (1) reaching their community and (2) discipling their people.
- We want to see healthy churches characterized by a doctrinal fidelity; kingdom focus; healthy relationships with other churches; and a willingness to cooperate for revitalization and church planting.
Outreach
We resource and connect churches so they can reach their community.
- Connecting churches also means connecting resources and ideas — so we can all more effectively proclaim Jesus.
- We believe that the Association should focus on “connecting the dots” between churches and potential needs, as outreach is a task for local churches. We can also collaborate on mission trips.
- We want to help churches have gospel-focus, community engagement, hospitality, and relevance to their communities.
Pastoral Investment
We’re aiming for mutual investment between pastors and the association.
- For our churches to be what Jesus has designed them to be, we must cultivate and support church leaders. Ministry leadership is rewarding, but it can be challenging and even overwhelming at times. Bringing pastors together can recharge and inspire them. As pastors and leaders grow, they will bring what they have learned to God’s people.
- We want to rekindle and sustain the relationship between the association and pastors.
- The association invests in the pastors.
- This occurs via encouragement, prayer, camaraderie, and support.
- The association leadership functions like a pastor to pastors.
- The pastors invest in the association.
- No matter what the leadership structure looks like, we want to see pastors have ownership and partnership in the association.
- Pastors will be liaisons between the churches and the association.