God’s mission, your passion A look at the life-changing ministries of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Answering God’s call I have heard stories of the ways that God is using the Fellowship to change lives. Your own call to Christlike living has made our life-changing work possible. Hundreds of churches have joined in the work of field personnel so that thousands of others experienced the presence of Christ through Fellowship ministries. The difference your Fellowship makes extends from hospitals, military installations and prisons, where more than 700 CBF-endorsed chaplains comfort people facing illness and grief, to rural U.S. counties, where the Fellowship addresses poverty in some of our nation’s poorest places. Children throughout Southeast Asia have access to education and prayer. Refugees and immigrants are finding a sacred place to call home and tools to adjust in a new culture because of the work of CBF field personnel. And this is just the beginning of CBF’s impact in our world. This book is designed to display the creative and innovative ways CBF is answering God’s call to be the presence of Christ. I hope you will feel challenged and inspired to join us. We are born into this time and it is asking something of us. How will you answer that call?
2 | God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014
SUZII PAYNTER,
executive coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Who we are Our vision
Being the presence of Christ in the world
Our mission
Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
Our identity
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a community of Baptist Christians and churches walking together and drawn toward the center of our common life in Jesus Christ. Our dream is to be a national and global community bearing witness to the Gospel in partnership with Christians across the nation and around the world. Our community consists of congregations, individuals, regional fellowships and ministry partners.
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Our core values Baptist Principles
Soul Freedom — We believe in the priesthood of all believers. We affirm the freedom and responsibility of every person to relate directly to God without the imposition of creed or the control of clergy or government. Bible Freedom — We believe in the authority of Scripture. We believe the Bible, under the Lordship of Christ, is central to the life of the individual and the church. We affirm the freedom and right of every Christian to interpret and apply scripture under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Church Freedom — We believe in the autonomy of every local church. We believe Baptist churches are free, under the Lordship of Christ, to determine their membership and leadership, to order their worship and work, to ordain whomever they perceive as gifted for ministry, and to participate as they deem appropriate in the larger Body of Christ. Religious Freedom — We believe in freedom of religion, freedom for religion, and freedom from religion. We support the separation of church and state.
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Biblically-based Global Missions
All of us are called to be co-laborers in the task of fulfilling our Lord’s Great Commission. We believe the Bible teaches that … • God is the one triune God, Creator of all people in God’s own image. • All people are separated from God by sin. • Christ is the Savior and Redeemer for all peoples. • The Holy Spirit convicts and converts all who believe in Christ, teaches the church in the voice of the Living Christ, and empowers the church and all believers for the mission of Christ in the world. • Christ calls us to minister redemptively to the spiritual, physical and social needs of individuals and communities. • Every believer and every church is responsible for sharing the Gospel with all people. • We want to enable believers and churches to work cooperatively with other Great Commission Christians to activate this global missions calling in their communities and throughout the world.
For we are laborers together with God. (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Trustworthiness
We will organize, make decisions and carry out our mission in ways that earn trust. United in our mission and our shared commitments, we will celebrate God’s gift of diversity among the individuals and churches of the Fellowship.
Effectiveness
We will organize in ways that encourage flexibility, responsiveness and accountability. We will monitor our processes and organizational structures in light of our stated mission.
130 700 23 173 14 37,000 50 619 150
130 field personnel serving on 5 continents Over 700 CBF-endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors worldwide 23 global engagement partners dedicated to humanitarian aid and development 173 congregations partnered with CBF field personnel in the first quarter of 2013 to share in the work of life-changing ministries Partnerships with 14 nationally accredited seminaries More than 37,000 volunteer hours devoted to domestic poverty and transformational ministries Over 50 collegiate interns serving each summer in churches across the U.S. 619 individuals from 78 churches participating in the ongoing disaster response efforts in Haiti Over 150 new congregations formed by CBF church starters in the last decade
…and so much more. God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014 | 5
What we do
Global Missions
thefellowship.info/missions Serving among the world’s least evangelized and most marginalized people by bringing together CBF field personnel, churches, ministry partners and individuals for holistic, sustainable and transformational ministry. 6 | God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014
Missional Congregations
thefellowship.info/churches Intentionally leading congregations and individuals in forming and deepening a missional identity as they discover and fulfill their Godgiven mission.
States and Regions
thefellowship.info/statesandregions Growing our Fellowship community through collaboration, cooperation and ministry with state and regional CBF organizations.
Partnerships
thefellowship.info/partners Forming and nurturing relationships with other missions and ministries organizations to strengthen our work of equipping churches and individuals to be the presence of Christ.
A community of Baptist Christians who cooperate together to people in missions and people for ministry
engage equip
Churches
Opportunities to grow your church’s missional identity and enhance its spiritual calling and financial well-being.
Ministers
A commitment to discovering, developing and nurturing ministry leaders.
Lay leaders
Creating community among Christians to share, learn and find inspiration for their missional journey.
Students
An investment in young Baptists and Baptists preparing for vocational Christian ministry. God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014 | 7
Equipping
people for ministry today Meet other Cooperative Baptists
at CBF conferences and retreats for ministers and lay leaders. Share in a time of learning and renewal through spiritual formation, narrative leadership and more. View a list of coming events at thefellowship.info/calendar
Nurture a new minister
through the CBF Fellows program designed to support, resource and encourage individuals in the first years of full-time ministry. Learn more and apply at thefellowship.info/fellows
Apply as a ministry candidate
or connect your church with those seeking leadership positions in CBF congregations by using our Reference and Referral service. Clarissa Strickland, CBF networking specialist, can help you get started, cstrickland@thefellowship.info 8 | God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014
Grow through spiritual formation
by using CBF missional identity studies for adults and missions education resources for children. For more information, visit thefellowship.info/resources
Support the faith journey of
young Baptists by encouraging them to engage with CBF programs and networks for seminarians, ministers and lay leaders under 40. Read about scholarships, internships and events at cbfyoungbaptists.org
Plan for your financial future
by using the benefits and services of the Church Benefits Board. Read about retirement, life & disability and international travel insurance options at churchbenefits.org
Engaging
in God’s mission now
Learn about CBF missions Invest in your future and and ministry at General Assembly, CBF’s signature annual event. Come each year for dynamic worship, fresh ideas and warm fellowship. Browse upcoming and past Assembly information at thefellowship.info/assembly
the future of CBF through the planned giving, endowment and microfinance opportunities of the CBF Foundation. Learn about your financial options at www.cbff.org
Care for those in traumatic
situations by connecting them with a CBF-endorsed chaplain or pastoral counselor. Find someone in your area or learn more about endorsement by contacting chaplaincy@thefellowship.info
Join a peer learning group
and experience fellowship, worship, spiritual growth and discussion of ministry-related issues. Find a group near you at thefellowship.info/peerlearning
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“I am making a way…
Answer your call to
action through a CBF mission trip. Learn how to make a vital contribution in the lives of people around the world. thefellowship.info/short-term-missions
Embrace field personnel by becoming an
Encourager Church. Your congregation can engage in the process of sending and supporting those on the mission field. Get started by contacting engage@thefellowship.info
Send a student to the
mission field. College students are provided the opportunity to serve in a hands-on mission experience through Student.Go. Find out more at studentdotgo.ning.com
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In connection with our churches, we are the presence of Christ around the world. CBF congregations are involved in global missions by both going and giving to support life-changing work.
in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” - Isaiah 43:19
KEY
n CBF field personnel
n CBF Student.Go participants n CBF short-term mission trip
participants n CBF engagement partners
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Knowing and doing
what makes a difference
Share in the global work of CBF
by joining mission communities. The Fellowship’s eight mission communities connect you with field personnel, individuals, churches and partners who share your same mission interests. Participate in the work of these communities to help transform the world: 12 12 | God’s | God’s mission, Mission, youryour passion passion – CBF – CBF 2013-2014 2013-2014
• • • • • • • •
Church Starts and Faith Sharing Disaster Response Economic Development Education Healthcare Internationals Justice and Peacemaking Poverty and Transformation
Learn more at thefellowship.info/missions
Link with the Fellowship Pray
The CBF prayer guide “Prayers of the People” is a year-long invitation to prayer for our missions and ministries. Find it at www.thefellowship.info/missions/pray
Learn Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to fellowship! magazine and e-newsletters Read our blog Check out our YouTube channel
Give
All of our ministries are made possible through generous financial support of individuals and churches. There are a variety of ways you can give to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Visit www.thefellowship.info/give to learn about opportunities for current and planned giving. God’s mission, your passion – CBF 2013-2014 | 13
Budget Summary
Budget 2012-13
Budget 2013-14
Designated Expenditures 2013-14
Total Expenditures 2013-14
Percent of Total
Global Missions Ministry Among the Most Neglected Field Personnel Salaries and Benefits $ 3,080,283 $ 2,977,322 $ 285,644 $ 3,262,966 24.2% Field Personnel Operating Expenses 1,726,959 1,787,689 301,976 2,089,665 15.4% Field Projects 150,000 150,000 1.1% Field Personnel Support 206,080 229,080 229,080 1.7% Promoting and Interpreting Missions Promotional Resources 200,535 200,535 200,535 1.5% Strategic Partners 66,240 66,440 66,440 0.5% Member Care and Wellness 19,090 19,090 19,090 0.1% Together for Hope/Rural Poverty Initiatives 79,383 79,383 79,383 0.6% Personnel Development Field Personnel Training 0 7,090 7,090 0.1% Personnel Selection and Student. Go 74,760 74,760 74,760 0.6% Projects/Personnel/Finance Liaison 25,020 25,020 25,020 0.2% Global Missions Personnel and Support 953,130 965,071 965,071 7.2% Total Global Missions 6,431,480 6,431,480 737,620 7,169,100 53.2% Missional Congregations Resourcing 242,000 236,950 50,000 286,950 2.1% Leading 167,000 163,200 75,000 238,200 1.8% Forming 64,700 57,900 100,000 157,900 1.2% Visioning 855,300 847,400 25,000 872,400 6.5% States and Regions 33,000 33,000 33,000 0.2% Networking - Missions 19,500 19,200 75,000 94,200 0.7% General Assembly 369,000 369,000 369,000 2.7% Reference & Referral 11,000 11,300 11,300 0.1% Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling 82,000 83,500 83,500 0.6% Missional Congregations Personnel and Support 812,604 850,629 850,629 6.3% Total Missional Congregations 2,656,104 2,672,079 325,000 2,997,079 22.3%
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These pages contain a summary of the Fellowship’s expense budget. Some “Percent of Total” percentages have been adjusted to reflect rounding.
Budget 2012-13
Budget 2013-14
Designated Expenditures 2013-14
Total Expenditures 2013-14
Percent of Total
Baptist Identity and Partnerships Funding for global perspectives integral to the ministries and missions of the CBF community. Relationships include church/state organizations, the greater Baptist family and support of a free press. Total Baptist Identity and Partnerships 266,600 266,600 266,600 2.0% Fellowship Advancement Marketing 36,000 36,000 36,000 0.3% face2face Speakers Bureau 4,000 4,000 4,000 0.0% Web Strategies 20,000 20,000 20,000 0.1% fellowship! Magazine 190,228 190,228 190,228 1.4% Media Relations 42,600 42,600 42,600 0.3% CBF Store 9,708 9,708 9,708 0.1% Development 337,815 315,233 315,233 2.3% Fellowship Advancement Personnel and Support 321,165 326,263 326,263 2.4% Total Fellowship Advancement 961,516 944,032 944,032 7.0% Administration General Office (Rent, Equipment Leases, Audit & Legal Fees, etc.) 635,223 624,778 624,778 4.6% Information Systems 107,961 107,961 107,961 0.8% Coordinating Council 25,000 25,000 25,000 0.2% 2012 Task Force Implementation 20,000 0 0 0.0% Administration Personnel and Support 1,296,116 1,328,070 1,328,070 9.9% Total Administration 2,084,300 2,085,809 2,085,809 15.5% TOTAL EXPENSES $12,400,000 $12,400,000 $1,062,620 $13,462,620 100%
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