The Wright Word
March-April 2006

Isn’t it encouraging to see what the Lord is doing in Mobile through our churches? It is great to see so many leaders yearning for the Lord to continue to make a difference in our county. Your associational leadership is eager to help.

Maintenance Versus Growth
Over 75 percent of Southern Baptist churches are plateaued or declining in attendance. That means that most churches are not reaching enough people, or are barely reaching enough people, to replace those who move, die, or leave. That figure is consistent with Mobile County. All five of our emphases are designed to prove that just maintenance and decline can be reversed. Church growth is hard. We do not need to feel overwhelmed or discouraged. A Croatian pastor once told me “A failure is never a failure as long as there is time to correct it.” Take a look at some of the options listed and soon to be listed on this site.

Reaching the 1:10 Baptism Ratio
A major way to move from maintenance or decline to growth is through our evangelistic ministries. Here are some steps toward the goal to have a 1:10 baptism ratio in your church:

• Divide the number of people attending Sunday School by the number of Baptisms last year. (50 people divided by 2 baptisms = 25:1)
• Include this figure in sermons on outreach.
• Set a goal in church business meeting to reach a 1:10 baptism ratio by year ??
• Enlist a prayer coordinator for your church.
• Enlist or strengthen your prayer council/ committee/ team.
• Pray for lost people by name.
• Enlist an Evangelistic Ministries Coordinator in your church.
• Create or strengthen the Evangelistic Ministries Committee/Team in your church.
• Attend an MBA Evangelistic Ministry Training.
• Provide an evangelism line item in the budget with priority funding.
• Create an Evangelistic Ministry Outreach Plan for your church that trains members and provides outreach events in the community at least twice a year.
• Participate in the Franklin Graham Festival through prayer, participation and funding.
• Attend Evangelistic Party Trailer Training at the MBA and reserve the Evangelistic Party Trailer to use in your community.
• Join an MBA church planting coalition.

Evangelistic Ministries Trainings
Brother Dave Hudson is off to a great start as our Missions Service Corp (MSC) Evangelistic Ministries Coordinator. He has been contacting our churches about enlisting an Evangelistic Ministries Coordinator and Committee for your church. Wouldn’t it be great to see all of our deacons accepting their biblical role as evangelistic ministers? Please encourage your deacons and evangelism leaders to attend any of the training options listed and soon to be listed on this site.

Response to the Arson in Alabama
The Mobile Baptist Association is coordinating our response to the church arson fires through the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM). Just as we saw in the wake of Katrina, the State Board is involved in immediate frontline assessment. They have already responded with providing portable facilities for each of the affected churches. We will be working with the SBOM to coordinate the rebuilding teams and supplies needed. We can process your financial gifts or you can send those to the SBOM, designated to the burned churches. Unfortunately, every church needs to become security conscious. We need to add security systems and lights. Please take precautions to protect your people and provide security for your parking lots during services too.

Diploma Training for Laity
I have begun investigating options with the University of Mobile to provide in Mobile a full range of theological training for every church member regardless of academic background! Stay tuned for more information.

MBA Foundation
Our Finance Committee is exploring options to create a Foundation to help underwrite the ministries of the MBA. The goal would be for the Foundation to eventually handle all administrative expenses so that 100 percent of church gifts can be dedicated toward Biblical Prayer, Evangelistic Ministries, Church Development, Church Planting, and Partnership Missions.

Executive Committee March 14
We will be diligent to finish our business by 11:30. All of our directions and decisions are coming through committees to the Executive Committee. I know business meetings are not in our list of top ten fun things, but your contributions and discussion are essential to setting direction and serving together to make an eternal difference. Please give your suggestions to maximize this business time to Brother Charles Gibbs or me.

Thank You Bill
We appreciate Brother Bill McCracken’s MSC service in Biblical Prayer ministry these last 6 months. We have grown from 5 prayer committees in the MBA to 37. As his time of service with us ends, Brother Steve Durkac is coming in as MSC Prayer Coordinator. He will continue working with the MBA Biblical Prayer Committee to enlist Prayer Coordinators and Prayer Ministries in all of our churches, plan prayer events, and facilitate specific biblical prayer.

MSC Missionaries Needed for Disaster Relief Coordinator, Missions Mobilizer, and MBA School of Theology Director
Do you have someone in your church that would like to serve as a Missions Service Corp missionary? We are praying for the Lord to call three leaders: an MSC Disaster Relief Coordinator, an MSC Missions Mobilizer to plan and coordinate the Partnership Missions emphasis in the MBA, and a Director for the new school.

It is GREAT serving with you.

In the Lamb,
Bro. Thomas