The answer to the growth dilemma is obvious. When it is shared with congregations, they often reject it in favor of doing things to help existing congregations remain or become vital and vibrant.
The Year of Jubilee for your association in 2026 presents an excellent opportunity to replace a decades old approach to revitalizing and replanting congregations. We
Loving people well and learning to consistently become more Christ-like means personally, deeply and genuinely investing in the community around us.
Are there locations in your context that lack sufficient gospel ministry? Which people groups are being neglected or underserved?
Is your association ready to announce a jubilee year for 2026?
Building a bold missional strategy begins by seeing your associational context as an unentered missions field with unreached people groups.
“Associational mission strategists tend to come from pastorates or from church or denominational staff. Thus, they may believe the key to deep, meaningful fellowship is people like them. It is not,” writes George Bullard.
Baptist associations should commit to “discern next” in 2025 to achieve the lead role within Baptist life and fulfill the Great Commission.
