Brace for IMPACT! tagged: , ,

Brace for IMPACT!

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Welcome to our new adventure!

I think most will agree that the tone of conversations on many of our SBC-related blogs has become a bit shrill, at best … and somewhat caustic, at worst. Let’s face it … if you can’t see it, it’s because you don’t want to see it. It’s called denial.

We Baptist bloggers, deservedly or not, have rapidly developed a not-so-flattering reputation. Because a handful of people have chosen to engage in tactics that sometimes appear to be less than honorable in their quest to affect top-down change in our convention, the rest of us who write and engage through this forum (blogs) have suffered a rather dramatic and significant “guilt by association.”

I will be the first to admit that there is, most certainly, a need for many changes in the Southern Baptist Convention. I am very concerned about the future of the SBC, as so many of our precious, faithful older saints are passing on to be with the Lord, yet so few within the younger generations are being reached. Surely significant change is needed, lest we end up with thousands of empty church “museums” in the next ten to twenty years.

But, contrary to some, I do not believe anyone can bring about foundational change by challenging the leaders at the “top” of our SBC. Why? Because the true building blocks of our common fellowship are not located at the top. They are not located within offices in Nashville, Richmond, or Alpharetta. True denominational “power” cannot to be found within any committee, or trustee board, or even the presidential offices of any SBC agency or seminary. If we want to bring about real change, we will never get it done by calling for some SBC leader’s head on a plate. We just need to remind all of our leaders of who puts the dollars in the offering plates.

The real building blocks of our convention are spread out over the thousands of local Southern Baptist churches that minister within our local communities. If we want to bring about real change, foundational change, fundamental change in the SBC … then we must focus upon those local churches , their pastors and staff, and the people who fill their chairs and pews. We must elevate our missionaries who serve the Lord faithfully on their mission fields.

And that is the goal of sbc IMPACT! This new collaborative blog is the heart-felt vision of a group of Southern Baptist Bloggers who desire to see a bit more honor, grace, and civility in the SBC blogosphere. We want to host discussions of issues that touch local churches and local church pastors. We’re not afraid to tackle some of the tougher issues that are being discussed in Baptist life today, but we have all agreed that we refuse to allow the discussion of such issues to devolve into attacks upon our fellow Southern Baptists.

So we want to take discussion and debate in a different direction. As “iron sharpens iron,” it is our hope and prayer that these discussions will, indeed, have a positive IMPACT! upon Southern Baptist life.

Here are a few of the features that I think will make this blog unique:

  • Contributors from different walks of SBC life. This blog does not represent any one “camp” within the SBC. We have gathered pastors, lay-people, counselors … even an SBC missionary … from throughout the SBC. We believe that the stories posted here will represent a broad cross-section of SBC life.
  • A focus on Scripture. Hariette Petersen (aka – SelahV) has graciously consented to write a daily devotional for our blog. It’s called Daily IMPACT!, and can be accessed by clicking the link on our page bar. Make it a part of your daily walk with the Lord.
  • A focus on local churches. Every Friday we will have a Local Church IMPACT! feature that highlights the missional outreach of a local Southern Baptist church. We hope that our readers will soon begin to submit stories and pictures for this Friday feature. If you have an idea or submission, just send me an e-mail.
  • Great guest contributors. We welcome the submissions of guest contributors from various walks of Southern Baptist life for publication at sbc IMPACT! (and not just the seminary/”intellectual” crowd.) We want to highlight the thoughts and writings of our fellow Southern Baptists “in the trenches” of ministry. Again, if you would like to be involved, just send an e-mail.

I’m sure that other ideas will develop in the days ahead. This is just the beginning for us. But please understand our hearts. We are not professional writers or journalists. We are merely a group of Southern Baptists who want to engage in a medium that we all enjoy, and see that medium used to the glory of God. We believe it is possible. And we hope you do, too.

Again, welcome to sbc IMPACT! Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas here. We are honored by your visit and we value your input. Together we can make an IMPACT! upon this convention that we all hold so dear.