Where is the BCNE headed in 2023?
We are rejoicing that the pandemic is finally behind us. Though ministry looks different now than it did before the pandemic, at least it is becoming easier to find the new rhythm that will help us be more effective in the year to come.
Perhaps one of the greater changes that we must make for effective future ministry is one of attitude. For decades we have heard that New England is the least religious region in America. We have been told over and over again that the spiritual soil in New England is unbreakable. While statistically this may be true, the Gospel is stronger than all the statistics.
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Rom 1:16). It is time to step out in faith in a fresh way and embrace the future God has given us, instead of continuing to live by the statistics of the past. Imagine the year 2025, after New England Baptists have spent three years praying and partnering together in a focused and intentional way to join God in accomplishing some specific things. The IMPACT would be eternal (visit www.bcne.net/impact to learn more)!
We believe God wants our BCNE churches to be intentional in partnering to reach the nations.
Join us in praying that God would raise up at least one family a year from New England to commit to vocational ministry through the SBC International Mission Board.
Join us in praying that God would help our churches see the nations that God has brought to New England and desire to reach them with the Gospel. Our BCNE missionary team is very focused on helping our churches see these two prayers come to reality.
We believe God wants us to be intentional about equipping New Englanders for multiplication.
Our BCNE missionary team will be encouraging our churches to focus on one of these three goals in 2023:
Join us in praying that God would lead us to revitalize five churches this year that have a commitment to their healthy growth and a history of Gospel focus, but have either plateaued or declined in recent years.
Join us in praying that God would give us unity so that through collaborative efforts between the BCNE and the SBC North American Mission Board’s Send Network, twenty new churches would be planted in 2023.
Join us in praying that God would lead ten New England evangelical churches that have baptistic theology and a desire to work cooperatively to affiliate with the BCNE in 2023.
We believe God wants us to be intentional about encouraging Gospel proclamation.
Join us in praying that God would enable us to reach and baptize at least 2,000 new believers in 2023. That would be more than we have ever baptized in any previous year of our history. It is not really about numbers—it’s about souls. Each baptism represents a person changed by the Spirit. We want to especially pray that God would increase our fervency to reach, baptize, and disciple youth and young adults so they can enjoy a lifetime of serving the Lord.
Finally, join us in praying that God would lead our churches to increase their annual mission giving through the BCNE by at least 10% in 2023. In 2022, our cooperative mission giving efforts dropped to a five-year low. As we pray and commit to work together, we can turn that around. If your church gave $500 last year, plan to give at least $550 this year. If your church gave $1,000 last year, plan to give at least $1,100. If we all do our part, New England will have all the resources we need to proclaim the Gospel in bold ways.
By God’s grace we can make 2023 our best year yet! Will you join us in this mission?
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett serves as the executive director of the Baptist Churches of New England.
