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Jefferson City, will be speaking, and Second
Baptist Church will also be leading our
Saturday worship. Second Baptist
Church was established by slaves who
were formally members of First
Baptist Church in the period
prior to the Civil War. What a
wonderful opportunity for us
to think together about what it
means to build a community
of peace and reconciliation as
we gather with these two great congregations.
The tragic events this past year in Ferguson, Missouri, and in other communities across our nation have made it clear that we have a long way to go if we would live out the ideals upon which our nation was founded, and even further if we would build a community based upon the justice and compassion found in the covenant relationships in the scriptures.
The Annual Gathering will also be the time when our Board of Directors recommends approval our Vision 2020: Engaging the Future with Hope strategic plan for 2015 through 2020. The revised mission statement is: Churchnet serves churches by fostering collaboration and hope for engaging new generations and cultures. This mission grew directly out of our conversations with congregations and leaders across our state.
The plan establishes four areas of strategic initiative which will guide our
ministry as we seek to serve churches:
• Facilitate Missional Collaboration
• Develop Hope-Filled Strategies
• Engage New Generations & Cultures
• Expand Community Involvement
I hope you will come to the Annual Gathering and learn more about the Vision
2020 plan as we consider God’s will for the future of our ministry together.
"Churchnet serves churches by
fostering collaboration and hope for engaging new generations and cultures."