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Some
Assembly Required Makes an Impact in
St. Louis
“Of all
the meetings I’ve been to, this is my all-time favorite,” beamed one
attendee to the recent 2009 CBF of Missouri General Assembly. “I hope
you’ll do this again,” said another.
What made
the meeting unique is easy to identify: an intentional focus on Christian
service. Gone were the breakout sessions and passive learning of previous
General Assemblies, replaced by hands-on ministry outlets in and through
the host church, Third Baptist in
St. Louis
.
“What
really made this event successful was the incredible preparation done by
Third Baptist,” noted CBF of Missouri coordinator Harold Phillips.
“The church has strong relationships with many ministry partners and
service agencies in the area, and that made it easy for us to engage in
Christian service that was truly meaningful to the community and to the
congregation.”
About a
dozen service outlets were available to General Assembly attendees. Some
teams fanned out across the
St. Louis
neighborhood of
Grand
Center
, wearing the yellow “Some Assembly Required” shirts provided to
registrants. Other teams worked inside the church building, helping in
ministries of the church or preparing items for other outside ministries.
Third Baptist’s recently-completed area needs assessment helped to
identify the most beneficial service opportunities for the day.
Several
teams of volunteers were among those working on Saturday. A team from
Central Baptist Theological Seminary – including students, staff and
President Molly Marshall -- made their way to
St. Louis
to serve. A team of church members from Overland Baptist and a team of
college students from
Southeast
Missouri
State
University
were also part of the day’s activities.
“I hope
that more
Missouri
institutions and churches will bring service teams to this event in the
future,” said Jeff Langford, CBF of Missouri associate coordinator.
“It is a wonderful way to live out one’s faith – to be the presence
of Christ in a particular setting. But it can also be a great bonding time
for small groups.”
Inspiring
Worship
During the worship service on Friday night, Attendees were
challenged to take Saturday’s time of service seriously. Warren Hoffman,
pastor of
Third
Baptist
Church
, encouraged the group to consecrate themselves, just as the Israelites
prepared themselves for crossing the
Jordan River
into the Promised Land. The music - provided by a mass choir, full
orchestra, and Third Baptist’s vocal ensemble, VOX – inspired a deep
sense of worship as well as an excitement about Saturday’s service
opportunities.
Missional
Banquet
Several ministries and initiatives were highlighted at the annual
Missional Banquet on Friday night. Harold Phillips and Tommy Goode
reported on CBF of Missouri’s work with the Stewards of Olive Branch
Baptist Church near
Sedalia
. Jeff Langford spoke about Emerge leadership development sessions ongoing
in
Kansas City
and coming in the fall to
St. Louis
. Caleb Tankersley spoke about his experiences with Student.Go last summer
and Alyssa Bennett shared about her commitment to Student.Go in
Washington
D.C.
this summer (see related story). Melissa Hatfield reported on CBF of
Missouri’s Change for Children partnership in
Kenya
,
Africa
, including the opportunity of a return trip to Ngerenya in the Spring of
2010. Finally, attendees heard from Sasa and Mira Zivanov, ministers to
the Bosnian immigrant community in
St. Louis
. Harold Phillips closed the meeting with special thanks and recognition
to those churches and individuals who have contributed to the work of the
Fellowship in
Missouri
this past year.
After
Friday’s annual Leadership Seminar (see
related article), a number of individuals attended CBF of Missouri’s
Business Session. Members approved the $220,000 Ministry Plan for
2009-2010. In addition, new Coordinating Council members were approved:
Vice Moderator, Bruce Gentry, Director and Chair of Bible at the Baptist
Student Center at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau;
Cory Goode, associate pastor at University Heights Baptist Church in
Springfield; and Mike McKinney, pastor of Leawood Baptist Church in
Leawood, KS.
Agape
Meal
A shared meal closed the 2009 General Assembly. Attendees were
encouraged to sit at tables with those who had served at a different site
and then to share stories about what they had seen and done. The meal
ended with a short time of worship and sharing communion around the
tables.
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The 2010 CBF of Missouri
General Assembly will be held on April 16-17 at University
Heights Baptist Church in Springfield. The meeting will be a
hands-on service event, similar to the 2009 meeting in St. Louis.
More details will be posted
here as they become available.
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