Futures Update 2
WORKING TOGETHER, SEEKING THE FUTURE
THIRTEEN ASSOCIATIONS +BAPTIST UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN+FIVE COLLEGES+BMS WORLDMISSION
.............Listening to God and to one another
Update 2 – Monday 19 December 2011
At its latest meeting on 13 December, the Baptist futures group began to map out what it sees as the way forward in seeking to help Baptist Christians in the UK re-imagine and prioritise our shared life and mission. The most immediate task is to initiate as thorough a process of consultation as possible, seeking to include people from every part of our Baptist constituency. This will happen in a number of stages, and an on-line survey launched this week, will be the first of these. It will seek to establish what should be our core priorities, which in turn will help to determine how we best use and allocate our resources.
At its November meeting, BU council identified a number of broad areas which it believed to essential features of any future landscape. These include:
Effective formation and support of accredited ministers
Equipping and supporting non-ministerial church leaders and officers
Fostering and enabling effective and supportive relationships between churches and a sense of identity beyond the local.
Providing accessible support to churches in situations of crisis and difficulty
Inspiring local churches for their engagement in mission
Enabling pioneer and strategic mission initiatives
Provision of legal and technical expertise in key areas of church life.
It is important for these to be tested against the broader perspectives of UK Baptists, and also to discover whether there are key things that have been missed. Through the on-line questionnaire, participants will be able to offer some assessment of this, along with space and opportunity to share reflections and ideas of their own. Respondents will also be invited to give priority to the various activities and resources which BUGB and local Associations are currently engaged in, and to consider where these might be best located in future.
As well as testing out the initial reflections of BU Council, this first survey will provide the opportunity for people from across our Baptist family to offer their own ideas, perspectives and concerns. While it would be impossible to fully analyse every suggestion that is forthcoming, the Steering group have set aside a significant period to review these responses, to identify common themes and resonances that occur, and be open to unexpected and fresh ideas that those more closely engaged in our shared life may not have considered.
As the discussions develop further, each Regional Association will facilitate some elements within them, along with other key groups and organisations that are part of our Baptist family. Alongside this, we will be undertaking a thorough review of our current financial expenditure, to help us be clear about how our resources are currently used, and to recognise the implications of any proposed change. We hope by mid-February to have a reasonable picture of our priorities, needs and capacity as a Baptist family. This will provide the foundation for developing a vision for our shared life in the future.
You can find the on-line questionnaire at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FuturesGroupSurvey
Please continue to pray for everyone involved in and affected by this important process, and please be ready to join in the conversation.
BUGB Futures Group
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