Moving Forward

Wednesday 25 Nov

Scott reflects on how, amidst the challenges of 2020, God is guiding our strategy forward.

What a year 2020 has been for all us – a year none of us will forget!
 
It’s hard for me to fathom that in just over five weeks 2021 will be upon us. We will enter the new year, living in a world none of us envisaged, but having learnt many new lessons as we have navigated life and ministry in the midst of a global pandemic.
 
As a mission community we can look ahead confident in our God who has led us faithfully for almost 140 years.
 
We can be thankful for the Lord’s presence, peace and provision in this most unusual year. We can celebrate all God has done through our teams in 2020, despite the pandemic. We can unite in prayer, seeking the Spirit’s leading as we pursue our 2021-2025 Strategic Roadmap.
 
As we look ahead, we also acknowledge that over the past few months we have been moving through a stretching, unsettling season, as we have implemented a national staffing review across our Australian team. This Board-mandated process was overdue and will allow us to ‘right-size’ our national support operations. Aligned with the Roadmap, this process has been about creating a sustainable future and being better stewards of the resources that support our witness around the world.
 
I am thankful for all the prayers that have undergirded this challenging period and in the midst of the pain of farewelling of some highly valued staff members there have been many wonderful expressions of humility, understanding, love, gratitude and care. As we see some staff conclude with us, we look forward to welcoming a number of new team members in newly created roles, focused on our Roadmap’s strategic priorities.
 
In valuing communication with all our supporters, I invite you to be in touch with me personally if you have any questions about the change process we’re moving through. I will also welcome your continuing prayers as we finalise the review and onboard new staff before Christmas.
 
In our Roadmap discernment process, which hundreds of people from around the nation and globe shared in, we sought the Spirit’s leading for our future directions and priorities as a mission community.
 
Through this process we sharpened our vision, around the following ‘What We See’ statement.
 
Vibrant faith communities following Jesus in their own distinctive ways.
 
As we pursue this exciting missional outcome we have identified the following four key strategic milestones, which will shape our priorities over the next five years.
  1. A strongly articulated missiology being lived out in strategic locations
  2. More intercultural workers, including those from diverse backgrounds
  3. Dynamic missional engagement across our Australian Baptist movement
  4. Vibrant partnerships and renewed organisational capacity
In the months ahead I look forward to sharing more with all our partners about how we will pursue these milestones, across Australia and around the world.
 
In the new year we will distribute more Roadmap details to our churches and supporters.
 
Behind these strategic priorities is the same, compelling mandate that has seen our Australian Baptist movement send people across the world for more than a century. We remain passionately committed to sharing the hope of Jesus with people in ways that make sense to them in their unique locations and cultures.
 
Thank you for your ongoing partnership. Yes 2020 has been one of the most challenging our organisation has ever faced. But as we near the end of the year, we celebrate afresh the faithfulness and goodness of God and the power of Spirit-led partnership!
 
Grace and peace,
 
Scott
 

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