The Baptist Steering Group

General Secretary Lynn Green shares key themes from the September 2014 meeting of the Baptist Steering Group

 
1. Prayer – We see this as one of our key roles and we spent time praying for our churches and our mission, seeking God about future Presidents and we also prayed in particular for the Ukraine and Iraq. 

All the churches and organisations that members of the BSG were due to visit in the week following their meeting were shared on post-it notes and prayed for

2. Covenant – As we reflected upon the first draft of the review looking at Ministerial selection, formation, funding and Continuous Ministerial Development, we were brought back again to the significance of Covenant in our life as Baptists Together and how we can strength our sense of Covenant with Ministers in particular. 

3. Healthy relationships – we went on a short walk together, recognising that healthy churches need healthy leaders!  It was also an opportunity to build deeper relationships between us. 

4. Interdependence – we spent time exploring how we can communicate our vision as a movement (Baptists Together) and how this draws together and gives space and context for our local and regional strategies.  We looked at ways that we could express and strengthen our interdependence in our relationships and communications across Baptist Together. 

5. We initiated projects to enable us to be more effective in our mission in our contemporary context. For example we want to do some more co-ordinated work on how we inspire generous giving in order to release our vision for mission.  We are also giving our attention to our Safeguarding because we want Baptist Churches to be beacons of best practice in our communities and safe nurturing places for children and vulnerable adults. 
 
 
A consistent communication of our vision as a movement...
 
We articulated our vision as a movement in order to enable us to offer consistent communications which reflect our interdependence...

We would like everyone to be able to know and own the following....
 
Baptists Together is a national Union of Churches, Associations and Colleges that is passionate about growing healthy churches in relationship for God’s mission.

What does this look like? 

• We want to see every one of our churches spiritually vibrant and growing in discipleship. 
• We want every church to be the best it can be at being and sharing the Good News of Jesus. 
• We want to see new missional communities springing up everywhere!

 
A Church, Association or College can express its interdependence and covenant relationship by pointing to our wider relationship in communications...

For example: "EMBA is part of  Baptists Together, which is a national union of Baptist Churches Associations and Colleges that is passionate about growing healthy churches in relationship for God’s mission."
 

Lynn Green
September 2014