Stumbling Associations and How They Can Regain Focus
A perspective for local denominational organizations/judicatories on how they best empower their churches to serve from the base of their local context.
Synopsis: The is the fourth in a series of seven columns about various types of Baptist associations (with implications for local denominational organizations or judicatories in many denominations). A series of FREE video conferences are offered to support and dialogue about this typology.
To sign up, send a message to George Bullard sharing your desire to participate and provide your email.
Read the overview column on this associational typology HERE.
Read the columns on Soaring Associations and Strong Associations by clicking on the titles/links.
Rundown: Articles on Baptist associations are often applicable to the local denominational organizations/judicatories of various denominations. They may be called associations, districts, classis, synods, and by other names. They are typically organisms more than organizations. Relational more than functional. Regional and national expressions of denominations are more organizational and functional.
(This column appears this week in the digital and print edition of The Baptist Paper. Access the column in the digital edition HERE. The Baptist Paper is a publication of TAB Media. Request a free trial HERE. See all TAB Media columns written by George Bullard HERE.) (Subscribe to this Substack Blog using the “Subscribe now” button below.)
Stumbling Associations and How They Can Regain Focus
Some Baptist associations stumble. They lose focus. Vision about their future is missing. They become cautious, afraid to take risks. They figuratively look down at their feet. Their steps are clumsy.
Without focus they lose a spirit of positive intentionality about actions that enable them to make Kingdom progress in response to God’s leadership. Some associations stumble backward. Others stumble forward.
They view their member congregations as having more problems than opportunities. They spend more time putting out fires than building fires under congregations that have great Kingdom potential.
They see congregations and their pastors and staff as having struggles that need fixes rather than opportunities to embrace.
Facing Important Decisions
Stumbling associations are the most crucial of all associations because they often have wonderful potential but lack focus and proactive missional actions. Their congregations search for ministry services from other denominational entities and even from other denominations and parachurch organizations.
Stumbling associations blow an uncertain trumpet. They are confused as to whether they are a family of congregations or a network of pastors. There is uncertainty about whether their programs empower the organization of the association or the spiritual strategic journey of congregations.
They must blow a certain trumpet. As much as one-fourth of all associations are stumbling and have great potential.
(Continue reading HERE.)
Reflections from George:
Too many Stumbling associations focus on the organization of the association and making it successful and significant, rather than the family of congregations and helping them to soar with faith into the future God has for them.
Their field service may focus more on the pastors and staff than on the congregations. It is not an either/or situation. It is an and/both opportunity.
Stumbling associations may also ask congregations what they have done for the association lately, not realizing the congregations are asking what the association has done for them lately. As a result, neither is well served.
These seven columns and the FREE video conference talking about them will cover associations which are Soaring, Strong, Stumbling, Struggling, and Spiritless. This parallels a typology for congregations that includes the same five types. I have been working on this typology periodically over the past four decades
I invite you to learn alongside me. I am still learning! I look forward to learning from you.
Sign up for the video conferences that began August 7th and will run about every other week for a while.
George, how have you seen stumbling associations move their field service from just serving pastors to focusing on congregations as well? As an AMS I find building relationships with others in the congregation past the pastor has been a unique challenge.
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