 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 Spring 2007 • Ministry Mosaic the semi-annual newsletter of Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund Dr. Sheveland - Vision of the BGC • Church Spotlight • What's New? • BGC Growth Chart • The Cornerstone Team
WHERE ARE WE HEADED AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? What are we trying to accomplish as a ministry and how will we get there? When I look at the future of the Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund, I see a ministry fulfilling its Godgiven mission to assist all Converge Worldwide (BGC) churches with their mortgage needs. We will offer competitively priced loans to every BGC church or related entity (schools, day care centers, community outreach centers, etc.). Our distinctive service, understanding of church ministry opportunities and challenges, and concern for kingdom purposes will be available to the entire Converge Worldwide (BGC) family. As we grow, more ministry dollars will be available for the Jerusalems, Samarias, and uttermost parts as their kingdom impact is amplified through better stewardship of church investments and low-interest loans. Our ministry is financiallyrelated, but kingdom-driven. How will we get there? By telling the stories of churches whose ministry impact is far greater today than when they first came to the Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund with a dream and lots of questions. By inviting the people in our BGC churches to practice good stewardship not only when they put money in the offering plate, but also when they make their next investment decision. Through the years, Converge Worldwide (BGC) churches of all sizes and in all areas of the country have seen their ministries take significant ‘next steps’ due to new or improved facilities. We understand that unless the ministry is moving forward in the Spirit, a building does not make the difference. But where God is at work and the Word of God is faithfully preached, the facility can be a catalyst for more and greater kingdom impact. We have seen this time and time again, and it is what motivates us to do more for more of our churches. We love partnering with Converge Worldwide (BGC) churches to see God do great things in the life of the communites where those churches minister. The passion to expand our current ministry comes out of the joy of seeing God use the BGC Cornerstone Fund to further his purposes. It also comes from an understanding of the stewardship responsibility and privilege God has entrusted to us. As he receives the glory for the good work he does through us, it will free his hand to use us even more. We feel honored to do this work and see God’s hand of blessing affirming our ministry in the overall context of what God is doing in and through Converge Worldwide (BGC).
INVESTING IN SPIRITUAL REPRODUCTION Jesus taught a lot about our part in his global mission. When he described his work through the lives of his followers, he pictured it like this...
Our Lord layered one metaphor on top of another to call us to share his kingdom mission. It is a call to spiritual reproduction. And that is how we talk about our vision as a family of churches called the Baptist General Conference. Our mission is to catalyze movements of reproducing churches around the world—movements of churches that transform lives and impact communities by reproducing vital disciples, leaders, and congregations. Let me give you two examples of how this is happening. Recently my wife Dawn and I witnessed an amazing story of spiritual reproduction. In the ’50s and ’60s a small group of BGC missionaries launched a ministry effort in Assam, India, focused on medical care, evangelism, education, and church planting. In the late ’60s, the Indian government forced our missions team out of the country. Forty years later Dawn and I traveled to Assam and the mountainous region of Arunachel Pradesh to the north. We spent two weeks enjoying the fruit of our missionaries’ labors. There are now hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of believers aggressively reaching their own people and evangelizing unreached groups of tribal people scattered around the Indochina border. The Baptist General Conference continues to support and partner with this wonderful movement of reproducing churches. Let me give you a second example that is closer to home for most of us. The day I returned from India, I caught a flight to Atlanta to meet with our district executive ministers from across the country. They are our movement leaders, who direct 13 regional conferences in the United States. These executive ministers lead churches and teams of leaders, called LEAD teams, to mobilize and multiply reproducing churches. Over the past several years their districts have planted more than 300 churches and mobilized scores of disciples, leaders, and congregations for fruitful ministry. They are now setting their movement goals for the next three years. Their goals center on multiplying disciples, leaders, and congregations. That’s what we mean when we talk about movements of reproducing churches. Whether it is Assam, India, or Atlanta, Georgia, the mission is the same—reproducing the life of Christ in disciples, leaders, and congregations. What role does the BGC Cornerstone Fund play in fulfilling this mission? First, Cornerstone helps churches and church plants expand their ministries by providing the loan funds needed for building projects. Second, Cornerstone makes a generous donation each year to help resource the ministries of Converge Worldwide (BGC). When you invest in the Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund, you help us fulfill Christ’s mission. Please know how grateful I am for your investment and what it makes possible through Cornerstone’s high-impact ministries. CHURCH SPOTLIGHT — Refinancing
Over the years the church has gone through several building additions and improvement projects to meet the changing demands of the community it is serving. The most recent project (in 2003) was to build an addition called ROCK center (groundbreaking was on 8/25/02). The acronym stands for Reaching Others for Christ’s Kingdom and consists of a multipurpose gym, kitchen, café, classrooms, and church offices. The purpose of building the facility was to expand their space so that they can reach even more folks for the kingdom. God has blessed this vision of the church with continued growth over the years. The BGC Cornerstone Fund recently partnered with the church to refinance their existing loan for the ROCK center. The result of this partnership is that the church has lowered the interest rate on the loan, allowing it to put more of the church’s income to work impacting their community for Christ, while knowing that the interest being paid is used to assist other BGC churches.
Additional Rate Structure For many years we have offered a standard ladder of investment rates for 6-month to 5-year investments, adding tiers for larger amounts at the 5-year term. You will notice our rate structure has changed some recently. We will still offer 6-month to 5-year term investments, along with our demand offering, but we have added tiers for each term at the $100,000 and $250,000 level of investment. These new tiers will pay rates above the base rate at $100,000 and $250,000 minimum dollar level. What does this mean to you? It means more options at better rates and a greater potential to fulfill the mission God has given the Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund. Please contact Bill Castic (1.800.323.4215, ext. 3258) to learn more about these new opportunities. Converge Worldwide (BGC) CORNERSTONE FUND GROWTH This chart illustrates the growth of the Converge Worldwide (BGC) Cornerstone Fund from 1990 to January 2007.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Eldridge, Iowa
Cornerstone Baptist Church has been in
existence for more than 50 years. The congregation
initially began meeting in a home
under the name of Ridgeview Baptist
Church. The church changed its name to
Cornerstone Baptist in 1976 when they
purchased a farmstead just east of
Eldridge, Iowa.
