New Morning
by Jim Hill, Executive Director
It has been an incredible honor to serve as Executive Director of Churchnet for the past 13 years. I began serving as the interim director of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri in 2004. I led the convention through a strategy planning process that year and accepted a permanent position the following year. That first year we approved First Priority as our plan to focus on the needs of churches. We said, our first priority is serving churches. After 13 years and two more opportunities to lead our network through processes to help us think strategically, we are still focused on local congregations.
Our current plan is Vision 2020: Engaging the Future with Hope. This plan grew out of our sessions with local congregations across our state as we listened to church leaders share about their churches. They talked about their ministries— what was working and where they were struggling. We identified priorities based upon the needs these leaders shared: Missional Collaboration, Hope-Filled Strategies, Generational Engagement, and Community Involvement.
Facilitate Missional Collaboration — Facilitate genuine collaboration between congregations and among church leaders for support, encouragement, resource sharing, learning opportunities, and joint projects. We help churches work together to fulfill their mission and do missions.
Develop Hope-Filled Strategies — Assist congregations as they seek God’s will and shape a positive future for ministry. We help churches discover new hope and develop a plan for their ministries and communities.
Engage New Generations & Cultures — Help congregations understand, build relationships, and share the gospel with new generations and cultures. We help congregations struggling to reach younger generations find new handles for building relationships.
Expand Community Involvement — Help congregations understand and engage the issues confronting people in their communities. We help congregations connect with their communities in more profound ways as they address human needs and work for justice for all people.
Our Spring Event is called New Morning: Engaging the Future with Hope! I am excited about this event and the transition that it signals. We are completing a
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