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The Florida Baptist Association is a networking ministry of diverse churches seeking to stimulate church health, develop leaders and multiply ministry in Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson and Franklin counties |
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Innovator Florida Baptist Association Tallahassee, Florida Baptist Association www.floridabaptistassociation.org April 2010
Inter-Mission with David David Southerland
Away we go! After our Association Council Meeting (Pastors and one layman per church) we will be emphasizing two basic themes (meeting two basic needs) for the next 12-18 months: 1. How to break the numbers barrier 2. How to effectively evangelize. Our Florida State Baptist Convention will work based upon our requests. However, the responsibility to make this work is ours even as we continue our overall mission goal of “helping existing churches while creating new churches.” Our Florida Baptist Convention recently reported a close to $900,000 shortfall in Cooperative Program Giving. Yet, our State Convention responded with a $5,000 check to First Baptist Church, Carrabelle for distribution to the relief of oyster fishermen in Franklin County. Our Association, like our Florida Baptist Convention, has also experienced about a 20% shortfall in giving this year. Like our Convention, we are doing what we can to meet the fiscal challenge in a responsible manner. We will do everything we can to work well with that which God has given us through our churches. A special Stewardship Task Group has been appointed to help us see how we can stay out of deficit spending. Their findings with require the cooperation of us all. For 15 years we knew nothing but success financially and in church growth. Like our Florida Baptist Convention the downturn was sudden. They are responding and so shall we. Our Association is 167 years in the making and we have at least 167 years to go. In all seriousness, pray for your Association. I would appreciate it. Though the Easter Season reminds us of New Life on a yearly basis we Christians rest in its promise every day! May each of you have a blessed Easter. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ “was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead... (Rom 1:4, NASB)
Retirement Seminar for Pastors Thursday, April 8 10:30am - Noon Association Office Leader: Gary Townsend, Director, Church Staff Benefits Department, Florida Baptist Convention Am I saving enough money? Social Security What is the earliest age I can retire? Can I draw my retirement and continue working? How do I develop a retirement plan? What is my net worth? How much money do I need in order to retire? How do I access my retirement money when I am ready to retire? These are the main topics and I will have materials to hand out that cover all of these issues.
Pastors and Church Leaders Conference “How To Guide Change in my Church” Thursday, April 22 10:00am - Noon Association Office Conference Leader: Rick Wheeler, Director, Leadership and Life Development Department,
Pastor and Deacon Ministry Workshop Saturday, October 9 Florida Baptist Association, 1839 Jaclif Court, Tallahassee Target Group: Pastors and the Chairman of Deacons Leaders: Rick Stewart, Immanuel Baptist Church David Southerland, Florida Baptist Association This workshop will enable Deacon Ministry leaders to tailor their specific Deacon outreach ministries to their individual Church’s needs. The goal is to make the Deacon ministry effective, “doable/workable” in their churches. It will include group discussions.
Ideas for Impact by Garry Goodin CREATIVITY IN WORSHIP The choir, a praise team, a solo, using a variety of instruments, and drama. These are the traditional ways churches have used expressions of creativity to help us participate in praise and listening to God’s Word. How could some of these other parts of a church service also be used in a creative way to help people connect to God? 1. Prayer 2. The Lord’s Supper - Example: providing fresh baked loaves instead of the crackers 3. Baptism - Example: showing a video testimony before baptism, or hosting a reception for the family and relatives afterwards 4. The invitation - Example: using a response card occasionally on a Sunday to allow people to share a decision or need 5. Fellowship time and welcome - Example: Ask members to get up and sit by someone you don't know well 6. Testimonies - Example: have someone ready to share a testimony that relates to the sermon that day 7. Celebration and thanksgiving for what God is doing - Example: Have all the families who have joined in the last 6 months come forward and be introduced 8. Video clips to illustrate God’s Word during the preaching - Example: a movie or television clip, a YouTube video 9. Introducing new members - Example: when introducing a new member, explain who helped them come to know Christ or feel welcome at the church 10. Giving - Example: a testimony of how your giving helped a person in the community or a family in the church 11. Welcoming new visitors - Example: taking a welcome card and a balloon to leave on their front door while they are still in the worship service that morning
Tips for Creative Planning 1. Plan a month (or two or three) ahead of time. In order to find the resources of props, people, videos, music, food, or whatever is needed, it takes time. Have a list of volunteers who are ready to help make it happen. 2. Form a Creative Team for brainstorming - teenagers, college students, adults and senior adults. They should be people with a desire to try new things. 3. When more people are allowed to participate in planning the worship service, they develop a greater sense of pride about what the Spirit of God is doing, a deeper understanding of the difficulty in leading people in meaningful worship, a greater urgency for prayer, enthusiasm about inviting their friends and ownership for their God-given spiritual gifts. 4. Your Creative Team must learn to enjoy debate during the planning phase, and constructive evaluation after the worship service is over.
Florida Baptist Children’s Homes Mother's Day Offering The annual Mother's Day Offering is critically important to our ability to serve the abused, neglected, and orphaned children in our care, which includes food, housing, clothing, transportation, round-the-clock care, medical care, counseling, and other professional services. It provides nearly 10% of our income each year. Our goal this year is $1.4 million. Here's how you can help! • Ask your pastor to receive a Mother's Day Offering for the Children’s Homes • Be sure your church promotes the Mother’s Day Offering by using our materials, which includes posters, video, bulletin inserts, and offering envelopes • Ask every family to make a gift of at least $77, which is the cost of caring for a child in our residential care program for one day • Ask youth to make a gift equal to the price of a hamburger, fries, and a soft drink • Invite someone from the Florida Baptist Children's Homes to speak in your church • Pray for the annual Mother’s Day Offering
Celebration Baptist Church - Easter 2010 Good Friday Service 3 Sunday Services Good Friday, April 2nd at 7pm, there will be a poignant communion and a thoughtful service lead by members of the Worship and Creative Arts team. They will present a moving drama, video and special music focusing on the immense price paid by Jesus on the Cross for the sins of men. Finally, three exciting services on Easter Sunday; 9:30am, 11am, and 6pm will feature music and drama as we hear from several of the Disciples and Pharisees as they tell you about what Jesus meant to them. Come join us as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.
Revival... and You’re invited Indian Springs Baptist Church Speaker: Richard Owen Roberts Sunday, April11 - 11:00 am & 7:00 pm Monday - Wednesday, April 12-14 at 7:00 pm 5593 Veterans Memorial Drive, Tallahassee Pastors are invited to attend the Pastor’s Lunch Tuesday, April 13, Noon Please RSVP by email: indspgs@aol.com or fax 656-2742
Oyster-Aid Monday Reflections, Brian Mimbs, Pastor Chapel Hill Baptist Church Many in our fellowship enjoy spending time on the often placid (sometimes, not) waters of Apalachicola Bay. We fish its waters. We enjoy St. George Island and the beach. Even those who rarely make it to the coast enjoy the harvest of oysters that come from its waters. Those oysters, a delicacy that is distinctly Floridian, are the fruit of the labor of oystermen who live and work around the Bay. With too much freshwater going to tide, the Bay was recently closed to oyster harvesting. This has left many out of work and shocked the entire community. Last week, Pastor Mark Mercer of First Baptist Church in Carabelle, shared about the hardships being experienced by families whose livelihoods are linked to the oyster beds. In what speaks to the mission of the church, First Baptist has determined to be a lighthouse in a community with dim economic hopes. The church has been proactively reaching out to those families in the worst of all cases. They have paid electric bills, bought groceries, and even repaired one oysterman's disabled boat. In each case, these extended hands of compassion have opened the way for the Gospel to be shared with men, women, and young people. Sure, this church could have said "let the government take care of them" or "we've got our own bills to pay" or "they aren't members of our church." But thanks to a pastor with a Great Commission vision and a church ready to live it out, Carabelle and Franklin County are seeing Christlike love pointing them to a God-given eternity in uncertain times. The Bay and Franklin County are part of our Judea mission field. Later this week, we will be delivering a check from our congregation to assist in what Pastor Mark is calling "Oyster-Aid". Together with support from churches, the Florida Baptist Convention, and others, we're determined to partner for the sake of the Gospel and care for the least of these during difficult times. When we talk about a Great Commission Resurgence, this is another great glimpse!
Mission Opportunity Chapel Hill Baptist Church has spaces available on a mission trip to Guatemala (July 24-31). This trip is organized and sponsored by the Florida Baptist Children's Homes for the purposes of rehabilitating a children's malnutrition center outside Guatemala City. Inclusive cost is $1220. Deposit of $250 is due by May 1. Contact Sandi Harrell at 222-6900 for more details.
Calendar April 2 Good Friday (Office Closed) 4 Easter 8 Retirement Seminar, 10:30am - Noon, Assoc. Office 16-17 Jail & Prison Ministry - Regional Conference, Blue Springs 18 Cooperative Program Sunday 22 How to Guide Change in my Church, 10:00am - Noon, Assoc. Office MAY 9 Mother’s Day 13 Association Directors Mtg., Noon, Assoc. Office 15 Deacon Chairman Ministry Workshop, 9-10:30 am, Assoc. Office 16 Florida Baptist Association Week of Prayer 17-19 Directors of Mission State Conference, Orlando 27-28 State Board of Missions, Lake Yale 31 Memorial Day (Office Closed)
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