Wednesday 14 Jun
Celebrating where we are and seeking God's leading for the next steps.
The year is flying by!
As I write this update, I am mindful we are almost at the half-way mark of the year, as well at the mid-point on our 2021-2025 Strategic Roadmap journey. I am very encouraged by the progress we have made on this year’s ministry priorities and our longer-term strategic directions. You can read more about our Strategic Roadmap here >>
As a kid growing up and playing rugby league in Newcastle, half-time in a footy match always involved an energy hit with cut-up oranges. I had some oranges with me last week as I met with National Team colleagues to celebrate teamwork, acknowledge completed initiatives, and re-group as we look ahead to new challenges and opportunities.
And you – a valued partner of Baptist Mission Australia – are very much a part of our story.
Our faithful and generous partners across Australia play a vital role in enabling our teams in Africa, Australia to embrace God’s gracious invitation to mission. You’re not on the sidelines. You are very much a part of our shared faith story.
This support was seen so wonderfully across the country during May Mission Month. Thank you to all churches, small groups, mission teams and individuals who hosted intercultural and national team members. It was my privilege to visit six cities in five states during May, celebrating partnership and unpacking our Alongsiders theme.
It’s not too late to support our May Mission Month appeal. You can make a Kingdom investment, a life-changing gift today here >>
As we think about the 'half-time' image, it’s good to remind ourselves of the importance of pausing to thank God for His faithful leading and celebrate shared ministry achievements. In my own personal life and leadership, and in our shared ministry at Baptist Mission Australia, I have been encouraged recently by the words from the Will Small poem We Made it to Here.
One stanza reads: “But, if we made it to here, Maybe we have everything it takes to make it to there!”
These words resonated for me, alongside our 2023 theme, The God who goes before us.
We have faced many challenges as a mission community over recent years – some global, like the pandemic – some local, like our journey of significant transition. In the midst of all these experiences we have seen our faithful God continuing to lead us, and we have faced much together, as a big team of teams, as a community of Jesus followers.
As we thank God at the half-way mark of our five-year strategic roadmap journey, we also look ahead in our rapidly changing world and with huge shifts in world Christianity.
Our Leadership Team will value your prayers as we develop a Future Directions Paper that will capture the key directions that we believe God’s Spirit is leading us in. All Western mission agencies face big challenges in our rapidly changing world. But there are also many new opportunities emerging as we look to partner with others. As we consider our future directions, we will need to embrace courageous conversations and be willing to change in response to the Spirit’s leading.
But such an approach is very much a part of the DNA of our mission community. Over more than 140 years we have made many shifts and journeyed through many different seasons, confident in a faithful God – a God who goes before us!
Yes, we have made it to here, with the leading of the Spirit! And as we step out in faith, God promises us we have everything we need in him to make it to “there”!
Thank you for being on this rich faith journey with us.
Grace and peace
Scott
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