wfn.org | ABCUSA: New Alliance Formed for Church Planting, Evangelism and Tranformation

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 3/12/04)--American Baptist
leaders met in Houston, Tex., to set the course for "NET-Works"-a new
alliance of national, regional and local mission partners that will focus on
new churches, evangelism and congregational transformation. The meeting was
sponsored by National Ministries to explore more effective ways of working
together. 

The alliance combines the tasks of the former New Church Planting Vision
Community, the American Baptist Churches Evangelism Council, and regions that
were meeting with a specific focus on transformation. 

The Rev. Dr. David Laubach, associate executive director for National
Ministries' NET (New Churches, Evangelism and Transformation Ministries),
said NET-Works is a natural progression, "since the ministries of new church
planting, reaching new disciples and renewing churches are so intertwined."

"Seismic cultural and denominational shifts" explain the need for a new form
of mission partnership, according to Laubach, who said, "Fewer regional and
National Ministries staff are available to support these important core
ministries, which are facing financial challenges. We believe that the
NET-Works alliance will reenergize our American Baptist family commitment to
the NEW LIFE 2010 goals of reaching 1,000,010 new disciples and planting
1,010 churches."

K/2004ABNS/04ABN33

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org