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sbc IMPACT! Set to Launch on September 1
Posted by Geoff Baggett in Uncategorized
sbc IMPACT!, an exciting, new collaborative blog site, will officially launch on Saturday, September 1.
sbc IMPACT! is the vision of a group of Southern Baptist bloggers who desire to host a truly edifying, thought-provoking, civil community for the examination and discussion of issues that affect Southern Baptist churches.
Instead of dwelling upon SBC politics and personalities, sbc IMPACT! will be a place where issues, even the tough issues, can be discussed and debated in a God-honoring manner. It will be a place where Southern Baptist ministries, churches, and missionaries can be highlighted and lifted up. It will be a place where differing views can be stated in an atmosphere of dignity and respect.
In short, the contributors at sbc IMPACT! want to work to bring Christ-like character, honorable speech, and real ministry to the discussion of Southern Baptist issues in the blogosphere. Our contributors are SBC pastors, ministers, lay-people, and bloggers. Take time to visit our Contributors page and get to know us. Take time to send an e-mail of encouragement.
Tell everyone you can that an exciting, new blog community is coming to SBC life. Add us to your blogroll. Come and visit when we launch on Saturday, September 1. And please do not hesitate to join in the community and conversation. We value your ministry, your kinship in Christ, and your views. We know that you have something valuable to offer your fellow Southern Baptists.
We’ll be “tweaking” the site and making a few changes between now and the launch date, so be patient with us. Hopefully, if you will take a careful look at our Purpose Statement and Standards for commenting, you will truly understand our hearts and desires for this endeavor. Meanwhile … if there are any topics or issues that you would like to see discussed in this forum, just leave us a comment.
God bless all. We’ll see you on the 1st! 
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My first stops at blogs lately has been Les and Geoff, but I guess they both get bumped now!
Let me say this as delicately as possible: I believe this to be the best option period for a group blog dedicated to talking about REAL ministry.
Blessings,
Mike
I think you guys and gal will do a marvelous job. I have respected and appreciated Hariette for some time. I look forward to what you guys will do.
God’s Blessings
Bro. Robin
P.S. If you aren’t too busy, visit us as SBC Today. Love to have ya!
Great news! God bless. I’ll certainly be reading.
Good for you. Actually a site I can read without needing to shower afterwards.
I look forward to reading some practical stuff that will help small churches.
This looks great, guys! I look forward to what you have to offer!
Looks good. I hope this blog can stay out of the sphere of blossiping that so infects SBC blogs.
God bless.
I look forward to this as well.
Friends,
Thanks for all of your kind words and encouragement. It is our hope that this endeavor will be something very different, and very positive, in the SBC blogging world. We are humbled by all of the enthusiasm and interest … especially since we haven’t actually written anything yet.
We are eagerly anticipating the “launch date” of Saturday, September 1. I hope that you will stop by. And don’t forget to invite a friend or two.
Blessings,
Geoff
Geoff,
I trust the launch goes as planned and that our Lord is honored in all. With that, I am…
Peter
Steve,
I love the word blossiping. That is a hoot. And I promise, no blossiping on this blog. We are strictly a Philippians 4:8 kind of community.
[...] Read more>> [...]
As a reader of blogs I’ve noted that SBC bloggers tend to assume that all their readers are to a certain extent theologically trained. This is not the case guys. The community of the SBC is built around the Faith and Message. As a suggestion, if your blog would have an ongoing article by article explanation/commentary of our doctrinal document. I would be a very loyal reader. Not to stir up controversy but to provide some historical/theological reason for the way certain articles are worded. This would build the SBC community and the individual believer.
Hello Bill Dodrell: what an excellent suggestion. Kind of like a study class online with questions and answers on each subject? Is that what you have in mind? selahV
So long as things were said in Christian love the fellowship around a theological discussion provides me with much food for mediation and personal Bible study. It could only assist in building the SBC blog community. Truly there are few Baptists who have any idea what makes up baptist polity, and why. Frankly it should be taught from the pulpit more and worked into SBC Sunday school literature on a regular basis, perhaps once a quarter the entire convention should have ‘Why I’m a baptist’ Sunday. Okay not I’m venting so I’m stop.
Well, Bill, if that is how you vent, I hope everyone vents as kindly. those are good ideas. I’ll defer to the pastors in the group as to how a lay-person might approach a pastor to have those things implemented in a church. I especially like the Why I am a Baptist nite. Celebrate our heritage with dramas that bring out the history of old. Lots of things could be introduced in a way that would stimulate greater interest.
Most of anyone would say in most circles I’m in that a preacher worth his salt has all the BF&M filtered into his sermons on a weekly basis. However, an indepth study would be best served from the pulpit I think. good thoughts. selahV
I am looking forward to the launch!
I, too, look forward to your launch! I can’t wait to see what you will be about.
Blessings!
Quinn & Rick,
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I ask that you pray for this forum, that what happens here will bring glory to our Lord. I know that we can host good conversations about difficult subjects in a God-honoring way … we do it at church every week!
This looks great. I hope we can all keep this as it needs to be.
Chuck,
We will do our best and let scripture be our guide. In fact, we are updating our standards to include scripture that will help guide our discussion. Pray for us! And join our God-honoring, church-edifying, saint-encouraging dialogue.
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Philippians 2:1-2
Roger, may I kindly suggest that you take that even one step further in your thinking: Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.
Why do I make that distinction? Not for the charismatic reasons that some may hastily conclude. But rather because I have seen several blogs which propogate harsh, unloving, bitingly sarcastic posts and comments — all the while defending their method with biblical examples of sarcasm and harsh speaking. They would confidently say that they are letting scripture be their guide.
I think that approach is misguided at best. So, I would encourage you and your fellow contributors to let the Holy Spirit guide your writing and responding. That may manifest in specific scriptural foundations for what/how you write, or it may be that nudging in your spirit on a post/comment that leads you to write or not to write.
I don’t know if that makes sense, but I just wanted to give that little thought. Take it for what it is, and feel free to ignore it!
Having said all that, Philippians 2:1-2 that you quoted above is certainly very good ground to stand on!
steve s.,
silly me, i thought that following scripture was following the Holy Spirit? i didnt know that They were opposed to each other. i believe that we should follow the scripture and let the Holy Spirit control us…control our emotions and tongues and attitudes. the Spirit would never lead us to do anything against the bible…would He? in fact, He always wants us to follow the clear teachings of scripture and glorify Jesus!
i agree with the spirit of what you wrote though…..that we should let our words be seasoned with grace and love. that we should use wisdom in how we say what we say, and we should be kind and respectful in our words. i admit that i have failed in this from time to time. with God’s help, i’m trying to do better. although, there are some out there who see something bad and evil and mean in everything that i say.
oh well, that’s life, i guess.
david
Steve: thank you for the gentle urging to allow the Spirit to be our guide in all we think, write and say. I do understand what you mean by letting scripture be our guide. Too often I’ve discovered we can think up some thing to write about and then scramble for verses to back up our points. Or we can take a scripture out of context and use it to write some witty or defaming article, using the reference to validate our position.
As David, so aptly says, we should allow both to reach into the recesses of our minds, hearts and souls as we seek to engage each other on our quest to glorify God and honor Him with our endeavors. It is a blessing to have both you, Steve, and David drop in and leave a footprint. We look forward to serving you through the conversations ahead and pray our focus ever remains upon Jesus our Lord. that’s life for me. selahV
What Selah said (I could not have said it better – so I will just leave it alone).
Rob
Steve,
Thanks for your words. I agree completely. My thinking in letting our readers know that scripture would guide us is a response to the lack of scripture I see on many Christian blogs. I have been a bit surprised at the lack of biblical references and not surprised that such a lack occasioned unbibical behavior. Yes, we will let the Spirit and the Word guide us, rebuke us and shape us as we converse.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:7-14
Praise God for the consistency and conviction of the Word made flesh and the Spirit!
David, I should have been much clearer in what I wrote. Your first paragraph provides a whole flock of red herrings and a few straw men for the herrings to fly around
Letting the Spirit guide us, by definition, would include scripture, but would also provide a protection against “proof-texting” ungodly behavior, as I explained.
steve,
“i see,” said the blind man. thanks for the clearing up, my bro.
david
I look forward to this new electronic community. Cooperation and community under the authority of the Scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit are the strengths of the SBC.
Steve,
You have provided some food for thought (I also went to your website)! The question I would have is this – would the Spirit of God “contradict” that which He has already spoken (Scripture). At what extent, in other words, will the Spirit lead us into “new things” in which the canon remains silent? That is the harbinger of a post! Thank you very much (I needed some help since Geoff is kinda demanding some scheduling inputs!)
Rob
Steve,
Perhaps I am having a weird day, but unless you are prescribing to some kind of macro-evolution now, fish don’t fly…at least, not herring…
Steve,
I understand exactly what you are thinking. Christianity has about 2,000 years of experience in taking our behaviors (no matter how unthinkable those behaviors might be) and justifying them with out-of-context Scripture quotations. I hear what you’re saying.
But trust us … we really do want things to be different in this forum.
Tony, I don’t know, man … those herring fly off of plates over in Eastern North Carolina (I used to live in Williamston – Martin County). Corned herring, scored and deep fried. They put ‘em down, bones and all. I think some call them “Roanoke River Bacon.” Now those herring do fly!
The irony of all this is that I told Tony I probably wouldn’t comment much on this blog, and here I am stirring up trouble and you guys haven’t officially launched yet! I’m sorry!!
What was meant to be an encouraging nudge toward the Holy Spirit has apparently been misconstrued on some levels.
Let me be absolutely clear about one thing. I do not in any way believe that the Holy Spirit would guide us in a direction that is counter to what God has already revealed. (I also don’t believe herring can literally fly, but my attempt at absurdity was taken a bit too literally! hehe)
I believe that the role of scripture is to point us to Jesus (John 5:39). Likewise, Paul exhorts us to walk in the Spirit.
Look at Galatians 5:19-26. The things that are agreed on this blog as attitudes and tones that are to be avoided are listed among the deeds of the flesh. “enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,” among others.
The antidote that Paul gives to this is not scripture, per se, but rather the Spirit.
To some that appears to be nitpicking. However, I think that it is important that we “speak biblically”. If scripture is a product of the Spirit, then of course, scripture will be a great resource. But when it comes to specifics of “how should I respond to this commenter”, or even “should I respond to this commenter”, there is not a direct scripture verse to guide in that. In cases like that, we must be able to follow the lead of the Spirit in us.
“Spirit” may (and does) include “scripture”, but “scripture” does not equal “Spirit”.
That’s all I meant by it.
Steve,
Knowing you as long as I have, I know your heart here. In keeping the bar high, my prayer for this new blog has actually been along the lines of what you are saying.
There are going to be those who want to micro-scrutinize everything we say and read back into those things veiled references and innuendos. Such is the manner of keyboard to monitor communication, so we must choose our words wisely and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
I think we can do that as long as we try to the best of our abilities and the resources we are invested by the Holy Spirit not to give any occasion for the flesh. One of the agreements among the collaborators has been to hold one another accountable for grace seasoned speech, right guys? And the lady, too!
So everyone, please hear Steve’s heart here. He is not trying to stir up trouble, but being a veteran blogger himself, he knows how things can quickly degenerate. He brings a level of wisdom to this arena that we would all do good to emulate.
Geoff,
Now, pigs can fly. I still don’t know about fish. Bones and all? That’s just gross.
Tony, you bless me, brother. We really must find a way to enjoy a Starbucks together again sometime, my friend.
Thank you for being my “Barnabas” here.
Steve: I understood you right out of the starting gate, bro. Your words reflect your heart.
Starbucks? don’t ya’ll know how much that stuff costs? selahV
Looking forward to the grand opening. Here’s hoping it does better than SBC outpost…
Chris,
While some no doubt will see sbc IMPACT! as a competing alternative to Outpost, we believe that there are enough distinct differences between the focus of our sites that, in time, the two will be linked only by the commonality that we are both group blogs involving SBC folks. There’s room enough in SBC life for all of us.
That’s not to say that we will be without fault or that we support everything at Outpost. We recognize that all sites have faults, and we fully anticipate that we will have a few warts as well. The point is simply that we will not throw stones at others in SBC life, be it Outpost, denominational leaders, or anyone else.
Now, we don’t believe that stone throwing was the intent of your comment, so please don’t interpret this response in that manner. We did, however, want to take this opportunity to clarify our intentions.
Anyway, we most certainly appreciate your well wishes and prayers for sbc IMPACT!
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