What do you imagine when you think about Second Baptist Church three years from now?
Let’s acknowledge up front that a lot can happen in three years. Three years ago I was not your pastor. Three years ago some of our beloved saints were still sitting in worship and Sunday School with us. Three years ago we could not have said what today would look like.
And still… dreams are important.
So what do you dream for our church? What are your hopes and your desires?
Not what you hope our budget will look like. Not how many people might be sitting in the pews. Not even what programs we might be offering.
Instead, I wonder what you imagine feeling when you walk through the doors. What do you hear in the conversations around you? What does worship look and sound like? How are people connecting with one another? What difference is our church making in the lives of people who may never walk through our doors?
Over the past several weeks, we've spent time remembering the stories that have shaped us and paying attention to the ways God is at work among us right now. We've celebrated the faithfulness of those who came before us, and we've been challenged to consider how we might live with that same faithfulness today.
Now it's time to dream.
On November 15, we're inviting you to participate in the next stage of our visioning process. And this time, we're going to do something a little different.
We're going to imagine that it's three years from now. We're going to step into a future where 2B is living fully into the calling God has placed before us. We're going to imagine what that looks like, what it feels like, and how our life together is making a difference in the world.
And then we're going to listen to one another.
Because here's what I believe: No one person holds the vision for this church. Not the pastor. Not the staff. Not a committee or leadership team. The vision emerges as we listen together, dream together, and discern where God might be leading us.
I also believe that sometimes we limit our imagination by beginning with what we think is possible. We start with the obstacles, the resources, the schedules, and all the reasons something might not work.
But what if, just for a little while, we gave ourselves permission to begin somewhere else?
What if we began with hope?
On November 15, I hope you'll come ready to imagine, to share, and especially to listen. You don't need to have a grand idea or a perfectly articulated vision. You simply need to bring your love for this church and your willingness to wonder about what might be.
The future of 2B isn't something we're waiting to discover. It's something we're being invited to help shape.
And I can't wait to imagine it with you.