Strengthening our Churches

In Acts 15:41 it says that the Apostle “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” Paul’s missionary strategy included he and his mission team revisiting churches that he had previously planted to strengthen them. The root meaning of “strengthen” comes from episterizo (epí = intensifies + sterízo = strengthen, support) and means literally to place firmly upon and the root verb (histemi) means to stand. Paul was helping these churches to build a firm foundation that they could stand on for ministry and missions effectiveness and theological integrity.

We believe that every church needs to be a strong church and to maintain that foundational integrity requires assistance and partnership with others for encouragement. One of purposes of the Waccamaw Baptist Association is to come alongside our pastors and churches with resources to help strengthen our churches.

Some of the practical ways your WBA team partners with our churches for strengthening includes:

• Training pastor search teams and assisting with acquiring resumes in times of pastoral transition

• Providing supply preachers and trained interims to assist in filling the pulpit in the absence of the pastor

• Assistance for new church plants

• Training and assistance for churches in developing and implementing a sexual abuse policy and safety procedures

• Training mission teams and preparing members for mission trips

• Assistance and training for VBS, WMU groups, Baptist Men Groups, and children’s mission education ministries

• Assisting churches experiencing hardships such as fires, floods, death of a pastor, etc.

• Consulting with churches in conflict

• Communicating pertinent denominational events and programs to churches

• Providing strategic planning and futuring processes for churches examining their mission, vision, core values, and goals.

• Assist churches with the creation and editing of constitution and by-laws, administrative manuals and personnel manuals.

• Assist churches in setting up financial bookkeeping processes that protect the integrity of the church