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Leaders talk often about the need to protect churches and organizations against “vision leak.” This could be described as the tendency to lose focus on the ultimate goal for which the organization exists. For example, I would argue that the local church ultimately exists to bring glory to God by making disciples of all peoples. When a church fails to focus on that ultimate goal, it has lost its vision.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is not a local church but ultimately exists to help churches. The vision of the KBC can best be captured by asking three questions.
First, we ask, “Why?” Why does the KBC exist? That question can best be answered with our mission statement – “The Kentucky Baptist Convention: Created by churches, for churches, to help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.”
Next, we ask, “How?” How will the KBC carry out the vision of helping churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ? That question can best be answered like this: “by fostering missions cooperation among churches and providing vital resources and services to assist churches in fulfilling the Great Commission.”
Then, we ask, “What?” What does the KBC do in order to fulfill the vision of helping churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ? The following bullet points summarize most of what we do:
- Provide comprehensive ministry consulting for KBC churches
- Facilitate training and networking opportunities for leaders and churches
- Facilitate missions partnerships and church planting opportunities in Kentucky, North America, and to the ends of the earth
- Inspire and equip churches in evangelism and disciple-making
- Facilitate relationships between Kentucky Baptist churches and their agencies and institutions
- Promote and process Cooperative Program and other missions giving in order to assist churches in their Great Commission obedience
- Mobilize Kentucky Baptist churches to influence society and government with the Christian principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love
The Mission Board staff members at the KBC have committed our mission statement to memory and allow that mission statement to guide us in our work, keeping us ever focused on our goal, i.e., helping churches. That is one of the ways we protect ourselves from vision leak.
As we begin a new year of ministering to Kentucky Baptist churches, we are praying that our churches will be more effective than ever at their ultimate goal of bringing glory to God by making disciples of all peoples. We are also praying that we will be more effective than ever at helping churches achieve that goal.