Here is what is coming up this week... Lots of "SBC" in today's list. Thanks for praying for me and for the folks listed below.

Becoming a Missional Church

This Thursday, I'll be at Westmeade Baptist Church in Decatur, GA for a conference on Becoming a Missional Church. You can download the brochure here.

Thanks to the Alabama Baptist Convention for making it possible.

Speaking at the SBC (building)

On Friday, I am actually preaching to the Southern Baptist Convention. Well, sorta.

The Southern Baptist Convention only exists two days a year (most recently for two days in Louisville, KY). Between those annual meetings, the business of the convention is conducted by the Executive Committee. Technically, it acts "for the Convention ad interim in all matters not otherwise provided for."

I am guessing that I am only one of seven people to have read the history and role of the EC, but I find it helpful to understand how my denomination works. It is worth a read if you want to know how the denomination works-- lots of helpful resources in an easy to navigate site.

Also, while you are looking around at the site, let me encourage you to follow a link over to Morris Chapman's address to the SBC in 2004 called "The Fundamentals of Cooperating Conservatives." I found it a helpful call for cooperation in a (still unresolved) time of denominational conflict. I found it a great encouragement in 2004 and I am hoping people might listen today.

Here is a small part:

There's a road wrongly taken by many on our left, the road of liberalism. But there is also a road wrongly taken by many others on our right side. It may not be as treacherous as the road of liberalism, but it is just as disabling to the Convention.

What is this road? It is the road of separatism - an ecclesiastical methodology that devalues cooperation in favor of hyper independence. In the past, we have avoided this road as fervently as the road on the left. If Southern Baptists steer too sharply toward the right, we will end up on the road of separatism.

Southern Baptists have never embraced the methodologies of separatism. We can be both conservative and cooperative. It is our distinctive heritage. It is the genius of our success. It is our spiritual destiny.

Good words then. Good words now.

May the SBC have ears to hear that we can cooperate with different kinds of people who affirm they can work within our confessional framework: contemporary, rural, emerging, Calvinist, traditional Baptist, ethnic, etc.

Anyway, I will preach at the chapel of the Executive Committee that day. I look forward to it. These men and women work hard to serve our convention so it can be a tool to help our churches cooperate for the Great Commission. I have still not decided my text or topic, so please pray for me. Considering the days we are in, I will try to be on my very best behavior!

Both of these are driving distance... no airplanes this week! That makes it a good week.

And a Final Prayer Request

One final thought since I gave an SBC polity lesson: if you are SBC (and, for that matter, even if you are not), please click this link to learn about and to pray for the Great Commission Resurgence and the GCR Task Force. These are important days.