The new Church Growth initiative, Turnaround 2020, was recently launched at the 2016 Mission & Ministry Summit. General Baptist Ministries is pleased to announce the launch of the corresponding website, www.turnaround2020.net!
Turnaround 2020 will assist General Baptist churches to discover and to achieve their full redemptive potential by the year 2020. Many participating churches will see significant increases in attendance. Others will double or triple in size as they realize the potential the Lord has placed before them. Still others will see revitalized programs and more effective ministries. Turnaround, by simple definition, results in something different. Change can be awkward and frightening or it can be pleasant and rewarding. Undergirding our overall approach to turnaround in existing congregations are four core principles that will always show up in turnaround.
- An outward focus will be regained or intensified.
- Members will display responsible, high-expectation behavior.
- A clear discipleship process will be in place.
- Leadership and relational skills will constantly improve.
Turnaround 2020 is offered to maximize Kingdom impact by equipping and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission. Many of these churches are already well down the road of turnaround. Others are just beginning that sometimes daunting task. Thus in addition to the plan book, coaching and mentoring opportunities will also be organized for those who are willing to make that level of higher commitment.
Turnaround 2020 addresses three important areas of turnaround found in numeric decline, the lack of evangelism and ministry ineffectiveness.
These will be addressed through a plan book produced annually to provide assistance with assessment, systems development and leadership training. A storyboard of real life turnaround efforts reported by a variety of churches will also be developed as a companion piece and included on the website. The plan book will be freely distributed by download and made available to all who request it.
My first mission trip abroad was alongside one of my deacons, Ken Morris, in which I was to preach and he would lead worship on a medical/mission team. Our trip began at Faith Home where we visited with the children and workers and toured the grounds. We then traveled with the rest of our team several hours by bus over difficult terrain to the capital city of Tegucigalpa and then to a very remote village in the hills near Tegucigalpa.