"Catalyst Ministry Plan 2020-21: Renew" by Jason Edwards

Raise your hand if you've had to cancel some plans this year.

Yes … yes … yes … yes over there in the back …. I see that hand.

Most of us (all of us?) have had to cancel plans this year. Family plans, work plans, school plans, and ministry plans have been canceled, adjusted, or postponed again and again and again. Many organizations over the past several years capitalized on this year's coming by naming their dreaming and planning efforts "Vision 2020," which is ironic because I daresay no one's vision of 2020 was quite clear.

However, I have found some of our ministry planning ended up being more relevant than I'd imagined in advance. For instance, in the Spring of 2019, we planned a Lenten series entitled "Dissident Discipleship," rooted in Jesus' command to love our neighbors as ourselves as a way of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The Greatest Commandment is always relevant, of course, but when I shaped that series in March of 2019, I had no idea how extra-relevant it would be throughout this strange season that was kicked off in March of 2020. God needed us (needs us) to renew our commitment to loving our neighbor well. We need God to renew our souls for this (loving) work still.

Which brings me to another bit of advance 2020 planning that has ripened with age. Months ago, as our Pastoral Staff was dreaming together about future ministry, we engaged in a series of energizing conversations about our church and our world. We talked about needs: the stress, strain, struggle, and strife we see in and between so many. People are weary. We talked about the unique things we love about our church and the unique ways we believed it could impact individuals and our world. We talked about issues of justice and ways we could continue partnering with God to combat injustice. We dreamed together about many things, with a common thread emerging throughout: Renew!

People are weary and longing for renewal. Could we be a congregation of renewal? Many people would love to belong to a faith community that holds space for their faith questions. Our church holds just this kind of space for nuance and doubt as we nurture faith together. Might we renew our witness in a way that will help those who are looking for us, find us? We are increasingly aware of our need to work against inequity and all kinds of injustice. Let's renew and deepen our commitment of being a community for justice. It's been a decade since our church participated in a focused discernment process together. When we did, we sensed it would help shape our next ten years. It's time to renew our vision.

Throughout the pandemic, these needs have become more pressing. People need renewal now more acute. The world hasn't just changed. It's changing. Now is the time to clarify our identity and renew our vision. 

This renewal won't happen in a month, but in a month, we hope we'll all renew our commitment to making it and so much more happen in and through the life of our church. This is your first invitation to participate in that. Please be present for worship on October 11, 18, and 25 as we reflect on what it might mean for us to renew our vision, community, witness, faith, and mission in the coming years. Please read the Catalyst information we'll send out by mail, email, and social media. Please consider the financial commitment God is calling you to make to mission and ministry in and through Second Baptist Church over the next two years and become prepared to send your commitment card to Second Baptist by the end of October.

We are planning to participate in God's renewal. Will you join us?

I see that hand!

Jason Edwards,  Senior Pastor