Logo

 

Banner Image:   National-News-banner-Purple
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

'Encourage pioneers and pioneering' 

Baptists need to be more encouraging of pioneers and pioneering if we are to reach people and make disciples in these challenging times

 
Roy Searle pioneeringThat was the message from Roy Searle and Simon Goddard who led a seminar called 'Becoming Beacons of Hope - Playing Your Part in God's Missional Adventure.'
 
Roy explained that in his role as Baptist pioneer co-ordinator he has heard some great stories – but the overall narrative is of ‘not much happening’.
 
‘The reality is we haven’t caught many people. The reality is we’re an ageing denomination.  I’m not saying this to depress you, but to define reality.

‘Carrying on the way we’re carrying on is damaging, and wearying.’
 
But while we face enormous challenges, the problems can be opportunities: we need to allow the spirit of God to allow creativity and pioneering, Roy said.
 
And in order to do this, as Baptists we need to be more encouraging of pioneers.
 
He said God is raising up pioneers – these are our beacons of hope, but we need to give them more resources. Instead, we often try to put them in a box that won’t fit. Roy said he was aware of more than 80 Baptist pioneers who are no longer part of the denomination. ‘We’ve lost them,’ he said, before encouraging delegates to think if there were any pioneers in their church – people who think differently – and ‘be permission givers for experimentation.’ He also mentioned how the Anglicans had recently commissioned their 1000th pioneer – as Baptists we have only commissioned six.
 
Our task is not to build the church; it’s to go and make disciples. Jesus will build his church, Roy said. Pioneering is not restricted to age - it's about trying something different. 
 
Simon led the second part of the session, and encouraged delegates that in order to take risks and step out, they must be prepared to give something up, ‘something familiar, which may now be unhelpful.’
 
He focused on the example of Abraham. He said that being a person of faith means stepping into the unknown, as Abraham did. It means imagining what can be – God stirred Abraham’s imagination of what might be, and as the church today, we need to let the imagination ‘stir about how people can thrive and flourish.’
 
It also means saying yes to God, as Abraham did. Simon cited the example of the Tubestation in Polzheath, Cornwall. It began when three ageing members of Polzheath Methodist Church were willing to release their building in order to reach the skateboarders outside it. They advertised for someone to lead the new venture. Baptist minister Dave Matthews received the call, and the Tubestation is now a café church in the former Methodist building which saw more than 200 people worship there this Easter.
 
‘I believe we have the resources within the Baptist family we need to resource ministry for the next generation; but we need to be able to release it.’
 
Concluding the session, Roy said, ‘God is raising up pioneers in this space. I hope we can come back in a couple of years with stories of lots more pioneers.’
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Baptist Times, 13/05/2018
    Post     Tweet
Project Violet: Council affirms commitments to action
Baptist Union Council receives and affirms the commitments to action on women’s experience of ministry made from across Baptists Together in response to the findings of Project Violet
Collaboration; contextual approaches - first Everyone Everywhere national conference
Collaboration in sharing the gospel and a recognition that contrasting, contextual approaches are all needed to help people encounter Jesus were key themes at the first Everyone Everywhere national conference
Prayer bulletin for very small Baptist churches
A number of small, often rural, Baptist churches are being strengthened in their ministry by an initiative which sees them praying for each other on a regular basis
The Centre for Baptist Ministry at St Hild College officially launches
St Hild College has celebrated the launch of the Centre for Baptist Ministry during an event at St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield
A unified call to mission and renewal
Andy Glover reports on the recent day of prayer and fasting, which saw gatherings take place in all Associations, as well as online
We Will Repay - reparations study resource
A new study resource designed to help churches and Christians delve into the discussion of reparations on biblical terms has been released
     Latest News 
    Posted: 26/02/2024