Budgets

Departments have operated in the past without budgets. All Department leaders must turn a budget in to the Mary Stout within the next thirty days. Plan your events in today’s Board meeting, how you will go about making your event happen and how the funds will be generated. February fifteenth is the deadline for turning in your budget. If you need any assistance in preparing your budget please contact our Treasurer today to make arrangements for your budget preparations.

Moderators

For maximum State Convention effectiveness, it is of utmost importance that the District Moderators and the State President maintain a close working relationship. As is the practice of several other denominational leaders; the State Convention President and the Moderators will do a monthly conference call on the first Monday of each month. This call will include the discussion of upcoming District events, Convention updates, planning, and sharing of general information relating to the Districts and State Convention. I will urge Moderators to confer with local Pastors and District leaders regularly to insure that all of our churches and pastors are not only a part of the events but have a part in preparing for District and State events. We are concerned about the well being and welfare of our churches and though we have limitations, we will do all we can to have a Convention full of healthy, vibrant, growing, soul winning, Churches. "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren?" (Luke 22:32).

Calendar

As you can see from the Anniversaries listed in the booklet, it will be entirely impossible for all each of us to attend all of the listed services, however, I would ask that we look at the calendar and do everything within our means to fellowship with our Churches during Pastors’ and Church anniversaries. Nothing encourages us more than presence of our fellow yoke men in the work sharing with us on these days.

State Day of Prayer

State Day of Prayer will be selected as an annual opportunity for members of the Paradise Baptist State Convention to experience a unified day of prayer and supplication unto the Lord on a State level. We will have a joint list of Sick and Shut-in, special Prayer Requests, praise reports, that we jointly lift before the Lord. We will bless God for his abundant blessings upon this Body. We will seek the direction of the Holy Spirit for our State Convention, our District Associations and local churches; clear vision and the wherewithal to obtain and maintain through prayer. Prayer leaders from our local churches will be connected to see that our churches are "with the one accord" in Prayer on our State Day of Prayer. It’s likely that many of Churches don’t have a person in Charge of Prayer. Pastors assign a person to Prayer Ministry. Our Convention will only stand on constant, fervent, effectual prayers. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16).

Job Descriptions

While we have a lot of positions/offices in our Convention, few of us if any have the slightest idea as to what our duties are. I request that each department leader begin working on Job Descriptions for each office of your department. I request that your descriptions include more than "preside in the absence of."

Ministers Conference

The Paradise State Convention Ministers Conference will as in the past offer the best late night preaching services possible. The Conference will also serve as a venue for State Pastors to confer. Pastors in our State will put our heads together, have conversations, and serve as consultants to one another through the State Ministers Conference. The Lord has blessed up with multi- talented and super-gifted Pastors who are more than capable of imparting nuggets and truths fit for kingdom growth in our state churches. Teaching strategies, materials, and resources will be made available for pastor through the conference.

State Mass Choir, Male Chorus, Youth Choir, Music Ministry

When we all get together, it’s no question that music and singing makes for great praise atmospheres. Our local Music Directors will be given CD’s and or Tapes of music for Convention services, and as the Convention Events draw near, there will be one rehearsal in each District in preparation for the services. State Music Ministry Leaders, Directors, workshop will be set for our musicians to keep all our services on point and vibrantly flowing. We want more than the local host church singing on given nights. "But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the Lord came upon him." 2 Kings 3:15

Youth Quake

As you all know, we have to get a handle on the Youth in our churches and community; not we very quickly lose them. Let’s get them back to drilling, stepping, oratories, Bible bowls, and youth rallies. We will work diligently to make our youth a priority in this convention. Youth leaders and workers will be given far more support than in the past with our children and greater results will happen. A major issue with Youth is keeping workers and leaders motivated and encouraged. Through this convention, they will be assisted, given resources, tools, and support needed to develop our youth and reach their anticipated goals.

State Convention Website

This is a no-brainer. Pastors and church webmasters, as you return to your local churches, begin gathering and channeling all information that you would like on the website. Some absolute necessities are pictures of pastor, and church if you care. We would like listings of ministries, District, officers, and all pertinent information. The site should be up and running by the next board meeting. We will be in touch with you for what is needed to complete this effort. Not having your own Church website does not prohibit you from this site... You will be listed on your District’s page.

Sports/Golf Tournament

Let’s have some fun, for goodness sakes; we’re in Golf America. Qualification for participating in a Paradise Missionary Baptist State Convention Golf Tournament is simply owning or able to access a set of golf clubs and desiring to have fun with fellow Statespeople. This too will serve as an annual fundraiser for the Convention as well. Stay tuned for further information and get ready to golf. If there are people involved in other sports and you’re interested in a State-wide sports movement, do not hesitate to bring that to the attention of Convention leaders.

Newsletter

Our convention will produce a quarterly newsletter which will include news from all of our churches. Information should be sent to stateconvention@aol.com. You can send information, Pictures, times of annual events, invited guests, and any and all newsworthy events involving your church and community. Dates and times of workshops and conferences are very important to this convention. Weddings, funerals, and baby dedications are important. Send that immediately to stateconvention@aol.com. The newsletter will be in both electronic and hardcopy form.

Pastors Insurance and Care

Are all of our full time Paradise Baptist State Convention Pastors covered with good medical and life? This is very important. Dr Vann Kissell, pastor of Troy First Baptist Church, Troy, Tennessee says "Pastors and their families tend to have more physical ailments than the general population. These physical problems are primarily stress-induced illnesses or physical maladies associated with stress. Some illness experienced by pastors is due to failure to properly maintain their "temple." Lack of exercise, poor eating habits, and lack of discipline in exercise programs contribute to their poor health." In describing the toils of his ministry Paul said: "From the Jews five times I received 40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches." 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

Ministry is not only hazardous to your health it is life-threatening. I recently purchased a life insurance policy. Before being accepted, I had to sign a statement saying that I would not engage in sky-diving, hang gliding, bungee jumping, or scuba diving. If I did, my life insurance policy would be void. But from Paul’s perspective, sky-diving, hang gliding, bungee jumping and scuba diving are all child’s play compared to the ministry.

The physical effects of ministry are just one of many areas where pastors today are struggling. There’s the constant demand to preach powerful sermons that are biblical, relevant, and engaging. For some of us, the expectation is tow to three power-packed sermons a week. Administrative duties can range from unlocking the doors and setting the thermostats on Sunday morning to chairing twenty different committees. The weight of caring for the flock is a constant concern. There are hospital visits to make, shut-ins and nursing home patients to see, crisis counseling, grief support, not to mention the many within the church who simply need the pastor to frequently show he cares about them and affirm their importance.

I am concerned that each of our Pastors has good health care insurance, eat properly, get plenty of rest, exercise and take care of your body much better than I have been doing for myself...