Mung (our minister) and Sarah went along to the Baptist Assembly in Harrogate back in May. Sarah has kindly recorded some reflections from the weekend, which will help us to think about the implications this might have for our own church community here at Spurgeon’s.

Personal Reflections from the Baptist Assembly

The Baptist Assembly was really encouraging and inspiring for me. I came away challenged, hopeful, and with much to reflect on.

What is a prophetic word?

“A prophetic word is a message that someone believes God has brought to their attention for the encouragement, guidance, warning, or strengthening of another person or church.”

One of the most powerful moments for me at the Assembly was watching testimonial videos of the encouraging stories that have come out of the Northern Baptist Association (NBA). It felt like a real full-circle moment after Lynne Green delivered a prophetic message at the NBA conference in February 2020, at a time when many churches in the NBA were feeling discouraged, small, and insignificant.

Today, God is appointing you to embody and enact, something prophetic in our movement. And I want to say to you today: Have courage, and let the wind of the spirit take you, and be bold in these days.

Those words stayed with me.

Unbeknown to her, the message was recorded, and you can now look back and see the impact of those words in the stories that followed. You can watch the video of this with her full prophetic message here.

Learning from Pioneer Ministry

Several videos highlighted Pioneer Ministers who serve people beyond the traditional walls of the church. One Pioneer Minister shared that she ministers to people with no expectation that they will come to church. That challenged me deeply. Are we brave enough to accept that ministry can be genuinely fruitful even when it doesn’t result in people attending our services?

She went on to share about her supper club ministry and how food plays a powerful role in bringing people together. Sharing a meal communicates: “You are welcome. You are loved. There is a place for you at the table.”

She also shared how she first encountered God through Alpha, hosted by a couple who faithfully prepared and shared meals with those who attended. Reflecting on her current ministry, she explained that many people who come to the supper club may never attend a church service, but that isn’t the point. The aim is to walk alongside people, build genuine relationships, and accompany them on their journey.

In a separate Pioneer Ministry breakout session, someone shared about gathering people in a garden because some experience God’s presence especially strongly in nature. It reminded me that God is at work in many different ways and places that we may never see or hear about.

A recurring theme throughout the session was that there is no secret formula for ministry. Instead, there was an encouragement to be courageous, to try new things, and to meet people where they are.

Stories of Churches Making a Difference

We heard inspiring stories from churches serving their communities in practical ways:

• Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers –
• A Barbering Ministry
• A Dementia-Friendly Choir
• Appointing a Community Minister

A common theme emerged throughout these stories: it’s all of us playing our part and doing what God has called us to do.

So.. what does this mean for our church?

As I reflected on everything I heard, one thing became especially clear:

We need intentional prayer.

I was inspired by the emphasis on prophetic voices and listening to what God is saying. I believe we need that too. My sense is that we need to pray together for our church. Some members may already be faithfully doing this, but perhaps all of us can become more intentional.

When a church activity comes to mind, when we think about a ministry, or when a particular person comes to mind, perhaps we could simply pray:

• Lord, how do You want us to grow as a church?
• How do You want to lead us?
• What should we continue doing?
• What should we consider stopping?
• What new things are You calling us to?

As we take a humble posture before God, I believe He will reveal His heart for our church family in His timing. There are needs around us. There are gaps we may be called to fill or not. Let us pray that God opens our eyes to see them.

Echoing a message shared at last year’s Assembly: we already have everything we need as a church.

So perhaps our prayer should be: “Lord, show us how we can serve You better.”

Encouraging Signs Across Baptist Churches

We also heard some encouraging statistics and themes from across the Baptist family:

• Membership numbers are increasing after many years of decline.
• Over 825 baptisms were reported.
• There is a renewed commitment to prayer.
• We need more ministers and church leaders.
• Above all, we are being encouraged to ask: What is God saying?

The call was not simply to do more, but to pause:

• What is God saying to me?
• What is God saying to our church?
• What is God saying to our Baptist community?

The story of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 came to mind. Samuel repeatedly heard God’s voice but needed guidance before he understood what was happening. His response eventually became:

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

1 Samuel 3:10

May that be our posture too.

A Song That Resonated Deeply

The Assembly left me reflecting on the kind of heart posture God desires from us. The words from the first verse of this song captured that response perfectly: