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What do you think of when you think of exciting events in the Springfield area? How about a Springfield Cardinals playoff game? Or the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival? Or a Lady Bears game in the Jackie Stiles era? Or a headliner concert at Thunder Ridge? I don’t know about you, but I bet a lot of people think about the Greene County Baptist Association annual meeting!
Okay, okay. There are probably not a lot of people (even Baptists) who would count our annual meeting among the highlight events of the year in our local area. However, there was a day when the GCBA annual meeting was indeed an event to be highly anticipated and not missed!
While GCBA still has one of the largest annual meetings of all the Baptist associations in Missouri, attendance and participation has declined in recent years. There are many reasons for this, including a lack of denominational loyalty/interest, a general lack of knowledge about the association and what it does, many other events on the calendar competing for people’s time, and – let’s be honest – a perceived lack of relevance to people’s lives.
Now, before you read further, this article is not a guilt trip designed to make you feel bad about “not doing more for the association.” I promise. Here is something I fundamentally believe about local associations: Churches do not exist to support the local association. The association exists to support its churches. It is up to us (GCBA) to earn the trust of our churches and to show the value of associational missions.
Do I believe there is great value in a church being an active part of a local association? Absolutely! We can do far more together to reach Greene County for Jesus Christ than we can ever do apart. Through the collective ministry of our churches, the lost are evangelized, believers are edified, new churches are started, established churches are strengthened, young people are discipled, leaders are developed, pastors are encouraged, the hungry are fed, and the naked are clothed. GCBA is a Kingdom force! (All glory to God!)
All that being said, why should anyone come to GCBA’s annual meeting? Is it interesting? Is it truly relevant to you or your church? Is it worth your time? These are fair questions!
In response, all I can tell you is that I believe the answer to all three of those questions is YES, and we are going to do the best we can to make sure that is the case. Here is what you can anticipate at this year’s meeting:
· Breakout sessions on specific ministry topics. (See the insert in this newsletter.)
· A missions fair where you can personally interact with dozens of area ministry leaders.
· Brief and exciting reports on the ministries taking place in GCBA.
· Only necessary business done in a timely fashion.
· Christ-honoring worship with excellent music.
· Excellent, biblical preaching by the director of the Missouri Baptist Convention.
· Food trucks!
· Child care for the evening session!
Even our theme is a little crazy! We’re going UPSIDE DOWN (from Acts 17:6). It’s going to be an amazing evening, and we hope you can join us. While each church elects certain individuals to vote at the meeting (these are known as messengers), EVERYONE is welcome to attend! (It’s not just for pastors and staff!) We hope to see YOU at this exciting event!
In Christ,
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