CROSSing North America is the theme for the 2014 Associational Missions Emphasis. (The suggested date among Alabama Baptists for Associational Missions Week is May 19-26.)
You can access all the materials for promotion without cost to your association by going to www.sbcal.org and establishing an account of access.
CROSSing North America contains five initiatives as you cross: Pray, Equip, Love, Give and Plant.
Jesus was very clear when he said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.” Our churches many times are great places for preaching and for worship, but how often are our churches known for being praying churches?
The second initiative is Equip. Your associational leadership has been put in place by your association to assist the churches in making disciples and equipping the saints for service.
Your association is there to help you Love your community. Many churches have learned how to have a special day of service for their community, even using the Sunday morning time of worship. (Now that’s out of the box thinking!) Work with your associational missionary (director of missions) in discovering opportunities next door!
Your association is a missions hub where local, state, national and international missions come together. At your local association, you will find staff who are constantly interacting directly with ministry needs in those areas. Not only that, but your association also acts as a minister to your church’s ministerial staff and a resource for your church’s internal needs. Realizing the impact your local association has in your community, your country and around the world, giving to it makes all the sense in the world.
CROSSing North America finally emphasizes church planting locally and throughout North America. The church to population ratio of New England is staggering. There is only one SBC church for every 48,000 people. In Canada there is only one Canadian National Baptist Church for every 117,000 people.
Don’t forget www.sbcal.org is your resource portal for the Associational Mission Emphasis week in May.
For other information, please contact your local Baptist associational office or myself, State Missionary Rick Barnhart at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 220, or (334) 613-2220, [email protected].
