Our Plan

There are usually three elements involved in a plan: strategy, structure, and resources. Developing a strategy answers the question, "What is the most effective path to fulfill our mission?" Structure answers, "How must we organize ourselves to implement the strategy and complete our mission?" The question of resources is, "What do we need to carry out the strategy and fulfill our mission?"
 

OUR STRATEGY

The six priorities of our church actually serve as our strategy statement. We believe that we will honor God by making and maturing disciples if we faithfully seek to be a visible presence in our community, design attractive programs for children and adults, engage in dynamic worship, aggressively follow-up on the open doors that the Lord gives us, equip our church body to participate effectively in relational evangelism, and disciple believers toward full spiritual maturity.

Prayerful and persistent effort will be poured into designing and implementing specific programs that will enable us to reach these six priorities. Programs are applications of biblical principles. We should expect to create new programs regularly. Programs which become ineffective should be changed or discontinued.

We never surrender the biblical principles upon which a program is built, but we must from time to time give up a program!
 

OUR STRUCTURE

We believe that the ultimate human authority within the New Testament church is the congregation. The congregation is responsible for the election of its officers (pastor and deacons). The pastor is called by the church to be the overseer of the church's ministries, the shepherd of the flock of God, and the spiritual leader of the congregation. In our church, the senior pastor has been given authority by the congregation to enlist the assistance of other pastors and staff people in order to provide leadership for the church and to carry out the specific functions of the church's agencies. Whether senior or assistant pastor, the biblical role of pastors is to equip the saints for the work of ministry and the edifying of the body.

In order to fulfill our mission by effectively implementing our strategy, our church ministry is organized according to specific discipleship commitment.
 

OUR RESOURCES

Grace Baptist Church exists by the work of God in the hearts of His people moving them to give according to the principles found in Scripture.¹

The stewardship of these gifts is directly supervised by the finance committee and financial secretary under the leadership of the senior pastor. Each month a detailed report is examined by the deacons and made available to the congregation. The annual Vision Meeting provides an opportunity for the church leadership (pastors and deacons) to make a report on the church's financial condition and to propose the new budget to the congregation. Since the Bible teaches congregational church government, this meeting is a necessary part of fulfilling God's will for our church. The Vision Meeting is the place where we seek to demonstrate our faithfulness to biblical principles of stewardship.

2 Corinthians 8:19-24 states, "And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind: Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ. Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf."

This passage offers valuable insight about how God's people should administer His resources. These principles govern our thinking regarding the stewardship of the money the Lord gives to us through His people. Paul is describing his principles for the supervision of the funds given for the saints in Jerusalem.² Verses 19-24 contain four principles that govern wise supervision of funds.

First, our top priority is expressed in the words, "for the glory of the Lord Himself" (v. 19). As in everything else, God's glory should be our highest concern.

Second, we must exercise reasonable precautions so "that no one should discredit us" (v. 20). It is not enough to just do things right, we must take every step needed to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Third, we should follow practices that "have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (v. 21). This is why we use standard accounting practices, produce our reports in keeping with accepted accounting form, etc. It is important to us to make sure that we are doing what is right from anybody's perspective.

Fourth, this passage teaches us two things about the personnel who administer the funds. 

            1. They should be people who have been examined ("we have often tested and found diligent in many things" v. 22). 

            2. They should be people who have been elected by the church ("they are messengers of the churches" v. 23).³

That is why our church deacons are responsible for handling the offerings, examining the monthly financial reports, and recommending the new budget each year.

God has graciously supplied for His work in this place, and we praise Him for it. We believe that resources entrusted to us should be used for the fulfillment of our God-given mission. To that end we pray and work - may God be glorified by and through His people here at Grace Baptist Church!

(¹1 Corinthians 16:1-4 ²Romans 15:26 ³cf. v.19 "appointed by the churches")