Vision 2021

The Tennessee Baptist Convention has started the process of strategic planning.  This process will allow us to strengthen the alignment of our structure, systems, strategy and skills to accomplish our mission more effectively.  The name of this team is not driven by a date in the future, but by two verses of Scripture found in Ephesians 3:20-21:
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.”
Our God can accomplish in super abundance anything we ask or think according to His power in order to bring Him glory in the church.  It is definitely future-focused:  “all generations, forever and ever.”  My prayer is that by the “visioneering” process, three things will be accomplished:

• The Tennessee Baptist Convention will have a clearly articulated and compelling vision that attracts cooperation;
• The Tennessee Baptist Convention will have a simple and shared strategy with measured effectiveness that leads to a realized vision; and
• The Tennessee Baptist Convention will make its vision such a priority that it will result in sacrifice, urgency, and motivation that is unified by a common passion shared by 3,000 + churches.

As Christians, our passion, vision, and mission are really not new.  Although we may communicate the vision differently, we are a people who have already received our marching orders from Jesus to “go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”  May the day come that we realize an average of more than 30,000 Tennesseans annually coming to Christ, baptized and discipled in our churches.

It was Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the United States Senate who said, “Give us a clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for—because unless we stand for something we shall fall for anything.”

I am excited about our days ahead.
You can find a listing of the members of the Vision 2021 Strategic Planning Team at   www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp.  Join us on this exciting journey toward a fresh vision.