Ben Jennings, Assimilation Pastor  Canton Baptist Temple

As a young man that is part of the BCMN, I am glad to be a part of a group that is unashamedly Baptist in our doctrinal identity. The pastors and ministers in the Network are ministry minded, doing the work of the Great Commission in local churches. The words “Baptist,” “church” and “ministry” all describe us well.

As I have thought about the BCMN, the word that has struck me lately is the word “Network”. What is a network? Here are three definitions from Webster’s online dictionary:

Network- noun

1) a group of people or organizations that are closely connected and that work with each other

When I read this definition it reminded me of the vision of our network. We are a group of people who are closely connected. How are we connected? We are biblical, balanced, Baptists all trying to do great local church ministry to reach our world for Christ. We work together to see God’s work accomplished.

Then I saw the definition of the verb form of the word:

Network- verb

2) to talk with people whose jobs are similar to yours especially for business opportunities or advice

As a group of pastors, staff and churches we want to exemplify what it means to network. It is important for us to communicate with each other to make the most of Gospel and Missional opportunities. It is important for us to have people to learn from and with whom we can grow.

Network- verb

3) to connect (computers) in a way that allows information and equipment to be shared

This last definition made me think of the opportunity we have to network using technology in order to communicate and build relationships with others within our network. We have always wanted the network to have great meetings where we see each other face to face for encouragement, inspiration, communication and growth. But we don’t want the networking to stop there. This is why we have continued to update and improve the functionality of baptistcmn.com. We have begun to post articles three times a week about all manner of relevant topics. As a member you will see more of this content delivered to your email inbox. Here are five ways to get the most from the network using our new website, baptistcmn.com, between the national meetings:

First, engage with people doing similar ministry on our blog. Posts that are relevant to every ministry interest can be found on the site. You can engage with others about the content by “commenting” on the articles.

Second, engage in periodic BCMN Virtual Group Events. Over the next few months we will be hosting Virtual BCMN Group Events for our members. You’ll be able to find details about these events through our blog and our events page. Here are four of the upcoming meetings:

  • Prayer Meeting For America – Thursday, October 29, 2pm Eastern – Hosts: Mike Frazier & Dennis Jennings
  • Connecting Missions and the Local Church – Thursday, November 12, 2pm Eastern – Hosts: Lewis McClendon & Shane Salmon
  • Evangelism & Discipleship – Thursday January 7, 2pm Eastern, Hosts: Erik Sanders & Ben Jennings
  • Reaching & Discipling Children & Teens- Thursday, February 4, 2pm Eastern, Host: Justin Tong

Third, engage through our new BCMN Facebook Group. This is a BCMN members only group that creates a great forum for discussion, mentorship, and communication between members. You can find the group at facebook.com/groups/baptistcmn.

Fourth, engage with individuals through our membership directory. When someone joins the network as a member they have access to the membership directory. Each person decides which ministry interest that they are willing to help mentor someone in, as well as the best way to be contacted. If you are looking for some advice on a particular topic, this is a great way to access a wealth of wisdom from other members in the network.

Lastly, engage at BCMN regional meetings. We have had several regional BCMN Chapters meeting over the last year. You will be able to find scheduled national, regional, and virtual events on the website as those dates become scheduled and available. You can find the full schedule under the events tab at baptistcmn.com.

As Biblical, Balanced, Baptists we are stronger and more effective when we network together.