Discipleship and Spiritual Formation Ministry Plan 2013
The Spiritual Ministry of Broadway Baptist Church seeks to form people into the image of Christ that they may better minister to and serve others. Our hope is to be a place where we can be fed through a combination of Bible study, prayer, shared worship, ministry to others, small group studies and fellowship.
I. Foundations:
Sunday School, focusing on Biblical study, foundation, and support for one another. Include a focus on outreach, involving more church members and non-church members.
Small Groups ranging in age and interest that promote spiritual growth, practice, and outreach.
Currently we have small groups ranging from Biblical, to book studies, to the Reel Spirituality, and Companions in Christ groups. I would like to continue these as well as add a small groups for parents of teenagers, and groups related to missions in the community. We did not begin a Missions Small Group, but we did have a small group for Parents/Guardians of young children.
Studies/Retreats for a variety of ages.
The most popular retreat that currently happens for adults is the Women’s Retreat each fall. I would like to add a College age retreat as well as a day- long Church-wide retreat to the Abbey at Gethsemene. The retreat to Gethsemene would need to take place in early fall or late spring when the weather is warmer. The only retreat added was for Young Adults. A College Retreat and Day at the Abbey are planned for 2014.
II. Goals
Create a Small Group with an emphasis on prayer: learning about and practicing a variety of ways to pray. This will either begin or culminate with a Sunday worship service centered on prayer and practice.
A Small group open to all ages that would begin in fall 2013 and be led by someone who has previous experience in the “Companions in Christ” style groups. This would be a 6-8 week group. Susan will recruit the leader and provide the literature.
Create a church-wide “Prayer Walk” designed to give members a chance to pray for and learn about various ministries as they move through the church facilities. Completed.
To be held in May 2013, led by Bob Johnson and the Spiritual Formation Team.
Grow the Service in September concept – continue with a day of service in September, adding on 3-4 more days throughout the year that would be modeled after the “Workship” style of hands on missions. Service in September, goal of 5 projects with at least 80 participants. “Workship” goal of 4 work days throughout the year, with at least 25 participants at each project.
Service in September will be held Saturday, September 7, 2013. Other “workship” days will be held quarterly, based on availability of mission sites and church calendar. Susan will work with the Love in Action Team, Missions Committee, and various groups in the church to encourage ongoing mission projects for all ages. No Church-wide work days added, but we did add two work days for GenNext.
Assist a limited number of families who lose a child in death and need assistance in paying some or all of the funeral expenses. The lead Sunday school class will offer additional ministries such as food, listening, and presence. - Not accomplished.
The Women of Grace class will work with the Spiritual Formation Team to assist families when needed. The number of families assisted will be based on the amount of funds available.
Encourage individuals to view themselves as ministers of Christ by answering these questions and acting upon them: (1) What am I good at? (2) What do I enjoy doing? (3) How can this be used in ministry that reflects well on the Lord Jesus Christ, Broadway Baptist Church, while enhancing the spiritual life of the individual involved.
The questionnaire was given by Bob at the January potluck luncheon. Answers are being shared by Bob with ministers and other appropriate church leaders. Accomplished.
III. Dreams:
Start a new Inter-generational Sunday School class focused on Biblical Study
Susan will talk with some church members currently not involved in Sunday School to determine the interest in such a class and the possible start date for a new class.
Form a small group for fall 2013/spring 2014 to do Hands on missions/service in the community
This small group may work in conjunction with the quarterly “workship” projects to provide ongoing support to agencies in our community. Susan will work with the Missions Committee to explore opportunities and leadership for the group.
Begin planning an Inter-generational mission trip within the U.S. (or an international adult mission trip) to be implemented in 2014.
Susan will work with the Missions Committee and church members who are interested in leading/coordinating such a trip. We will explore options with Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Buckner International.
Small Group Dreams
To have at least 15 small groups that meet regularly throughout the year, that would engage 10+ people per group.
In May, Susan will work with the Spiritual Formation Team to set 6 small groups for the fall, 6 for the Spring and 3 other groups for the summer, or ongoing basis.
We ended up with 4 groups in the fall, 4 groups in the Spring and 2 ongoing groups.
Develop a wider range of groups in terms of age, spiritual development and interest. (Ex: “beginner” Bible Study groups, “Companions in Christ” style groups, Spiritual Practices, Hands on Missions, and Outreach oriented).
Explore the development of home-based small groups.
These two goals will be taken into account in the planning of the small groups listed above.