Hello, BRN Family! It’s great to be with you today!
Happy New Year!! January is a natural time to start processing all that has happened during the past year. As I look back, I am exceedingly grateful for our BRN family of churches and the many ways you are impacting your communities with God’s glorious gospel.
As I have reviewed the Baptist Resource Network’s work in 2022, I’ve discovered some of the highlights that are warming my heart this new year. I’d like to share them with you.
First: Accelerate and Advance Conferences
This year’s Accelerate and Advance Conferences knocked it out of the park! We were privileged to be challenged by nationally recognized speakers, Shane Pruitt, Ed Stetzer and Daniel Yang, as well as several gifted leaders from across our BRN churches. We highlighted #LovePASJ, a three-year initiative to help our churches KNOW their neighbors through prayer-walking and exegesis, SHOW Christ’s love to them through evangelism and compassion ministry, and GROW them through intentional discipleship and leadership development. We are sensing a mission movement growing all around us! Please consider who you can invite to the 2023 Accelerate and Advance Conferences!
Next: BRN Evangelism Grants and Baptisms
Speaking of evangelism, have you noticed how this year’s BRN United has been full of exciting stories of churches doing outreach and loving their neighbors? Week after week, we have highlighted these mission-minded churches’ use of evangelism grants and have celebrated their growing number of baptisms. What an incredible year! I can only imagine how wonderful next year will be! How can the BRN help you celebrate these wonderful occasions?
Third: Pastoral Wellness
Ministry can be exceptionally lonely, so the Baptist Resource Network offers an extended support network, prayer encouragement, retreats, and other events to help refresh our partnering churches’ leaders, pastor’s wives, and families. We come alongside lead pastors in four ways: RECREATION, through free Pastor Blessing events and gatherings; RESPITE, through the BRN’s Guest House in Harrisburg, where you can enjoy a quiet time away from the demands of ministry; RESTRENGTHENING, through a vital partnership with Full Strength Network, who offers free monthly counseling or coaching and other wellbeing resources for the pastor and his wife and family; and REASSURANCE, through GuideStone Financial Services, which promote financial health and spiritual wellness among other benefits, as well as #LegacyPASJ, the BRN’s new Legacy and Estate Planning for churches, individuals and families. Have you signed up yet for the Full Strength Network? Let us know if we can assist you!
Fourth: #LegacyPASJ
Speaking of legacy, we believe God has created every individual with the desire to leave a lasting impact on the world. While we are actively doing everything we can to help churches and their leaders to be healthy, we need your help to make our efforts go further. Your generosity through BRN’s new #LegacyPASJ Fund feeds opportunities to provide hope and healing to hurting pastors and congregations, coaching to encourage church leaders in their efforts, grants to help churches meet the needs in their communities, and resources to help train the next generation of Kingdom-minded leaders. Perhaps the greatest stories are the ones we aren’t hearing. It’s the story of all the faithful church leaders who despite the challenges set before them, remain steadfast to the task the Lord has assigned them. Let us know how we can come alongside you in this way.
Fifth: Woven Women
Among these unsung heroes are the ministers’ wives and women in our churches who serve day in and day out. To that, we say thank you! We are excited about the growth of activity of our Woven Women ministry, which this year included a new monthly newsletter, a leadership development conference, several Lunch and Learn sessions during our conferences, and book studies for pastors’ wives and those in women’s ministry.
You can learn more about the above ministries on our website, brnunited.org. Certainly, if you have questions, please feel free to reach out to our Help Desk at helpdesk@brnunited.org or call or text us at (717) 652-5856. Thank you, God bless you, and again, Happy New Year!
