Would you and your church join God in reaching one of the great mission fields of our nation? The Northwest region of the United States (Washington, Oregon, Northern Idaho) needs Jesus as much as any area in our nation and it is one of the great mission fields in the world. With weekly church attendance of four percent, the Northwest approximates China in percentage of weekly worshippers. And yet, God is at work in the Northwest!
The Northwest Baptist Convention (NWBC) has 500 churches working to reach 12 million people and we need partners to join us in this great venture. We have grown in numbers of churches by 50 percent in the past 25 years, and we need to accelerate that growth over the next decade. Many of our nation’s most influential businesses and universities are in the Northwest, making us a great place in which to live and share Jesus. Northwest corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Nike and Starbucks have changed our world, and reaching the Northwest with the good news of Jesus Christ is having worldwide impact. Already we have more than 40 Korean language churches, dozens of Spanish language churches, and many others worshipping in Russian, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Japanese, and twenty other languages. From the Northwest you can reach the world.
No other network of churches is impacting the Northwest more than NWBC churches, and with your help we can do more. Northwest Baptist Mission Partners includes NWBC churches and others from across the United States who have joined together to reach the Northwest region of the United States with the good news of Jesus Christ.
· Northwest defines our geographical focus, which includes Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho.
· Baptist defines our Christian identity. The NWBC operates according to the biblical convictions outlined in the SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
· Mission is what we do. The Northwest is home to 12 million people, with only four percent participating in a church each week. Missions is the process of sowing the good news of Jesus Christ, reaping a harvest of believers, and gathering those who come to faith in Christ into churches.
· Partners is who we are. We distinguish ourselves from those who think partnership is simply receiving donations and then using those donations in an independent fashion. For us, partnership involves cooperation, and full transparency and accountability regarding finances, strategy, and results. Those who join the NWBC as Northwest Baptist Mission Partners are not merely “contributors” to the mission of reaching the Northwest, but true partners. This is “your ministry with us.”
Why Northwest Baptist Mission Partners?
· Opportunity. The Kingdom of God advances as God’s people create and seize opportunities to the share the good news of Jesus Christ. We believe there has never been a greater opportunity to reach the Northwest than we have today. We are seizing our opportunity, and even as we do, we believe now is the time to create an opportunity for you to partner with us.
· Grassroots, field-based strategy. Northwest Baptists believe in a New Testament approach to missions which is grassroots, bottom-up, and field-based. We believe those closest to the field, and those implementing the strategy, ought to be primary in strategy development, even as we learn from others who are experiencing fruitful Great Commission ministry. We are asking you to partner with us as we strive to evangelize the lost, make disciples, and gather these disciples into established and new churches.
Values of Northwest Mission Partners
· Individual. We value every individual as created in the image of God, and we believe that every person has a right to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. We want no child to grow up in the Northwest who doesn’t have someone praying for their soul and sharing Jesus with them.
· Church. We value every church, regardless of size, as the Body of Christ, purchased with the blood of Christ. We need many more churches, of all sizes and types, in every community in the Northwest.
· Cooperation. We value cooperation, believing it is most effective when expressed in relationship as partners, not merely donors.
· Transparency. We value transparency with all partners, including finances, strategies, methods, and outcomes.
Mission Methodologies
· Prayer. Missions requires that God’s people ask the Father for the means to carry out His mission.
· Evangelism. Preaching the gospel to every person and making disciples of all peoples is the first step in the missionary task and the ongoing work of every church.
· Churching. Gathering disciples into churches, both established churches and new churches, follows disciple-making in the missionary task. Northwest Baptist churches worship in about 27 different languages, with Korean, Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese the most common after English.
· Training. Mission workers and church leaders need ongoing training.
· Resourcing. Missions requires marshalling and managing human and financial resources.
· Communication. Mission partners need and deserve ongoing communication about needs and results.
Who are Northwest Baptist Mission Partners?
· Northwest Baptist affiliated churches
· Baptist churches from throughout the United States
· Associations and Conventions of churches
· Individuals who partner with us in God’s work in the Northwest
What is the Northwest Baptist Convention and how are we organized to carry out the Mission?
· 500 churches, worshipping in 27 different languages, in Washington, Oregon, and Northern Idaho. The median church has 50 weekly worshipers, with about 90 churches averaging over 100.
· The cooperative mission work of Northwest Baptists is funded by NWBC churches in three primary ways.
** Cooperative Program provides about $2,200,000 for Northwest Missions
** Northwest Impact Offering provides about $140,000 for Northwest Missions
** Churches funding Northwest Missions both inside and beyond the Northwest. This is a new growing group of churches, providing about $100,000 annually, with a goal of providing $1 million dollars in funding.
· The NWBC is organized in four ministry teams with 15 full-time staff and 13 part-time staff:
** Evangelism and Church Health Team, Joe Flegal, Team Leader
** Church Planting/NW Missions Team, Gary Irby, Team Leader
** Communications Team, Cameron Crabtree, Team Leader
** Business/Finance Team, Pamela Brock, Business Manager
How can NW Baptist Ministry Partners further advance the Great Commission in the Northwest?
· Send pastors. Our greatest need is for God-called pastors and evangelists, especially bi-vocational pastors who are evangelistic, disciple-making, Bible-teaching pastors.
· Send mission teams for long-term and short-term mission service. Every job opportunity in the other 47 states is available in our 3 states.
· Provide financial resources. Missions requires financial resources for evangelism, leadership development, and church starting through the NWBC. We need mission partners to continue growing Great Commission ministry in the Northwest.
· Advocate for NWBC Missions. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Join with us, and spread the news to your friends, that the Northwest is a great place to do missions and the NWBC is a great mission partner.
· Pray for Mission Northwest. Pray that God will do exceedingly more than all we can ask or imagine, according to His power, that He be glorified in our churches and in all of the work that we do.
How do I become a Northwest Baptist Mission Partner?
Contact us and let’s begin a dialogue as to how your partnership with us might develop. Our Executive Director-Treasurer would love to visit with you personally. You can call him or email him and together you can discuss what role God might have you play in reaching the Northwest with the message of Jesus Christ.
Randy Adams, Executive Director-Treasurer
3200 NW 109th Ave
Vancouver, WA 98682
360-882-2110 (office)