We started looking to see what the Arminian New School Baptists were writing in regard to Circular Letters. We were intending to compare the doctrine of two Baptist Circular Letters, one Old School, the other New School. But we were very much frustrated with our efforts. The reason being that as far as we could tell, the New School Baptists had given up the practice of yearly Circular Letters. So we went to local Baptist Associations in Georgia, specifically the Chattahoochee Baptist Association, and saw these things. Brethren if you are looking for ANY spiritual nourishment, you will not find it here. They have none to give. They are run like a business and use business terms and practices Ed.
THRIVE
Pastors long to see an entire church focused on its mission, and unified about how to achieve it. But apart from the work of preaching, few seminaries provide training for how to nurture this in a church. The Thrive process helps pastors focus on their own growth as a leader, and also on working with lay leaders to articulate a future vision/plan for their church. Support is provided via 12 meetings with a small group of other pastors who are walking the same path. In addition, an experienced “mentoring pastor” meets with the group each month.
OUR VISION
Equip our churches to be church-planting churches through prayer, partnership, and planting to see the gospel advance in our region.
In 9 years, our network has planted 27 churches with a 75% success rate. Those churches now collectively average 2,300 in weekly worship and have produced over 1,000 baptisms.
OUR PROCESS
Train – We offer training through assessment, one-on-one coaching, group residencies, and/or placing our planters in local churches that have a church-planting pipeline.
Send – We look at personality, statistics, and local churches to help determine the best location to plant, and assist however you see fit in the launch of your church!
Support – We offer ongoing coaching, brotherhood, and support for all planters. The New Work Foundation exists to help fund church plants. From its beginning, it has given away over $500,000 to our church plants.
Multiply- We help you launch with a multiplication strategy, like a church planter pipeline, with the goal of your church planting a church in the first five years.
MORE INFORMATION
If you are a planter wanting more information about planting in our region, or a church looking for more information on praying, partnering, or planting, please reach out to Gabe Dodd at gabe@cbamissions.org.
The messengers composing the Salem IL Association. To the churches which they represent. Wish grace, mercy, and peace.
Beloved in the Lord, custom has taught you to expect a circular letter to be prepared to our minutes, and we are not disposed to disappoint you on this occasion. Touching what has been done by us, We need only refer you to your messengers and our minutes. We are disposed to call your attention to the subject of.
Atonement.
Which was made by our Lord Jesus Christ for and in behalf of the flock. Which he has purchased with his own blood Acts 20.28. Atonement signifies satisfaction by an equivalent. Expiation for sin. The atonement forms a pleasing and glorious link in the chain of the salvation of God. And we can see it to be the important point. In the divine economy. For without it there can be no salvation for poor apostate man. Yet. If we are permitted to judge from what we hear, we should say there is no point in theology less understood by professors of religion in our day. By considering the first or typical dispensation which is declared to have a shadow. Of good things to come, Hebrews 10.1 The benefits enjoyed under that dispensation were certainly special. They were enjoyed exclusively by the legal heirs of Abraham. For to them pertained the giving of the law and the promises. None but the children of Israel were represented by the High Priest, as every year he entered the Holy Place with the blood of those victims specified. Leviticus 16.30. For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. None of the surrounding nations of the land benefited or were cleansed from their sins by this atonement. And why? Because they were not represented by the priest making the offering. An inspired writer says Hebrews 10.3. But in those sacrifices, there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he comes into the world, Jesus said, "Sacrifices and offerings you would not but a body you have prepared me." In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, you have no pleasure. Then said I "Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, it is written of me to do your will." Oh God. by that. which we are sanctified. Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So we see the antitypical errand, the High Priest of our profession, entertaining into the Holy Place with his own blood for those and only those he represented. And only those for whom the officiates are cleansed from sin. Again, Jesus said in John 10, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep." The extent of the Atonement made by our spiritual Aaron is as plainly set forth in the office and word of the Good Shepherd, as it is by those who officiate it under the Old Covenant. So if national Israel stood acquitted and their sins atoned for from year to year by the offering made by their officiating priest shall not God's spiritual Israel stand complete by the atoning sacrifice of Him who has entered by his own blood and has brought in everlasting righteousness for his beloved? And may we not for the comfort of Zion's children, go and examine a little farther into this soul-endearing and God-honoring doctrine? That evangelical prophet Isaiah, speaking of the spiritual Israel, says all we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. That is, upon the shepherd is laid the trespasses of his sheep, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief. When you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. He shall see all the travails of his soul and shall be satisfied. Does not this language of inspiration hold forth a definite atonement and special redemption? Jesus says I know my sheep. And shall they not all of them eventually know him whom to know is eternal life? Truly. they shall. For Jesus says, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead, that is dead in sins, shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live being quickened by his Spirit. They shall not only hear his voice, but they shall also follow him. He gives to them eternal life, and says, my Father, which gives them life, is greater than all, and none are able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. And we may still learn something more of the consolation of the doctrine of the atonement if we turn to Isaiah. 38.16. "Therefore, thus says the Lord God. Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation of stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, heat that believes shall not make haste," or as the apostle expresses "shall not be confounded." Let us notice the nature of this foundation of God's spiritual temple. Which temple the Apostle says you are? Now this foundation was laid of God, not only in infinite wisdom but the manifested his eternal or everlasting love to poor rebellious man. If this foundation was laid in infinite wisdom did not that same wisdom look forward to all time, and seeing the quarry of nature, all the materials for completing the building of God? We will not impute imbecility to the great I am and say that he laid the foundation equal and extent to all the human family, and may rear a superstructure on one half, 3/4, or 9/10 of this foundation. We will not imply that eternal wisdom is inferior to that of a finite creature. If Solomon could lay a foundation and then go to the mountains for stones, and to the forests for timber, and complete the typical emblem of the Church of God by laying up the stones and timber without the sound of a hammer or any iron tool upon it. Will not the wisdom and unchanging love of God carry out the purpose of grace? And shall we not listen to the voice of inspiration? Zechariah 4.7 "Who are you, O Great Mountain? Before Zarubabell. You shall become a plane, and he shall bring forth. The headstone thereof with shouting, and say grace grace unto it." And has not our Jesus said upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. And has not the Prophet said, not by might, this is on the part of the materials for the building, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts? Who can doubt that this view of the subject will lead us into special redemption? Personal election and even justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ? An inspired apostle has said. You were not redeemed by corruptible things such as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. Now did he who is of infinite in knowledge redeem or ransom any person or thing without knowing the exact number redeemed and the exact amount demanded for the release of the captives. If he did not know all this, how came the man of God to say the prey, shall be taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive shall be delivered? Again, deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom Job. 23.24. Again the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. Of personal election, Jesus has said. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. When we thereby chosen of God in Christ listen to Paul. "According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. And for what purpose were they chosen? Inspiration says that they should be holding it without blame before him in love. That is consoling language to the sin-burdened and heavy-laden Pilgrim, the language of whose heart from day to day is Oh that I were holy, all that I could be without blame before him in love. Who that is thus hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and desiring to be holy that does not feel to adore God for his electing love and to sin with the poet
Has not God's Choice prevailed mine
I never had chosen him.
Peter says of this people are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light. Again of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Paul says in answer to the question When we're God to elect justified who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. And Zechariah 9.11 speaking by the same inspiration says "As for you also by the blood of my covenant I have sent forth the prisoners out of the pit wherein there is no water." So then, ever since this chosen generation, this peculiar people, stood in covenant relation to and with Christ, they are and were viewed complete in Him. Yet as this same people stood, for now, stand in relation to or with the first Adam, they are in a state of condemnation and death, being by nature children of wrath, even as others. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned in our federal head or death could never take from us our unconscious infants, while Jesus said of such is the Kingdom of heaven.
Furthermore, we love it in the Lord when we think of or speak of the atonement which was made on Calvary's bloodstained brow. Let it be with full confidence. As well as joy of heart, knowledge, knowing that the ransom of the Lord shall come to Zion. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sighing shall flee away. Again, Isaiah. 45.25. "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." We cannot believe that he who is unbounded in power will ever suffer one of his blood-bought people to perish or sink to hell, for lack of the exertion of any one mortal or worlds combined. No, for thus said the Lord, "I will seek out my sheep, and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day"
Dearly beloved in the Lord, stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free. Fight the good, fight the fight of faith. Take the word of the Lord as the man of your counsel and for the ruler of your lives, knowing that the Lord cares for you and he alone is the keeper of Israel.
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