“We are fixing to get ready to commence to begin to start to do something maybe.”
When I moved to my current state, another new resident told me she didn’t grasp the state’s culture until she learned this phrase.
It reflects a culture of followership. Many people in this state observed how leaders — especially those in other states — reacted to opportunities and challenges. The people in this state made their observations before they took a risk and tried something new.
This revelation was invaluable. It helped me understand how to assist congregations and associations in the state as they advanced in Kingdom ministry. This contrasted with my typical action-then-reflection approach to missions.
It also helped me realize that while they were busy “fixing to get ready,” it was a great opportunity to engage them in a spiritual, fellowship and contextual process and help them discern the next steps regarding the bold things God was calling them to do.
This was a principle I could apply everywhere.
Boldly ‘discern next’ during 2025
Baptist associations should commit to “discern next” in 2025 to achieve the lead role within Baptist life and fulfill the Great Commission.
To ‘discern next’ involves three fundamental actions. First, a deeper spiritual relationship with God must be established within the fellowship of member congregations.
Second, the member congregations must nurture a meaningful, interdependent fellowship. This fellowship should be one in which the sense of being one family on a mission together is obvious.
Third, a deep understanding of the association’s past, present and future contextual ministry should be cultivated. Its context should be seen as a missions field populated by individuals with diverse demographic characteristics.
It is a field made up of everyone who needs to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord, everyone who wants to be part of a spiritually passionate and mission-driven congregation and everyone who envisions themselves on a mission to fulfill the Great Commission from their associational fellowship area.
Profound spiritual connections
Praying with and for each other while seeking God’s clear guidance for individuals, congregations and the associational family of congregations is the crucial action for spiritually discerning the next steps.
There are various methods for praying together. I would like to share one that is based on a pattern I use with congregations, associations and regional and national denominations.
Certain numerical aspects are crucial for achieving the critical mass of participation necessary to foster widespread spiritual discernment within the association. The key numbers are 21 and 63.
Identify pastors who make up 21% or more of the lead pastors in your associations and are regarded as having a positive spiritual passion for the future of the congregations working together. These pastors should be dedicated to fulfilling the Great Commission collaboratively with other congregations within your association.
Ask them to reach out to two or three other pastors in the association who are not currently close friends or colleagues. They might come from a different part of the fellowship area, serve a congregation of a different size or have various styles of ministry and doctrinal beliefs.
They need to become better acquainted with not only their close friends but also pastors whose ministries and congregations they are unfamiliar with.
This requires at least 63% of the pastors. A higher percentage would be preferable, but achieving that can be challenging.
As Baptists, we are independent-minded enough. Few associations will initially receive full support for gathering and praying. Still, this process is essential for listening to the voice of God within a missional context.
As these pastors gather for face-to-face meetings lasting at least 100 minutes for seven times over a span of 13 weeks, they should have specific goals. Get to know and appreciate one another more deeply. Understand the ministry context of each congregation and explore how collaboration can take place. And dialogue and pray about the following question: If our family of congregations faithfully, effectively and innovatively answers God’s call to fulfill the Great Commission over the next seven years, what will the Kingdom impact be, both locally and globally?
What can each congregation contribute to this bold effort?
My upcoming column will examine how to enhance fellowship within your association over the next seven years.
EDITOR’S NOTE — George Bullard spent 45 years in denominational ministry. He served on the staff of three associations, was a key staff person working with associations in two state conventions and served on the association missions division staff of the former Home Mission Board of the SBC. He retired in June 2022 as director of Columbia Metro Baptist Association in South Carolina. He has led strategic planning processes in more than 100 associations and has written extensively in this area. Bullard now serves as a strategic thinking mentor for Christian leaders through his ForthTelling Innovation ministry and a correspondent for The Baptist Paper.
To request permission to republish this article, email news@thebaptistpaper.org.
