The 3 C's of Association Missions

The association is a cooperative connection of churches that strengthen churches and to advance the message of Christ to all peoples.  How can we be more effective in accomplishing this mission? 

The three C's of Mid-Valley missions are Cooperation, Collaboration, and Communication.  These are the key strategies that will propel our local mission efforts going forward.  The Association Executive Board met this month and affirmed these key strategies of doing local missions together.  None of these is new.  All of them need more focused attention.   

 

Mid-Valley Association is focusing its efforts for 2012 and beyond on:

1. Strengthening Mid-Valley churches - With about 70 congregations partnering together, we have the resources among our sister churches to help sister churches be more effective.  Together, Mid-Valley churches baptize about 500 people each year.  Church to church connections can help each church multiply its effectiveness.
2. Extending the gospel to unreached peoples and communities in the Mid-Valley - There are about 900,000 people in the Mid-Valley who do not yet follow Jesus Christ.  There are eight valley cities with no ongoing Southern Baptist witness.  The need among the Hispanic communities is even greater.  Fifteen valley cities have significant Hispanic population, yet have no ongoing Southern Baptist witness.  Also, many of the unreached communities are not geographic, but represent an ethnic or language group living in many neighborhoods.

    What do the three Cs mean?

• Collaboration - Partners work jointly to create something new.  Each partner has equal ownership of the problem and the solution.  We collaborate to strengthen churches and extend the gospel.
• Cooperation - The co-action of partners with a common goal.  Cooperation has been the hallmark of Southern Baptist relationships since 1845.  Cooperation will be central to our future mission efforts.  We cooperate to strengthen churches and extend the gospel.
• Communication - Exchanging information among partners.  Cooperation is based on communication and trust.  Trust is built and strengthened though effective communication.  The most effective communication is face to face, heart to heart.  These conversations should be supplemented though every other means available.  We communicate to build trust toward strengthening churches and extended the gospel. 

Please pray for the MV team for 2012.  These are the ones who will be working among us to strengthen churches and extend the gospel through though cooperation, collaboration, and communication. 

• Association Missionary - Rich Johnstone
• Fellowship/Networking - Tom Sims
• Ministry Training Events - Beverly Regensberg
• Counseling Resource Center and related ministries - Ron and Carol Climer
• Hispanic Church Planting - Alci Rengifo
• Mission Mobilizer Consultant - Ray Young
• Church to Church Connections - 

For Christ!
Rich Johnstone, Director of Missions