RICHMOND, Va. — As many as 1,000 people are expected to gather in Richmond, Va., Nov. 8-9 for the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, to be held in the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
Alan Hirsch, a leading voice in the Christian missional movement, will be keynote speaker. His book, ReJesus, will set the theme for the annual meeting — “ReJoice, ReClaim, ReJesus.”
Also on the agenda will be election of new officers, adoption of a 2012 budget and consideration of a proposal to restore BGAV ties with Averett University, ties which were dissolved in 2005.
As of Oct. 14, no candidates had been announced to succeed Bob Bass, who will complete a one-year term as BGAV president, or for other offices. BGAV officers are restricted to one-year, non-renewable terms.
A new system this year will streamline the messenger registration process. Since badges will be generated onsite, there is virtually no deadline for registering. In the past, churches that elect messengers late in the year have not been able to pre-register online because of print and mailing badge deadlines. The new system makes this possible
For each person who is registered, an e-mail confirmation will be sent along with a barcode. Messengers should print the confirmation and bring it with them to the Greater Richmond Convention Center. There the bar code will be scanned by one of the onsite scanners and a badge will be printed with the designation of messenger or visitor status.
At the bag pick up area, messengers will receive a ballot. If messengers lose or forget their confirmation, they will be able to find their registration at the onsite check-in and then print a badge there. Since registration never closes, onsite registration is also still possible.
Registration by mail is still possible for churches with limited or no internet service. Fill out the printable registration forms found at www.bgavconnect.net/registration.htm and mail them by Oct. 14. Badges will not be mailed this year. Messengers should go to the registration area and give their church name. They already will be in the system. The barcode will be printed there.
This year’s Ministry Project requires a bit of preplanning from attendees. The BGAV will be working with Homeward Virginia, an organization whose mission is to prevent, reduce and end homelessness by facilitating creative solutions through the collaboration, coordination and cooperation of regional resources and services. The Richmond Chapter needs assistance in providing items for their homeless kits. Messengers are asked to bring the following items, in whatever quantities they can afford, to the VBMB’s greeting area in the main lobby outside the main ballrooms:
- Travel-sized lotion and soap
- Toothpaste/toothbrush
- Socks
- Combs/brushes
- Gloves
- Deodorant
- Lip balm
- Sample-sized wipes
- New underwear (men’s and women’s)
- White t-shirts (LG/XL)
Breakout session titles will have a repetitive element to coincide with the theme of ReJoice, ReClaim, ReJesus. Breakouts are listed below:
Breakout Session #1 (2 p.m. – 3 p.m.)
• Review of the Book of Ecclesiastes: January Bible Study by LifeWay. Led by the John Leland Center for Theological Studies.
• Release and Restore: Taking a Stand Against Human Exploitation. Led by WMUV staff.
• Receiving the Stranger: A Ministry of Hospitality. This breakout session will showcase the latest documentary produced by EthicsDaily.com entitled: “Gospel Without Borders.”
• Religious Liberty Committee Rethinks the Question: “Patriotism in Church: Are There Limits?” Join in a discussion with Brent Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee and members of the Religious Liberty Committee and participate in a question and answer time addressing such issues as: Do we place the American flag in the sanctuary? If so, how often? Where? Are all patriotic hymns okay for worship? Is pledging allegiance? Do we ignore or encourage patriotic editions of the Bible? Led by the BGAV Religious Liberty Committee.
• Reformation: Form over Function — Moving from Entertainment to Spiritual Formation with Youth. Sacred hope is an expedition into mission. Led by Josh Hayden, student pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church and author of Sacred Hope.
• Repairers and Restorers: Christian Community Development Panel Discussion. Led by the courageous churches team of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
• ReJesus Revisited: An Interview with Alan Hirsch. As the place of church within our culture continues to change, what does the new face of leadership look like? Where will these leaders come from? How will congregations nurture and develop leaders of the future? John Chandler of the Spence Network interviews our featured speaker, Alan Hirsch, in a conversation about how the “leadership pipeline” will evolve in Virginia and beyond. Led by Uptick.
• Re-Visioning College and Young Adult Ministry. Led by the Collegiate and Young Adult Ministers of the Kairos Initiative.
• Re-Evaluate Your Small Church Technology Needs. Led by Nathan White, director of communications and marketing at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center.
• Re-Navigating Difficult Conversations, Conflicts, and Changes. Led by Barbara Robbins, congregational consultant in conflict transformation.
• Revealing the Numbers: Budget Discussion for 2012. This is an opportunity to get clarification and answers to your questions about the proposed 2012 BGAV budget. (Note: This session begins at 2 p.m. and will continue as long as needed.) Led by Budget Committee Chair Jim Slatton, and committee members.
• Rethinking Family Ministry Today — A Guide for Modern Families. Led by the Christian Life Committee chair Wayne Jenkins and committee members.
• Reclaiming Grace, Giving, and Generosity. Led by Don Campbell, field strategist/stewardship specialist for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board.
Breakout Session #2 (3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
• Review of the Book of James: Annual Bible Study by Smyth & Helwys. Led by Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
• Responding in Panama. Led by the Glocal Missions Team of the VBMB.
• Recibiendo al Extranjero: Un Ministerio de Hospitalidad. Este taller mostrará el último documental producido por EthicsDaily.com titulado: “Evangelio sin Fronteras” y, a la luz de Hebreos 13:2 y otros pasajes bíblicos, promoverá una sana e informada discusión sobre las implicaciones para el ministerio cristiano que las historias descriptas proponen.”Evangelio Sin Fronteras” arroja luz pero no animosidad en el tema de la inmigración. Separa el mito de los hechos, examina lo que dice la Biblia sobre el tratamiento del extranjero, muestra las experiencias de inmigrantes documentados e indocumentados, y provee ideas para que los Cristianos avancemos el bien común. El documental incluye historias en cinco estados: Arizona, Arkansas, Carolina del Norte, Alabama e Iowa. Algunas historias rompen el corazón, otras inspiran al espiritu, y otras más desafían la mente. Todas se unen para mostrar que el verdadero evangelio no está limitado por las fronteras.
• Rethinking: Using a Coach Approach to Ministry. Led by Brian Hopper, pastor/directional architect at Imago Dei in Richmond and coordinator of the coaching program of V3, the church multiplication movement of the VBMB, and Michael Cheuk, pastor of Farmville (Va.) Baptist Church.
• Revolutionary Multiplication Through Parenting and Grandparenting a New Church Plant. Led by Phil and Jody Faig, V3 co-coordinators.
• ReJesus Your Church Through Fresh Expressions. Over the last year, Virginia Baptists have been developing an initiative called Fresh Expressions that is designed to help you and your church put into practice what is being talked about at the annual meeting. Fresh Expressions is so exciting that several other denominations are looking to Virginia Baptists for help implementing it in their own denomination. If you are interested in finding new ways of reaching unchurched people or exploring how renewal has come to hundreds of congregations already, then join us at this seminar to discover more. Led by Fresh Expressions.
• Reconciling Your Church Through Worship Music. Led by David Bailey, The Gathering worship leader, Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
• Rethinking Relationships: Cross-Cultural Ministry for the 21st Century. As the issue of immigration heats up, this workshop presents a real-world approach to effectively relating to those who come to our churches from very different cultures. Led by David Haun, minister with youth and college students, Fredericksburg (Va.) Baptist Church.
• Rehearsal for Celebration Dance. Learn the Celebration Dance step-by-step and be ready for the next BGAV flash mob Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Led by Ashley Carr, choreographer, Celebration Dance.
• Revealing the Numbers: Budget Discussion for 2012 (continued). This is an opportunity to get clarification and answers to your questions about the proposed 2012 BGAV budget. (Note: This is a continuation of Session #1, which began at 2 p.m. and will continue as long as needed.) Led by budget committee chair Jim Slatton, and committee members.
• Revisiting our Relationship with Averett University. With renewed interest by Averett University to rejoin the BGAV, this session will address the specific issues needing to occur for this to happen. Led by the Averett University/ BGAV Reconciliation Committee: Chair Jeff Bloomer, Bob Bass, Darrell Foster, Tim Madison and John Upton.
• Reflections: Forming Children in God’s Image. How do we as churches go about helping children become like God? Come learn how to help children grow. Led by Ivy Beckwith, author of Formational Children’s Ministry and Postmodern Children’s Ministry.