Archive for the 'Southern Baptist Convention' Category
Urgent: Southern Baptist Churches Must Begin to Reach, Baptize, and Disciple Young Adults 18-29 Years Old
I am burdened by the fact that 80% of our 46,125 Southern Baptist Churches reported reaching and baptizing only 0-1 young adults according to the recent Pastors’ Task Force on SBC Evangelistic Impact and Declining Baptisms report released late spring. This means that 36,900 Southern Baptist Churches baptized zero to one young adult in an entire year.
When I write these words, I am overwhelmed with the burden of how much we need a mighty move of God upon our pastors, church leaders, lay people, and churches that comprise the Southern Baptist Convention. Yes, let a mighty move of God begin in me and with our church.
If this does not change, what does it mean for us?
On July 14, 2014, I released an article addressing another major problem, where 60% of our Southern Baptist churches did not baptize a single young person between the ages of 12-17 years old. When you combine the lack of effectiveness in reaching 12-17 year-olds with the lack of effectiveness in most of our SBC churches in reaching, baptizing, and discipling young adults from ages 18-29, we must ask ourselves many serious questions. One of these questions we must ask ourselves is, “If this does not change, what does this mean for us?”
Obviously, this means that if we continue in this mode, many of our churches are facing an aging problem that will one day threaten their long-term viability. When we are ineffectively reaching young adults between ages 18-29, we are showing our disconnectedness in the world today, but additionally our disconnectedness in days to come.
I believe the church has to reach every generation to impact its community in a great way. I see no evidence anywhere in Scripture where churches specialize in whom they reach generationally. All people are in need of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ; therefore, we must reach all people, including young adults 18-29 years of age. Are we willing to do what it takes to become all things to all people? Yes, it is hard, uncomfortable, and it takes sacrifice. But compare it to seeing a generation come alive for Christ and a world impacted. Then, the cost is small!
We cannot ignore other questions worthy of answers:
- Why are we not reaching young adults effectively?
- Is our church’s culture friendly to all generations?
- Is our message boldly biblical, delivered authentically, in the power of the Holy Spirit, saturated in the love of Christ?
- Are we willing to die to self so His power may be experienced in the next generation?
These questions could be endless, but sometime soon, preferably urgently, thousands of churches must give honest answers to these questions and make the needed changes immediately. I believe that God is able to turn this situation around.
4 Ways We Can Reach and Baptize More Young Adults through Our Churches
1. Proclaim boldly the gospel of Jesus Christ to young adults, calling them to follow Jesus unashamedly, profess their faith, and be baptized.
Young adults today are not looking for a “seeker friendly” message; they are searching for a message that is built on truth, and delivered in the right tone. They are not afraid of a bold message, in fact, they are attracted to it. When the message is delivered by someone who has their best interest in mind, especially a message that is backed up with a life and ministry that lives it out, they will respond positively. Therefore, do not think you have to dumb down the message to be relevant, as this turns them off immediately. Hold high the gospel of Jesus Christ and call them to live their lives by it, professing outwardly their faith, and being baptized publicly.
2. Target reaching young adults with a Small Group Bible Study.
Young adults want to be part of something that is intimate, authentic, and has a genuine sense of community. Beginning small groups in your church that can reach young adults through teaching the Word of God in this kind of environment can prove to be a great way to see many reached for Christ.
Churches must determine they are going to reach young adults. We need to get young adults into the church as well as create places to connect outside of the church. Churches also need to have places to connect and avenues for ministry for the young adults who are coming in the doors of the church.
If they have children, take the greatest care of their children, prioritizing meeting this need. Young adults with children will be attracted to a church that can care for their children. When you couple that with an effective small group Bible Study, in time, you will reach, baptize, and disciple more young adults.
Let’s not forget: Young adults reach young adults. They can energize a church and provide life in every way.
3. Churches and state conventions that have the capacity to help other churches in reaching young adults must rise up and provide assistance.
I am convinced if we are going to see this turned around, we all need to own this problem. For example, what can our church do to help other churches in reaching young adults? While we do it well at times, other times we struggle; but together, we can help one another. This is not just about the growth of our own church, but about penetrating the lostness of young adults with the gospel, and expanding the Kingdom of God.
4. Begin praying NOW for the next Great Awakening. This will turn it around quicker than anything else.
Evan Roberts was 26 years old when God raised him up to be the catalyst for the great Welsh Revival. Under the direction of the Spirit of God, he went to his home church uninvited. He told them, “I have a message for you from God.” As God opened the door for him to proclaim the message, he stated these things:
- You must confess any known sin to God and put any wrong done to others right.
- Second, you must put away any doubtful habit.
- Third, you must obey the Spirit promptly.
- Finally, you must embrace your faith in Christ publicly.
As J. Edwin Orr shared this great story through his message, “The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Awakening”, my heart was moved as he said that within five months of this significant moment, over 100,000 people were converted through the country. This great move of God swept into various parts of the world.
Why? Because a young adult named Evan Roberts was saved as a coal miner, called to preach, trained in ministry, and led by the Spirit of God to proclaim the message of God.
God can do more in a moment than we can do in a lifetime.
May God raise up another movement of God like this, and if God so desires, even led by a young adult who will call all generations to God. This is why we must reach, baptize, and disciple young adults like never before. We need a mighty spiritual awakening in the land. This will turn this tide around quicker than anything I know, while we at the same time, address our challenges strategically.
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.
The Real Story of the Southern Baptist Convention Engages All Generations
I will never forget what a man told me weeks before our most recent annual meeting in Baltimore. He said, “The most troubling thing about our convention at this time is that in our very diverse denomination, many want the Southern Baptist Convention to become like their subculture.” His words were insightful and a great warning for each of us.
The Southern Baptist Convention is comprised of 15.7 million people who represent over 50,000 churches and mission congregations. Some of our churches are in rural settings, while other churches are in metropolitan areas. Some of our pastors are serving their respective churches full-time while others also hold an additional job in the secular world. Theologian Timothy George stated in an article he released on June 2, 2014, entitled Troubled Waters that, “Southern Baptists have become one of the most ethnically diverse and multilingual denominations in the country.”
Therefore, we must hold high the real story of the Southern Baptist Convention that engages the diversity of all generations. I believe our real story as Southern Baptists is appealing cross-generationally. What is this story? We are a people that are:
1. Reaching the world for Christ.
Everything we do is about reaching the world for Christ. Just as any person, leader, or church experiences mission drift at times, our convention has also had moments of this. Yet, again and again, we always return to the very core of who we are and why we do what we do – and that is to reach the world for Jesus Christ.
2. Theologically balanced and committed to biblical integrity.
Our Baptist Faith and Message 2000 is our confessional statement as a convention of churches. When this was presented to our convention, in his letter to Southern Baptists, the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, who was chairman at the time, wrote:
We have sought to retain all the strengths of that noble heritage to clarify the truths there expressed, and to address the needs of our own times.
Clarity about what we believe about Scripture and the doctrines of Scripture are absolutely imperative. I am so grateful our convention is solidly committed to the inerrancy and infallibility of Holy Scripture and committed to biblical integrity. At times, we may be pulled from side to side, but we always stand on the strengths of our theological past while addressing the needs of our own times. This helps us to be theologically balanced in this unbalanced world in which we live.
3. Advancing the gospel to the unreached peoples of the world.
Standing upon the shoulders of our theological and missional history, we are launching aggressively to unreached peoples internationally. The Great Commission is not something we simply talk about, it is something we do. Can we do more? Absolutely, and we are committed to do more by planting churches, evangelizing all peoples, and making disciples. As we work together to push back the lostness of our world, we must always keep in our vision the need to be intentional in reaching the unreached peoples internationally. This is why we have 10,000 plus full-time missionaries around the world.
4. Strategically planting gospel churches nationally.
As we identify unreached peoples in our major cities and underserved, unreached areas in our nation, we are strategizing to plant gospel churches in North America. As we move toward a goal of planting 15,000 new gospel churches in North America over the next decade, we know we must equally do all we can to revitalize the churches we have established already. Our passion is to evangelize all people and plant gospel churches in North America.
5. Preparing the next generation of spiritual leaders.
Through our six Southern Baptist seminaries, we are equipping over 16,000 next generation spiritual leaders. These leaders will one day lead our churches, serve on our mission fields, and teach in our academic institutions. What God has done and is doing through our seminaries is a major part of our grand story as Southern Baptists.
6. Engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We have seen since our meeting in Baltimore how Southern Baptists are engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are there, speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. From the recent decisions from the Supreme Court to the crisis on the border of Texas, I have seen first-hand that Southern Baptists are engaging the culture with the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ.
7. Extending compassion through our disaster relief ministries.
One of the greatest parts of the grand narrative of Southern Baptists is our commitment to be on-site when people walk through disaster. You will find us present after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or any time people are in great need. Southern Baptists are a very compassionate people, and anywhere disaster hits, we are on the ground within hours, loving, caring, protecting, and providing for people. Whether it be crisis or disaster, we are always faithful to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is our story that engages all generations
The grand narrative of our Southern Baptist story is so powerful when we are able to keep each of these things before us. This is who we are. This is what we are doing. When we tell our real story, all generations are excited by it and are willing to support it.
Therefore, do not forget, we are a people that are:
- Reaching the world for Jesus Christ
- Theologically balanced and committed to biblical integrity
- Advancing the gospel to the unreached peoples of the world
- Strategically planting gospel churches nationally
- Preparing the next generation of spiritual leaders
- Engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ
- Extending compassion through our disaster relief ministries
I promise you, share this real story about who we are, and we will become effective in appealing to all generations.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
************
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.