Ronnie Floyd

Archive for the 'Join the Movement' Category

September 15th, 2014

Every Southern Baptist Sharing the Gospel on Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Join the Movement, Southern Baptist Convention

What if every Southern Baptist would share the gospel with one person on Tuesday, October 14? Just think what could happen if you awakened on that day, spent time with God, and asked Him to empower you to share the gospel with one person that day; then, with great intentionality, sought after that opportunity, ready to see Him use you greatly.

Collegiate Students are Leading the Way, Asking All Churches to Join Them

Over the last two years, SBC collegiate ministries nationwide have set aside a day to call every one of their students to share the gospel with someone in their sphere of influence. They’ve seen thousands of students share the gospel for the first time as a part of the challenge, and now collegiate leaders are inviting churches to participate as well.

Will you participate in what they call Engage24 on October 14, 2014? As we look back at history, we know that God often sparks awakening fires among college students. From the Cambridge Seven and their influencing the world to engage China with the gospel to the birth of the Student Volunteer Missions Movement ignited by the 250 students gathering at Mount Hermon, there is no doubt that when students are committed and focused to a vision for gospel expansion, magnificent things happen.

We are seeing this happen through our Cross Church university ministry. Last Wednesday night, over 700 students met on our Fayetteville campus, were challenged by God’s Word, and 31 college students met Christ; all because there was intentionality in sharing the gospel. The gospel is the power of God to salvation.

Imagine What God Would Do If Our Churches Did This

Just imagine what it would be like if several thousand of our churches determined they would lead the way in participating in sharing the gospel on October 14, 2014. Imagine what it would look like if our churches across Southern Baptist life would learn how to articulate the gospel clearly and with passion, then with intentionality, share the gospel regularly.

Yes, every day we should be sharing the gospel, but perhaps if a specific day was targeted, like 10.14.14, it could become a beginning point for many of us. Again, imagine what it would look like to see every Southern Baptist sharing the gospel with just one person during Engage24 on 10.14.14.

Of the 318 million Americans today, 22 million are college students, as noted in my recent article on reaching college students. Therefore, together we must understand that to the level we will sow the seeds of the gospel will be the level we reap the joy of seeing people come to Christ.

As We Pray For the Next Great Awakening, We Must Always Be Sharing the Gospel

Praying for spiritual awakening in our nation does not eliminate us from sharing the gospel right now. In fact, as we wait expectantly for God to answer our prayer, we need to be sharing the gospel more than ever before. The power of God is always upon the gospel.

Pastor and Laypeople, Will You And Your Church Share the Gospel on Tuesday, October 14?

This coming Sunday, challenge your people to target 10.14.14 on their calendar and join our collegiate leaders in doing so on their respective campuses. Perhaps your church can plan some specific evangelistic ministries for that day, all leading to the gospel being presented and opportunities given for people to respond to this powerful message.

Lead your people to pray as they go. Lead your people to sow as they go. Let’s go together. Let’s target Tuesday, October 14, as a day to share the life-changing gospel message with others. God always blesses His Word.

Please Pray This Week

God has opened some wonderful doors of opportunity over the next few weeks and I would be honored if you would pray for me. This week, I would like to ask that you pray specifically for the United in Prayer gathering at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is a privilege to serve Cross Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, but I cannot do it on my own. In these critical days of leadership, I want to be used powerfully by God.

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 46,000 churches nationwide.

To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

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September 8th, 2014

Are Your Church and the SBC Headed for a Financial Crisis?

Join the Movement, Southern Baptist Convention

Churches in America and the Southern Baptist Convention may be heading for a crisis financially. Recently, Giving USA released their report on the state of charitable giving for 2013. The good news is that Americans are increasing their giving to charities. The bad news is giving to religious causes declined last year. ¹

Giving to the church has been on a continual decline since 1968

Even with the ups and downs of our economy in America, it is almost unimaginable to me that giving to the church has been on a continual decline since 1968. empty tomb, inc. releases a study each year called The State of Giving. They report that giving, as a percentage of Americans’ disposable income, has fallen from 3.11% to 2.32%. At the present rate of decline, they predict that by 2050, Americans will only give 1% to the Church!²

If this trend is not reversed, it will impact our ability to accelerate the Great Commission

Our ability to accelerate the completion of the Great Commission in our generation will be impacted greatly if this trend is not reversed. This decline in financial giving may impact some churches even to the point of having to close their doors. Regardless, it will impact their ability to support efforts toward the Great Commission. In our own Southern Baptist Convention, our ability to do our own Great Commission ministries will continue to be impacted, especially our passion for mobilizing missionaries.

Generational impact is real

Another factor to consider is that Baby Boomers currently give the largest amount of money to charities and churches.³ This year, every Baby Boomer will have turned fifty years old. What this means is that this generation that is currently at the peak of their earning ability is nearing retirement. This means that your church’s largest donor group will soon be on fixed incomes with less ability to give. At the same time, we are continually hearing reports that many churches are having difficulty in connecting with the young adults called Millennials. We have a looming crisis that will impact our churches and denomination unless we do something.

Four actions we can take to address this possible crisis

I believe we can and must address this decline and reverse it! Let me share with you some practical ways each of us can see giving increase in our churches and as a result, in our Southern Baptist Convention.

1. We must make this a specific matter of prayer. Pastors and church leaders, pray that each Sunday’s offering and annual budget is exceeded due to generous giving. Share the financial needs with your prayer ministry, asking them to call out to God the financial needs of the church. During Sunday morning worship, do not be fearful of praying about the financial needs of the church. When we pray about it, we are believing that God is able to place this upon the hearts of God’s people.

2. Pastors and churches need to teach biblical principles of giving to their people. Yes, it may appear challenging to do as a pastor, but principles regarding money and giving flood the Word of God. We do so with the authority of Scripture and the Holy Spirit leading us. Your goal is not to lay guilt upon people, but hope that when they follow God’s way financially, it is the greatest thing they can do to secure their future financially. With conviction and compassion, we should encourage people toward obedience to God’s Word. As well, when you proclaim God’s Word, show them how their giving impacts their own lives and the work of God through your church and around the world.

3. Share the vision with God’s people. I am convinced that people support causes, churches, and even the work of denominations when they are presented a clear and compelling vision. We need to be open about the need, but share what God will do with what they give when they give it. Talk about how things will change within them and through the ministries they support financially.

We have the greatest message of all. We need to change the way we present our vision, making it so compelling that people want to support it. This kind of vision can help people believe they are moving toward a better future.

As gospel churches and as the Southern Baptist Convention, we do far more than any charity. Why? Our commitment to share the gospel regionally, nationally, and globally impacts not just now, but the eternity of countless people. Lives are changed for eternity. We need to tell the story of what we are doing to take this grand message to people, the impact it is making, and then people will give to support gospel work. When people see the link between their gift and the mission of the church and denomination being accomplished, they are much more prone toward generosity.

4. Celebrate what God does. Rejoice and celebrate openly when God does something wonderful through your church or our convention. I do this periodically before we receive our offering. I talk about people coming to Christ, families impacted, or compassion that is extended. It is about the ministry that is accomplished, not about the money.

For example, any time we face a disaster or crisis internationally, people need to know they are involved by giving through your church because of what your church gives to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program.

Is there hope that we can reverse the decline in giving?

I firmly believe the answer is yes! Let me illustrate by using my own generation, Baby Boomers. I remember when I was starting as a pastor that all the “experts” were talking about how selfish Boomers were. As a result, we were called the Me Generation. Now Baby Boomers give more money away than any other generation. I believe through prayer and a positive message, we can see the coming generations pick up the mantle left behind by the Builders and Boomers. We can and must reverse this decline!

Each day, your church meets the spiritual tsunamis impacting this generation. We truly have the hope for the world. When our churches are fully funded, it makes fulfilling the missions and ministries that God has called us to easier to accomplish. We have time now to reverse the decline in giving, but we must act.