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PARTNER WITH THE BAPTIST RESOURCE NETWORK

Dear Friend,

I am delighted that you want to know more about what makes the Baptist Resource Network unique, and what enables us to be a vital partner in your Gospel mission.

Thank you for your interest in the BRN and for your partnership in the Gospel. Everything we do at the BRN centers on four key parts of our strategy to help churches accelerate Kingdom movement:

We help churches ASSESS where they are; we ASSIST them in knowing where to go next; we help ACTIVATE the plans God has for them; and we help them ADVANCE the Kingdom in and through their churches.

We offered customized training and resources because we know churches are in different stages of growth. They are either restarting or starting; revitalizing (focused on maintaining growth), reproducing (growing and multiplying within their church), or reinvesting (growing and multiplying and benefiting other churches).

We believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is the main accelerant of the work that churches do across the BRN, because it is the only way to see a multiplication movement of new disciples, new leaders, new ministries and new churches across our two-state region.

If your church desires growth and multiplication, this is your network. After studying the healthiest of churches, we discovered a few common building blocks that lead to church vitality.

Healthy churches start with healthy leaders, healthy filters, healthy behaviors, and a healthy mission. In fact, not only do healthy churches start here, they stay here! Like a good athlete, they practice these fundamentals over and over again. We believe this so strongly that we’ve built our network around resourcing your church with these core building blocks.

Everything starts with healthy leaders. We care about your walk with God, your physical health, and your vital relationships, particularly your marriage. Many BRN pastors are bi-vocational, and we care deeply about helping you maintain comprehensive health even while working exceptionally hard.

Healthy filters provide a grid through which we consider our activities. Jesus said that we should ‘Seek first the Kingdom.’ That is a filter. Jesus said, ‘Pray… thy Kingdom come.’ That is a filter. With every decision, healthy churches do not ask, “What would we like?” but rather, “What will most effectively build the Kingdom of God in our place?” Our job is not to build the Church – Jesus will do that – but to seek first the Kingdom. The BRN helps celebrate the filters of Kingdom and prayer with you.

Healthy churches have a few healthy behaviors in common. They practice MISSIONAL ENGAGEMENT, which is living out the Kingdom of God in their particular cultural context. They have an INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP process in place to move people from spiritual infancy to spiritual parenthood. They invest in ongoing LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT so that they have a strong farm team for new ministries and church starts.

Finally, a healthy mission is focused on multiplication at every level. Do you desire to see every disciple make new disciples, every ministry birth new ministries, and every church multiply new churches?

At the BRN, we have a clear vision of wanting to see every church within our Pennsylvania-South Jersey geography become a healthy, multiplying church.

On this website, you will see the resources that the BRN provides to assist and encourage you as you embrace these healthy building blocks. You’ll see what it means to be Great Commission Baptists within the BRN. Whether you are a new church seeking affiliation with the BRN, an existing church that wants to review the resources of the BRN, or simply a faithful disciple within one of our local churches who wants to know what the broader church is all about, I hope that you’ll find this information encouraging.

Our mission is worth our partnership. Your church can be stronger when we stand together for the Gospel, and I’m truly grateful that you’re exploring the BRN.

Your servant,

Dr. Barry Whitworth
Executive Director-Treasurer

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Why Partner with the BRN?

You are not alone in ministry.

Our staff cares deeply for your church and for you personally as church leaders. We endeavor to come alongside you simply to listen, to offer resources, and to provide training to help strengthen your ministries.

When you are a part of the BRN family, you can draw inspiration and encouragement from other churches who also are striving to impact our region with the gospel!

You can share in the mission.

Through the Cooperative Program with the greater Southern Baptist Convention, you have the opportunity to support missionaries all over the world!

You can partner with BRN in international missions partnerships, local church plant missions support, and church-to-church projects.

You have a voice.

Your story matters. You may have opportunity to mentor younger ministers, coach church planters, teach seminars and otherwise share lessons with church leaders throughout the region.

You also can send messengers to the BRN Annual Meeting, where you can hear vision and can help shape the future of ministry in PA/SJ.

How to Affiliate?

Thank you for your interest in affiliating with the 330-plus churches in the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey! Together, our bold commitment to the Great Commission and to each other will help expand God’s Kingdom and impact our communities like never before!

Partnership is not meant to be cumbersome, but we do ask for four vital areas of involvement:

Affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith of the Baptist Resource Network of PA/SJ. It summarizes key BRN thoughts in the areas of the Bible and its authority, the nature of God as expressed by the Trinity, the spiritual condition of man, God’s plan of grace and salvation, the purpose of the local church, ordinances, evangelism, Christian education, interaction with society, religious liberty, and the family.

Participate in the Cooperative Program (CP), Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts to support cooperative missions and ministries in the BRN and the SBC.

The Annual Church Profile is a process of collecting data regarding membership, baptisms, discipleship and more from PA/SJ Baptist churches.

Because we take the security of minors and vulnerable people seriously, the Baptist Resource Network now makes it a requirement that affiliated churches affirm that they have protocols in place for the security of minors and vulnerable adults, as already required by state law. Those churches that do not affirm that they are in full compliance with applicable state laws and that they have protocols in place will be deemed as non-affiliated until such affirmation is provided.

See BRN Statement.

As we help existing churches affiliate with the Baptist Resource Network and the Southern Baptist Convention, we also assist church planters.  It is our goal to help church planters navigate through this process for shared resources and connection.

Historically, this process allows you to affiliate with the national SBC network through the Baptist Resource Network, which enables continued servicing and resourcing throughout the lifetime of the church. As you are birthed through the SEND Network (NAMB), you also become a part of the family through the BRN. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one… A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

The following process outlines your journey to official affiliate with the SBC through the BRN:

Stage 1: Request for SBC ID Number*

  • A NAMB Church Planting Catalyst or Send City Missionary makes this request on behalf of the planter.
  • Five items are needed about the church plant:
    • Planter Name
    • Plant Name
    • Mailing Address of Planter (or plant, if known)
    • County to Plant in
    • Email Address of Planter (or plant, if known)
  • BRN completes the information in SBC Workspace.
  • Each plant must have an affiliated SBC sending church.

Stage 2: Church Plant Affiliation Process (0-18 months)*

  • This stage occurs after the NAMB residency.
  • During this time, the church plant is in the process of being launched.
  • Church plant Cooperative Program giving may begin.
  • The BRN will provide resources to assist church plant with organizational and administrative structures (the Director of Finance & Operations will work with the church, and legal counsel will be used as a resource). Contact the Help Desk to request these resources.
  • The church plant will produce governing documents consistent with the most recent SBC Baptist Faith & Message (Constitution and By-Laws) within 18 months for approval by the BRN. Campus plants will produce the governing documents of the main campus church.
  • Failure to produce, or producing unsatisfactory documentation, will forfeit eligibility for ministry grants, GuideStone benefits from the BRN (benefit for churches “officially affiliated”), and other servicing until time of completion.
  • Church plants may send messengers to the BRN’s Annual Business Session.

Stage 3: Official Affiliation to BRN/SBC

  • Governing documents (Constitution and By-Laws) and BRN-affiliation paperwork are officially approved by BRN Executive Board Leadership.
  • Church plants are eligible to complete the Annual Church Profile (ACP) for the SBC.
  • When NAMB funding ceases, the church’s status can be changed to allow messengers to be sent to the national SBC annual meeting.

*Stage 1 and 2 do not constitute official affiliation with the BRN or the SBC.

Have questions? Contact the Help Desk.

Download NAMB-Assessed Church Planting Affiliation brochure.

Are you ready to partner with the BRN?

Follow this step-by-step guide to indicate your interest in being a part of the Baptist Resource Network.

The Baptist Resource Network (BRN) of Pennsylvania/South Jersey (PA/SJ) is one of 41 state conventions related to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Our central office of operation, the “Hub” as we call it, is in Harrisburg, Pa., and our team is located strategically throughout our regions. The BRN geography of servicing typically consists of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, and we are comprised of hundreds of churches situated across four regions throughout this geography: West Region, Central Region, Greater Philadelphia Region, and South Jersey Region.

The BRN has a clear vision to see every church within its geography become a healthy, multiplying church. Our mission is to carry out that vision and the mission of Accelerating Kingdom Movement. There are three characteristics of all healthy churches: they engage missionally in the community, make disciples, and they develop leaders. The main priority of the BRN is helping your church strengthen these three behaviors so that you can expand the Kingdom of God.

Jesus commissioned His Church to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). We realize that no one individual or local church can accomplish this mission alone, so we choose to partner as we can accomplish more together than we can separately.

The BRN highly values partnership with your church. We love cooperating to help churches become effective in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. True partnership works when churches are involved and committed together to reach this goal. We want and desire to work with you to accomplish this mission.

Financial giving to the Cooperative Progam is one of the largest ways we can accomplish more together as this directly funds the ministry and missions efforts of the BRN and the SBC which allow the continued servicing of churches and the advancement of the Gospel in our geographical areas, the nation, and the world. The more your church is able to contribute, the more we are able to advance the Kingdom.

Each local church is autonomous and the BRN has no ecclesiastical authority over the church. Churches affiliate with the BRN voluntarily to work together to reach the world for Christ. Affiliated churches shall be member churches of the BRN, which allows messengers from the church to vote on business matters at the BRN Annual Gathering and the SBC National Convention.

We are so grateful for churches like yours that desire to do ministry together for the sake of the 14+ million people in our four regions that do not have a relationship with Jesus.

Next, click on Step 2 to view some of the benefits of partnering with the BRN!

Partnership Benefits

These benefits, along with a comprehensive look at the BRN, can be found in our online version of the Your BRN Family guide.

FROM THE BAPTIST RESOURCE NETWORK
Administrative Assistance Financial/Admin Coaching (new churches) Pastor Prayer Line
Children’s Ministry Training Guest Retreat/Church Speakers Pastor Roundtables & Clusters
Church Health Assistance Help Desk Support Pastoral Wellness Resources
Church Health Evaluations Informational Resources Prayer Support/Encouragement
Church Planter Support Legacy Coaching Racial Unity Assistance
Church Servicing/Resourcing Lending Library Respite Opportunities
Collegiate Ministry Assistance Free Life, Disability Insurance & Retirement Benefits Student Internships
Compassion Ministry Assistance Ministry Job Board Training Center Use
Communications/AV Training Ministry Wives/Family Ministry Transitional/Supply Pastor
Conferences, Cohorts, Trainings Missions Housing Voting Privileges at BRN Business Session
Demographic Studies Multiplying Church Centers Weekly E-Newsletter
Disaster & Crisis Relief Opportunities Networking Opportunities Women’s Ministry Resources
Discounted Legal Counsel Consultation Next Gen Ministry Assistance
Evangelism and Ministry Grants Next Step Consultations
Evangelism Resources Next Step Conversations And more!
FROM THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
501(c)(3) Federal Tax Exemption Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) representation in public square Missions Service Opportunities
Access to International Missionaries Evangelism Resources Multiplication Pipeline Training System
Church Planter Coaching & Training Funded Missionaries (Local, National, and International) Quality Seminary Education
Church Planter Funding Guest Missionary Speakers SBC Seminary Tuition Discount
Church Plant Start-Up Grants GuideStone Life/Health Insurance, Investments, Retirement, & Minister Taxation Short-Term Mission Trip Opportunities
Church Planter Support Lifeway Christian Resources (Books, Bible Studies, Gifts, Camps, etc.) Voting Privileges at SBC Annual Convention
FROM OUR PREFERRED PARTNERS
Alliance Defending Freedom Membership Ministry Trust Estate/Planned Giving Southern Baptist Foundation Financial Services
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Preferred Ministry Insurance Provider Ministry Trust Financial Investment WatersEdge Church Accounting
Christian Timber Reserve Fundraising Mission Partners from Other State Conventions WatersEdge Church Loans
Respite Opportunities WatersEdge Short-Term Investments RightNow Media Membership Specials

The BRN will continue seeking beneficial partnerships for our churches.

Next, click on Step 3 to see the overall process.

PARTNERSHIP AFFILIATION PROCESS

Below is a quick overview of the Affiliation Process. You may navigate through each of steps through the tabs on the left. At the end of the steps is a Final Partnership Affiliation Checklist that you can use to ensure you’ve completed each part. Thank you!

  1. Pastor (and church elders, if desired) meets with a BRN team member(s) to discuss the BRN and complete the attached Affirmation Statements. Discussion will include the BRN Constitution & Bylaws, Baptist Faith & Message, the Cooperative Program, support of the BRN direction & vision, and the Annual Church Profile (ACP).
  1. The Church shall submit all the items from the following checklist through this portal or to the BRN by email (helpdesk@brnunited.org) or mail:

Baptist Resource Network Hub
4620 Fritchey Street
Harrisburg, PA 17109

  •  The signed Partnership Affirmation Statements and Validation;
  • Church Information sheet;
  • A contribution to the Cooperative Program;
  • A copy of your church Constitution & By-Laws;
  • Proof of your church’s intentional abuse prevention measures:
    • PA Churches: Church to submit current Clearances (PA State Police Criminal Background Check and PA Child Abuse History Clearance) for the Lead/Senior pastor(s)
    • NJ Churches: Church to submit recent (within 5 years) background checks for the  Lead/Senior pastor(s);
  • A brief statement indicating your church is in compliance with state laws as it pertains to the protection of minors;
  • A brief statement indicating why the church desires to join together in Gospel ministry with the BRN to advance the Great Commission as identified in Matthew 28:19-20 and the biblical implementation plan outlined by Jesus in Acts 1:8.
  • A brief statement indicating whether or not your church affirms the latest version of the Baptist Faith & Message. Please include in this statement a discussion of any portion of the Baptist Faith & Message that your church or church leadership does not affirm or agree with in faith and practice.
  1. The BRN will communicate back to your church once the affiliation has been processed and approved. You should receive both an SBC Identification number as well as a financial giving number from the BRN upon completion of the affiliation.
    1. The SBC ID Number will be used to identify your church in the nationwide SBC database. It will allow you to file the Annual Church Profile, post job postings on sbc.net, participate in the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, make purchases through Lifeway Christian Resources, update your church info in the SBC database, etc.
    2. The financial giving number is issued by the BRN and is used when submitting Cooperative Program or other contributions to the BRN. This number ensures that your gift is applied properly in our contribution system.

If you need assistance, please click on the chat on the bottom right of this screen (during office hours) or email the Help Desk at helpdesk@brnunited.org.

Click on Step 4 to start the paperwork! Thank you!

Pastor (and church elders, if desired) meets with a BRN team member(s) to discuss the BRN and complete the attached Affirmation Statements below. Discussion will include the BRN Constitution & Bylaws, Baptist Faith & Message, the Cooperative Program, support of the BRN direction & vision, and the Annual Church Profile (ACP).

Next, in Step 5, you will be asked to provide a written affirmation on the following topics: abuse prevention, joint Gospel ministry, and your adherence to the Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement.

Next, click on Step 6 to provide your church’s specific details. Thank you!

Next, click on Step 7 to submit your first donation to the Cooperative Program. Thank you!

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.

Many churches send their financial gifts and offerings via public post. We receive them (payable to Baptist Resource Network) at: Baptist Resource Network, 4620 Fritchey Street, Harrisburg, PA 17109.

However, in addition to mailing contribution checks, churches and individuals can give securely online through our easy-to-use online giving tool. Since we are a network of churches spanning such large territory, two states, and with many partners around the country and world, we find that this safe and flexible option is the easiest way for churches and individuals to give to the Cooperative Program and/or other special offerings.

You may set up automatic payments or make a one-time donation. Here, you can easily manage your giving amount and specify where the funds should be applied. If you have questions concerning giving or for more information about online giving, please reach out to us by email at helpdesk@brnunited.org.

Next, click on Step 8 to upload a copy of your church’s Constitution and By-Laws and Clearances/Background Checks. Thank you!

Next, click on Step 9 to download and sign the Partnership Validation and Covenant Form. Thank you!

Partnership Validation & Covenant

Click on the button below to download the Partnership Validation & Covenant form. You may sign the form electronically (or print the form and sign it).

Once your Partnership Validation & Covenant form is filled out, you may upload it here or email it to the Help Desk at helpdesk@brnunited.org.

Next, click on Step 10 to go through a Final Partnership Affiliation Checklist.

FINAL PARTNERSHIP AFFILIATION CHECKLIST

Use this checklist form to let us know when you have completed all the paperwork. Thank you!

Next, click on Step 11 to see what happens next!

What's Next?

PROCESSING YOUR APPLICATION

The BRN will communicate back to your church once the affiliation has been processed and approved. You should receive both an SBC Identification number as well as a financial giving number from the BRN upon completion of the affiliation.

The SBC ID Number will be used to identify your church in the nationwide SBC database. It will allow you to file the Annual Church Profile, post job postings on sbc.net, participate in the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, make purchases through LifeWay, update your church info in the SBC database, etc.

The financial giving number is issued by the BRN and is used when submitting Cooperative Program or other contributions to the BRN. This number ensures that your gift is applied properly in our contribution system.

FIRST STEPS GATHERING

The BRN is excited to host a welcoming First Steps Gathering for church leaders (pastors and staff) who are new to their churches and for newly affiliated churches. This event will help you discover your first steps as partners with the Baptist Resource Network. Held twice a year, this event give you an opportunity to tour the BRN’s facilities, hear from BRN executive director and other team members, to hear about latest initiatives, and to network with others.  Join us!

Maybe you’d rather just fill out the paperwork offline? No problem! Go to the next tab to download  the paper version. Thank you!

Partnership Affiliation Paper Version

Click on the button below to download all the items from the previous checklist to the BRN. Once filled out, submit them to the Help Desk by email or mail them to:

Baptist Resource Network Hub
4620 Fritchey Street
Harrisburg, PA 17109

Thank you!

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