From the Desk of Our Executive Director
Welcome to another Stewardship Journal. Do you remember that old line, “I have good news and bad news?” That is how I felt when I read the Lifeway Research report1. showing increases in attendance and baptisms in the SBC. Yet, at the same time, our membership has dipped to the lowest number since the late 1970s. One role we see the Journal providing is giving you key news and information as it relates to stewardship and then helping you translate that into plans of action.
We are working to improve the Journal even more and prayerfully see more state conventions join us. We have three feature posts in this week’s Journal, all by Mark Brooks, The Stewardship Coach.
The first post opens with the Lifeway Research report I mention above. It’s entitled The Way Forward is Back. I believe you will find it an informative and challenging article. Clearly, as Southern Baptists, we have work and prayer to be about! But there is encouraging news as well, and I agree, we are back!
The second post is entitled Improve Retention with Sermon Notes. Mark begins with these lines, “A few Sundays after I resigned as a Senior Pastor and began working full-time in the stewardship ministry, I found myself daydreaming during my pastor’s sermon. I was shocked to realize that all those years, I thought people were listening to me preach. They were probably working on their grocery list.” He then shares a way his team has made this easy and accessible.
Pastor! Do you know what is your lowest attended weekends? That is the question in the final post that is based on a Thom Rainer article where he gives his top ten list. Find out if your low weekends match his, but most important of all, find out what to do about it. We are gearing up to help you close this summer strong. Stay connected for more helpful posts like these three.
One of our goals with this journal is to make it a place where pastors can write about their thoughts, ideas, and plans related to stewardship. We would love to hear your story or even help you tell your story with an interview. If you would be interested in joining our team of contributors, contact Rob Phillips at rphillips@mobaptist.org. We look forward to hearing from you and reading your article.
Advancing the Gospel!
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