Kentucky Baptist Convention Mission Statement The Mission of the Kentucky Baptist Convention is to assist Kentucky Baptist Convention churches, ministries, and associations in connecting all people to Jesus Christ. Extension for Kentucky Baptists Connect Connecting All People to Jesus Christ Since 2004, Kentucky Baptists have been working together to achieve objectives born of a bold vision to: Dramatically impact our state for Christ Strengthen our churches Usher in a new era of cooperation between individuals, churches, associations and KBC institutions and agencies. The effort has borne great fruit in the form of changed lives, healthier churches, new ministries begun and new churches started. Some goals have not been achieved, however, and the work thus far on Kentucky Baptists Connect has revealed additional needs, opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed. An extension of Kentucky Baptists Connect has therefore been approved to help Kentucky Baptists set a pace and direction for missions and ministry through Aug. 31, 2012. The objectives and goals of the Kentucky Baptists Connect extension appear on the following pages.
Objectives & Goals: Developing Leaders To assist Kentucky Baptists to implement God s vision in their personal lives and in their churches, to grow in their vibrant faith through enhanced personal and corporate worship, and to network with others for leader development (Isaiah 6). Emphasis includes: Cultivating the leader s personal vibrant relationship with God Discovering and implementing God s vision for the leader s personal life Discovering and implementing God s vision for the local church Enhancing personal and corporate worship experiences Networking with other leaders and providing prayer support Goals: 1. To equip 1,800 church leaders in a developing personal and congregational vision that contributes to increasing worship attendance and resident church membership. This goal will be measured by tracking leader participation in KBC leader training opportunities and matching these leaders to the ACP statistics from their churches. 2. To assist worship and music leaders from 200 churches in evaluating and enhancing the worship experiences provided in their local congregations for the purpose of contributing to an increase in their worship attendance. This goal will be measured by tracking worship and music leader participation in KBC leader training opportunities and matching these leaders to the ACP statistics from their churches. 3. To provide leadership training for 600 church youth leaders and to mentor 1,500 campus student leaders. This goal will be measured by tracking youth leader and campus student leader participation in KBC leader training opportunities. 4. Increase by 30 the number of associations that have a prayer strategy and trained coordinators to equip and lead in the effort. (There are 16 trained associational coordinators as of August 2008.) This goal will be measured through reporting by associations regarding implementation of prayer strategies and prayer coordinator training. 5. To network with 500 pastors, churches and associations in best practices, mentoring relationships, and electronic connections facilitated by regional strategists and others. This goal will be measured through a hard count by the Church Development Team of formal partnerships, mentoring groups and computer-based social networks. 6. To enlist and involve 150 young leaders (under 40) in networking relationships and/or mentoring groups. This goal will be measured through a count of those who participate. 3
Objectives & Goals: Strengthening Churches To strengthen churches in the areas of healthy relationships, dynamic Bible study, discipleship and joyful stewardship in a way that results in intentional plans for local and world outreach (Acts 2:41-47). Goals: 1. To equip 1,200 church leaders in developing and strengthening healthy congregational relationship patterns that can contribute to increasing resident church membership. This goal will be measured by tracking leader participation in KBC leader training opportunities and matching these leaders to the resident church membership ACP statistic from their churches. 2. To assist 500 churches with Sunday schools that are not growing to grow Sunday school/small group participation by 6 percent by starting new units. This goal will be measured by using current ACP statistics to identify churches with Sunday schools that are not growing and charting the statistics for these churches for the three years of this initiative. 3. To help 500 churches develop a church discipleship/assimilation team that will lead their church to focus on the following four areas: first impressions, guest follow-up, new member s class and spiritual growth. This goal will be measured through a hard count of churches that develop church discipleship/assimilation teams. 4. To assist 350 churches in retaining participation of the 16-19 year old population. This goal will be measured by tracking church leaders who participate in training and the ACP reports for the targeted age group in these churches. 5. To assist KBC churches in developing comprehensive stewardship strategies that will result in an increase of 9 percent in undesignated gifts to support missions and ministries locally and beyond. This goal will be measured through a hard count of churches that develop comprehensive stewardship strategies and the ACP reports of undesignated receipts. 6. To assist 200 KBC churches in developing and implementing plans resulting in 2 percent annual growth in at least three selected areas. The growth areas include resident membership, baptisms, Sunday school/small group, worship attendance, and undesignated receipts. KBC field staff will provide consultation as requested through mutual agreements with local churches that want to grow and desire assistance. This goal will be measured by keeping a hard count of participating churches and comparing the relevant ACP statistics from year to year. 4
Objectives & Goals: Reaching People To reach all people possible by equipping church leaders for intentional and strategic evangelism, and by mobilizing church leaders and members in missions, ministries and church planting (Acts 1:8). Evangelism To reach all people possible by equipping church leaders and members for intentional and strategic evangelism empowered by the Holy Spirit. Emphasis Includes: Prayerwalking Across Kentucky Engaging churches/associations in witness training Distributing one million Gospel presentations door-to-door Across Kentucky Conducting harvest celebrations Assimilating new believers Sharing the Gospel with college students and youth Developing outreach compassion ministries Goals: 1. To encourage and enlist Kentucky Baptists (associations and churches) as led by the Holy Spirit to pray, engage, sow and trust God for the celebration of 20,000 baptisms per year, 2009-2012. This goal will be measured by the baptism statistic of the ACP. 2. To make 30,000 evangelistic contacts through the ministry of the Baptist campus ministers. This goal will be measured through a compilation of the relevant statistics from the monthly reports of Baptist campus ministers. 3. To assist KBC churches in developing a holistic approach to youth ministry that will result in a 3 percent increase in youth baptisms and youth Sunday school involvement. This goal will be measured through a hard count of churches that develop a written plan for holistic youth ministry and the ACP reports of youth baptisms. 4. To assist KBC churches in enhancing the faith development of preschoolers and children, including a greater understanding of the Gospel, resulting in a 2 percent increase in the number of preschoolers and children involved in weekly Bible study. This goal will be measured by the ACP reports for the two age groups. 5
Objectives & Goals: Missions To assist Kentucky Baptists in identifying opportunities and mobilizing church leaders and members in church planting, missions and ministries in Kentucky and beyond. Reaching People (continued) Emphasis Includes: Unreached people groups across Kentucky and beyond Missions education and participation Connecting churches in reconciliation ministries Partnership mobilization opportunities local, state, national and international Creating an on-mission lifestyle among Kentucky Baptists Goals: 1. To assist churches in planting 150 new churches, including 45 ethnic and nine high-impact churches. This goal will be measured by maintaining a hard count of new church starts within the identified categories. 2. To assist 140 churches in mobilizing 700 volunteer participants in direct domestic and overseas missions involvement resulting in 5,000 professions of faith. This goal will be measured through a hard count of participating churches, volunteers and professions of faith. 3. To assist the 140 churches to grow in their level of direct domestic and international missions involvement resulting in 70 churches experiencing a first time engagement, 30 churches committing to pursue a partnership, 30 churches to form a strategic partnership, and 10 churches to become a strategic missionary church. This goal will be measured through a hard count of churches involved in KBC partnership missions efforts and through reports of professions of faith and volunteer participation supplied by these churches. 4. To enlist and certify 2,500 people in Phase I & II Disaster Relief and Witness Training, and to assist nine churches in construction with volunteers. This goal will be measured through a hard count of individuals who go through Phase I & II Disaster Relief and Witness Training; and by a hard count of churches helped with construction. 5. To increase by 15 percent the number of short-term volunteers serving in Kentucky (26,000 by 2012) and the number of project locations in Kentucky (103 by 2012). This goal will be measured through comparison of reports from churches and ministry sites from year to year. 6 6. To assist 750 churches and/or associations in the development of community outreach ministries and missions strategies. This goal will be measured through a hard count of churches and associations that report the development of community outreach ministries and missions strategies.
Relationship with Kentucky Baptist Entities Kentucky Baptists reaffirm their support of and a commitment to their agencies, institutions, partnering organizations, and auxiliary. It will take the strong support and effort by each of these members of the Kentucky Baptist family to move toward the objectives and accomplish the goals set forth in this Kentucky Baptists Connect Extension Plan. Major Impact Factors Seven factors that have a major impact on the objectives and goals of the Kentucky Baptists Connect plan were identified and addressed as part of the original plan. The Mission Advisory Committee believes that all of these factors resources/stewardship, technology, communication, associational partnership, organization/staffing and spiritual foundation/prayer are still very applicable. While much progress has been made in many of these areas, the executive director, and/or the applicable committee or board, will need to continue to address these factors during the extension period of Kentucky Baptists Connect in order to effectively implement the mission statement, objectives, and goals. 7
13420 Eastpoint Centre Drive Louisville, KY 40223-4160 1-800-266-6477 (KY only) (502) 245-4101 www.kybaptist.org