BCNE News
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The danger of mission drift
In many conversations I have with pastors, one of the main concerns that frequently comes up is how to lead in an ever-changing context without losing focus of the church’s God-given mission. Many churches are understanding that major changes need to be made in order to adapt to the new times, but in the process of implementing new strategies, there is always the danger of mission drift. Mission drift, as the term indicates, is basically what happens when the church starts to move away from its calling and purpose.
Dr. and Mrs. James Wideman: A lifetime of service, prayer, and generosity
James (Jim) Wideman, a native of Texas, and his wife Sandy, a native of Florida, invested much of lives in New England, first moving to the region in 1970. After dating at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, in the summer of 1970, they were assigned as short term missionaries to Screven Memorial Baptist Church (now called Seacoast Community Church) in Portsmouth, N.H. Jim later returned to Texas to finish his seminary studies but in 1979, a growing sense of call to New England led them back to Portsmouth where Jim became pastor of that church.