The Big Picture

Introduction:

Brackley Baptist Church has been given a very clear sense of its purpose or mission which determines its programme or schedule of activities. This brief introduction explains the connections between our purpose and our programme. It also explains the basics of how Baptist churches are organised locally.

Our Purpose:

We recognise that God and God alone, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is able to create “belief” in Him. You cannot learn to be a Christian believer because recognizing our individual needs of Jesus Christ as a Lord and Saviour is “revealed” to us by the Holy Spirit. He then gives us the assurance that Christ has heard our appeal for mercy and forgiveness and has accepted us as belonging to Him. So, only God can make believers.

The purpose of the Church as a whole and therefore the purpose of a local church is to “make disciples” of all nations (literally, “ethnic groups”).

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28: 19-20)

This call to discipleship is also seen in the pattern of the early Church’s life:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2: 42 )

So, the key aims of Brackley Baptist Church are to be a ‘great commission church’ and a ‘community of disciples’.

To be a great commission church by:                              Make Disciples:

• Outreach                                                                    Go

• Evangelism                                                                Baptise

• Education/Training                                                    Teach

• Service/Ministry                                                        To Obey (Matthew 28: 19-20)

To be a Community of Disciples by:                       And they devoted themselves to:

• Learning together                                                      the Apostles’ teaching

• Working in Partnership together                              the fellowship

• Worshipping together                                               the breaking of the bread

• Praying together                                                        prayer (Acts 2: 42 )

In order to fulfil our Commission as a church we recognise that there has to be a rolling programme of outreach, evangelism, Christian education, and service:-  

1. Outreach

This is where we reach into the community around us by meeting the needs that people know they have. We do things purely and simply for the sake of others. This “no strings attached” helping of others puts us in the place where God can use us, should He choose, if further opportunities are given to us. Outreach enables us to build bridges within the town and community that hopefully helps people to realise that we can be trusted and so that they can see ‘something different’ about us.

Our community ministries that are for the benefit of our neighbours include: The Little Fishes’ Preschool; and The Little Fishes’ Parents & Tots Groups.

We also encourage members of the church to be actively involved in local groups such as Brackley Music Festival, Rotary Club, Cricket Club, Football Club, Twinning Association, Fair Trade Lobby, etc.

2. Evangelism

When appropriate we invite those who know us and trust us (through things like our involvement in Outreach activities) to come and see, to come and learn more about Jesus through church activities. The purpose of evangelism is to help people become acquainted with the claims of Christ so that the Holy Spirit can help them respond to the call of the Gospel.

3. Discipleship Training

Once we have experienced God for ourselves we need to learn to understand what this means. God is often “experienced” in corporate worship but we are helped to “understand” in settings where we can ask questions.

We believe that all ages, children, youth and adults need to “experience God” within the community of faith where we can also “understand” what these experiences mean for our lives. That is why on Sunday mornings we provide opportunities for all ages to “experience” in worship, and “learn” in PACE (our Programme of All-age Christian Education). This is not a one-off moment but is an ongoing process of worship, reflecting, learning, reflecting, living, reflecting, worship, etc.

The purpose of Christian education is not “to know about” rather it is “to obey”. The making of disciples involves, as Jesus says,

teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28: 20)

The purpose of Christian education is to help people to be involved in Christian service or ministry.

The aim of church-based ministries is…

to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4: 12-13)

In practical terms this means that our “core” programme on Sunday Mornings is designed for the whole family together to be able to come to worship, fellowship, and learn in ways appropriate for their specific age groups.

9.45am - 10.30am: Programme of All-age Christian Education:

There are learning opportunities for the whole family; with groups for:-

• Preschoolers (Sparklers)

•  Keystage 1

• Keystage 2

• Youth – Keystages 3 & 4

• Adults

(The leaders, teachers, and helpers in these groups are also able to refresh themselves spiritually by being part of the whole Worship Experience at 11.00am each Sunday.)

10.30am - 10.55am: Fellowship Cafe 1

This is an informal time where people can catch up with each other while they drink fresh percolated fair-traded coffee and have a quick midmorning snack. Children are the responsibility of their parents at this time.

11.00am - 12.15pm'ish: Worship:

We gather for worship at about 10.55am and begin with a short time of quiet prayer. The Nursery for babies and crawlers opens at this time.

The Worship Service is geared to the adults and we try to make it easy for newcomers to follow. Younger Children leave after about 30 minutes for either Sparklers (the preschoolers) or for “Children’s Worship”. This is for Keystage 1 and 2 children where the worship is more appropriate for their age. It also helps them to learn what worship means. The Youth of secondary school age stay for the whole of the worship and for the sermon.

12.15pm - 12.45pm: Fellowship Cafe 2:

We enjoy the coffee and the chat so much, we do it again! This is just like the one before the service begins. It is another opportunity to spend time chatting with friends.

The reason why PACE comes before and not after “Worship” is because we find that the Teachers are able to worship more freely after they have taught their classes rather than before. We have a policy that if someone is involved in teaching in PACE they must be free to be a part of the Worship for adults. If someone is looking after children, or leading Children’s Worship, they must be free to attend an Adult class beforehand. That way those who are “giving out” always have an opportunity to “receive in” as well.

4. Service or Ministry

As we have seen, part of Christian discipleship (being disciplined followers of Jesus) involves “service” or “ministry”. We are saved to serve.

 Christian service is not confined to the four walls of a church building. Our daily work should be our ministry or Christian service. We can make a difference in our town or community. We can be actively involved in the ministry of our local church. All this is “service” or “ministry”.

Other Ministries:

There are other ministries in addition to our “core” Sunday Morning programme that are designed to help the church “make disciples” and to help us become a “community of disciples.”

These are:

• Life Groups

• Prayer Meeting

• Church Family Night

• Church Members’ Meeting

Life Groups

We believe it is important to keep some evenings free for people to be involved in the town and community as well as for the well-being of the family unit. Small Groups meet on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings and during the daytime on a Wednesday. (We also try to keep leadership training and development, and ministry team meetings Monday evenings.)

The purpose of our Life Groups is “to empower people to develop biblical knowledge, prayer, spiritual gifts, fellowship, and mutual pastoral care.”

Life Groups are the principle mechanism for providing mutual pastoral care and eventually all members and attendees will be associated with a Life Group even if they do not attend meetings of that group.

There are no Life Group meetings during a week when there is a Church Members’ Meeting, a Church Family Night, or some other agreed special meeting of the church.

Prayer Meeting

This is held each week on Wednesday evenings. One starts at 7.00pm and after a short break another begins at 8.00pm (allowing the evening to be used for other purposes too). A Prayer Meeting is held before the start of business at Church Members’ Meetings.

Church Family Night

This is held once every two months on a Friday evening and is an opportunity for everyone to get together for an evening of food, fun and fellowship. The evening begins with food at 6.00pm and activities suitable for all ages, and for friends and neighbours, continue until 9.00pm .

These are held on the second Friday of February, April, June, August, October, and December. There are no Life Groups during the week of a Church Family Night.

Church Members’ Meeting

This is the key decision-making meeting of the church. The various Ministry Teams are directly accountable to the Church Members’ Meeting which agrees policies and procedures. This is the opportunity for us, as covenanted members of the church, to meet together to “seek the mind of Christ” for our ministry as a church. Regular attendees are welcome to attend and contribute to discussions but only full members of the church are able to vote on matters. When endeavour to discern God’s Will through a common consensus following prayer. When necessary and for a record of such deliberations we may call for a vote.

The Church Members’ Meeting is on the second Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September, and November and begins with a Prayer Meeting for the church.

Our Mission Statement:

(All our activities should be in harmony with our Mission Statement which is enshrined in our Constitution.)

“The purpose of Brackley Baptist Church is…

• to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ;

• to teach the Bible in its entirety as the inspired Word of God;

• to experience an increasingly meaningful fellowship with God and fellow believers;

• to be a church which ministers unselfishly to persons in the community and the world in Jesus’ name; and

• to be a church whose purpose is to be Christ-like in our daily living by emphasising total commitment of life, personality, and possessions to the Lordship of Christ.”

It is summed up with a Mission Statement:

To be a community of disciples & disciple-makers

The Diaconate:

The ultimate decision-making body for the church is the Church Members’ Meeting which is for all those who have applied for and been accepted into Church Membership. Everyone is able to attend Worship, PACE, and Life Groups, etc. but only members may attend and vote at Members’ meetings.

The Diaconate consists of the Pastor, Church Secretary, Church Treasurer, and Deacons who have been elected to serve the church. They are entrusted with day-to-day administration and caring leadership between Church Members’ Meetings and are wholly accountable to that Meeting.

Ministry Teams:

There are several Ministry Teams who look after various aspects of the Church’s Mission and Ministries. We encourage you to find a place to serve on one.

The Seasons of Family Life:

 Although we organise the corporate life of the church to provide opportunities for children from birth, the reality is that we go through various seasons in our family life which means that there are times when we cannot do everything!

When a baby is born it is the dawn of a new era of family life. Sports cars are not always able to carry all the paraphernalia that accompany babies, and may have to be traded in against an estate car or station wagon. Gone are the days when you can get up late and jump into a car. With a baby around, everything takes much longer, including the loading of the car.

If a baby is settled into the nursery at birth, the child learns that this is a safe place to be and that mum or dad will return. Even then, from the age of five to nine months a baby is much more reluctant to leave his or her primary carers. They become “clingy”. At this time, it is likely that one or other parent may need to stay with the child, especially if they have not been used to being cared for in the nursery. Although at such times parents may wonder if it’s worth all the effort of getting to church, it’s still worth coming as there are opportunities to speak with others in the same boat, as well as others who will encourage us in our ministry of parenthood.

Each season of childhood brings its own advantages and disadvantages. This is why it’s useful to talk with parents whose children are a little older. It’s good to know that our children are relatively normal! The great motto for parents is, “And this too, shall pass." 

There are times, especially if you have preschool children, when it may be difficult for you to attend even the full Sunday morning programme. It may be that you can all attend PACE or you can all attend Worship – but it’s simply too difficult to attend both. At such times, a parent needs to be careful about what he or she commits to as teachers, helpers, etc. (especially if only one parent attends with the children). The important thing to remember is that this is one of those seasons that come and go.

Every now and then the family that chooses one or other experience (PACE or Worship) would be wise to try attending both again. The time comes when the child is ready for, and will benefit from, both.

Likewise, as lovely as it would be to attend midweek Life Groups as a couple, it is necessary to have and afford a reliable ‘baby-sitter’. For some households it may mean that one parent attends a Tuesday Small Group and the other attends the Friday Small Group, and so they baby-sit for each other. Even then, there will be opportunities for the whole family to attend Church Family Nights together.

We cannot do everything all the time. Nobody will think any the less of you if you do what you can, recognising the limitations which certain seasons bring with them. We are here to help each other become disciples, and to make disciples. Our children are our primary mission-field and we are their most important and influential teachers. That’s why we need to work together and help each other through all the seasons of family life.

(May 2007)