Partners In The Mission: Comeback Churches 04/08/2008 a message from Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director By Alan Witham, Guest Columnist When Paul wrote to the saints in Philippi he reminded them that they were a people in process. He stated in Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Later on in the same letter Paul described the fact that he, personally, was in process, stating, “Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” A familiar children’s song summarizes the theology of these passages well, “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be…” Kentucky Baptists are a people in process both individually and collectively in our churches. Ideally, a process implies progress. Progress often occurs when people receive good information or truth that informs them about “needed changes” and “next steps.” It continues as people begin to apply that information in their lives. The end result is life or church transformation. God’s process involves forward movement toward his preferred future. As Kentucky Baptist Convention staff, we seek to join God in working with churches like yours to encourage and foster forward movement toward God’s preferred future. One way we hope to accomplish this is through an emphasis on what are being called “comeback” churches. In their book, Comeback Churches, co-authors Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson share information from 324 churches across the country that experienced growth after a significant period of plateau and decline. They share about factors that helped bring about renewed growth. On March 25 we hosted Ed for a Comeback Church Conference. Our goal was to provide good information based on the latest research. If you missed the conference and would like to hear the content, you may order CDs at www.kybaptist.org/stetzer. We want to build upon this event and engage church leaders in a process that will result in church transformation and growth. From April through August, our Church Development Team will offer opportunities for you to engage in dialogue over the five key factors that can lead to a “comeback experience.” These regional network meetings will provide an opportunity to think about how to apply comeback strategies in your setting. At our Super Saturday training conferences this year, we will offer a Comeback Church track with conferences related to each of the comeback factors that Ed has identified. We will also seek to assist churches with more in-depth strategy planning for future growth. Is your church making forward progress toward God’s preferred future? What “next steps” has he called you to make? Are you willing to make the necessary changes to become a Comeback Church? If you would like more information regarding the comeback church process, contact the Church Development Team Office at 502-489-3571 or 866-489-3571. Alan Witham is the interim team leader for the KBC Church Development Team.