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If you are like me, at the end of the year I begin to reflect and look forward. It has been said the reason the rearview is smaller than the windshield is because you are not supposed to spend as much time looking back as you are to be focused on looking forward.
As I look forward to 2023, I find myself getting excited about the possibilities. I get excited thinking about what goals and dreams I should set and how to accomplish them. As I began thinking through the next year as a family of churches known as the SBTC, I kept coming back to the question: “What if?” Allow me to share with you some “what ifs” I am dreaming about for the SBTC in 2023:
What if we could see more lost people come to Christ than ever before?
As we enter 2023, I want to be more aware of the lostness around me and more diligent to take every opportunity to share Jesus with others. What if, as a family of churches, we focused on taking the gospel into our communities with a renewed passion to see people saved?
What if we could experience a movement of God through a prayer movement in our state?
As you may have heard, one of our goals this year is to see at least 500 SBTC churches across Texas holding consistent prayer gatherings. I know there are many churches that currently have prayer meetings and many that desire to start one. I believe prayer could help us see God move in our churches and state like never before.
"I believe if we dream together, stay focused on the mission, and cooperate together, the greatest days are ahead of us."
What if we planted more churches than any other time in our history?
In our first year of Send Network SBTC, our family of churches planted more churches than we have since 2005. It was an incredible year, and we believe it’s just the beginning. What if this year, many SBTC churches decided to help plant churches across the Lone Star State? I believe we could very well see more churches planted together than any other time in our history.
What if more churches were strengthened and more pastors encouraged?
One of the greatest joys we have in our calling at the SBTC is to walk alongside churches, pastors, and leaders as they seek to fulfill the Great Commission in their context. We are expecting great things to happen as we walk with churches through our newly launched church health and revisioning process, Regenesis.
It is our deep desire to see churches strengthened as pastors and leaders are encouraged and work through a process together to bring new life, vision, and energy into their contexts. I am asking God to allow this to be a catalyst for church health and leadership.
As I look through the windshield and ask these “what if” questions, I get excited about the possibilities. As we have the honor of serving you and adding value to your church, we are seeing God do great things. However, I believe if we dream together, stay focused on the mission, and cooperate together, the greatest days are ahead of us.
I have thought a lot about the questions listed above. I have dreamed about what could be and, in the midst of my dreaming, the question began to change. I am no longer asking, “What if?” for 2023. I am now asking, “Why not?” As you make your “what if” lists for the next year, let your mind and heart then ask, “Why not? Why not here? Why not us? Why not now?”
I love you and consider it an honor to serve our family of churches!
