‘Come and be inspired!’ - Assembly 2017 

That’s the message from Lynn Green and David Kerrigan as this year’s Baptist Assembly moves ever closer

 

The 2017 event is in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate in Yorkshire on Saturday 13 May, and thanks to the generosity of hosts the International Convention Centre, an additional worship and communion service is taking place on the Sunday morning. 
 
‘We’ve got a great venue at the International Convention Centre in Harrogate, and it’s going to be a great opportunity to make a weekend of it and celebrate with Baptists from all over the country,’ said Lynn, Baptists Together General Secretary.
 
The day will include worship, seminars and discussion groups, a children's and youth programme led by a team from Skipton Baptist Church, and an opportunity in the evening to recognise our newly accredited ministers and BMS workers, and hear an address from Ben Francis, Associate Team Leader with oversight of BMS work in Kolkata. 
 
BMS World Mission will lead a session in the morning, reporting on its aim of seeing one million lives transformed between 2016-2020. The Baptists Together session in the early afternoon, entitled ‘Beacons of Hope’, will explore key priorities for 2017 and updates on Baptists Together initiatives.

Mission focused seminars

The afternoon offers a seminar programme covering a range of mission-focused topics.
 
Simon Goddard and Roy Searle, recently appointed to encourage pioneering and fresh expressions across Baptists Together, will share a vision to reach the 94 per cent of people in the UK who aren’t currently connecting with church.
 
Dianne Tidball, who will become Baptist Union president 2017-18 at the event, will explore her presidential theme As In Heaven. How can we be communities which offer a taste of heaven wherever God has placed us?
 
Pentecost People, a new resource designed to help Baptist churches, will be launched. Pentecost People aims to ‘foster a world-aware spirit, modelling ways to welcome and affirm people of every tongue and culture and enabling us to become more fully global in our local worshipping communities.’
 
David Kerrigan, in his last Assembly as BMS General Director, hosts a seminar entitled: A Baptist people – distinctive or generic?

‘Baptists around the world have been, and remain, overwhelmingly evangelical,' he said. But is there a way of being a Baptist Evangelical that is consistent with our history and principles, that can enrich the wider church, and make us better able to face today’s complex challenges? 
 
Another seminar will introduce Conversation Welcome, the new pack of resources from the Joint Public Issues Team in the wake of Brexit. The resource aims to help churches and individuals think through the important underlying question - what sort of society do we want to live in? The seminar will begin a conversation on three key issues:

• How should we treat others?
• How should we use our resources?
• How should we make decisions?

 
Mark Ord, co-director of BMS World Mission’s International Mission Centre, will explore mission in a secular world.
 
Ben Francis will reflect on a church planting model from Asia and its relevance to the UK. ‘Ben and his team have been mightily blessed by God over many years, and have planted thousands of cell churches,’ said David.
 
Another session will explore the challenges and opportunities we face reaching the millennial generation with the gospel of Christ.

 
‘Come, that we might celebrate all that is good amongst us.’   

Following the seminars, a prayer and In Memoriam session will be led by Geoff Colmer, Regional Minister Team Leader of Central Baptist Association. The evening session will include the celebration of ministers and mission workers, as well as Ben’s address. 

The children’s and youth programme is led by Lauren and Matt Smith, and a team from Skipton Baptist Church. Lauren became a Children’s Minister at Skipton Baptist Church in 2013, while Matt is Youth Minister at the church.

The children’s programme – reception to Year 6 – is entitled Treasure Seekers. ‘As we hunt for treasure we will explore our way through the Bible stories of Jesus to discover that being with God is like finding treasure and also that we are God’s treasure.’
 
The youth programme (Year 7 – 13), called Ignite, will ‘explore our role as young people in this world, where we are at, and how we can be living out God’s plan in our lives.’
 
Throughout Assembly will link to the Thy Kingdom Come initiative, the global wave of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost that people you know might know Jesus.

The additional Sunday morning worship and communion service will be led by David and Lynn. 
 
‘The focus is on God, his mission to the world and the particular place for us as a Baptist people,’ they said. ‘Come so that by being together we can discern God’s voice to us as a missionary people.

‘Come, that we might celebrate all that is good amongst us.’   
 

To register your place visit: www.baptistassembly.org.uk

Bookings close on 24 April