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Partners In The Mission:
New Work Celebration
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| Release Date: 01/22/2008 |
| a message from Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director |
My wife Kay and I recently had the privilege of participating in a special celebration service with a new church and its sponsoring church. During the service the congregations of the two churches recognized a church planting couple they are jointly sponsoring to begin yet another new work.
The service was conducted at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington with Pastor David Head presiding. Victory Baptist Church is only about 15 years old itself but became the sponsor of the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s first “high impact” church start at Master’s Station in 2004. Now, Victory Baptist and Master’s Church are helping to start a new church in Versailles.
Master’s Church pastor Alex Kinchen spoke of the joy of receiving and the joy of partnership as the two churches work together to sponsor another church. That sentiment was also expressed by Head who said one should always move forward with hands open both to receive from God and to give.
This theme of partnership was also exhibited when Don Reed, the director of missions for the Elkhorn Association, gave the opening prayer. Ray Van Camp, consultant for new work and church development in the association, also spoke of the strategic work of planting churches where research indicated a need and of the association’s role in walking with a new church plant in the journey.
If the 2.3 million unsaved people in Kentucky are to be reached in Kentucky, it will require an intentional and strategic church planting movement. I am grateful that KBC has a church planting strategy for working with sponsoring and partnering churches and associations to plant new churches.
A major part of this strategy involves our helping to fund high impact churches. Prospective pastors who have demonstrated that they can grow a ministry and have completed church planting assessment training are eligible to present written proposals to a High Impact Task Force for consideration. If approved, the church plants receive special funding. These new churches are expected to participate in the local association and state convention.
It has been gratifying to watch the growth of 14 high impact churches up to this point. The Kentucky Baptists Connect goal is to have 25 high impact starts before 2010.
Please pray for God to raise up church planters to reach more people in Kentucky. Also, pray for Larry Baker, our New Work & Associational Missions Department director, as he works with potential church planters and seeks to encourage those who are currently planting churches. Pray as well for Carlos De la Barra, new work ethnic associate, as he works with language groups in new work and church development.
Dr. Mackey's column appears weekly in the Western Recorder. To subscribe to the Western Recorder, call (502) 489-3535. |
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