Upcoming Conversations on Governance and Worship
In this week's Pastor's Paragraphs, I want to give some clarity on the upcoming conversations on worship and governance and help answer questions some of you have been asking me regarding both of these things.
Governance Restructuring Steering Team
The GRST is a committee of ten people that have been tasked with looking at the current governance structure at Benson Baptist and prayerfully craft a recommendation to the church on ways to improve and update our current structure. This Team is NOT discussing the future of worship at Benson Baptist.
You'll remember that their work is part II of the by-law revision plan. The first part was voted on by the church in April 2023 and passed (regarding changes to the affiliations and belief statements of the church. The remaining part of the by-laws to be discussed is the governance section, which this new team will begin working on soon using the example of other similar congregations and the data collected from BBC conversations over the last few years.
There is currently not a timeline for this recommendation to come to the church.
Conversations on Worship
When the group of all current and former active deacons met a few months ago, one of the things that was brought up was the idea of possibly moving back to one (blended-style) worship service. This idea was not original to this group as the Vision Team, among others, had already discussed it in length (the Vision Team's conversations creating the Communion Unity Services that have brought the two services together every other month for the last year).
To give clarity on the conversation to date:
Following the last All-Deacon's meeting, an email went out to our worship leaders from our Deacon Chair inspired by the conversations in that meeting and detailing a plan to launch one service in the weeks to come. I had been in conversation with the Chair prior to that email going out and knew what was planned to be sent. This gave me the opportunity to meet with our ministerial staff for conversation in advance of the plan going out.
Following our staff conversation and the sending of the move-to-one-service-plan, I sent subsequent emails to our worship leadership that sought to come alongside the plan and give the staff-led possibilities we'd crafted for one service should it move forward. They also sought to show that we were all willing to go with the church no matter what was decided–– to continue to plan and facilitate Christ-honoring worship as we were called by you to BBC to do.
Following the announcement of the original plan to move toward one service, it was decided to walk things back a bit and instead direct the conversation to the current Diaconate for next steps.
The Diaconate decided that the next step would be a church-wide conversation on worship to be had by any and all BBCers who would like their voice and ideas to be heard as we continue the conversation surrounding the future of worship. Dr. Andy Wakefield, former BBC interim pastor and current Dean of Campbell Divinity School was selected to facilitate that conversation scheduled for Sunday, April 14, at 6:30 P.M. (following dinner at 6:00 P.M.) in the Fellowship Hall.
Some of you have asked what this conversation on worship will lead to. The short answer is "I can't yet tell you." Until the conversation on April 14 is had, and the larger church has had a chance to share their vision for the future of worship at Benson Baptist, we cannot know what is ahead of us.
Others of you have asked where our current ministerial staff are on the possibility of one service. I won't speak for the others, but I myself am in the middle–– willing to go whichever way that the church decides, as long as we glorify Jesus in our worship (whatever it may look like!).
So, that is where these two conversations are. I look forward to listening as you all share your thoughts on the future of worship (whether that is change, or things stay as they are), when Dr. Wakefield facilitates that conversation on April 14. I also look forward to the recommendations that will come from our Governance Restructuring Steering Committee.
Until then, I look forward to continuing to worship alongside you as we seek to be the best outpost of the Kingdom of Christ that we can be as we share the gospel with those around us.
The best is yet to be!
Governance Restructuring Steering Team
The GRST is a committee of ten people that have been tasked with looking at the current governance structure at Benson Baptist and prayerfully craft a recommendation to the church on ways to improve and update our current structure. This Team is NOT discussing the future of worship at Benson Baptist.
You'll remember that their work is part II of the by-law revision plan. The first part was voted on by the church in April 2023 and passed (regarding changes to the affiliations and belief statements of the church. The remaining part of the by-laws to be discussed is the governance section, which this new team will begin working on soon using the example of other similar congregations and the data collected from BBC conversations over the last few years.
There is currently not a timeline for this recommendation to come to the church.
Conversations on Worship
When the group of all current and former active deacons met a few months ago, one of the things that was brought up was the idea of possibly moving back to one (blended-style) worship service. This idea was not original to this group as the Vision Team, among others, had already discussed it in length (the Vision Team's conversations creating the Communion Unity Services that have brought the two services together every other month for the last year).
To give clarity on the conversation to date:
Following the last All-Deacon's meeting, an email went out to our worship leaders from our Deacon Chair inspired by the conversations in that meeting and detailing a plan to launch one service in the weeks to come. I had been in conversation with the Chair prior to that email going out and knew what was planned to be sent. This gave me the opportunity to meet with our ministerial staff for conversation in advance of the plan going out.
Following our staff conversation and the sending of the move-to-one-service-plan, I sent subsequent emails to our worship leadership that sought to come alongside the plan and give the staff-led possibilities we'd crafted for one service should it move forward. They also sought to show that we were all willing to go with the church no matter what was decided–– to continue to plan and facilitate Christ-honoring worship as we were called by you to BBC to do.
Following the announcement of the original plan to move toward one service, it was decided to walk things back a bit and instead direct the conversation to the current Diaconate for next steps.
The Diaconate decided that the next step would be a church-wide conversation on worship to be had by any and all BBCers who would like their voice and ideas to be heard as we continue the conversation surrounding the future of worship. Dr. Andy Wakefield, former BBC interim pastor and current Dean of Campbell Divinity School was selected to facilitate that conversation scheduled for Sunday, April 14, at 6:30 P.M. (following dinner at 6:00 P.M.) in the Fellowship Hall.
Some of you have asked what this conversation on worship will lead to. The short answer is "I can't yet tell you." Until the conversation on April 14 is had, and the larger church has had a chance to share their vision for the future of worship at Benson Baptist, we cannot know what is ahead of us.
Others of you have asked where our current ministerial staff are on the possibility of one service. I won't speak for the others, but I myself am in the middle–– willing to go whichever way that the church decides, as long as we glorify Jesus in our worship (whatever it may look like!).
So, that is where these two conversations are. I look forward to listening as you all share your thoughts on the future of worship (whether that is change, or things stay as they are), when Dr. Wakefield facilitates that conversation on April 14. I also look forward to the recommendations that will come from our Governance Restructuring Steering Committee.
Until then, I look forward to continuing to worship alongside you as we seek to be the best outpost of the Kingdom of Christ that we can be as we share the gospel with those around us.
The best is yet to be!
Posted in pastorsparagraphs
No Comments