Several years ago, our staff led the church to create the “Key Leader Retreat,” a Friday night-Saturday morning extended conversation to provide a time for our elected church leadership to come together to spend extended time thinking about crucial questions in the life of our church for its future. It because an event when we talked not so hurriedly about important issues—missions, worship, and ministry. We did deacon training sometimes, and because it involved all elected leaders, it potentially involved 10-15% of the entire church membership. We reasoned, if all the elected leaders are on board together, then it will help the entire church.

After our most recent Strategic Discernment Committee report, we adopted the following recommended strategy under “Congregational Life and Fellowship”
Strategy: Establish the roundtable discussion meeting format as a regular means for committees and staff to both educate and seek input from the congregation on key issues. To the extent possible avoid meeting at times that compete with other church activities.

Of course, it is challenging to find ANY time that we can come together and talk unhurriedly, eat together without rushing off, and consider important issues in a time that allows wider dialogue.  It occurred to me that this event, which we have once per year, and which is one of the most meaningful ones our leadership has had in the past, could serve that purpose.  Often, those of us who attended would often say, “Wow, I wish the whole church could have been here for this.”  Well, why NOT?

So, we have opened this event to the whole church.  It will be facilitated by staff and elected leaders, but its focus is for our entire congregation to come together and pray, talk, and consider important issues, not merely urgent ones.  This will be our first try. We needed a new name. “Key Leader” was a name we borrowed from Assciational life, and was so “1990s.” We needed something that captured the spirit of what the Strategy hoped for. Since we don’t even have any “round tables,” the name TIME AT THE TABLE seemed to work. 

In this first one, we are inviting the entire congregation to come.  We will eat barbecue together Friday night, and listen to a presentation led by myself, Dr. Mark Biddle of Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond, VA and Dr. David May of Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City.  We will present the findings from a national study on “Renewing the Role of Scripture in Baptist Churches,” about the Bible and what strengthens its place in our churches.  I think you will find this work, which we did with the able help of Penny Marler of Samford (and VHBC!) fascinating and rich in suggestions.

Then, on Saturday, we will have breakout sessions in the areas of Missions, Stewardship, Discipleship, Membership and Outreach, and others.  We will be led through scriptural reflections together on how we might better fulfill our mission to learn, practice, live, pray and carry out the word of God in our corporate and personal lives.  The sessions will repeat, so that everyone will have the opportunity to choose three to attend that are of particular interest.  Relevant leaders to0 each area will sit in the room, listen, and focus on key questions from which to hear from our people. We will enjoy dinner Friday, then continental breakfast and lunch together before dismissing for the day.  Our committees, staff, and deacons will be in attendance to be able better to understand together with our people ways that God may lead us. I pray that it will give us a sense of priorities for the coming years.

I am tremendously excited about this event. I would ask humbly that you put it on your calendar and plan to attend. Everyone is invited, included and welcome. We will have worship, meals, conversation and prayer together that I hope will help us as we continue to work together.  Mark your calendar now and plan to attend! 

                                                 
Dr. Mark E. Biddle                                                           David May
Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament               Professor NT/Greek
BTSR                                                                                Central Baptist Seminary