Happy New Year

Happy New Year! That's the greeting going around this weekend. It is a good time to examine who we are in Christ and what He would have us to do with out lives! It has been a LONG time since my last post (on any blog), so my first New Year's Resolution as it relates to "social media" is to post more often on the blogs and sites I maintain.

Not just posts, but posts "with purpose." Some of you understand that term. It is not my desire to fill up my time with useless info. Rather, I want my posts to have some value to the reader. So, whether it be an actual blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or TRBA's website, it is my prayer you will find information useful that I post in 2012.

As I have thought of what to post in 2012, I have prayed and then examined what I am "hearing" from various sources in denominational life. To that end, I have determined to focus on the purpose of the association, as well as issues related to overall church health. I will be looking a LOT to Transformational Church and Transitional Pastor as I am working with both LifeWay and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in those areas. Truthfully, I think there are things we can glean to strengthen the church and impact lostness (our purpose as an association of churches).

In a conversation with a Sunday School director today we began to discuss some information we had obtained during a Josh Hunt conference several years back. In fact, I bought a book by Hunt today that reiterated the idea of "how to double your Sunday School in two years or less."

The gist of the conversation centered on the fact that the classes seemed content with where they were and had not grown in several years. Basically, we talked about the lack of evidence in many area churches (from conversations the two of us have had with other church leaders in neighboring churches from three associations) that churches want to grow.

I think that is perhaps the first thing we need to honestly look at as we begin the new year. Do we have a genuine desire to grow closer to Christ personally and to grow both spiritually and numerically in our churches. Or are we content with where we are. I would invite you to pray and search with me this simple fact over the next couple of days. After the first of the year I will examine the idea of doubling Sunday School attendance in less than two years. I am pretty confident I will address it from the standpoint of IF we REALLY want to see growth.

I have become convinced that we have all the tools we need to advance the kingdom. We have attended conference after conference. In the YEARS we have attended, there has been little kingdom advance and virtually no SUSTAINED evidence of growth in many of our churches. Yet - we have the tools sitting idly beside us as we moan about our lack of advance.

What do we have:

1. The authority of Christ who commanded that we make disciples.
2. His Word.
3. His presence to instruct, lead, guide, empower.
4. Prayer.
5. His promise to hear, answer, empower as we walk in obedience to Him.

Then we have other tools to assist. Among the ones I have emphasized in TRBA are Link2Lead, The Mapping Center, continued training of church leadership, Transformational Church, Transitional Pastor, etc. etc. etc. Over the next few weeks, expect much info to be shared. As it is shared, pray about your participation individually and as a church.

Do you want to see kingdom advance in 2012? If you do, please join me and the other TRBA staff members as we answer the call to prayer by our denominational leaders. Pray with us daily for kingdom advance. Join us on Monday, January 23rd at 7 PM for a corporate time of prayer.

Again, I wish you the best for 2012. I look forward to walking alongside you as we set out together to strengthen His church and impact the lostness of THIS generation!

Developing A Spiritual Vision For 2011 - Part Two

I want to continue today some thoughts about our need to develop a spiritual vision for our lives in 2011 - praying for God to reveal one scripture to guide our path/prepare us to deal with life's circumstances throughout 2011. In part one of this discussion, I focused on Proverbs 29: 18, "Without revelation people run wild, but one who keeps the law will be happy." (Holman translation). I closed the discussion by revealing what I referred to as "Reality One." I stated, "The reality is - without a spiritual vision for your life, you will run wild." That's where I want to begin in this discussion.

Reality # 1: Without Spiritual vision for your life, you will run wild. That's a reality. That's what the Bible tells us. Without a spiritual vision for your life, you're going to run wild. I'm telling you we've got a lot of wild-eyed Christians right now. You will run on your own. You'll run loosely, you will run freely, you will run unrestrained. You will run shamelessly. You will run naked (Young's Literal Translation puts it), and you know one of the real tragedies of running naked? Is you don't even know you're naked. That's what John wrote about in Revelation 3, of the lukewarm church, you don't even know your own condition, that you're blind, and naked, and weak, and in need because you don't have the Word of God pouring into you.

In the Message, Proverbs 29: 18 reads, "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed." In this case, I think we can learn from this translation as well! There seems to be a LOT of times that we are stumbling all over ourselves and accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom. Conversely, when we attend to that which God reveals to us/calls us to do in His Word, we are indeed blessed!

With a spiritual vision for your life, you will discover the good life God intends for you. I believe Jesus stated He came to give us "life more abundantly (John 10: 10)." That's a pretty exciting statement. If I can develop a spiritual vision for my life, I can begin to live and discover the good life that God intends for me. And that is true for all! Don't you want the good life God intends for you in your life? Then follow the counsel of God's Word and discover life to the fullest.

Many churches today (and we as an association) have established vision statements or purpose statements. If they set out to achieve their purpose as a church, then they are likely to achieve their goals. If they wander aimlessly - doing a little of this and a little of that - doing what "feels good for the moment" or just that which is popular to the masses - then they may last for a season but they will not achieve the life more abundantly that God has in store for those that devote themselves to following the precepts of God's Word.

As an association, Tar River has established it's primary purpose many years ago. It's purpose is to strengthen the local church. It is our aim to walk alongside our member churches and assist them/resource them/equip them through training and modeling so that the church, the Bride of Christ, will prosper as God directs. If we fail to live by that purpose, we may do a lot of things - even things that are good - but if not in accordance with what God would have us to do, then we will just stumble all over ourselves doing a lot of busy-ness stuff, but we will NOT experience the blessedness of operating in God's Will.

Some of you have heard my story of serving on the Mental Health Board many years ago. I had been appointed to represent the needs of those addicted to drugs and alcohol - a noble cause. I was honored. I set out to do the best job that I could. After a while, they asked me to serve as chair of the board and then politics entered the picture. My life became consumed with meeting after meeting; working lunched with directors and committee chairs from other public service agencies; lobbied state legislators for services to meet the needs of the people I represented and all the others with mental health needs. There were even times the regular meeting went LONG we would go into what the press reported as an "executive session (the press was released and our purpose was SUPPOSED to be dealing with issues of a confidential nature). Reality - the other members of the board ate supper while I rushed out a side door and drove to the church and conducted prayer meeting at the church. I would return and call the press back into the meeting and report, "there is no public action necessary for any items discussed while the board was in executive session.

I became so busy with the work of the board, my life was consumed! When I was not in a meeting, I was meeting with people to prepare for the meeting or talking with a reporter about what was determined at the meeting, etc. etc.

The church I served sent me on a spiritual retreat. There I went to my first session. The leader is well known NOW, but I had never heard of him. His name was Greg Laurie. He made this statement, "This was not what I had planned to say but someone in here needs to hear this; 'Noble causes do not replace God's call for your life.'" I thought - what a great saying and wrote it down.

I went to my second session. I do not remember the name of the individual that was leading the session but he began by saying: "I did not have this in my plans, but someone here needs to hear this statement - noble causes do not replace God's call for your life." I quickly looked around the room to see what individual was in my first session and needed to hear this word - which I was beginning to realize was indeed a word from the Lord.

Now it was time for my third session. I know the presenter was a member of Billy Graham's family, but I can not recall the name. You guessed it - again I heard the words - "noble causes do not replace God's call for your life." I fully realized, that word was for me and as the presenter continued to present, I wrote out my letter of resignation as Chairman of the Mental Health Board and a letter to the County Commissioners stating that I would not accept reappointment to the board. I realized I had allowed a noble cause to replace God's call on my life at that time. He had called me as pastor of Massey Hill Baptist Church, not Chairman of the Board."

Today I strive to be where God wants me to be and not allow noble causes to crowd Him out. Problem is, I still get distracted. That's why I believe we need to continually review our purpose for the cause of Christ and attempt to live in obedience to His call. If we are not careful we get super-busy with lots of good stuff - even noble stuff - yet we are operating outside of God's calling upon our lives. We need to HEAR God - that's why we really need to be in His Word. Again, I challenge you to pray and asking God to reveal a scripture to help you throughout 2011.

We will look at this more throughout our days of prayer as member churches. Until then, pray that all of us will really HEAR God and do those things that He is calling us to do as His disciples.

2010 - A New Year For TRBA

It is still early in the New Year - a new decade. As we enter 2010, TRBA also begins full implementation of its policies and procedures under the "new" ByLaws that were approved by the association. I am grateful for all the hard work that has been done to prepare for the implementation. I am excited as I see how God will use these efforts to help us go forward in the new decade.

By now, you should have experienced our enhanced efforts to communicate the life and work of the Association. We have established both a FaceBook Group and Fan Page. We will use these pages (and the services offered through FaceBook) to communicate to the many members of Tar River that daily use FaceBook. We will advertise TRBA events (inviting you to RSVP to the various events) and also invite you to participate in discussion topics as well.

One very important feature on the FaceBook is that YOU - any member of the group - can send out messages to all other members. This way, you can get the news out to all our member churches regarding activities in your church and community.

We will expand our use of e-zines. Pastors should be receiving a weekly e-zine entitled THE NAVIGATOR. Everyone on our "Constant Contact" list should receive THE MID-STREAM around the 15th of each month. These detail important information to our members and we would appreciate your sharing them with your church family. If you are not receiving these, please email us at tarriverbaptist@hotmail.com and ask to be added to the e-zine lists.

Third, we are also expanding the use of TellBlast. You should have received the first mass effort to get the word out about the Sunday School training on January 30th. We will utilize this a great deal more during 2010 to get information to you in a timely manner.

Fourth, we will utilize both TRBA blogs (one for general membership and the second for pastors) to communicate ideas and discussions about major changes taking place in the life and work of the association. Please participate.

Finally (in the arena of communication) we will also be altering our monthly newsletter, THE CURRENTS OF THE TAR, pretty soon. It is our hope that any changes we make will enhance our communication efforts to our member churches.

There are a LOT of quality events coming forward in the next few weeks:

January 19 - 7 PM: Treasures IRS Update (TRBA Center)
January 23 - 9 AM: Pastors' Families Fellowship Breakfast (Ephesus Church)
January 25 - 6 PM: Associational Council Meeting (TRBA Large Conference Room)
Janaury 25 - 7 PM: Quarterly Executive Board Meeting (TRBA Large Conference Room)
January 30 - 8 AM: Sunday School Training (Pearce Church)
Feb 16 -10 AM: Monthly Ministers' Fellowship (TRBA Large Conference Room)
March 6/7 (TBA): "Life Is A Mission Trip" Training (Duke Memorial)

One final announcement for this post: EVERY MONDAY at 9 AM your TRBA Associational Staff gathers for prayer. All persons in the building will be invited to join us in the small conference room for a season of prayer. During 2010 there will be invitations for all to join in prayer for the ministry that is before us.

Next week's post will be a brief update of efforts regarding the CURRENTS OF THE TAR and some of the particular training events for 2010. We will begin to share our goals as an association in our weekly (hopefully) blog posts. Please join me in praying for the life and work of our member churches as we work together to accomplish the work God has called us to do together.

The Choices Before God's Church

It has been a LONG time since I posted anything. Truth is, it is difficult to find enough time to deal with all the tools we have to better communicate AND still do all the work that is required. I HOPE to become more regular in posting, but can make no real promises.

I am in the process of adding 2 Corinthinas 11:28 as a life-verse as it relates to my calling to serve as Associational Missionary. It reads, “Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” When I read through that earlier this year it truly spoke to me. I am concerned gretayly about "the church." I am burdened about the stats I see related to the church of North America in particular. I see the baptism rates in TRBA churches and my heart aches as well.

I have to admit to you, the ideas expressed in this post come from reading an article in the newsletter of a friend of mine - Bud Parish, Associational Missionary for the Robeson Association. His original remarks sparked ideas for me and I have chosen to modify them to share a piece of my heart and calling for Associational Missions.

Some have stated that the church of North America has been in a "spiritual drift" for the past 150 years and there is a need for a spiritual awakening in our country. I think we will agree that many of our churches throughout America have been "sliding backwards" for at least the past 30 - 50 years when it comes to reaching the people that are not in relationship with Christ. Sometimes we have looked to the convention (state and national) to provide a new program or a "quick fix" for us. All the while, God is calling us - the local church - to simply be His church and be faithful where He has placed us.

What are our options/choices?

I believe there are three basic choices we have as churches:

1. Separation - we can escape into ourselves and "hide" from that which God has placed in our path.

I think you can tell from the "tone" in my writing that I am NOT for such a choice by the local church. We are IN the world and not OF the world, but we certainly can not hide from the realities before us.

2. Assimilation - we can assume our culture and look "just like the world."

Again, there may be a little in my "tone" here as well. Yes, we must be relevant to ouyr culture, but I think there is inherent danger when we look JUST like the culture. There is a natural, marked CONTRAST to the ways of the world when God transforms our lives.

3. Association - we must.............

....work together and pray together
....move from limitations to innovations
....step up to the challenge God has placed before us (no matter what that
is for our local church and not be concerned with the "measurement
stick" used by others)
....move from preservation to penetration of our culture ("go and see")
....become pro-active as opposed to re-active
....start NEW ministries - ministry is seeing a need and meeting it

Oh well, I think from the "tone" here you can see where I am as well. Think with me for a minute - why were Sunday Schools started? They were started to teach children how to read. That says something to us. What is the greatest need in your community? Don't you believe that's what God has placed you there to meet. I am sad to report to you that there are many church leaders I speak with that do not have a clue as to what the greatest need is in their community. Sure, I think we can all agree their real greatest need is Jesus, but there are temporal needs to be met to bring them in to listen to the Gospel (and if you think their greratest need is Jesus, are YOU busy sharing Jesus with your community?).

TRBA is made up of what would be classified as "smaller membership churches." That simply has to do with the numbers that gather weekly for praise and worship in their local assembly. It has NOTHING to do with the calling of God on our individual church. I believe strongly that God has equipped us to do ALL that He has called us to do. We are to be obedient to that call and step out in faith believing God is God and we are His church.

IN ASSOCIATION with one another, the churches of the Tar River Baptist Association have committed to minister to the needs of hurting people in our community. Each of us have a roll to fulfill. All are equally important to the total need of the community being fulfilled. All of us are to be faithful to the call of God. We are working in concert with one another - not in competition. That is a key concept for us to grasp as churches.

I ask that you join me in praying for the member churches of our association. Pray for your church, but also pray for the leadership of your neighboring churches. Pray that God will bless us all as we step out in faithful obedience to His calling for the local church we serve. Just BE READY to be the instrument that God has called YOU to be in His work.

My friend Bud closed his article by saying, "God is always ready for a New Thing, are we ready?" It is my prayer that we will be ready to respond to the Lordship of Christ and the leadership of the Holy Spirit to do that which God has called us to do as His church.

What "NEW THING" is God calling YOU to today? Will you be that faithful servant that yields to the Lordship of Christ and follow Him wherever He leads and whatever He demands?

The Future Of Associations

I have served as Associational Missionary with Tar River Association since November 2000. I remain excited about the work God has called me to do and in 2008, pledge myself anew to the work of strengthening the church.

This week I was privileged to attend the annual summit of the Network of Baptist Associations (NOBA). I am excited about this organization as it shares my vision/passion for strengthening the local church. Each year we gather to offer training and resources with one another. As the name implies - we NETWORK. To work with such men that are willing to share their expertise/life's work to help churches all accross North America. I am grateful to God for such an organization.

Last year I was prvileged to serve on the National Leadership Team (NLT) for NOBA. That mostly helped me! The other 15 men responded to every question I asked and shared resources very helpful to the life and work of the association with me. I obtained much help from them in developing our By-laws, and now policy and procedure manual. I can see much more to help the association as this organization grows.

The organization has now grown to over 300 members (our goal for 2007 was 200). We expect more growth this year. LifeWay, the IMB, and now NAMB have become a part of what we are doing - to varied degrees. Over the next 3 - 4 years, a third of the Associational Missionaries across the nation will retire. I expect much from NOBA to assist these new DOMs.

This year I am privileged to serve NOBA - and thus remain obedient to God's call to strengthen the church in my role as an Associational Missionary. This year, I will continue to serve on the Resource Team (I am excited about that as DOMs around the nation sending me the best of their resources to upload on our website). I have also been asked to serve as the liason to LifeWay for NOBA and I am excited about that as well.

Please pray for me as I strive to be obedient to the call of God to strengthen the local church. Know that I am praying for you daily and expcect to see God do great things through His church in 2008.

ANY Two People SEEKING God Can Work Together

In a sermon preached at Ridgecrest immediately before I became a Director of Missions I heard Jimmy Draper state "Any two people genuinely seeking God can work together." His words were spoken as he preached on "The Single Priority of Christ," using the testimony of the Apostle Paul from Philippians 1: 21 (and associated verses). I took note of those words and have used it as a guide in my work as a Director of Missions/Associational Missionary.

It burdens me that we (as believers) debate and argue on so many issues and harbor such ill will toward one another as a result of past hurts. While we read and respond to this post, hundreds of people will leave this world to eternity - most without Christ. As those committed to being Great Commission/Great Commandment people (and in our positions leading countless others in that same effort), it appears to me that we should make extra effort to work together for the cause of Christ.

I believe God's Word teaches that the world will know we belong to Him by the way that we "love one another." I believe God's Word teaches that we are to do all that we can to "preserve the unity" of God's church. I believe that God's Word teaches that we are to work together as a body of believers to reach a lost world for Christ.

Draper stated that the Apostle Paul was able to state Philippians 1: 21 because he had learned to live by the SINGULAR priority of Christ. The world encourages us to "get our priorities in order." For most of my life I have shared that philosophy. Today I would tell you that I missed the mark when I proclaimed that philosophy. I should have preached prioritY and not prioriTIES. In Matthew 6: 33 Jesus taught us to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" and declared that all these "things" shall be added as well. I am called of God to be like Him, therefore that should be my message as well. I must stop putting "things" ahead of Christ.

When I state my opinion on issues of importance - they are my opinions and not God's Word. When I work diligently to advance my agenda - I must work hard to insure that my agenda is in tune with God's Will for His Kingdom. When I look to my "friends" or my "enemies" and am swayed one way or the other by their comments, I must look to God's Word and meditate upon it to insure that I am not being swayed by just any "wind of doctrine" that comes my way. That's why Draper's comments hit home that day - am I genuinely seeking God for the advancement of His kingdom or am I continually ignoring God's Word and His Call upon my life for the purpose of building my kingdom?

I commend Dr. Frank Page and those who planned our SBC this year for their efforts to call us to prayer. I believe God is calling His church to repent/turn from our wicked ways and genuinely seek Him. If and when we genuinely seek God together, we will begin to genuinely reflect who He is in the way we live our lives/conduct ourselves. That's what the world around us needs to see in us - a reflection of the Living Christ that offers to those in despair the help, hope, fulfillment, deliverance, and salvation that only Christ can bring into their lives. If we are not careful we turn people away and they remain eternally lost while we are engaged in debate over that which is important to us but may not be quite as important to God.

God is inviting us to join Him in His work - to become engaged in evangelism - sharing His message so that people will hear and come unto Him; to become engaged in discipleship - walking alongside new believers and helping them in their daily walk with the Lord and being there for them when they stumble; to become engaged in fellowship - which is far more than our potluck dinners on any given day of the week in Baptist life; to become engaged in ministry - caring for the needs of one another as part of the body and caring for the needs of our neighbors as Christ would have us to be caring for the needs of our neighbors (His definition not ours); and engaged in genuine worship of the one true God - not just playing church like little children or "going through the motions" of doing church.

The question before us is "will we join Him in His Work" and will be commit to genuinely seeking God together so that we can work together to accomplish His purpose? The QBQ (Question Behind The Question) is - are we willing to lay down ourselves for the cause of Christ, pick up His Cross, and FOLLOW Him? I remain convinced - "any two people, genuinely seeking God can work together."

Reflections On San Antonio

I have not yet formulated a final analysis of the SBC meeting in San Antonio. As I reflect, it was far more for me personally than just the business of the SBC. In fact, that was the lesser emphasis.

Yes - I was there to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of Associational work in North America. As I think about the potential we have in our work together, I realize that the harvest field is truly white unto harvest and we have not yet come close to our potential for kingdom causes. I pray we will truly commit to the work TOGETHER that is before us.

I am so grateful to the National WMU. For the first time in history, one national group delayed their meeting's beginning to celebrate with another national group (SBCaDOM Conference). As we gathered at FBC San Antonio for worship and celebration on Sunday afternoon, WMU were with us. As WMU closed their meeting on Monday night, SBCaDOM was represented. Thank you WMU for ALL you do to promote missions - including associational missions!

I am also grateful to Frank Page, our SBC President, for his efforts to point the convention toward the need for revival and renewal and the increased emphasis on prayer and calling us to prayer. Sure - there are those with hidden (and not so hidden) agendas. But he (and others in leadership of the proceedings) kept before us 2 Chronicles 7:14. The healing our nation needs will come as we - God's people - genuinely seek God. There is famine in the land - people are hungering for that which only Christ can provide - if God's people will commit to being God's people, there can be revival in the land.

Once I have time to reflect more, I will post additional thoughts on the covention (maybe). At this point, I am asking you to commit to praying with me daily that we - as Tar River Baptist Association - will COMMIT to working together for the cause of Christ- genuinely seeking Him together so that those around us may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as a result of our work and witness.

I remain convinced that "any two people genuinely seeking God can work together." Pray with me that we will be God's People - salt and light to a lost world in the shadow of our steeples.

Feel free to post your prayers in connection with this post.

God Bless!
Dougald

Associational Emphasis Week Packet

Associational Emphasis Week is May 21 – 27, 2007. This year’s theme is “The Baptist Association...Then and Now.” We are celebrating the work of the local associations throughout the years in North America. This year, 2007 marks 300 years of service by associations in North America. Long before state conventions and the national convention were in place, the local association was working with churches of all sizes to more effectively advance the cause of Christ in our communities.

From its beginning in 1707 in Philadelphia to the present day, the Baptist Association has played a key role in the missional efforts of Southern Baptist churches. We have more effectively advanced the kingdom through our working together as Baptist Churches. Naturally, over the past 300 years the Baptist Association has gone through numerous changes. However, the Baptist Association has always been, remains today, and will always be a strong mission partner with churches seeking to make a Kingdom impact in their world.

Today as in 1707, your local Baptist Association is positioned in one of the most strategic and crucial places to resource churches that are focused on their mission and seeking to carry out their unique God-given vision in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the Earth. Tar River Baptist Association is in a unique position to reaffirm the primacy of the church and to assist your church as it shares the life changing Good News of Jesus Christ.

Every church should have received a packet detailing the emphasis for this year's Associational Emphasis Week (given out at various meetings to pastors and other church leaders). In this packet, you will find information highlighting the theme for the 2007 Associational Emphasis Week. There are Bulletin Inserts that draw attention to the historical pilgrimage of the association, clip-art for use in communicating the theme, and a “Week of Prayer For The Tar River Baptist Association Prayer Guide.”

In addition to the information stressing the Associational Missions Emphasis for 2007, I also included information about the Event Trailer available to our member churches through our partnership with the North Central Region and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I encourage you to use this valuable resource in outreach efforts to your community. Weekends are busy times to use the event trailer so I encourage you to consider Wednesdays and weekdays as possibilities during the summer.

Please know that you are continually in my prayers. The staff of the Tar River Baptist Association stands ready to assist you in any way that we can. If we can be of assistance to you, please call on us! I am convinced the local Baptist Association has great things to offer you as you seek to become the church God has called you to be in your community and around the world. Go to the association’s website to see all that is available to you. Our website is www.tarriverba.com.

If you did not receive the packet, most of the materials can be downloaded from the Tar River website and used in your chuch.

Let’s work together to change Our World!
Dougald W. McLaurin, Jr.
Your Associational Missionary

Associations In America Celebrate 300 Years

In 2007 Baptist Associaitons celebrate 300 year in America. When something lasts for such a long time, it must have some value. Well, it is my belief that Baptist Associations hold great value. LONG before a national convention existed, local churches saw the value to concentrate on that which they held in common and to work together in obedience to Christ. I celebrate the life and work of the associations of the past.

I continue to see value in local churches working together in and through their local Baptist Associations. There is added strength as we commit to work together in the monumental task that stands before us in the local arena. Yes - we, as Baptists, have always been pretty diverse. And yes - there are times we struggle through some of those differences. But in the local association, the family of God that worships in our Baptist Churches find ways to continue to work together to advance the Kingdom.

For an association to accomplish the task before us, we must renew our commitment to work together. There is a tremendous harvest field before us locally - the Baptist Churches of our communities need to work together to reach the Lost; disciple those that believe; and minister to the needs of hurting people in Jesus' Name.

It is my prayer that - as we celebrate our 300th birthday, we will renew our commitment to continue to work in association with one another to both reach our local mission field for Christ and equip our local churches to reach our world for Christ. I look forward to the years ahead as an Associational Missionary. These are EXCITING times to serve our Lord.

This year I am privileged to represent North Carolina on the National Leadership Team of the Network of Baptist Associations. This is a national group of Associational Missionaries that work to better equip themselves to serve as associational missionaries. We are a diverse group. We all serve differently in the work God has called us to do. Some are like me - 50+ churches with a total membership of 10,000+ and some have 500+ churches with well over a million members. But we are committed to work TOGETHER to advance the cause of Christ through the local church.

Pray with me that TRBA will be all that God is calling us to be together. Pray with me that there will be a new and fresh commitment amongst His people to the cause of Christ in our communities and the command of Christ to His Church.

Christ is the glue that holds us together! It is a JOY to be bound to Him that holds us secure in his hand as we commit to serving Him together in the work that is before us.

Out Heart, Our Desire - To See The Nations Worship

The theme for this year’s Fall Meeting is Our Heart, Our Desire - To See The Nations Worship. The scripture emphasis is Philippians 2: 9 – 13.

“ 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.”

It is my prayer that this is TRULY our heart’s desire. That we are praying and working together toward that goal.

When I first saw the DVD with the song “Our Heart,” I was moved to tears. To see the plight of people without Christ as their personal Savior is pitiful, disheartening, hopeless, and displays nothing but despair in the life of the people. That’s what I saw in the first part of the DVD.

BUT then I began to see people around the world sharing the message of Christ with the various people groups that were represented in the first part of the DVD. And then – praise the Lord, I began to see people from those various people groups being baptized into the family of Christ and experiencing the joy in their lives that ONLY Christ can bring. Before that DVD was over, I was singing along and tears were flowing. It is my heart’s desire that the people of the world come to know Christ as their personal Savior. He is thier only hope!

I chose that theme for our meeting together in the Fall of 2006. I did it because it is my prayer that the member churches of the Tar River Baptist Association also have that desire. Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally working TOGETHER to bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I was pleased with that similar theme was chosen for this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

When TRBA gathers together at Bailey Baptist Church on Monday, October 30th. it is far more than our annual business meeting. It is our celebrating what the Lord Jesus Christ is doing in and through His church. It is also our rededicating ourselves to the task that is before us – reaching a lost world for Jesus Christ!

May our heart’s desire always be “to see the nations worship.” Moreover, may we continually commit to work together to reach those around us and around the world that are currently lost. Join me in praying daily that God will use us to accomplish His purpose. Pray that He will use us in the harvest that is needed all around us.

A Little Of How I See Things

When I first came as Associational Missionary to TRBA, Dr. George Shore - the interim - had a wonderful title for his column in the Currents of the Tar, our monthly newsletter. It was called "The Shoreline." That was so cool, but I don't have a name that lends itself well to a cool title for a column in a newsletter (I have discovered there are at least 3 Dougald McLaurins with blogs right now which was a shock). Therefore, we went back to the old title for the column, "The Crow's Nest."

Every month when I wrote my column, I agonized over the name of it. To me, seeing that little man peering out toward the horizon implied at least 2 falacies about associational work as I see it. First, it implies that I alone, as Associational Missionary, can see what lies ahead. Second, as I looked way out over the horizon, I could miss what was happening close to the ship as we were being moved by the currents of the Tar.

I am not a loner. I am neither niave or arrogant enough to think that God will reveal Himself to me alone. I recognize that I can not accomplish all that God is calling Tar River to do and be, perched above in that crow's nest. Sometimes it will be me. At other times, it will be others. All the while, there are countless others steering the boat and involved in the work. HOPEFULLY, it is the Holy Spirit serving as the current and we are not drifting aimlessly down the river.

It is the pastors, church leaders, church members that will often see much more and much sooner what lies ahead. I am very much open to the fact that God uses those that belong to Him in accomplishing His work. I wanted to be sensitive to what God was doing whether it was seen way off on the horizon or coming from the belly of the ship.

Finally, I changed the title. It is "From My Heart." Has nothing to do with being on a river. But - from the bottom of my heart, I want to be used by God to advance His Kingdom and to ALWAYS be open to Him. I trust that the people of TRBA sense that about me. I have not done everything right! I continually make mistakes. Many of my mistakes are realted to the busy-ness of this "job" and ignoring my personal responsibility to BE STILL and respond in accordance to His Will instead of going ahead of Him.

From my heart, I want to see the church strengthened. I want to assist churches in their walk with and work for the LORD. I want to be open and receptive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I want to share with the church the JOY that comes from abiding in Christ and being used of God in ministry.

The purpose of the early postings is to reveal glimpses of my vision/view of associational work. I trust that all who are members of a TRBA congregation KNOW that they can call on me for assistance and that I pray for them daily.

Love in Christ,
Dougald