Challenges – things that get in our way, barriers to where we believe God is leading us.

2020 opened our eyes to many gaps in our local church ministry. It forced us to look internally at how and why we do the things we do. One challenge is will we just go back to doing what we have always done the same way we have always done it? Is that good or bad?

We have been challenged with worship – online or live? Or both? How do we minister to and shepherd the people in this new day? What will be the ramifications of a new political perspective and how will our federal government bring new challenges to our work? Will we be wearing masks until Jesus returns? Is it possible that His return is more imminent?

This list could go on and on and on. We have so many challenges. We have geographic challenges in how far we may be from each other. We have time and priority challenges in that we each have our own, and mine is right. We have theological challenges in that we believe much the same things (Baptist Faith & Message) with some differences that can be challenging. This list could go on and on.

Opportunities – the things that draw us together, that are larger than any one of us, larger than any one of our churches. The things that biblically draw us together. We have the opportunity in this time of fear about a virus that has been a huge disruption.

I see these as our 2021 Opportunities!!!

  • With a hopeless society, we have a great opportunity for evangelism.
  • The opportunity to engage people with our local church ministry, through online relationships, person to person relationships.
  • The opportunity to work together as leaders and churches and associations and as a convention of churches all across Indiana.
  • The opportunity to “partner together as churches to discover and fulfill our next steps.”
  • The opportunity of this being one of the greatest years ever in local church ministry.

I hope that you will engage with me over the next few months as we work to create conversations with each other. I want to do two things in the next few months.

  1. Create conversations by inviting you to have a face to face conversation with associational leaders in a meeting in your area.
  2. Create conversations online with pastors/leaders to talk about where you are as a church and where we can go as a convention of churches across Indiana.

We have a great opportunity to make a difference together.

Here are some resources for you to check out to lead you in your thinking and consideration of all of us being on the same page, heading in the same direction and ultimately accomplishing our goal, TO IMPACT INDIANA FOR JESUS!

https://indianabaptist.org/2020/08/04/2030/

https://indianabaptist.org/2020/09/02/state-convention-of-baptists-in-indiana-2030-the-mission/

https://indianabaptist.org/2020/10/01/state-convention-of-baptists-in-indiana-2030-part-3/

https://scbi.org/annual-meeting-reports/

These articles and videos will help you get a better idea about the future of our convention of churches. I pray you will invest some moments to look at these so that when we have our discussions we can be fruitful.

May the Lord Bless you as you see HIS opportunities in 2021.

Until Next Time,

Steve McNeil