Partners in Ministry Newsletter—January 2022—
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6
As many of you know, this has been the passage I have embraced for CBA since I became the Director of Missions (DOM, ADOM, AMS or whatever you want to call my position). What I love about this passage is that it is an expression of Paul’s love for the church at Philippi, his encouragement and his recognition that they all work together for the sake of the gospel. He also expresses his confidence that Christ will continue His work of salvation in them until “the day of Christ Jesus,” to encourage them and give them assurance.
In this passage the apostle expresses thankfulness, remembrance, prayers, joy, and partnership (which can be translated as contribution, fellowship, participation, and sharing). It not only identifies their salvation but also affirms their participation in sharing the gospel and supporting the work of the Kingdom.
I don’t know of a better definition or expression of what an association is to be about. We should be partnering together locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. This is how we proclaim the gospel message in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We can do this because we are cooperating churches within the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist Convention of New Mexico and yes, Central Baptist Association.
I like self-evaluation! Well, I don’t necessarily like it, but I do know that I need it and need it not only for my personal life but for the ministry and responsibilities I have in the association. I think every church should evaluate their ministry on a regular basis to see if they are in line with their mission and vision, and if they are accomplishing what God wants them to do.
So, the question I must ask is, are we embracing our partnership and cooperation in a way that helps us proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and represent Him in the community in which we live?
COVID has been one of our greatest challenges over the last two years, and it seems it will continue into this year as well. But COVID cannot be our default reason as to whether or not we are accomplishing our mission and purpose. I think that many of the challenges we are facing in our churches are not related to COVID itself, but to a lack of spiritual maturity. I’m not sure we have prepared the body of Christ for the reality of situations like COVID by asking the question “How can we live in it and minister through it together?” and “How can we serve and not grow weary and lose heart when facing opposition from the world around us?”
I also believe that the greatest opportunities we have in sharing the gospel comes in times of great crisis and uncertainty. COVID should not hinder our message of reconciliation, but it should inspire us to be more intentional in taking the life-giving message of the gospel to a lost world. The fact is that we are in a battle, not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12).
All this is simply to say that you are of great value in the battle we face together in taking the gospel to the nations. Nations that are not just overseas, but they are where we live. We must serve together for the Kingdom and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am truly thankful for you and am filled with joy when I think about our partnership in the gospel.
May our Lord guide and direct our paths to a more united effort to pray for, encourage, and support one another as we engage our community with the gospel.
-John
