Global Priority Churches
Vol. XVI, No. 2, February 2003
[Introduction: Below is the text of a letter sent to churches by bill Morgan who heads the Global Priority Network church Services Team of the SBC International Missions Board. GPN is a great opportunity for every church, regardless of size. TCP]
Greetings from your friends at the IMB. We would like to invite your church to join a growing network of churches called the GLOBAL PRIORITY NETWORK, now numbering 906 churches.
For years, we have been observing and working with a growing number of SBC churches that are very serious about missions and greatly involved in getting the gospel to the whole world. We began to notice common characteristics of these missions-involved churches and felt that we should affirm and commend them. We wanted to hold them up as models as we reach out to challenge and mobilize other churches to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission and see that all the peoples of the world have access to the good news.
The GLOBAL PRIORITY NETWORK challenge was launched in May of 1998, and is a network and fellowship of churches who meet eight criteria, which we believe indicate giving Acts 1:8 missions the highest priority. They are:
1. Prioritizing missions and providing missions leadership (paid or volunteer) A growing number of churches have added a minister of missions to their staff to develop and coordinate missions at home and overseas. We affirm that. However, when a church is not able to add such staff, we encourage the church to find a warmhearted layperson who has a heart for God and the lost world to assist the pastor in mobilizing the church.
2. Praying for missions and unreached world. Every church should have a vital prayer ministry and part of that should include praying for the approximate 5100 missionaries of the IMB, as well as for all those who are obeying the Great Commission. We should be interceding for them, their health, their safety, and their effectiveness as they spread the gospel to the darkest places on this earth.
3. Providing missions education, information, events, and displays. We can't be seriously concerned about or involved in that which we know little about. Churches should be deliberate in helping the people know what God is doing in the world and how they can be involved. Events involving missions personnel help people bond with missionaries for prayer and participation. World missions maps, pictures and information in an attractive display area helps keep the lost world on the heart of the church.
4. Promoting growing missions giving. Strong missionary churches grow in their commitment to undergird those whom God calls with the resources needed for their ministries. We have noted that when a church "puts missions on the front burner," its giving to missions increases greatly – Cooperative Program giving goes up and some churches have doubled and tripled their Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.
5. Producing the missionaries for today and tomorrow. God calls people out of churches that take His Great Commission seriously and give missions a high profile. As people get to know missionaries and communicate with them, the Lord of the Harvest calls many of them to His service. The number of those who go short-time increases and others are called to career missions. It is not uncommon for strong missionary churches to have many people expressing that their hearts are open for missionary service.
6. Participating in short-term missions projects. There are thousands of requests each year for people to come and help the missionaries on projects that run from 2 weeks to 4 months. Churches that are tuned in to these needs and who help their people see how they can be used internationally are sending great numbers of people. Out of these experiences, the churches, the missionaries on the field, as well as the churches back home are blessed. Many who go then feel led to give from 4 months to 2 years through International Service Corps and others return as career missionaries.
7. Partnering in missions by adopting unreached peoples groups. One of the great changes in the world of missions in recent years has been the shift of attention and efforts to reach the hundreds of unreached people who have little or no access to the gospel. The IMB has hundreds of missionaries targeting these people. We believe that every one of them needs one or more strong churches in the USA who pray for them and when God opens the doors, go to work with these folks who are on the front lines. The IMB will assist churches who wish to identify an unreached people group to adopt. Al Gilbert of the President's office, works with churches who wish to adopt an unreached people and our missionaries who seek to reach them. He can be reached through Peoplelink@imb.org or (toll-free) at 1-877-IMBGPC1 (462-4721).
8. Personalizing missions by adopting IMB personnel. We have given major attention in recent years to the personalization of missions--so that missions is alive and exciting in the local church. We believe that churches should have the opportunity of meeting missionaries and that some of them ought to be "adopted" by at least one church. This gives people the opportunity to have personal knowledge of and a relationship with missionaries. Missionaries and vital information may be found in the missionary directory of our web page (www.imb.org). When churches need help , we can assist them in linking with missionaries. For information, e-mail adoptamissy@imb.org or call 1-800-362-1322.
We will assist the churches in meeting any unmet criteria, especially the last two. A pamphlet is available from our office which explains the challenge in a little more detail. These can be made available in any quantity to churches, associations and state conventions. GPC can now be found on the web page at www.imb.org/GlobalVision/GPC/default.htm.
Churches which become a part of the GPNet will be recognized with a personalized plaque from the IMB. We have also established a special communications network to keep these churches up to date with major missions happenings. National conferences and regional fellowship meetings of GPNet churches will help us all share what God is doing among our folks, as well as give us new ideas and approaches.
We anticipate that hundreds of strong missionary churches of the SBC will become part of the Global Priority Network. We would like very much to include you! Please e-mail at globalpriority@imb.org or call us on our toll-free number, 1-877-462-4721).
Please note that a church does not have to have fulfilled all 8 criteria but be committed to doing so.
May God richly bless you! Bill Morgan, Global Priority Network
[Footnote: Following is a list of the 45 Virginia churches presently members of the Global Priority Network. If not already on the list, shouldn’t your church join? TCP]
VIRGINIA
Alexandria: Del Ray, Groveton Norfolk: First, Norview
Bedford: Mt. Olivet Southern Norton: Park Avenue
Chase City: Black Branch Palmyra: Effort
Chesapeake: Bethel Pulaski: Covenant Baptist Fellowship, Memorial
Covington: Covington Richmond: Bethany Place, Grove Avenue,
Culpeper: Culpeper Kingsland, Oak Grove
Dale City: Dale City Roanoke: Cave Springs, First,
Drakes Branch: Drakes Branch New Century Community
Forest: Forest Salem: West Salem
Fredericksburg: Spotswood Stanleytown: Fort Trial
Glen Allen: Staples Mill Road Stephens City: Faith
Gwynn: Gwynns Island Suffolk: Nansemond River
Hampton:Ivy Memorial, Liberty Sutherlin: Laurel Grove
Hurt: Monte Vista Troutville: Rainbow Forest
King George: Oakland Virginia Beach: Brook, Coastal Community,
Midlothian: Swift Creek Kempsville, Princess Anne Plaza
Monroe: New Prospect Waynesboro: Wayne Hills
Newport News: Deer Park Williamsburg: Smith Memorial