Page 4 - GBCJournal_April2021

Develop increased church
4
health through discipleship
dream
August 12, 2021
thesparkconference.com
By Scott Sullivan | Catalyst ssullivan@gabaptist.org, 770-936-5214
The Discipleship team’s mission is to cre- ate church health through the area of disci- pleship. Over the past two years, the team has launched three major initiatives to encourage pastors and create church health in
the Georgia Baptist Convention.
One of the farthest-reaching ini-
tiatives has been Spark, the state’s
largest total-church conference.
Some Georgia Baptists may be
familiar with Go Georgia, which
was an in-person event that aver-
aged over 1,000 attendees. In light
of the pandemic, the Discipleship
team, along with the Research and Develop- ment team, shifted to a virtual event called The SPARK Conference. The conference saw over 33,000 views on the website and over 6,500 unique views of the content. SPARK 2021 looks to be equally strong, with nation- ally known keynote speakers and over 50 breakouts.
The second initiative is “The Watershed Principle” booklet, which is intended to train leaders to develop a sustainable and healthy church experience. A watershed is a ridge of land that directs water flowing from multiple streams, and it feeds a single body of water. Watersheds can supply entire ecosystems and create vibrant life – as long as the watershed is healthy. But the watershed is only healthy if the streams that feed it are healthy.
In the Watershed Principle, ministries of the church are like the streams that feed the watershed. Intentional ministries are the vi- brant streams that can produce a healthy eco- system or culture within the local church. The
STRENGTHEN Continued from page 1
Strengthening team is to listen attentive- ly to your specific needs and help you develop a deliberate strategy to accom- plish the goals God has laid upon your heart.
In efforts to expedite our connection, there is an online church strengthening assessment tool (text ASSESS to 706- 408-9899). The assessment is designed to help you identify your greatest oppor- tunity for growth.
The tool is simple, short and help- ful. You will be efficiently matched to a catalyst and/or consultant to help your church take its next step. You may al- ready be aware of your needs without an assessment, but perhaps you just need a bit of help thinking through solutions and/or strategies. Be encouraged to reach out to your Church Strengthening team.
Throughout this special edition, you will be introduced to the catalysts and consultants who are ready to assist your church. You’ll find all the Church Strengthening team’s contact informa- tion on pages 6 and 7.
ultimate goal of the Watershed Principle is to see life change that glorifies God and leads to world-impacting disciple makers. This is the mission of the local church.
Since October 2020, the Discipleship team has trained over 2,500 leaders in the Water- shed Principle. Over 225 leaders meet reg-
ularly with discipleship consul- tants to understand next steps to becoming a healthy church that makes world-impacting disciple makers. To download “The Water- shed Principle” book, visit gabap- tist.org/discipleship.
The Discipleship team’s third major initiative was to launch Learning Communities. Each
member of a Learning Community is part of an “inner circle” for our discipleship team. These consistent and local gatherings of lead- ers are the relational pipeline by which the Discipleship team celebrates the pastors’ big- gest wins, supplies their greatest needs and generally feels the pulse of what’s happening in the field.
For many, participating in a Learning Community will be a game changer. Consis- tent engagement with this group will encour- age the leader personally and professionally as well as provide an opportunity to hear best practices from across the nation.
The team wants to help you finish well. This is the best next step for you as a local church leader to grow as a disciple of Jesus, maintain proper family perspective and help your church members do the same. There are 40 Learning Communities established throughout the state. For more information on a Learning Community near you, visit the Discipleship online at gabaptist.org.
Ben Mandrell
David Kinnaman
Tony Evans
Charles Lowery
This is a FREE online training experience! Over 50 Breakout Sessions
Worship, music training available to churches
By Levi Skipper | Lead Strategist lskipper@gabaptist.org, 770-936-5213
One of the most vital aspects of a local church is worship. Regardless of your expres- sion of worship, the GBMB team is ready to help you take your next step. There are six highly trained and qualified worship leaders who can serve as a valuable resource to your worship ministry. The GBMB is blessed to have men with their talent and experience to help Georgia Baptist churches in the area of worship and music. The team is available to help churches seeking ministers of music, working through staff transitions, combin-
lowing: worship leader, acoustic guitar, lead gui- tar, drums, bass guitar, keyboard, vocal team and sound.
We are excited
about an upcom-
ing event called Surge150. This is a music camp in June for children and students who have completed third grade through college freshmen. Participants receive musical train- ing, encouragement and opportunities for spiritual growth from well-qualified faculty in a safe environment. Students will sharpen their musical skills, whether vocally or on a variety of instruments. Training includes choir, orchestra and a contemporary track. Camp includes rehearsals, elective classes, devotionals, worship times, fun, and much more. The event will take place June 21-26 at Shorter University.
Please keep in mind, the Worship and Mu- sic Ministry team is here to serve you. While the team is actively reaching out to churches, you don’t have to wait for a phone call from a consultant – reach out today!
After serving at First Baptist Statesboro as the worship pastor, Rhon Carter will start as the new Worship and Music catalyst on June 1.
ing worship services or inquiring about ideas and resources for ministry.
The Worship and Mu- sic Ministry has teams that will come to your church and organize a training retreat, working “one-to- one” with your players and singers. The One-to-One worship training team will work with you to schedule on-site training for the fol-
GEORGIA BAPTIST MISSION BOARD SPECIAL EDITION