OUR VISION

HEALTHY PASTORS in HEALTHY CHURCHES

Our vision is that in the future the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island will be known by the all-encompassing health of their pastors and the healthy life of their congregations.

By healthy pastors we mean pastors who are strong spiritually, solid emotionally, well-rounded theologically, well equipped, and with a positive attitude, good character, displaying an abundant life of integrity.

By healthy churches we mean caring and healing congregations that are open to continuing renewal through discipleship, experiencing growth in maturity, witness, and outreach; knowing how to deal with conflict in constructive ways; and developing church and community leaders.

OUR MISSION

Based upon our commitment to Jesus, the Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit we, the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island exist to resource our people and to engage in Christ-centered ministries by promoting and building healthy pastors and healthy churches to bring the whole gospel to the whole world.

We, the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island:

•  Believe that God the Creator, Redeemer and Counselor is the force behind our ministry. We read Scriptures in search of God’s wisdom, grace and direction.

• Uphold the Baptist Principles of soul liberty, separation of church and State, autonomy of the local church and freedom of interpretation of Scriptures, and a regenerated church membership; and we celebrate our American Baptist identity as a non-hierarchical, non-creedal, missionary-minded, evangelistic, and socially responsible body of churches.

• Understand to resource as the act of providing our churches with all types of support: moral, financial, hands-on, consulting, referrals, curriculum, and diverse kinds of equipping.

• Understand Christ-centered ministries reflect the life and message of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We intend to engage such ministries by being a prophetic voice and presence in Rhode Island, and by offering services to and maintaining relationships with the larger community as well as the members of our regional family.

• Understand we are called to proclaim and live out the whole gospel as described by Jesus when he said he came to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom to the captive, sight to the blind, and healing to the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18-19); when he said we should cover the naked, feed the hungry, visit the imprisoned, and welcome the stranger (Mathew 25); when he said to love one another as we love ourselves (the Great Commandment); and when he said we must proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations (the Great Commission).

• Are called to impact the whole world with our ministry by doing mission at the local and global levels, by honoring God’s diversity, and by promoting good stewardship of God’s creation.

 

 

OUR MINISTRY

BOARD OF MINISTRIES

Composition

Voting members:

President

Vice-President

Treasurer

Assistant Treasurer

Clerk

One member from each Ministry team

One member of Operations

Executive Minister

Three members at large

Non-voting members:

            Six representatives of the affiliated organizations

            Two Executive Staff

Functions

• Establish and clarify policy
• Hire Executive staff to implement policy
• Articulate new structure in order to support the constituents during the transition process
  • Will be trained to answer question
  • Will clarify areas of ministry responsibilities
  • Will be a clearinghouse to direct constituents to the appropriate areas of ministry
  • Will periodically assess the effectiveness of the transition process

PASTORAL LEADERSHIP MINISTRIES

Will offer training, support, and appropriate process oversight for ordination and ministerial standing.

Composition of the team

            Five members

            Staff participation as needed

Functions

• Functional ordination process
• Pastors spiritual growth and renewal
• Ministerial standing
• New pastors
• Interim ministers
• Church planters
• Covenant pastors
• Pastoral development
  • Continuing education
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Vocational
• Support structure
  • Marriage
  • Pastor-to-pastors
  • Family life
  • Emotional support
  • Self-care

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE MINISTRIES

Will resource local congregations to enhance their organization, ministries and over-all health.

Composition

            Five members

            Staff participation as needed

Functions

• Church administration and management
• Special events (AG)
• Camp curriculum and program
• Order of worship samples (special events)
• Conflict management
• Pastoral searches
• New Church Planting
• New Life 2010
• Envisioning
• Financial development and stewardship
• Referral center
• Lay leadership development
• Leadership transitions
• Church growth
• Diagnostic tools and processes
• Youth ministries (YMPT)
• Public Relations

SOCIAL WITNESS MINISTRIES

Will assist the churches in defining social witness issues in their communities, resource them to address those issues, and facilitate networking around those issues among diverse churches and/or communities that otherwise would not be as effective individually.

Composition

            Five members

            Staff participation as needed

Functions

• Children in poverty
• Interfaith and ecumenical work
• Peace mission
• Sustainability
• Immigration
• Chaplaincy
• Discipleship
• Christian Education

EVANGELISTIC WITNESS MINISTRIES

Will assist local churches to define their missional passions, resource them to carry them out, and facilitate networking around those passions among diverse churches and/or communities that otherwise would not be as effective individually.

Composition

            Five members

            Staff participation as needed

Functions

• Evangelism
• Mission trips
• Mission Explosion
• Evangelism training
• Grandparents camp

OPERATIONS

Will serve the four areas of ministry by managing assets, coordinating budgets and fundraising, and evaluating the overall fiscal responsibility in relationship to the progress of our ministries.

Composition

• Treasurer
• Assistant Treasurer
• Development person
• Budget person
• BFRI representative
• Fundraising person
• Properties representative
• Personnel representative
• Investments representative
• Staff participation as needed

Functions

• Baptist Fund of Rhode Island
• Budget
• Investments
• Property
• Stewardship
• United Mission giving
• Development
• Personnel

PROGRAMS – SPIRITUAL LIFE – COMMUNICATIONS

These will be meetings convened by the Executive Minister to coordinate the different ministries.

Representatives of each area of ministry will attend these meetings. The agenda of each meeting will focus on programs, spiritual life and communications.

Informational Forum Dates will begin promptly at the listed times.

March 13                     7 – 8 p.m.                  First, East Greenwich
March 30                     4 -- 6 p.m.                  United, Newport
April 2                          7 – 8 p.                       TBA Providence area church