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| ‘Connect’ Set To Launch |
| Release Date: 09/21/2004 |
 LOUISVILLE– A five-year-long effort aimed at reinvigorating baptisms, church starts, and other key growth indicators will launch at the annual convention of Kentucky Baptists Nov. 16-17 at St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville.
“Kentucky Baptists Connect: Connecting All People to Jesus Christ” has set such goals as 125,000 baptisms and starting 125 new churches and ministries by Jan. 1, 2010.
KBC Executive Director Bill Mackey believes the statewide evangelism and spiritual growth campaign will help churches form more intentional efforts to reach communities with the gospel.
“This will help churches to discover and focus on their God-given mission,” Mackey says. “Every church and association is needed to create a spiritual climate where the Holy Spirit has freedom to work in a region and the entire state.”
The effort will launch Tuesday evening, Nov. 16. After music, testimonies and inspirational messages, churches will be offered a chance to say, “We want to be a part,” according to Steve Thompson, assistant executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
“We hope churches want to participate,” Thompson says. “Our goal is not to help the KBC, but to help churches be more effective in ministry, discipleship, and training new and current leaders.”
Wednesday morning, Nov. 17, the kickoff continues with a series of one-hour workshops on various aspects of “Connect.”
It concludes with a motivational message from Charles Lowery, president of the Lowery Institute For Excellence and a speaker at several past KBC events.
Mackey thinks that through commitment by churches and associations God can demonstrate what only He can do through a people devoted to Him on a statewide basis.
“It is the best way for Kentucky Baptists to carry out our local and state responsibilities in Acts 1:8,” Mackey says, “and to strengthen the foundations for world missions.”
Scott Kilgore, chairman of the state mission study committee that developed the Connect plan, hopes each congregation takes “ownership” of the strategy.
Administrative pastor of Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Kilgore says churches aren’t required to participate.
However, he hopes they will embrace the goals out of a desire to be fully rounded, mature followers of Jesus Christ.
“(We hope) each church can buy into it, to say, ‘Yes, we’ll baptize one more believer, we’ll reach people like we’ve never reached before, we’ll disciple like we’ve never discipled before,’” Kilgore said.
“I think there’s a synergy that comes from churches in an area, an association and in the state who are all about a central task,” Kilgore added. “We’re all Great Commission churches – or that should be our aspiration. But to have a strategic plan for doing that is a way we can put our shoulders to the wheel to get the job done.”
One goal, to increase networking between the KBC and church leaders, is already under way with the naming of four church development strategists. Alan Witham, French Harmon, Jim McGee and Ronnie Sivells encourage new church starts in different regions and work with existing congregations to promote mentoring and fellowship.
The other main goals include:
- Evangelism. Encourage churches to increase baptisms by one per year by Jan. 1, 2010, baptizing 125,000 converts and retaining at least 80 percent of all new members.
- Missions. Launch 75 new churches, including 25 “high impact” churches – which have a target of 250 members attending within five years – and 50 language, church-type ministries. Also, to start 500 evangelistic points of outreach focused on unreached people groups, such as multi-housing units.
- Leader Training. Among these goals are training 1,000 leaders with an emphasis on emerging leaders, equip 1,000 church leaders to provide authentic worship experiences for young people, and train 500 leaders to begin or strengthen men’s and women’s ministries.
- Strengthen Churches. Lead Kentucky Baptist churches to start 5,000 new Bible study units, equip 1,000 pastors for small group and Sunday School development, and assist 250 churches in church development and growth.
- Strengthen Relationships with Agencies and Institutions. Network Kentucky Baptist colleges with each other and the Convention to increase effectiveness, strengthen Baptist Student Unions and better support students called to vocational ministry.
This is probably the most ambitious set of goals ever established by convention members, Thompson said.
In recent years, the assistant executive director said baptisms have averaged 16,000 to 18,000 a year. Connect’s yearly goal of 25,000 is nearly 40 percent higher than 18,000.
“If we’re even moderately successful in reaching these goals, it will change us dramatically,” Thompson said. “It should make a difference in the spiritual climate in our churches if we can get people in a mindset of growth and reaching people. It will certainly have an impact in the lives of those who are reached.”
Kilgore takes a longer-range view. While saying things like baptisms, new churches and intentional ministry can be measured, the Bowling Green pastor foresees other, more subtle changes.
“I think the great impact is only going to be felt and understood once we get to heaven,” Kilgore said. “There will be so many things that can’t be quantified right now, in terms of seeds being planted, hearts being moved and prayers being answered – in ways we’ll only know from the perspective of eternity.”
Release prepared by Ken Walker, KBC writer. |
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